你：Because the word “fish” sounds like “surplus” in Chinese. We say “nian nian you yu,” which means “to have surplus every year.” Having the head and tail of the fish symbolizes a good beginning and a good ending for the coming year, so people always have a whole fish for their New Year’s Eve dinner.（因為中文的「魚」這個字聽起來和「餘」很像。我們會說「年年有餘」，意思就代表「每年都有剩餘」。吃魚頭和魚尾象徵新的一年會有好的開始和結束，所以大家在年夜飯桌上都會有整條魚。）
你：We also eat dumplings during Chinese New Year because they represent wealth due to their close resemblance to gold ingots, which were a form of currency in China. The more dumplings you eat, the more money you’ll earn.
外國朋友：Wow! I'll surely eat a lot of dumplings during Chinese New Year. I want to become rich!
（哇！我一定要在過年期間吃一堆餃子。我想要變有錢！）
◎nian gao (year cake / glutinous rice cake) 年糕
你：You’ve got to try “nian gao,” which means “glutinous rice cake.” “Nian gao” sounds like the words “year” and “tall” in Chinese, meaning “getting higher year by year.” So eating “nian gao” symbolizes growth, whether it be in career, income, health, or even height.
你：“Tang yuan” is also a kind food we eat during Chinese New Year.
（「湯圓也是我們在過年時會吃的食物。）
外國朋友：Oh! I've tried those before. I think people eat sweet rice balls on the Lantern Festival, too. Those are so good. I especially love those with black sesame paste.
（喔！我以前吃過。我想大家也會在元宵節吃湯圓。湯圓超好吃的。我特別喜歡吃黑芝麻內餡的。）
你：Yes, we eat “tang yuan” on the Spring Lantern Festival. The dish symbolizes family reunion, just like the Chinese idiom “tuan tuan yuan yuan.”
（是的，我們在元宵節會吃湯圓。這道菜象徵家庭團聚，就像我們中文俗語說的「團團圓圓」。）
◎festive fruits (tangerines and oranges) 節慶水果（橘子和柳橙）
你：Having fruits is also an important part of Chinese New Year. We eat tangerines and oranges.
（吃水果也是農曆新年重要的一部份。我們會吃橘子會柳橙。）
外國朋友：Is it because of their round shape and golden color?
（是因為它們圓形的形狀還有黃澄澄的顏色嗎？）
你：You’re right! The round shape of tangerines and oranges also represents unity and family reunion. Also, the word “orange” is a homophone for “success” in Chinese; the word for “tangerines” sounds similar to that for “good luck.”
