Chinese New Year on February 1 heralds the Year of the Tiger.

Festivities begin on New Year’s Eve on Monday January 31 and last 16 days until the Lantern Festival which is also known as the true Chinese Valentine’s Day.

Here’s how you can join in.

There are multiple blessings and greetings for Chinese New Year but a blessing for wealth and prosperity; Gong Xi Fa Cai (pronounced gong hei fat choy) is probably easiest if you don’t speak one of the multiple dialects in China. Family is central to Chinese society and the New Year’s Eve dinner (or Reunion) dinner is the most significant feast on the Spring Festival. Dinner settings are placed for close family who have passed away and while there are wide variations on dishes served there are some traditional staples.

According to legend the feast and offerings to gods and ancestors was a way of warding off a monster called Nian who terrorised the villages. Food takes pride of place in Chinese life and this most important of meals is prepared and served with great care and ritual blessings for the year ahead. Attention is paid to symbols of happiness and prosperity.

People born in the Year of the Tiger are predicted to be full of vitality and optimism. The Tiger is the third of the Chinese zodiacs and said to be competitive, courageous and a bit unpredictable. People born in the Year of the Tiger are independent, enthusiastic, love adventure and have high self-esteem. They are driven and stand their ground against injustice or wrong. The downside is that Tigers are not always the most fun to be around

Spring Rolls 春卷 (chūn juăn)

Spring Rolls (or Eggrolls) are one of the most well-known and common dishes served. In southern China they are eaten to celebrate the coming of spring and can be served as an appetiser, part of the main dishes or a snack on the first day of the new year.

Dumplings 饺子 (jiăo zi)

Dumplings are more popular in northern China and always eaten on special festivals and occasions. They are most significant for Chinese New Year. By eating dumplings you are saying goodbye to the old and welcoming in the new.

Noodles 长面 (cháng miàn)

Noodles are a staple of Chinese cuisine but at New Year they take of a special significance. Cooked together with dumplings the dish is called gold silk and gold ingots and is a special dish for prosperity.

Steamed Fish 蒸鱼 (zhēng yú)

Almost all new year feasts include fish which sybolises wealth and abundance. This is because the Chinese word for fish is 鱼 (yú) which is pronounced the same as 余, which means surplus or extra. Steamed fish is a common dish for best wishes of food and money.

Steamed Chicken 蒸鸡 (zhēng jī)

Chicken represents birth and reunion and a whole chicken is usually served for auspicious symbolism of the family.

Nian Gao 年糕 (nián gāo)

Sometimes called New Year Cake, Nian Gao, (rice cake) is a must for Chinese New Year. This traditional dish was often used as offerings to ancestors and gods in ancient times and now is a special traditional treat for Spring Festival.

Hot Pot 火锅 (huŏ guō)

Hot Pot is often the traditional main dish for New Year’s Eve dinner with a history that dates back to the Qing dynasty and an emperor that was a particular fan. Hot Pot is usually made at the table with many different types of meat and vegetables.

Vegetable Dishes

Spring is the season for new seeds and fresh growth so the new year feast uses up all of the winter vegetables in preparation for the new harvest.

Check out your local Chinese restaurant for special new year’s dishes and connect with the Chinese community in your area. Over the past 14 years Chinese New Year celebrations have grown in Dublin. While events across the city are planned, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic will determine whether some events will move online.

Take a stroll through the city centre perhaps as Dublin once again lights up red to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The festival takes place Friday, January 28 - Tuesday, February 1. Visit dublinlunarnewyear.ie.