Why can't we count dumplings? What are the rules for making dumplings?

Dumplings are a traditional pasta in China. They can be filled with a variety of fillings and are delicious whether steamed, boiled or fried. In many places, dumplings are eaten during festivals and family reunions, which has a good meaning. But if you make dumplings at home, adults always don't let you count the number of dumplings. Why is that?

Why can't you count when making dumplings?

Because the countryside was poor in the past. But no matter how poor, people would still make dumplings during the Chinese New Year. They would put a coin or nut in the dumplings, and whoever ate it would be blessed. The most delicious thing during the Chinese New Year is dumplings. Usually they are filled with cabbage or leeks. Dumplings with vegetarian fillings represent a peaceful and calm year!

The shape of dumplings is like a gold ingot, which represents wealth. So we cannot count them. It is better to count them endlessly, which represents endless wealth. The more you count dumplings during the Chinese New Year, the poorer you will become.

What are the requirements for making dumplings?

1: When chopping dumpling stuffing on New Year's Eve, you must chop it loudly, the louder the better, so that the neighbors can hear it. It means "having vegetables" or "having wealth", which symbolizes wealth and prosperity in the coming year. I have a deep understanding of this. I can indeed hear the sound of chopping dumpling stuffing upstairs in my house on the afternoon of New Year's Eve.

2: When making dumplings, in addition to the dumpling fillings, a few dumplings will be specially selected to be wrapped with peanuts, coins, etc. Whoever eats such dumplings will have more blessings and luck in the coming year.

3: Old Beijingers do not call dumplings dumplings, but "boiled buns", which is a name derived from the Manchu people. After wrapping the dumplings, they should be placed on a large round curtain in order, lined up in circles, and placed in one direction, which means "circle of blessing". No two dumplings can be placed face to face or back to back, because facing each other means "dead enemies". It is easy to have "quarrels" with others in the coming year; placing them back to back means that the family will be separated and not get along in the coming year.

Why don't elderly people count when making dumplings?

This is because in the traditional thinking of the older generation, making dumplings during the Chinese New Year represents a fullness, happiness, and abundance. Dumplings look like ingots, so making dumplings means bringing in wealth and treasure, and ingots will come in an endless stream. In the past, most people couldn't afford dumplings, and they could only eat them during the Spring Festival, so dumplings seemed even more precious and rare. In addition, dumplings need to be stuffed, which means putting all kinds of auspicious things into the dumplings to express hope for the new year.

Therefore, if you count once, the elderly will think that the wealth and good fortune will be counted out and will not come continuously, so they avoid counting.

In addition, some elderly people in Northeast China believe that counting while making dumplings is like being a beggar, and the homonym of "count" is "lose", so they do not allow people to count.

Related News

Northerners must eat dumplings on New Year's Eve. In some wealthy families who are very particular about dumplings, not only must the dumplings be filled with this kind of stuffing, but there are also rules for the people who make the dumplings. That is, the four upright women (with both sons and daughters) who are the head of the clan (within the five generations of mourning for the same surname) are required to wear a red scarf on their heads and start making dumplings at 6 o'clock in the afternoon of New Year's Eve. After 80 dumplings have been made, others can start making dumplings, which means the coming year will be prosperous, with many descendants and lots of money!