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Chinese New Year 2025: A feast of traditions, family, and good fortune

Jan 26, 2025 02:10 PM IST

Chinese New Year, celebrated over two weeks, is a time for family reunions and symbolic feasting.

As the world rings into the Chinese New Year, people celebrate it with tradition, festivity, and food—lots of food. It is also known as the Lunar New Year and Spring Festival as it marks the beginning of spring and the harvest that it would bring along. This celebration is not just about fireworks and red lanterns; it’s a time for families to come together, honour ancestors, and, most importantly, feast on symbolic dishes that promise good fortune for the year ahead.

A Sichuan-inspired spread for Chinese New Year 2025
A Sichuan-inspired spread for Chinese New Year 2025

What is the Chinese New Year?

The Chinese New Year is celebrated over two weeks and ends with the celebration of the Lantern Festival on the 15th day. It begins between January 21 and February 20 every year and is the most popular holiday in China and Chinese communities around the world. It marks the start of a new animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac with each year being represented by one of the 12 animals. For 2025, the zodiac ushers in the Year of the Wood Snake, representing power, strength, prosperity, and good fortune.

Festival of food and togetherness

One of the traditional ways to begin celebrating the Chinese New Year is the reunion dinner when families gather to celebrate hopes for the new year, with every dish carrying a deeper meaning. According to Sunil Gadihoke, Executive Chef at Welcomhotels by ITC, Delhi, the Chinese believe in consuming specific ingredients and food items during the festivities for the characteristics that each ingredient symbolises. Some of these are:

Whole Fish: symbolising an increase in prosperity

Dumplings and spring rolls: symbolising wealth

Whole chicken or duck: symbolising luck

Tangyuan or sweet glutinous rice balls: symbolising togetherness

Noodles: symbolising happiness and longevity (It is also said that the length of the noodles is often symbolic of the eater's life)

Shrimp: symbolising happiness and good fortune

Fresh leafy vegetables: symbolising wealth

Fruits (primarily citrus): symbolising fullness and wealth

The rising popularity in India

In recent years, the Chinese New Year has gained traction across India, with metropolitan cities embracing the festival with enthusiasm. The vibrant culture, combined with the universal appeal of Chinese cuisine, has contributed to its rising popularity.

“People have begun taking an increased interest in the celebration of Chinese New Year but there's still a long way to go," says Chef Gadihoke. He further adds, “Pockets of the Chinese communities across India in our Chinatowns still celebrate the festival with grandeur every year. A visit to Tangra or Tiretti Bazaar in Kolkata is a must during the Chinese New Year if one wants to truly witness everything this festival has to offer.”

Celebrations across India

Many restaurants across India are stepping up to offer traditional delicacies and festive experiences by curating special menus to mark the occasion and offering diners a taste of authentic Chinese New Year dishes.

At Mumbai's Sesame, Hyatt Centric in Juhu, Chef Rahul Shrivastava shares, “We are celebrating the Year of the Snake with a Sichuan-inspired menu starting January 27th. The menu features dishes such as Peking Duck, Sichuan-style Hot & Sour Soup, Truffle Mushroom Dumplings, and Black Pepper Crab.”

Meanwhile, the chef team of Delhi's Royal China have put together a special Lunar New Year menu: “Festive delicacies like Mock Duck Poached Dumplings, XO Prawn Dumplings, and Crispy Chicken Cheung Fun are the highlights of our menu. Other flavorful mains such as Sichuan-style Spicy Tofu, King Prawns in Sweet Chili Sauce, and Stir-Fried Chicken in Black Bean Sauce, Choa Choa Potatoes are also part of the menu. Symbolic desserts like Sticky Rice Cakes and Golden Custard Buns, are complemented by signature cocktails like the Jade Fizz and Umami Old Fashioned.”

Fusion of flavours

Chefs are also experimenting with fusing Indian flavours or cooking techniques with traditional Chinese New Year dishes. “While Indian and Chinese cuisines differ fundamentally, fusion opportunities exist through strategic spice incorporation. Specifically, using dry or fresh chillies in Chinese New Year dishes can add a spicy dimension without compromising traditional cooking techniques or core flavour profiles,” shares Chef Chow Chee Meng at the Ritz-Carlton, Bengaluru.

Along with Luohan Zhai, a traditional dish, they are offering Snake coffee, an aromatic brew dedicated to the Year of the Snake.

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