In Asia mandarin oranges symbolizing good fortune and abundance are often presented as New Year’s gifts to family and friends. The sweet juice is delicious with champagne.
In China and much of Asia, the mandarin orange is a popular New Year’s symbol of good fortune and abundance. Like the golden orb of the sun, this radiant fruit, often bestowed on loved ones, evokes the dawning of a new day. Old ills and travails are left behind as bright hopes are launched for the future.
In the ancient Teochew dialect, the fruit is called gik, which resembles the word for “luck” or “fortune”. It’s said that in Malaysia and Singapore, unmarried women write their phone numbers on the skin of the oranges and toss them into a river or lake. Single men pluck the fruit from the water and eat it—but bad fortune awaits the man who bites into a sour mandarin.
Chinese New Year celebrations won’t begin for a couple of weeks, but around here, as the battered old year limps to a close, we’ll be greeting 2012 with a glass of bubbly poured over the luscious juice of mandarin oranges. May the coming days be filled with sweetness and joy, and may your dearest wishes come true.
Comments (1)
best wishes to you for the new year. look forward to seeing the interesting posts on your blog.
Posted by marie | January 2, 2012 6:53 AM
Posted on January 2, 2012 06:53