Yes, that’s right. You heard it here first. According to the zodiac signs for the Chinese New Year, which is celebrated this week, I was born in the year of the rat, and Darcy was born in the year of the pig.
Those born in the year of the rat are said to be wise, intelligent and determined. I’ll take that!
With a round and fat face, the Pig is the symbol of wealth, felicity, honesty and practicality. I had a good chuckle at that one!
Zodiac signs aside, the Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, follows the lunar calendar. It is celebrated predominantly in East and Southeast Asian cultures. Most importantly, it is celebrated with food and family.
In China, health is wealth - and food is recognised as critical for health. Here are some of the celebratory foods you can share for the Lunar New Year:
鮑魚 Abalone – guaranteed abundance
雞 Chicken – good planning
魚 Fish – plentiful; surplus, abundance
生菜 Lettuce — richness
柑桔 Mandarin/Oranges – protection/safety; abundance and happiness
年糕 New Year Cake – increasing prosperity
麵 Noodle – longevity
蠔 Oyster – good fortune
碌柚 Pomelo (Chinese grapefruit) – harmonious, togetherness
海鮮 Seafood – prosperity and good wishes
菇 Shiitake Mushroom – wealth and prosperity
蝦 Shrimp – laughter and happiness
髮菜 Terrestrial Cyanobacterium – type of fungi/algae; when dried, the product has the appearance of black hair wealth and prosperity.
腐竹 Tofu stick – richness
西瓜 Watermelon – seeds and candied fruits (lotus seeds, lotus root slices, coconut shreds, winter melon chunks) – full of blessings in fertility, richness, wellness, goodness.
I have always loved the overt food and health connection when visiting China. It is something we could learn from. There are both romantic and scientific elements in this connection for me. Seeing food as more than rushed calories to satisfy hunger, but something to be shared, celebrated and eaten for health is what we can all aim for.
The Lunar New Year is officially celebrated on January 29th this year and festivities last for a couple of weeks. 2025 is the year of the Snake (alongside 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013). The snake is associated with harvest, procreation, spirituality and good fortune as well as cunning, evil, threat and terror.
Good health to you for the Lunar New Year. I hope you are able to celebrate with a few of the food items above - I am thinking of a nice dish of seafood noodles to celebrate and maybe my son can find me some paua!