People are always lamenting that the flavor of Spring Festival, which falls on Jan 28 this year, has waned and it is not what it used to be, as a result how to preserve this Chinese tradition has become a hot topic.

People used to get busy preparing for the Lunar New Year celebrations at the beginning of the last month of the lunar year. Every family would have a long list of necessities to purchase for the most important holiday of the year.

The dinner for the Lunar New Year's Eve was regarded as the most important dinner of the year for families, and it would be eagerly anticipated by kids. It not only meant a family reunion, but also the best possible in an era when people faced a shortage of daily necessities. Most Chinese enjoyed gathering around the dinner table to welcome the New Year.