Celebrating Chinese New Year - Eating Together

New Year's feasting begins on New Year's eve. In northern China, families gather at kitchen tables to stuff and steam dumplings. Families in the south like to eat "nian gao", a sweet, sticky rice cake. The next day, platters of delicious, steamy food blanket the table. A fish is served whole to show the family has been given more than enough. Steamed chickens, with their heads, tails and feet still attached, symbolize togetherness. And long noodles are eaten to show hope for a long, long life.