Happy Lunar New Year! At the start of 2002, snarkout posted an entry about the lucky foods people eat to mark the beginning of the year. I had not heard about the Chinese custom of eating dumplings for New Year’s and the placing of a coin in one of them. When I asked my father about it, he thought a bit and decided that it was probably a custom that is more common in the northern part of China. Rice is a staple in the south and east but wheat is used in the north. My father also defined the difference between what he considers a “custom” versus a “tradition”. He explained that the dumpling and coin thing is a custom which is not as strong as the traditions, such as the giving of money in red envelopes. The distinction is quite subtle, but it’s clear to him. The one food that is customary in my parent’s house for New Year’s is the Glutinous Rice Cake (Nian Gao). Unfortunately, I don’t enjoy its chewy texture.