Food Symbolism during Chinese New Year Celebrations

Chinese like playing with words and symbols. Often homonyms (words that share the same pronunciation but have different meanings) are used. Names of dishes and their ingredients which will be served sound similar to words and phrases referring to wishes expressed during the Chinese New Year, while other foods hold a symbolic meaning.

Below are some food's symbolic meaning:

• Bamboo fungus (stinkhorn fungus; bot.: Phallus indusiatus), also called bamboo pith - meaning: long life

• Black moss (hair moss, hair weed), fat choy (a black hair-like cyanobacteria) - wealth

• Fish (whole) - The word 魚 (yú), meaning "fish", has the same pronunciation as the word 餘, which is "remain or surplus", 'having leftovers of money', an increase in prosperity 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Chicken (whole) - prosperity, togetherness of the family, joy (note: chicken with its head, tail and feet symbolizes completeness)

• Fa Gao: the steamed "Prosperity Cake"; the sound "fa" means either "to raise/generate" or "be prosperous"