Before adding the above, there are some chants to make.
Step 1: All at the table offers New Year greetings.Words: Gong xi fa cai meaning "Congratulations for your wealth" or Wan shi ru yi meaning "May all your wishes be fulfilled".
Step 2: Fish, symbolising abundance or excess through the year, is added. Words: Nian nian you yu and You yu you sheng.
Step 3: The pomelo is added over the fish, adding both luck and auspicious value.Words: Da ji da li.Pepper is then dashed over the ingredients in the hope of attracting more money and valuables.Words: Zhao cai jin bao.Then oil is poured out, circling the ingredients to increase all profits 10,000 times and encouraging money to flow in from all directionsWords: Yi ben wan li and Cai yuan guang jin.
Step 4: Carrots are added to the fish indicating blessings of good luck.Words: Hong yun dang tou.Then the shredded green radish is placed on the fish symbolising eternal youth.Words: Qing chun chang zhu.After which the shredded white radish is added - prosperity in business and promotion at work.Words: Feng sheng shui qi and Bu bu gao sheng.
Step 5: The condiments are finally added. First, peanut crumbs are dusted on the dish symbolising a household filled with gold and silver. As an icon of longevity, peanuts also symbolise eternal youth.Words: Jin yin man wu.Sesame seeds quickly follow symbolising a flourishing business.Words: Sheng yi xing long. Deep-fried flour crisps in the shape of golden pillows is then added with wishes that literally the whole floor would be filled with gold.Words: Pian di huang jin.
Step 6: All toss the salad an auspicious 7 times with loud shouts of lo hei and other auspicious New Year wishes.Words: Lo hei which is Cantonese for "tossing luck".The ingredients mixed by pushing them toward the centre, an encouragement to push on the good luck of all at the table.(Source: http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_177_2004-12-30.html)
Then time to attack and find the fish...hehehe (The above photo shows very little chopsticks but was attacked by 20 people...lolol). Of course what follows the above dish of yusheng are other dishes too.
9 comments:
This was very interesting...and
'May all your wishes be fulfilled'.!!
This is a very informative post. We often hear about New Year festivities but not this human creation day. very nice. I wish I could have a plate of noodles.
Thank you Micelle for your wishes.
PhotoCache, this is a salad consisting of shredded vegetables and top up with fishes and other ingredients. :) But it do looked like noodles.
oh so Reri is some kind a Yee Sang?
I love the Yee Sang and all the chopsticks flying high with food, it's so much fun.
Happy birthday to everyone.
oh so Reri is some kind a Yee Sang?
I love the Yee Sang and all the chopsticks flying high with food, it's so much fun.
Happy birthday to everyone.
Again, best wishes for the new year! And thanks for bringing to us such great traditions!
Hi Kitem, Ren = human/people and Ri = day so it is people day, ie. the day people were created. Happy Birthday to all. Glad you enjoyed Yee Sang/Yusheng as much as we do. :)
Very interesting traditions. Thanks for sharing them with us.
An Arkie's Musings
hahaha... poor me. it's my first time to know the real meaning of gong xi fa cai. i thought it was just happy new year! hehehe...
thanks for that info.
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