Category: Holidays

It Chinese New Year’s Eve! Time for the Reunion Dinner.

The reunion dinner, also known as Tuan Nian or Wei Lu, marks a family gathering on the Lunar New Year’s Eve and the Chinese consider it to be the most important part of the celebration.

Tuan Nian:
Traditional Chinese: 團年, Pinyin: tuán nián, translated: (re)unite or grouping year; describing the tradition of family gathering at the reunion dinner 

Wei Lu:
Traditional Chinese: 圍爐, Pinyin: wéilú, literally: to circle around the stove

Normally, the family reunion dinner is especially for those with family members away from home. During the dinner, fish will be served. Dumplings are the most important dish in Northern China. These two dishes signify prosperity. Other dishes are dependent on personal preference. The majority of Chinese will have New Year’s Eve dinner at home instead of a restaurant. Here are a few of the things that will be served during Spring Festival and Reunion Dinners.

I love this special time and had opportunity to attend two Reunion Dinners in China with our China Family.

One in 2012- Year of the Dragon with Our Driver and his family-

One in 2014- Year of the Horse with my friend Wei Quan and his family

I love this picture with “Mama”. I was the first foreigner she met and talked to. She held my hand a lot that day! She was very sick and passed a way just a few months later…

It is an honour and privilege to be invited to a Chinese home for the Reunion Dinner. Both of these families, dear friends have become our China family! Such wonderful memories. So the reunion dinner is very special to me.

Today… all morning… I watched the CCTV Gala on TV as well as spent time sending messages, pictures and greetings backhand forth to China.

The CCTV New Year’s Gala, commonly abbreviated in Chinese as Chunwan,  is a Chinese New Year’s special produced by China Central Televison.  Shown on the eve of Chinese New Year on its flagship CCTV-1 among other stations, the broadcast has a yearly viewership of over 700 million viewers, making it one of the premier television events of China.

The Gala has the largest audience for any entertainment show in the world, ( even greater than Super Bowl, and it has often been described as among “the most watched television program in the world. The special is a variety show, featuring musical, dance, comedy, and drama performances. It has become a ritual for many Chinese families, including overseas Chinese, to tune in to the show on Chinese New Year’s Eve. Many Chunwan performers have emerged as household names in China solely as a result of their recurring appearances on the program. I LOVE it! I am so thankful that it is available here LIVE for the few hours and then when it is finished…CCTV  is not available…haha Oh China!

Here are a couple videos:

All afternoon I spent cooking and making food.

Tonight ( even though now it is officially Chinese New Year and not New Year’s Eve in China… BUT still the Eve here, gotta love the time difference lol)…and even though it is just David & I and James, tonight we had  a Reunion Dinner. I love any excuse to eat jiaozi!!

 

 

And now to watch a little Kung Fu Panda! haha