Fireworks aside, the next best thing (or maybe the best thing actually) about Spring Festival is all the scrumptious traditional foods that go along with it. But what should you eat/gift and why during this more festive of Chinese festivals? Read on ...

Dumplings (餃子, jiǎo zi)

Traditionally made and eaten at home on the first day of Spring Festival, dumplings represent change and fecundity in the new year. The shape of dumplings resembles ancient Chinese gold ingots (金錠, jīn dìng) so they are a particularly wealthy omen. Some people even hide one jiao and five jiao coins (一角和五角硬幣, yī jiǎo hé wǔ jiǎo yìng bì) inside the dumplings (much like the British tradition of hiding a silver sixpence in the Christmas pudding), which are thought to bring good fortune to whoever finds them.