Renri 人日 or Yan Yat 2026

PROSPEROUS YU SHENG FISH SALAD

Prosperity Toss Salad (Yu Sheng)

Singaporeans believe the seventh day of the Chinese New Year (Renri 人 日) marks the occasion for people to gather and enjoy Lo Hei Yu Sheng, a tasty fish salad and popular specialty served every Chinese New Year on the Lion Island. It is associated with the hope of enhancing luck and good things in the New Year. Yu Sheng in Chinese stands for a prosperous life, indicating wealth and longevity.

It is a salad dish made with pieces of salmon, julienne-chopped radish and carrot, grapefruit wedges, roasted peanuts, roasted sesame and plum sauce. Each ingredient is prepared carefully for them to bring good luck and wealth. Fish indicates prosperity of the upper class; grapefruit indicates good luck and wealth; white radish indicates a successful business and a promotion; cooking oil indicates cash inflow.

The raw ingredients are put in a large bowl alongside seven more representatives of good wishes for the New Year including great happiness and advantages prosperity for the whole year, achieving thousands of desired things, wealth and prosperity, and so on. Family members or business partners stand around a table and use chopsticks to mix and tumble the ingredients for the dish as high as possible and speak their wishes for the New Year out loud. This mixing is known as ‘Lo Hei in Singapore, meaning prosperity’. Lo Hei Yu Sheng fish salad expresses the wish to thrive and experience prosperity in the New Year and has become an indispensable dish at every spring welcoming party organised by Singaporeans.

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CNY dish: 七 样 菜 Stir Fried 7 Vegetables

Every 7th day of Chinese New Year (also called ‘Ren Ri’ ; 人 日), Ah-mm will tell me to go and buy 7 types of vegetables for her to cook 七 样 菜. 人 日 is literally ‘human day’. According to Chinese legend, 女 媧 created different animals on different days. Humans were created on the 7th day after she created the world, so Ren Ri is also known as everyone’s birthday. Don’t be surprised if a Chinese wishes you ‘Happy Birthday’ on this day!

Some markets will pre-pack the 7 assorted vegetables for you so you don’t end up with big bunches of everything. Ah-mm says there’s no hard and fast rule as to which vegetables go into the dish, but she insists on having Chinese leeks (大 蒜), pronounced ‘da suan’, which sounds like calculating (money). She also always got some 春 菜 (mustard greens) but it’s kinda hard to find. My 7 types of vegetables this year:

• Chinese leeks (red leeks)
• Spring onions
• Chives
• Celery
• Cabbage
• Puay Leng (Chinese spinach)
• Xiao Bai Cai

You can add in some meat slices like lean pork, but I added bak gwa this year hehe. Slice the bak gwa into strips and fry them together with the leeks, chives and celery in the beginning, so that the entire wok has the smokey fragrance of bak gwa. But watch the fire to prevent burning. I like them a bit charred though!

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Lo Hei 捞起 Yúshēng 魚生

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LO HEI & WHAT IT ACTUALLY REPRESENTS

The Chinese Lunar New Year is an annual festival where many traditions culminate from exchanging of oranges to the receiving of red packets and more. Still, as far as the Chinese New Year goes, the iconic yu sheng toss remains at the helm of all things festive. Yu Sheng, otherwise known as lo-hei or prosperity toss, is something that we’ve grown terribly fond of. A vibrant centrepiece dish comprising various elements, each boasting its own unique flavour and meaning behind it, the yu sheng is always the first order of business at any family gathering. Yet, as we find ourselves going through the motion of this tradition year in year out, how many of us millennials can actually say that we truly understand this practice and its significance? To a season dedicated to good fortune, family reunion and feasting, here is our guide on lo hei, what it is and what it represents.

Since its origins as a simple raw fish dish back in the 1930s, the recipe has undergone a series of transformations, and even until today, people are still finding innovative ways to present this dish. The dish was brought to Singapore in the late 19th century by the migration of Cantonese and Teochew migrants from China. “Lo Hei”, in Cantonese literally translates to “tossing up good fortune”, and it refers to the ritual adopted in Singapore that involves a group of people gathered around a massive plate, tossing its contents violently while saying out auspicious phrases before eating it—it is popularly believed that the higher the toss, the better your prospects and fortune in the year ahead.

