年夜饭对中国人来说非常重要。当天所有的家庭成员围坐在一起享受这一过程。年夜饭不仅仅是美味，也很有中国传统的意味,饺子，鱼和春卷总是必不可少的。
Chinese New Year Foods are very important to Chinese people. All family members come together to eat at Spring Festival. Chinese New Year foods are not only delicious, but also steeped in tradition. Chinese dumplings, fish, and spring rolls are usually eaten at Chinese New Year.
鱼，取自谐音，在中华文化中代表着年年有“余”。中国人总是希望在年底还有所富余，因为如果在年底还有富余的话，那么意味着来年你会拥有更多的财富。
"Fish" sounds like 'surplus'. Chinese people always like to have a surplus at the end of the year, because they think if they have managed to save something at the end of the year, then they can make more in the next year.
【各种鱼代表的含义】
What fish should be chosen for the New Year feast is based on auspicious homophonics.
年夜饭上对于鱼的选择取决于它吉利的名字。
Crucian carp 鲫鱼：
As the first character of ‘crucian carp' sounds like the Chinese word “good luck”, so eating crucian carp is considered to bring good luck for the next year.
它的第一个字和另外一个字“吉”的发音有点类似。所以如果吃鲫鱼的话第二年会带来吉利。
Chinese mud carp鲤鱼：
The first part of the Chinese for mud carp is pronounced like the word for gifts . So Chinese people think eating carp during the Chinese New Year symbolizes wishing for good fortune.
它的第一个字的发音则和“礼”字发音接近，而“礼”这个字在中文里表示礼物，所以中国人就认为要想来年殷实富裕就要在新年多吃鲤鱼。
Catfish鲶鱼：
The Chinese for catfish sounds like meaning ‘year surplus'. So eating catfish is a wish for a surplus in the year. Eating two fish, one on New Year's Eve and one on New Year's Day, (if written in a certain way) signifies a wish for a surplus year-after-year. If only one catfish is eaten, eating the upper part of the fish on New Year's Eve and the remainder on the first day of the new year has the same meaning (上鲶鱼下鲶鱼; 上年余下年余).
因其音似“年余”一词，所以吃鲶鱼则意味着来年的盈余。如果能在除夕夜和大年初一各吃上一条鲶鱼，那么寓意以后财富年年享用不完。当然还有种说法就是在除夕夜吃了一条鲶鱼的上半部，而把剩余的那一半在初一当天吃完。 (上鲶鱼下鲶鱼; 上年余下年余)
【和鱼有关的吉祥话】
1. May you always get more than you wish for.
祝您年年有余
2. A fish leaping over the dragon gate — implying successful passing a competitive examination
一条鱼越过龙门，意味着在比赛中拔得头筹（举业成功或地位高升）。
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