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Food plays an
integral part in the life of the Chinese, especially during
the New Year, where they are not just victuals meant for
consumption but dishes full of symbolism. For example, one
food item that has become synonymous with Chinese New Year
is the mandarin orange. The mandarins significance can be
garnered from its Cantonese name kum which is homophonic
with the word gold in the same dialect.
Among the traditional food items eaten during that New
Year's Eve Reunion dinner would be chicken, fatt choy - a
black hair-like moss that is homonymous with the Cantonese
term for prosperity, fish (its name in Chinese yu is another
homonym for surplus or abundance, dried oysters (in Chinese
it is called ho xi, which sounds like “good business”) and
long noodles to symbolise long life.
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