By Zhou Dongxu

When we talk about foods for the Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival， rice cakes are undeniably the most popular. And the rice cakes made by Ningbo people are known to be extremely silky and tender. Culturally speaking， this is benefited by the rice culture — ancient people living in the Hemudu area in Ningbo began to cultivate rice 7，000 years ago. Niangao， the Chinese name for rice cakes， means getting higher or better year after year. Making rice cakes always requires the help of neighbors， and the pounding part is necessarily done by a strong man. Rice cakes can be made into various shapes and sizes by using different molds， and they are often garnished with a few red dots on the surface. As a versatile food， it can be fried with vegetables， crabs， sugar and seaweeds or brewed in a soup.

The worship of the Kitchen God takes place on the 23rd night of the first lunar month. Legendary has it that on that night， the Kitchen God would report the good or evil deeds of the family he has been residing with to the Jade Emperor， who will then decide whether to punish or bless the family. The Kitchen God himself will then return seven days later. On an ancient-old hearth in the olden days， there was always a paper portrait of the Kitchen God yellowish from smoke， on which a palace by the name of “Guangde” was drawn on the top， the Kitchen God in the middle， and five kids holding bountiful treasures at the bottom.

Now on some of the modern hearths， this portrait is directly painted on the tile. And in the kitchen of city dwellers， the hearth has been replaced by the gas stove， leaving no room to accommodate the Kitchen God. Gradually this tradition has turned into something more symbolic.

To start the ritual， one needs to prepare a teapot of pure water， paper-folded horses and some incenses and candles， and a half-kilo bag of eight-colored candies — each piece has a different color. After the ceremony， the paper portrait and horses will be burnt and the candies， which are supposed to make the lips of the Kitchen God stuck together， will be shared among children. Nowadays， the eight-colored candies can still be found in the supermarkets to the convenience of residents.

The Chinese New Year’s Day is the first day of the first lunar month. On that day， most family members rise up early and don brand-new outfit， from hat to shoes， wishing to bid farewell to the old and usher in the new. It is worth mentioning that the new shoes are the ones that haven’t touched the ground， which symbolize swift and light steps into the new year. Nowadays， as living standards have improved significantly and new clothes are no longer special， people’s passions for wearing new clothes during the Spring Festival have faded， but children and the older generation tend to honor that habit. On the day， the family head is the first to open the door while saying some auspicious words. Four （including a spare one） “door-opening” firecrackers are placed at the doorstep to be set off with good wishes.

Later， the family members would each have a bowl of yuanxiao （made of glutinous rice） dumplings， which signify reunion. Some families choose to be on a vegetarian diet that day.

The biggest feature on the day is to let the house appliances rest and a day off for the housewife. That night， the family do not go out or light up lanterns or fire. Before they go to bed， which will be done earlier than usual， some door-closing firecrackers will be set off. That is called a “night of tranquility”.

From the second day to the seventh or eighth day of the first lunar month， families usually pay courtesy calls on their relatives， and set up feasts to receive their visiting guests. During that period， the fifth day is dedicated to the God of Wealth， a day most valued by the Ningbo businessmen. They do not open their businesses， called “open market”， until the God of Wealth is properly invited， and thus some people have to end their holiday and start working on the fifth day. Then here comes the fifteenth day， the Lantern Festival， which puts a full stop to the celebrations of the Spring Festival.