Ultimate Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner Hosting Checklist

Sweep away bad luck from the previous year before the festival begins. In tradition, all cleaning must be finished before New Year's Day to avoid washing away good fortune.

Adorn your entrance with red lanterns and 'Chunlian' (spring couplets) to welcome wealth and prosperity into your home.

A mandatory centerpiece symbolizing abundance. Serving the fish whole with head and tail intact represents a good start and finish to the year.

Shape these to look like silver ingots (yuanbao) to attract wealth. Common fillings include pork, cabbage, and chives.

Uncut long noodles represent a long and healthy life. Ensure they are served long to keep the symbolic lifespan intact.

Prepare crisp, new bills inside red envelopes to gift to children and elders during the dinner as a gesture of luck and protection.

A vibrant raw fish salad where guests stand and toss ingredients high in the air while shouting auspicious wishes.

Eating these sweet or savory cakes symbolizes reaching higher levels of success and growth in the coming year.

Large, succulent mushrooms represent fulfillment and are often served with baby bok choy for a balanced festive platter.

Round dumplings served in ginger syrup, signifying family togetherness and the completion of a cycle.

A colorful sticky rice dessert decorated with eight different dried fruits and nuts, symbolizing various forms of good luck.

Serving a whole chicken (including feet and head) represents wholeness and a prosperous family unit.

Fried until golden brown, these represent bars of gold and are a popular appetizer for wealth-seeking diners.

An eight-compartment snack platter filled with dried fruits, nuts, and candies like candied lotus seeds for sweet beginnings.

Display citrus fruits with leaves attached. Tangerines represent luck, while pomelos signify continuous prosperity.

Ensure your wok is seasoned for high-heat stir-frying, essential for achieving 'wok hei' in festive vegetable and meat dishes.

Multiple tiers of bamboo steamers allow you to cook fish and dumplings simultaneously while preserving their delicate textures.

Prepare incense and offerings for ancestors to show respect and invite their blessings for the coming lunar cycle.

Hosts and guests should wear new clothes, preferably in red, to signal a fresh start and ward off evil spirits.

Serve high-quality oolong or jasmine tea. Always pour for elders first as a sign of respect during the meal.