Displaying and eating these fruits is said to bring wealth and luck. According to the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, the tradition stems from the way the Chinese words for gold and orange sound alike, while the word for tangerine¹ echoes luck. "It's good if they have leaves," adds Lum, "because leaves symbolize² longevity³." But don't group them in fours, because, Dunlop says, this number is associated with death.

If noodles are served, then "keep them as long as possible for long life," says Lum.

 

Put out for visiting relatives to snack on, or given as a gift, the eight ("a traditionally symbolic⁴ lucky number," explains Dunlop) compartments⁵ of the tray are filled with things such as preserved kumquats for prosperity, coconut⁶ for togetherness, longans to bring many sons, and red melon seeds for happiness.

 

"Nian gao means year cake, but gao sounds the same as the word for tall or high," says Dunlop. Hence the cakes symbolize achieving new heights in the coming year. The steamed sweets are made of glutinous⁷ rice flour, brown sugar, and oil. Some versions have white sesame seeds, red dates, or nuts in them (the dates are said to bring "early prosperity," writes Gong in Good Luck Life). If you want to try your hand at making nian gao, here's our recipe. Chowhounds also have some tips.

 

This large citrus fruit is popular, writes Gong, because it is thought to bring "continuous prosperity and status." The tradition comes from the way the Cantonese phrase for pomelo sounds similar to the words for prosperity and status, explains Lum.

点击收听单词发音