My hometown is in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, and since I was a child, even if it is the prelude to the New Year, killing New Year's pigs, steaming rice cakes, making tofu, 28 handfuls of dough hair, to 29 boiling bones, and 30 nights to do a night, every link of this is the yearning and expectation of the year.
As a northerner, the Chinese New Year is undoubtedly the most important festival of the year. In my hometown, since I was a child, the atmosphere of the New Year has become stronger and stronger. Slaughtering New Year pigs, steaming rice cakes, and making tofu, each dish implies a bumper harvest and happiness. As the smell of the New Year grows stronger, every household is busy. Slaughtering New Year pigs is a must-have activity for the New Year, which is one of the unique charms of the Northern New Year. After the pigs are slaughtered, the meat is divided and used to make a variety of delicacies. The Spring Festival couplets posted at the door of every household add to the festive atmosphere and imply a beautiful look forward to the new year.
Steaming rice cakes and making tofu are also important activities for the Chinese New Year. The meaning of rice cake is to rise step by step, and tofu represents reunion and a bright future. In the process of making rice cakes, the fermentation of noodles and the grinding of beans into soy milk are both essential steps. This also reflects one of the customs of the Chinese New Year in the north, where making dumplings symbolizes reunion and a better future. The making of rice cakes is very tedious and requires people to do it by themselves, bit by bit. The production of tofu requires more skill and patience, and the beans need to be ground many times to make the taste of the tofu more delicious.
In the north, the thirtieth day of the Chinese New Year's Eve is the most important day. From the afternoon, the family began to prepare the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner. A sumptuous Chinese New Year's Eve dinner needs to be prepared in advance, the ingredients need to be carefully selected, and the cooking process must be very delicate. Dumplings are one of the traditional delicacies in the north and a must-have food in the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner. In our hometown, the Chinese New Year's Eve meal has to be done all night, symbolizing the reunion and happiness of the family. During the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, the family sat together, tasted the food, and enjoyed the Spring Festival Gala. This is not only the respect and expectation of the year, but also the warmth and harmony of the family.
On the night of the Chinese New Year's Eve, the sound of firecrackers came and went. The sound of firecrackers is one of the traditional customs of the Chinese New Year in the north, which has the meaning of eliminating disasters and difficulties, saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new. As the New Year's bell rings, every household begins to set off firecrackers. Amid the sound of firecrackers, the new year officially begins.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, New Year's greetings are one of the important activities of the New Year. In the north, there is no fixed time for New Year's greetings, as long as there is no New Year's month, you can go to pay New Year's greetings. During New Year's greetings, people bring gifts to send New Year blessings to relatives and friends. This is a sincere expression of family and friendship, and it is also a beautiful expectation for the new year.
The Chinese New Year is not only a summary and farewell to the old year, but also an expectation and blessing for the new year. In my hometown, the customs of the Chinese New Year are rich and colorful, and contain too many cultures and emotions. These customs have been passed down for many years and have become the unique charm of the Northern New Year, in which people feel the warmth of home, the sincerity of friendship and the beauty of life.
The New Year is a time of anticipation, but also a time of hope and anticipation. I hope that in the new year, everyone can fulfill their wishes and everyone can live happily.