Preparing the house

Appears in
China: A Cookbook
China

By Terry Tan

Published 2020

  • About
During the period from the 23rd day of the previous lunar month to the festival itself, every family cleans the house from top to bottom, and stocks up on fish, meat, nuts, seeds, sweets and fruits. Every market in northern China is ablaze with vibrant colours, from the plum blossoms, oranges and tangerines to red lanterns, whole roast pigs and melon seeds dyed red for good fortune.

Chinese characters for prosperity, luck and longevity are written on red scrolls and then pasted on doors and gates, and paper pictures adorn windows. These messages originated in the Song dynasty (960—1279), and are written in a literary form that is characterized by concise sentences expressing wishes for the coming year.