Lunar New Year 2025 is almost here. Today is New Year’s Eve, an important date in the Lunar New Year calendar, so much so that offices and shops will close early, a common practice in the Far East, for staff to get home to the eagerly anticipated Family Reunion Dinner.
It has been years since I celebrated Lunar New Year. Having lived in the UK for almost 35 years, the key dates for LNY usually fall on term time, outside of the school holidays, for that reason for many years we didn’t celebrate it at all. These days I rely on Mr Google to tell me the dates 🙂 to host a gathering or two.
I also visited my first ever Lunar New Year Fair in London! The weekend fairs were packed with Hong Kongers and local Chinese alike. The organisers held the fairs at City and Islington College on 18/19 January, and City of London School on the following weekend. It was a fantastic event, very crowded but so enjoyable. There were many cooked food stalls, artisan and festive goods and non food products for purchase. Everyone worked so hard to make it a success. My visit was much more than shopping and eating. I enjoyed chatting with the stallkeepers, learnt about their brand, their passion and personal story. Their determination in their work was evident. Many were not entreprenuers before leaving Hong Kong and almost everyone of them still have family far away, yet they joyfully celebrate this festival with one another and with strangers. I couldn’t help by touched by their perseverance in making a living in a foreign land. I wish them many opportunities and best wishes. As Hong Kongers would say “ga yau!”, “add oil!”
It is nearly time to prepare tonight’s dinner. Normally there are a number of dishes to share. Broadly stick to tradition for the two of us but instead of Chinese flavours, ours would be Japanese inspired. Pork & watercress gyozas and vegetable ramen soup. I’m quite sure both items have significant meanings, such as longevity (noodles, uncut) and prosperity (dumplings as shaped like little ingots). When I planned this meal, I didn’t consider the significance, it was purely out of necessity to clear out the freezer….I am very proud of the fact that I wrapped 44 dumplings in 40 minutes and none burst! The ramen was delicious, who knew a vegan base could be so rich tasting and nourishing; it was simple to make, too.
This week is pretty quiet for me, and a much welcomed break before a busy weekend. I shall be testing recipes and prepare for a potluck lunch gathering on Saturday, followed by a second gathering for Sunday dinner. In many ways Lunar New Year is not so dissimilar to Christmas, families and friends get together and catch up over lots of festive and special foods.
If you celebrate it, and whether you are far from home or with loved ones around you, I wish you all a very happy and peaceful one.
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