COVID-19 Changes Trend of Chinese New Year’s Eve Dinner in Taiwan

TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in Taiwan.

People have dinner together on Chinese New Year’s Eve to celebrate the end of a year and to usher in the coming year. And with Chinese New Year approaching, various Taiwanese New Year’s Eve dishes are now available for pre-order, creating a new business opportunity for freezer meals, according to the “Department of Commerce, Ministry of Economic Affairs”.

In October 2020, the “Department of Commerce, Ministry of Economic Affairs” held the “Classic Taiwanese Cuisine Selection” and organized a series of events, including a gourmet fair that caught people’s eye with classic Taiwanese cuisine.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants too are offering more “takeout” and “delivery” services for customers to enjoy New Year’s Eve dinner safely at home.

The custom of having a ‘reunion’ dinner and ‘staying-up late’ dates back to as early as the 5th century and has been passed down to this day.

Every New Year’s Eve dish has an implied meaning. For example, a “whole chicken” symbolizes the togetherness of the family; the character “fish” has the same sound as the word “abundance“, so by saving some fish until the next day (the next year), it means it’ll bring people a year of abundance.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, people around the world have become more aware of epidemic prevention.

Delivery and takeout services are becoming more and more important in response to the needs of the “stay-at-home economy“.

And after the pandemic, international visitors will once more be welcomed back to Taiwan to personally experience the charm of Taiwanese cuisine – in all its depth.