These round dumplings signify a family reunion as most families spend New Year’s Eve together preparing them before eating them at midnight. Jiao Zi sounds like a word meaning ‘bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new.’ Therefore, dumplings are always made before midnight and eaten during the last hour of the old year and the first hour of the Lunar New Year.
They also represent prosperity because their shape resembles ancient Chinese money; a gold coin is put inside of one of the dumplings for a lucky guest to find. The reason is, that the dumplings are made in the shape of China’s ancient money – ingots. People eat dumplings during Chinese New Year (CNY) to wish good wealth in the new year. Secondly, people can be creative, they stuff the dumplings in their own way and to make their own personal wishes.
The dumpling or Jiaozi (饺子) can be filled with ground pork or beef and always feature vegetables, such as bamboo shoots, Napa cabbage, and green onions. The dumplings are flavored with ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic.
People saying that the more dumplings you eat during New Year’s time, the more money you will make next year. They will also wrap a few dumplings with the gold coins in them and the person who gets the coin-dumpling is supposed to have good luck in the coming year. Nowadays, coins are gradually replaced by candy or peanuts for sanitary reasons.
According to Internet general sources
