Slaughter pig

Before the Lunar New Year, rural people in Chongqing will slaughter pigs, which is a symbol for wealth and a good sign for the prosperity in the new year.

Preserve meat, make sausage

Preserved meat and sausage are the typical dishes on the table of New Year's Eve dinner, carrying the memories of Chongqing people.

Sweep dust

From the 24th day of the twelfth month of the lunar year to the lunar New Year’s Eve, Chongqing people will have a spring-cleaning, from the ceiling to the floor, even cleaning under the sofa. Removing dust means removing disease and praying for health as well as removing the old and setting the new.

Make Tangyuan wrapper

Chongqing people are certain to have tangyuan on the Lunar New Year's Day. Because tangyuan in Chinese has a similar pronunciation with "tuanyuan”, meaning reunion. People will not flour glutinous rice and make tangyuan wrappers, but buy it in the supermarket now. But in the past, flouring glutinous rice and making tangyuan wrappers was a must for the New Year. It will last for more than a half month since the glutinous rice needs to be soaked in water for over fifteen days. The surplus wrappers will be used from the last day of the twelfth month to the fifteenth day of the first month of lunar year.

Make Ciba (glutinous rice cake)

This month, people will invite neighbors to have a meal and invite fellow villagers to make Ciba together. This is a chance for them to communicate and celebrate the New Year. (Translated by Ma Shuangshuang, Fathom Language Limited)