Food Customs and Superstitions

Food Customs and Superstitions of China

A "harmony tray" of snacks symbolizing wealth, good fortune and family unity, as a table setting.

Gifts of food are symbols of wealth and good fortune, tangerines for good luck, candies in the shape of gold coins for wealth.

Serve fish whole it is a sign of prosperity.

Noodles are served whole because they represent long life.

Sitting around the table elbow-to-elbow forms a circle, symbolizing unity and caring.

The head of the household sits facing the doorway, to greet newcomers.

Ever wonder why Asian Restaurants do not have knives and forks on the table? It is believed they might cut off good your fortune!

"Chopsticks are used, rather than a knife and fork since Chinese people, under the cultural guidance of Confucianism, consider a knife and fork to represent a sort of violence, and to resemble cold weapons," says Ernest Lam of Manchu WOK. "However, chopsticks reflect gentleness and benevolence, the main moral teachings of Confucianism."
Holding chopsticks can be taught however, practice makes perfect.

Some of the most important chopstick rules are:

" Never wave them in the air, never pick up your bowl with the chopsticks and never stick them directly into a bowl of rice

* When you're not using your chopsticks, lay them down in front of you with the tip to left.

* Do not stick chopsticks into your food (it's bad luck), and especially not into rice. Only at funerals are chopsticks stuck into the rice that is put onto the altar.

* Do not spear food with your chopsticks.

* Do not point with your chopsticks to something or somebody, and do not move your chopsticks around in the air too much, nor play with them.

There's even chopstick superstitions: If you find an uneven pair at your table setting, it means you are going to miss a boat, plane or train. Dropping chopsticks will inevitably bring bad luck, but crossed chopsticks are permissible in a dim sum restaurant."

http://lifewise.canoe.ca/Living/2006/01/26/1412700.html