Prosperity and My Chinese New Year Spread
Today, I’m continuing my series on the Chinese New Year of the Snake Celebration. As you start the new year, so shall it go. That’s why the Chinese pay so much attention to having a very prosperous and bountiful holiday table. This year, I started my Chinese New Year Celebration in the Catskills, and then, continued it in New York City, including a visit to the New York Chinatown. The pics for the Chinatown are to follow, but today, I’d like to share with my wordpress friends my Chinese New Year prosperity celebration.
The table should be bountiful and include dishes like auspicious fish, rice, lots of colorful and healthy vegetables, fruits & cake, and some high quality tea!
The centerpiece on my table: auspicious pink salmon, a wonderful symbol of prosperity.
Salmon is garnished with green peas for health, growth and money, as well as colorful fresh red peppers for energy.
My two rice dishes: white jasmine and mahogany, both garnished with fresh veggies.
Mahogany vegetable rice, my favorite!
Jasmine vegetable rice.
Cabbage and scallion salad (in a large bowl after grapefruit). Due to green color, many leaves or shoots, and excellent nutritional value, both cabbage and scallions are the beloved symbols of prosperity.
Finally, to satisfy my sweet tooth: tea and cake!
My very healthy cake, stuffed with high quality dry fruits and red walnuts and garnished with jumbo dates. It was very moist and delicious. Yum!
Jasmine Dragon Pearl green tea, brewed especially for the New Year of the Snake, in a Tetsubin Snake tea pot, and served in Japanese tea cups.
An appetizing platter of red walnuts, jumbo raisins, and roasted seeds & red peanuts, also symbolizing bounty and abundance.
And of course, chocolate raisins, so the year is extra-sweet & extra-smooth.
Prosperity is said to double, if the bounty on the table is reflected in a large mirror.
Persimmons – another welcome symbol of prosperity.
My persimmon branches decorated for the holiday with auspicious birds, Chinese coins and Laughing Buddha.
The name of the plant below says it all: this is the famous Chinese money tree!
And of course, no self-respecting Chinese would celebrate New Year without oranges! A huge bowl of oranges and other fruit on my dining table. Oranges are the ultimate symbol of prosperity and abundance, but other fruits are great, too.
Let the fea st begin! Happy Chinese New Year of the Snake!
Also read:
Auspicious Chinese New Year Celebration
What to Expect from the Chinese New Year of the Snake
