Chinese New Year - Discover Taipei英文雙月刊電子報

The red turtle cake (紅龜粿), a small cake with bean-paste filling shaped like a turtle, symbolizes yan nian yi shou (延年益壽), or longevity. 公正客觀的精神、以歐洲米其林為目標，【英卓美食報】網羅最有趣、實用、專業、新鮮的第一手美食資訊。

透過【談美電子報】，以輕鬆的短篇，分享美的訊息，讓美的故事、美的人物、美的生命，連綴起美麗的每一天。

★無法正常瀏覽圖片，請按這裡看說明   ★無法正常瀏覽內容，請按這裡線上閱讀 新聞  專題  理財  追星  社群  Blog  哇新聞  電子書   2013/03/14 第69期 ｜訂閱／退訂｜看歷史報份｜DiscoveTaipei 本期主題 ︰ ChineseNewYear-TheManyWaysTaipeiCelebrates ChineseNewYear-TheManyWaysTaipeiCelebrates 文／DiscoverTaipei Taiwanisagrandmeltingpot.Beyondabout500,000membersofvariousindigenoustribes,theremainderofthepopulationismostlymadeupofpeoplewhoseancestorscamefromtheChineseprovincesofFujianandGuangdonginimperialtimes,andothers(ortheirdescendantsborninTaiwan)whocamefromvariousregionsofmainlandChinaaroundtheendoftheChineseCivilWarin1949.Theresultisalandblessedwithrichculturaldiversity. ThemajorityofTaiwan’spresentpopulationwasborninTaiwan.Thelong-in-usenomenclature“aborigine,”“thisprovincepeople”(本省人),describingthosewhoseancestorscametoTaiwanbefore1949,“otherprovincepeople”(外省人),describingthosewhocamearound1949andtheirdescendants,and“Hakka”(客家),havelargelyfallenbythewayside.ButwhenitcomestocelebratingtheChineseNewYear,familiescontinuetoholddearthegroupcustomsofyesteryear,bringingafeastofuniqueflavorstotheholidays. TheTaiwanNewYear–DeepConviction,BeseechingFortune ThemajorityofthelocalpopulationfollowamixofBuddhismandDaoism,andmostpracticeancestorworship.Manyfestivaltraditionsthusincorporateamixofreligiousandancestorworshipelements.Eachyeartheweiya(尾牙)seasonstartsonthe16thdayofthe12thmonthinthelunarcalendar.Whatarecalledzuoya(做牙)sacrificesarestagedonthe2ndand16thdayofeachmonth;thesearesacrificestotheEarthGod(土地公),withprayersaskingforprosperityandgoodfortune.Theweiyaor“endya”isthelastsuchsacrificeoftheyear,andduringtheperiodthatfollowstheNewYearatmospherebuildsnoticeably.Familiesgenerallypreparegebao(割包;steamedbunswithbraisedpork)orrunbing(潤餅;softspringrolls)onthisday.Thesearetraditionalend-of-yearprayerblessingsandrewardsforbothselfandfamily.BusinessmenwillgivethankstotheEarthGodforthegod’sprotectionandblessingsduringthepastyear,andwillprepareasumptuousfeast,withprizesandperformances,tothankemployeesfortheirhardwork.Aftertheweiyait’stimefortheyear-endclean-up,“sweepingouttheoldtobringinthenew,”andforpreparingallthetraditionalNewYeargoodiesneeded. Onthe23rdor24thdayofthe12thlunarmonth,aricharrayofsacrificialofferingswillbepreparedfortheKitchenGod(灶神),whoprotectshearthandfamily.AllfamiliesalsoputupauspiciousSpringFestivalcouplets(春聯)outsidetheirdoorsfortheNewYear,beseechinggoodluck.Theancientforerunnersofmodern-daycoupletswasthepeachwoodcharm(桃符),withfirstpeachwoodandthenredpaperfeaturingpaintingsofgodsthatdroveoffevilspirits,protectingthehomeandkeepingthefamilysafe.Thepracticeofwritingcoupletsonthepaperevolvedlater. TheNewYearholidayskickoffonNewYear’sEve,whenthewholefamilygetstogetherforafamily-reunionfeast.Thisiscalledweilu(圍爐),literallymeaning“surroundthestove.”Thetableispiledwithdishesbrimmingwithauspicioussymbolism.Thecharactersfor“fish”(魚)and“surplus”(餘)arehomonyms,soafishdishrepresentstheexpressionniannianyouyu(年年有餘)or“everyyearasurplus.”Awholechickenisamust,symbolizingtherhymingTaiwaneseaphorismchiahkekhike(食雞起家),meaning“eatachicken,establishahome,”denotingfamilytogetherness.Thecharactersfor“green”(青)and“pure”(清)arealsohomonyms,sogreenvegetablessymbolizeqingjiruyi(清吉如意),meaning“everythingasyouwish.”Mustardgreensor“longyearsvegetable”(長年菜)symbolizechangchangjiujiu(長長久久),meaning“long,longtime”–i.e.livingtoaripeoldage.InTaiwanese,“radish”(菜頭)and“fortune”(彩頭)sharethesamepronunciation,soradishcakeisserved,representinghochhai-thau(好彩頭)or“goodfortune.”Thewordfa(發)means“togrow,”soatypeofspongecakecalledfagao(發糕)thatgrowswhensteamediseaten,symbolizingfacai(發財)or“growmoney/getrich.”