Soon it will be chinese new year..and welcome to the year of the dog.It starts January 29, and is the year 4074(I think).While I can make a mean hot and sour soup and terrific peking duck..I am certainly no expert on Chinese things.But what I can gather is that food is central to this celebration..and we all love food!Lets start with meat, chicken is traditionally served and usually whole,this represents completeness, accompanied by steamed fish, which represents abundance.
The chinese name for fish sounds somewhat like the english word *surplus*, and if you eat fish on new years eve you will have a surplus of wealth from year to year.
Long uncut noodles symbolize longevity, and of course mandarin oranges represent wealth and good fortune.
The vegetable of choice is fat choy, a type of dried moss and means striking a fortune.
To round it all off is rice cake(nian gao)and sometimes dried fruits and seeds..which symbolize fertility.
If you were born in 1946,1958,1970,1982,1994 or 2006 your sign is the dog.
Happy Chinese new year!
(ps Im not sure what that logo is I put up there but hopefully May will tell me if its rude or not.)