The Origin of Eating a Reunion Dinner on New Year's Eve
Introduction: One of the most important customs on New Year’s Eve is that the family gathers around the dining table to eat the New Year’s Eve dinner. This is also the warmest moment for a family and the happy moment of family reunion. But do you know why we have to eat New Year’s Eve dinner? Why is the New Year’s Eve dinner called a reunion dinner? Please follow the editor to learn more about it below! New Year’s Eve is the time for families to reunite and the Chinese New Year is the most important festival for our Chinese nation. If you want to know more about the culture and content of New Year’s Eve, please read the special topic on New Year’s Eve carefully compiled for you by Mr. Shui Mo!The origin of the custom of eating New Year’s Eve dinnerThere are many interesting legends about the origin of the New Year's Eve dinner. Among them, the most widely circulated one is the story about people working together to resist "Nian". In ancient times, there was a ferocious monster that lived in the deep mountains and dense forests. People called it "Nian". It has a hideous appearance and a cruel nature. It feeds on birds, beasts, reptiles and insects. Its taste changes every day. People are terrified when talking about the "Nian". Later, people slowly understood the activity pattern of "Nian". It would sneak into places where people gathered to taste fresh food every 365 days. It would appear after dark and return to the mountains and forests at dawn when the cocks crowed. After calculating the date when "Nian" would wreak havoc, the people regarded this terrible night as a critical juncture, called "New Year's Eve". On this night, every household would prepare dinner in advance, turn off the fire and clean the stove, then lock the chicken coop and cattle pen, seal the front and back doors of the house, and hide in the house to eat the "New Year's Eve dinner". Because this dinner has an uncertain implication of good or bad luck, it is prepared very sumptuously. In addition to the whole family eating together to express harmony and reunion, they must also offer sacrifices to their ancestors before eating, praying for the blessings of the ancestral spirits so that they can spend the night safely. After dinner, no one dared to sleep, and they sat together chatting to build up their courage. You can’t survive the New Year without eating the New Year’s Eve dinner. Therefore, the custom of having a reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve gradually formed.Another legend about the New Year's Eve reunion dinnerAccording to legend, a long time ago, there was an old man who hired a good chef. His family had an only son who was drafted into the army. When the Chinese New Year was approaching, the old man and his wife remembered that their son had not sent a letter home for a year, and they didn't know whether he was dead or alive. So they had stern faces all day long and had no intention of celebrating the Chinese New Year. The old chef saw it and felt sad for the old couple, but there was nothing he could do. He just wanted to cook better and make the old couple happy. On the 30th day, the old chef went to the street early in the morning to buy some pigeons, chickens, fish and vegetables, cooked them in the kitchen, and was about to serve them when the old man's only son came back. The old man was very happy and pulled his son aside to ask him many questions. This again put the old chef in a difficult position. He had only prepared two dishes, which were meant for the old couple. But now there were three people. It would be very disappointing to serve two dishes. If he made another dish, there wouldn't be enough. What should he do? After thinking for a while, the old chef came up with an idea. He piled the cooked dishes and the leftover dishes together, fried them into a large plate and served them. The old man took a bite of the dish and thought it tasted good, so he asked: "What is this dish called? It tastes really good." The old chef didn't know either! He thought: Your family is reunited today, and I made this meal for your reunion. Just said casually: "Family reunion dinner." From then on, this kind of meal was passed down. Every year on the 30th day of the lunar calendar, people would prepare a "reunion dinner" to represent the reunion of the family.Summary: The above article content is what the editor wants to introduce to readers about the origin of the custom of eating New Year’s Eve dinner on New Year’s Eve. You can learn about it and feel the origin of our traditional customs! |
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