Have you heard of the legend of the origin of the New Year's Eve dinner in ancient times?

New Year’s Eve dinner is also known as the reunion dinner. Every year on the Lunar New Year’s Eve, the family will gather together to have dinner, and then stay up together to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. So, do you know the origin of the New Year’s Eve dinner? Next, let’s take a look together.

The Origin of the New Year's Eve Dinner

The emergence of "year"

In ancient times, there was a ferocious monster that lived in the deep mountains and dense forests. People called it "Nian". "Nian" has a hideous appearance and a cruel nature. Its taste changes every day, from eating praying mantis to eating living people, making people shudder at the mention of "Nian". Gradually, people mastered the activity pattern of "Nian". It turned out that it would sneak into places where people gathered to taste fresh food every 365 days, and it would appear after dark. When the cocks crowed at dawn, it would return to the mountains and forests.

Guarding the New Year

Later, people regarded this terrible night as a critical moment, called it "New Year's Eve", and came up with a whole set of ways to "get through the New Year's Eve": every night on this day, every household would prepare dinner in advance, turn off the fire and clean the stove, then lock the chicken coop and cattle pen, and then seal the gate of the house, hiding in the house to eat the "New Year's Eve dinner". Because this dinner has uncertain implications, it is prepared very sumptuously. In addition to the whole family gathering together to eat to express harmony and reunion, they must also offer sacrifices to their ancestors before eating, praying to the gods and ancestral spirits to bless them to spend the night in peace.

New Year's Eve dinner

After dinner, no one dared to sleep, so they all sat together and chatted to boost their courage. As the sky gradually darkened, "Nian" rushed out from the deep mountains and forests and sneaked into the villages where people lived. All the doors of the houses were closed, with sesame stalks piled in front of the doors, but there was not a single person in sight on the streets. "Nian" walked around for most of the night but got nothing. Every time it did this, it would never come out again.

The meaning of New Year's Eve dinner

1. The custom of New Year’s Eve dinner has gradually developed and has been passed down to this day. New Year’s Eve dinner is mainly a reunion dinner to bid farewell to the old and usher in the new. The family sits together for the dinner to bid farewell to the old and usher in the new, and the whole family is reunited, happy and lively. New Year’s Eve dinner was usually the most sumptuous meal of the year for farmers in Kanto in the old days, and it had to be prepared by the chef on New Year’s Eve.
2. Now the New Year’s Eve dinner has gone beyond the scope of "eating". It is about the warmth between people. It is warmed by the greetings and tenderness of the whole family. There is both nostalgia for the old year that is passing away and hope for the new year that is coming.