Dumplings are the traditional food for the Spring Festival in the north of China. Do you know why they are so popular?
In the old days, people thought eating dumplings could make their wishes come true. They usually made dumplings in the shape of Chinese gold ingots（金元宝）, because they hoped for a rich life in the coming year. On Spring Festival Eve, the members of a family get together to make dumplings. When the midnight comes, the whole family will sit together and eat dumplings. The midnight is also called "交子（jiao zi）". It means that the new year comes at this time. Traditionally, they may hide a coin in one of the dumplings. The person who finds the coin will likely have a good luck in the next year.
Chinese dumpling is a delicious food. Dumplings with different foods in them had different meanings. For example, sugar dumplings would make people's life happy and sweet in the future. Peanut（花生）dumplings would bring people a long and healthy life. Besides them, there were meat dumplings and vegetable dumplings. Anyway， people ate dumplings with their best wishes.
Chinese dumpling is also popular in other festivals or holidays, it is a part of Chinese culture or tradition. So eating dumplings is also a way to welcome the new year.
