大年初二開年飯 Hoī Nìn Faahn
- kongtent
- Feb 6, 2019
- 2 min read
Happy Lunar New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!!!
Today is the Second Day of Lunar New Year, have you had Hoī Nìn Faahn gathering, welcoming the Year of Pig, with your family? Have you ever wondered why families usually have Hoī Nìn Faahn開年飯, “start of New Year (family) meal” on the Second Day of Lunar New Year, not the Lunar New Year Day?
According to legend, New Year's Eve and the Lunar New Year Day are the time for the gods to rest. Therefore, it is traditionally to avoid killing and take a vegetarian diet on the Lunar New Year Day to show the gratitude of the gods and ancestors and have “start of New Year (family) meal” on the Second Day of Lunar New Year.
Many of the traditional dishes we have at the Lunar New Year symbolise health, wealth and happiness. The chicken has to be presented whole to represent completeness. The Cantonese for fish is "yu", which sounds like the word for abundance. The fish has to be served whole to symbolise togetherness, and a good start and finish for the coming year.
At numerous family meals –– an even number of dishes are served, baat, “eight”, which sounds like faat,“to become wealthy” in Cantonese. Cantonese dishes combines faat chòi, “black/hair moss”, sounding like faat chòi, “to become rich” or “prosperity”, with hòu sí, “dried oysters”, resembling hóu síh, “good business”, and dried bean curd sheets, which sounds like fu juk, “wealth and happiness”.
However, Hong Kong people nowadays pay less details to “start of New Year (family) meal”. There is no must-eat food, but usually more dishes than normal family meals. Families usually prepare chicken, fish, pork, bacon and vegetables.
Wish you all good health and happiness.
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