The food culture of traditional Chinese festivals is carried by material culture and presented in behavioral system culture and spiritual culture. In the material culture is specifically manifested in each traditional festival has a fixed symbolic food.
There are some Chinese Festival Food ：
Dumpling of the Winter Solstice
Dumplings have become an essential part of the Spring Festival celebration, and their popularity is attributed to several reasons. Firstly, their shape resembles ancient ingots, and eating them during the Spring Festival is believed to attract wealth and prosperity. Secondly, dumplings can be filled with various ingredients such as sugar, peanuts, dates, and chestnuts, which are considered lucky symbols, expressing people's hopes for a fortunate new year.
In essence, eating dumplings is a significant tradition deeply rooted in Chinese culture, symbolizing reunion, auspiciousness, and happiness. During holidays and special occasions, families and friends come together to make dumplings, enjoying the delightful food and the joyous atmosphere of togetherness.
Zongzi (Chinese: 粽子) of the Dragon Boat Festival
Zongzi, rouzong (Chinese: 肉粽) or simply zong. Zongzi is a traditional Chinese rice dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves (generally of the species Indocalamus tessellatus), or occasionally wrapped in reed or other broad flat leaves.They are cooked by steaming or boiling. People in the Eastern world, often translate this dish into English as rice dumplings or sticky rice dumplings.
Mooncake of the Mid-Autumn Festival
The mooncake is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival.The festival is about lunar appreciation and Moon watching, and mooncakes are regarded as a delicacy. The Mid-Autumn Festival holds significant cultural importance. Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings while celebrating the festival.
There are numerous varieties of mooncakes consumed within China and outside of China in overseas Chinese communities. The Cantonese mooncake is the most famous variety. A traditional Cantonese mooncake is a round pastry filled with rich lotus seed paste, red bean paste, or mixed nuts. Some versions may also have salted duck egg yolks for added flavor.
Tangyuan of the Lantern Festival
Tangyuan are a traditional Chinese dessert made of glutinous rice shaped into balls that are served in a hot broth or syrup. In northern China, they are called yuanxiao while in southern part they're named tangyuan. They come in varying sizes, anything between a marble to a ping pong ball, and are sometimes stuffed with filling. Tangyuan are traditionally eaten during the Lantern Festival, but because the name is a homophone for union and symbolizes togetherness and completeness, this dish is also served at weddings, family reunions, Chinese New Year, and the Dōngzhì (winter solstice) festival.
Qingtuan of the Qingming Festival
The preparation of qingtuan involves a complex technique,it is made of glutinous rice mixed with Chinese mugwort or barley grass. And the grass used is only edible during the early spring, making it a seasonal delicacy typically available around the time of the Qingming Festival (April 4 or 5). This festival has become closely associated with the enjoyment of qingtuan. Today, Qingtuan sold in many convenience stores in China is made with glutinous rice mixed with matcha. It also comes with a variety of fillings, including rousong and salted egg yolk.
Nian gao (Chinese: 年糕; pinyin: niángāo)of the Spring Festival
Nian gao, sometimes translated as year cake or New Year cake or Chinese New Year's cake, is a food prepared from glutinous rice flour and consumed in Chinese cuisine. It is also simply known as "rice cake". In Chinese culture, red, yellow, and white rice cakes hold significant symbolism representing prosperity, wealth, and good fortune.
While it can be eaten all year round, traditionally it is most popular during the Chinese New Year. It is considered good luck to eat nian gao during this time of the year because nian gao is a homonym for "higher year" or "grow every year", which means "a more prosperous year".
