2010 is the year of the Tiger and the 14 February marks its start.
The festival, which celebrates the earth coming back to life (when ploughing and sowing can begin) continues for 15 days starting with a family meal -served without meat - and culminating in a lantern festival, followed by a glorious banquet for family and friends.
So food plays an important part. Much of the food consumed during the festival has symbolic meaning. For example, dumplings: wealth
lettuce: prosperity, noodles: longevity, oysters: receptivity to good fortune, seaweed: good luck and whole fish: abundance.