Ring in the Year of the Tiger… The New Mexican
Ring in the Year of the Tiger with symbolic fare
Kathy Pinto | For The New Mexican
Posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 –
According to the traditional Chinese calendar, Saturday is when the Chinese ring out the Year of the Ox and ring in the Year of the Tiger. Based on a lunar cycle, the traditional Chinese calendar follows the regular appearance of the full moon; hence it will be the year 4708. Like Christmas in the West, it is the biggest holiday in China — a time spent with family and celebrated with foods symbolizing prosperity.
The food most closely associated with the Chinese New Year are jiaozi, or dumplings, symbolic of wealth and prosperity because of their resemblance to ancient Chinese money — the silver ingot. Families traditionally spend New Year’s Eve together preparing these dumplings, which are eaten at midnight: the dumpling wrapper representing the family as a whole and the filling symbolizing members of the family. (Read on …)