Year of the Rabbit: A look into 2023 (5)

Illustration: Kou Jie/People's Daily Online

2023: The long-anticipated family reunion dinner

Held on the eve of Spring Festival, the reunion dinner, also known as “Nian Ye Fan” (年夜饭), is considered the most important feast of the entire year in China. With a history of over four thousand years, the event embraces traditional values such as family ties and harmony.

For every Chinese family, fish is an indispensable part of the reunion dinner. In Chinese, fish has the same pronunciation as 余 (yu), which means 'surplus'. For Chinese people, it is always good to have saved something by the end of the year, so that more good fortune will follow.

The typical blessing that comes with the fish dish is 年年有余 (nian nian you yu), an idiom wishing people a surplus of food and money in the new year. It is also very important to choose the right type of fish. The crucian carp and Chinese mud carp are most often used for reunion dinners, as the first character of crucian carp (鲫鱼, jiyu) sounds like the Chinese word 吉 (ji, good luck), while the Chinese word for mud carp has a similar pronunciation to the word for 'gift'.

With people's living standards improving significantly in recent years, more and more Chinese prefering to eat out for New Year rather than cook at home. The Internet has also made it possible for people to order half-finished dishes online, or even invite a chef to help out at home. The form of the reunion dinner may have changed over the years, but the essence of loving families remain.

China reopened its borders as the nation downgraded COVID-19 management measures from Class A to Class B on Jan 8, ending three years of strict restrictions on domestic and international travel. This year, many families will be able to enjoy their long awaited reunion dinners to the fullest.