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Happy Chinese New Year of the Horse!

Chinese New Year Dragon

Chinese New Year Dragon


For more than a billion people worldwide, January 31st marks the beginning of a new year – Chinese New Year 4712! Ringing in the Year of the Wooden Horse, the Lunar Festival beginning on Friday, is predicted to be a year of romance, adventure, extreme weather and financial market fluctuations by Chinese astrologists.

At this time of year, Chinese families gather to practice ancient traditions to attract luck and good fortune with fifteen days of celebrations, including the famous dragon dance. Numerous symbolic foods are prepared and new bowls and chopsticks are purchased to symbolize prosperity. Biscuits or cakes are served and presented as gifts to family and friends. Steamed rice cakes or cup cakes are left white or colored pink and brown. The fissures that form on top of the cake as it steams are said to predict the arrival of good luck. Some housewives refuse to make their own steamed cakes, preferring to buy them, in the event that the cracks do not form and bad fortune befalls the family as a result.

Chinese New Year Offering of Steamed Cakes and Fruits

Chinese New Year Offering of Steamed Cakes and Fruits

Chinese New Year is celebrated on a lavish scale and is meant to culminate the labor and harvest of the old year while welcoming in the new with hopes of better fortune and plenty for the family. All the efforts of the family are concentrated on showing friends and kin alike the abundance of food and goodwill in the household.

Chinese New Year of the Horse Steamed Cake

Chinese New Year of the Horse Steamed Cake

If you would like to try your hand at making some Chinese dishes start with our Chinese ingredients “grocery aisle”. Thanks for reading our blog, we would love to hear how you celebrate Chinese New Year! Please feel free to leave your comment below. Happy Chinese New Year everyone! Wishing your prosperity and happiness in the year of the horse.

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