“cake”(糕)and“high”(高)soundthesame,soeatingniangao(年糕)or“NewYearcake”symbolizesbubugaosheng(步步高升),or“stepbystepeverhigher.”Theredturtlecake(紅龜粿),asmallcakewithbean-pastefillingshapedlikeaturtle,symbolizesyannianyishou(延年益壽),orlongevity. Afterthemeal,thefamily’soldermembersgive“luckymoney”(壓歲錢)toyoungermembers.Childrentakethemoney,putitundertheirpillow,andprayforgoodfortunewhentheygotosleep;bypressingdownonthemoneytheysymbolicallysuppressevilspiritsanddemons.Adultmemberswhoarealreadymarriedgiveluckyredenvelopeswithmoneyinsidetoparents,expressingfilialpietyandrespectandthehopethatthey’lllivealonglife.Thisisfollowedbyshousui(守歲),or“seeinginthenewyear,”withthewholefamilysittingaroundtogetherandchattinguntilpastmidnight.Thisalsorepresentsthehopethatparentsenjoylongevity.AsthefirstdayoftheNewYeararrivesfirecrackersaresetoff,thefieryburstsandloudnoisechasingawayanyevilotherworldlytypeslingeringabout. DuringNewYearfriendsandfamilyexchangeauspiciousbainian(拜年)or“NewYeargreetings”witheachother.Bainianalsomeansto“payaNewYearcourtesycall.”Afamilybeingvisitedwillofferguestscandy,auspiciouskumquats,andothertreats,andthetwosideswillpresentredenvelopestoeachother’syoungermembers.Eachactaddstothefestiveatmosphereandstrengthensthebondoffriendship.AnoldcustompracticedonthefirstdayoftheNewYearistozouchun(走春),literally“walkspring,”meaningtotakeawalktomakecourtesycalls.Thispracticearoseinoldfarmingcommunities.Taiwanesepickbothanauspicioustimeanddirectiontosetout,whichattractsgoodluckandalsoincreasesone’schancesofmeetingtheGodofWealth(財神)atthedoor.Nowadaysmanypeoplewillvisitatempletoprayaspartoftheirzouchun,askingthatallwillgowellintheyeartocome.Manyalsocleanancestraltombsonthisday,toletthosethathavepassedonknowtheyarerememberedandcherished. OntheseconddayoftheNewYear,marriedfemaleshuiniangjia(回娘家)orreturntotheirparents’hometovisitfamilyandrelatives.Thefestivefuncontinuesrightthroughtheholidays,andtheholidaytraditionsendonLanternFestival(元宵節),the15thdayofthenewyear.Onthisdayeveryoneeatsyuanxiao(元宵)ortangyuan(湯圓).Botharesmalldumplingsmadewithriceflour,andtheirperfectroundnesssymbolizestheperfectionofafullfamilyreunion.Atthistimepeoplealsogoouttoadmiretraditionaldecoratedlanterns. TheHakkaNewYear–HappinessandWealth TheNewYearcustomsofHakkapeopleareforthemostpartsimilartothoseofTaiwan’sotherHanChinese,butmoreemphasisisplacedonriteshonoringancestors.WhenfamilymembershurrybacktotheirchildhoodhomefortheNewYearfamilyreunion,thefirstthingtheydouponarrivalispraybeforetheancestraltablets,andheadovertothemainhallattheirancestralhomeformoreworshiprites.TheHakkaalsorunianjia(入年假)orstarttheNewYearcelebrationsonthe25thdayofthe12thmonthbylaunchingtheirNewYearcleaningandshopping.Theychunianjia(出年假)or“exittheNewYearcelebrations”onthe5thdayofthe1stmonth,returningtotheirregularroutine. TheHakkaNewYear’sEvefamily-reunionmealisrichinfishandmeatdishes.Themust-havedishesaresimilartothoseofTaiwan’sotherHanChinesefolk,butHakkadishesareknownforbeingsalty,fragrant,andfatty,becausetheHakkatendedtoliveinremotemountainousareasinthepast,demandingenvironmentsthatlackedmanyresources.Extrasaltinfoodsreplenishedthesaltlostthroughgruelingwork,andmeatswerecommonlysaltedforstorage.Asaucemadewithorangeswouldbeputondiningtablestomoistenthedriedmeatwheneaten.Thesauceisusuallymadeinsummer,marinatedinsalt,andwouldbereadyforconsumptionwhenChineseNewYeararrivedinthewinter. FarmingfamiliesdonotgoouttopaycourtesycallsonthefirstdayoftheNewYear,andtheyear’sfirstbreakfastmustbevegetarian.Somedonoteatfishormeattheentireday.Thissymbolizesthatfrugalitywillbepracticedrightfromthebeginning.Hakkaentertainguestswithxingrentang(星仁糖;peanutswithacandycoating),winter-meloncandy,andsweetenedsticky-ricecakes.The20thdayofthe1stlunarmonthiscalledHeavenMendingDay(天穿日),adayofcelebrationwhenHakkafolkineachfarmingcommunitysetdowntheirtoolsforadayofrestandrelaxationwitheachother.TherestofTaiwancallsthisuniqueday“HakkaDay”(客家日). OtherNewYearCustoms Taiwan’sindigenouspeoples,ofcourse,donotcelebrateChineseNewYear.Theirmaincelebrationsarerelatedtolandandseaharvests.ThosewhocamefrommainlandChinaaftertheChineseCivilWar,alongwiththeirdescendants,sharemostcustomswiththeTaiwaneseandHakka,withminorvariations.ThosewiththeirrootsinnorthChina,wherewheatratherthanriceisastaple,eatjiaozi(餃子)asamaindishatthefamily-reunionmeal.Theseareplumpstuffeddumplingswithskinsmadefromwheatflour,andtheirshaperemindspeopleofimperial-ageingots.Toeatthembeckonswealth.AtNewYearsomefamiliesmayhideacleancoininoneofthedumplings;whoeverfindsitwillenjoyayear’sluckinmakingmoney. Eachyearonthe8thdayofthe12thlunarmonth,popularlycalledlaba(臘八),“OldBeijing”(老北京)folkwillcookupabigpotoflabaporridge(臘八粥).Theporridgecontainsrice,beans,driedfruits,andotheringredients,symbolizingagoodharvestinthenewyear.PeoplewiththeirrootsinChina’sShandong(山東)provinceliketoeatsteamedbunscalledmantou(饅頭)withsmokedblackjujubesontop,symbolizingaprosperousfamilyreunited.OnNewYear’sEvethosewithrootsinShanghai(上海)musthavetwotypesofsweetcake–akindofspongecakecalledsonggao(鬆糕)andNewYearcakeswithredbeans.ThosefromAnhui(安徽)provinceeatfriedgreen-beanballs.LegendtellspeoplewithJiangsu(江蘇)provincerootsthatiftheyeattangyuantheGodofWealthwillvisit,andthuseatthedumplingsthroughoutNewYear,frommorningonthefirstdaytotheLanternFestival.Manyfamilies,whatevertheirorigin,alsobelievethattheNewYear’sEvefoodshouldnotbecompletelyeaten,fortheleftoverssignifiesthattheyyouyu(有餘)or“haveasurplus.”Manywraptheleftoversinauspiciousredpaper,callingitgenianfan(隔年飯)or“nextyearfood,”symbolizingplentytoeatintheyeartocome. Nowthatyouknowwhattolookforandwhy,aninvitationtoaTaiwanfriend’shousetospendsometimeatNewYearwillbeevenmorefunasyouwatchforwhichcustomsarefollowedandwhicharen’t.ByshowingupforyourvisitwiththeappropriateNewYeargoodies,andextendingaheartyGongxiFacai!(恭喜發財;“Congratulations,getrich!”)–orbytakingtheinitiativeandinvitingTaiwanfriendstozouchunandvisityou–you’llbeexperiencingNewYeartheauthenticTaiwanway!     ‧戀戀上海花樣年華：數說上海往往在冬日早晨，街邊尋常可見冒著蒸騰白煙的攤子，成了一道極具印象的上海風景，而這四樣必備早點：豆漿、油條、大餅和粢飯，上海人管它們叫做「四大金剛」。

‧快樂教養五大法則樂觀的觀念有五個關鍵重點，而且愈早學會愈好。

這些「快樂」法則包括：接受現實的挑戰以促進自主和成就感、成功、堅持。

如此得來的成功經驗，可培養面對挫敗時的復原力。

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