Gala Dinner on Chinese Lunar New Year’s Eve

For most Chinese people, the dinner on Chinese new year’s eve is the most important one in a year, which is nicknamed “Family Reunion Dinner”. People either eat at home or dine out for a family reunion dinner.

Home made a new year eve’s dinner generates more affection while booking a table at a restaurant keeps you from heavy workload for cooking new year eve’s dinner at home. There are pros and cons to the two ways to spend a new year eve dinner.

Each year my father in law insists in making the special lunar new year eve’s dinner at home instead of reserving a space at a restaurant. Usually it takes over one week’s time to prepare for the dinner, buying, cleaning, cooking, etc.

This year’s Chinese new year eve’s dinner falls on Jan 21, 2023. I just show you some of the lunar new year gala dishes prepared by my father in law in 2012.

My father in law at work in the kitchen

A table of hand-made dinner on new year’s eve

Babaofan (Eight-Treasure Rice), a sweet and sticky Chinese New Year rice with ingredients including sweet beans, dates, ,almonds, peanuts, melon seeds, raisins, dried apricots, walnuts, crystallized fruits, any other available dried fruits and nuts, like Ice pudding in the west.