Though China has COVID well-contained, many of us chose not to travel this holiday to keep it that way. So, some our leadership team gathered together. We can’t replace family but under today’s circumstances, we can certainly be family for one another. Designed as a potluck, we each had an opportunity to prepare a dish for the group. And man, did we enjoy sharing and feasting!
But the highlight of the night might have been Yu Sheng (鱼生) or the “Prosperity Toss.” A dish made with lots of finely chopped vegetables sat atop slices of raw salmon and noodles, every ingredient represents a new year’s wish: the salmon brings plentitude (鱼 means fish, but also sounds like the Chinese word for abundance, 余), carrots represent good luck, white radish symbolizes success in business, etc. Each comes from a play on the Chinese characters… a language lesson in and of itself.
Once the ingredients are beautifully assembled on a platter, we toss (or lo hei) the dish while shouting auspicious wishes for the new year. The higher you toss the salad, the better the year ahead.
What a fun evening!
Now, even if some of us can’t be together, how might we serve as family to one another? What traditions from home might we share with one another?
#workplacechinese #chinesenewyear