Families begin preparing for Chinese New Year in the middle of the twelfth lunar month. Though numerous legends are associated with the occasion, it is generally thought to a time of discarding the old and ushering in the new. Thus, after the Hearth God returns to heaven, families begin a thorough housecleaning, scrubbing every nook and cranny to rid their homes of bad luck and welcome the new year. The next order of business is to go shopping for the ingredients needed for making the elaborate New Year's Eve dinner. Spring Couplets, door gods, and New Year prints are hung inside and outside the house and the central room is arranged to enhance the festive air of the season.

Several dishes are indispensable during the New Year season, including preserved meats, New Year cake, to name a but a few. Traditionally these dishes were all made by hand and housewives began curing meats and steaming the New Year cake as early as three weeks in advance. With the busy lifestyles of today, however, few people take the time to make New Year's dinner entirely from scratch, but rather will buy many of the items needed for the occasion.

---