Chinese New Year is an annual 15-day festival celebrated in China and by Chinese communities all over the world. It marks the beginning of Spring, so it is sometimes known as the Spring Festival and it follows the phases of the moon which is why some refers to it as the Lunar New Year. Festivities begin with the new moon and last till the following full moon.
Among many of the festivities and traditions during Chinese New Year, the most important of which surround visiting and spending time with cherished family and friends. China Construction Bank (CCB) – London Branch has always been a close friend of PHBS-UK thus it is our honour and pleasure to be able to ring in the Year of the Rabbit with our friends with them.
Chinese culture and customs are often deeply rooted in symbolism with strong references to prosperity and longevity which is often showcased in the food we consume. Dumplings in particular, are a representative of Chinese cuisine with both their shape and the type of filling used having a deep cultural meaning. Eating dumplings during the New Year is said to bring good fortune and prosperity as the dumplings look like ingots (元宝) – the currency used in ancient China. That is why during the New Year festivities, the Chinese often make and serve dumplings to our friends and family as they symbolises our best wishes for a prosperous new year and hope that our friends and family will be blessed financially in the year ahead.
As part of our New Year celebrations with CCB – London Branch, the staff and 2 student representatives from PHBS-UK visited the branch in London on Tuesday, 24 January 2023 and met with all members of CCB London staff for a collaborative dumpling making event. PHBS-UK staff and students mingled with CCB London staff and we made dumplings together which was eventually cooked and served for lunch. The event was led by PHBS-UK’s very own chef – Mr Janson Song – who taught the participants how to make dumpling skin, add the filling, and fold the dumplings. As the participants from both PHBS-UK and CCB London are mostly international, the event was very engaging with the Chinese participants sharing tips and advice to their international colleagues. There were lots of laughter as everyone focused on making sure that their dumplings looked and tasted good. Everyone had comments about the dumplings they made and suggested different ways to improve. Some of the international participants commented how it was similar to dumplings from their own culture and shared techniques on how to make it better.
After the dumplings are made, our chef cooked and served them for lunch as everyone mingled around and shared with one another how they celebrated their own new year in their country and culture. It was very heartening to see everyone sharing aspects of their own culture and making the event a truly multicultural and international one.
As we celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with our banker friends, it is definitely very apt to partake in the making and eating of dumplings and in doing so, on behalf of every staff and student from PHBS-UK, we wish China Construction Bank – London Branch a happy and prosperous Year of the Rabbit!
