Chinese New Year (aka Lunar New Year and Spring Festival) is the most important festival in China and a significant event in other Asian countries. More than a billion people celebrate it. Before the novel coronavirus pandemic, it was known as the world’s largest annual migration, with people making their way home to celebrate with family. The holiday symbolises a “season of renewal” and the advent of spring.

According to Betty Liu, the author of My Shanghai: Recipes and Stories from a City on the Water, “The lunar calendar is based on the movement of the moon, a method of timekeeping used, in part, because of China’s agrarian society. The start of a new cycle, the Lunar New Year is perhaps one of the most anticipated festivals in China.” This year, the 16-day celebration begins on Tuesday, February 1, and 2022 is the year of the tiger.

Food plays a vital role in Chinese New Year celebrations. People eat certain dishes as they are symbolic and promise good luck and wealth. Traditional celebratory Lunar New Year foods are deemed “auspicious” based on their pronunciations or appearance. The dishes, the preparation, how they are served and eaten all mean a lot. Here are eight (considered the luckiest number in Chinese culture) essential Chinese/Lunar New Year dishes and the symbolism behind them.