At the very beginning, the salad itself consisted merely of raw fish slices, some vegetables and seasoning to taste. It was only much later on in 1964, where a quartet of chefs—known affectionately as the ‘Four Heavenly Kings’—reinvented the dish and served it at the then, newly opened Lai Wah restaurant. The new salad saw an improvement in texture, colour, and flavour. Key ingredients & what they represent:

• Carrots – Represents good luck.
• Green Radish – Represents eternal youth.
• White Radish – Represents good job opportunities in the coming year.
• Raw Fish – symbolises abundance and prosperity.
• Pomelo – Represents luck.
• Crushed Peanuts – Is a sign that your home will be filled with many valuable possessions.
• Sesame Seeds – Represent the hope that your business will flourish.
• Golden Crackers – Symbolises wealth.
• Plum Sauce – A key component that binds the salad together, it represents stronger ties among family and friends.
• Pepper & Cinnamon Powder – signify the wish for wealth
• Oil – Often drizzled onto the salad in a circular motion rather than poured over. This is to symbolise that money will come from all directions.

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Nián Nián Yǒu Yú 2024

Rabbitfish 白肚鱼 for Chinese New Year

Rabbitfish as a symbolic dish in Chinese New Year (CNY)

Rabbitfish is one of the must-buy food during Chinese New Year (CNY). The species commonly eaten is White-Spotted Rabbitfish. Its stomach region is usually bitter. CNY period coincides with their mating season, as a result, the fish taste great. Rabbitfish contains fish roe and milt (fish semen) during this time. Rabbitfish Milt tastes like soft tofu and with a tinge of seafood flavour. This is viewed as an abundance by the Chinese and will also buy it for its taste.

Fish is one of the most eaten food during the Chinese New Year (CNY). The word Fish (鱼yú) has the same pronunciation(余yú) as Chinese idiom 年年有余 (nián nián yǒu yú). Traditional Chinese idiom represents surplus all year round. It is one of the popular auspicious blessings during CNY festive season. Chinese choose Rabbitfish as one of the preferred fish even calling it “发财鱼” prosperous fish. Thus, it is common to buy Rabbitfish as a custom is to wish their loved ones prosperity and living in abundance during reunion dinner.  There will often be some leftover fish to symbolise surplus that matches the idiom. Most importantly, CNY reunion dinner is once a year, Chinese will definitely buy it during CNY.

White-Spotted Rabbitfish is also known as Spinefoots and they belong to the Siganidae family. Rabbitfish is a diurnal animal (active during the day). At night, it often hides in between rocks and corals. Younger rabbitfish form large schools, while the adults are usually seen in smaller schools. Some species can reach up to a length of 40 cm. White-spotted Rabbitfish is more commonly found up to 15cm. The rabbitfish elevated spines contain poison glands on its fins. These spines can be found on their fins. As Rabbitfish have venomous spines on their fins, you must act with caution when handling rabbitfish. Although not lethal, its sting can inflict great pain to people. While rabbitfish are not aggressive in nature, however, they do not hesitate to sting predators in self-defence. Rabbitfish is mainly herbivorous. Its diet is based mostly on algae. Some species of rabbitfish eat zooplankton, seaweed and corals.

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Chinese New Year Traditions

Chinese New Year Traditional Custom

Do you know what should we follow and the meaning of traditional customs and cultures for Chinese New Year celebration? Let’s us look at following tips, they help your celebration easier and have a Happy Chinese New Year:

• Spring Cleaning: All family members will clean-up the house together on the 28th day (of the last month) of the (old) year. Spring Cleaning symbolizes that sweeping all misfortune or bad luck away from the house. Plum blossom symbolizes lucky and representing people are resilient, even in a harsh environment.
• House Decoration: Red lanterns and red banners will be hung beside the door to keep in good luck and longevity.
• Reunion Dinner: In New Year Eve, the whole family members will gather together and have a sumptuous dinner. If a family member could not come for the dinner, his or her presence is usually symbolized by placing an empty seat at the banquet.
• Symbolic dishes: In the reunion dinner, some dishes are mostly being served as they hold a symbolic good meaning. For instance, prawn featuring smile always and fish featuring prosperity.
• Shou Sui (守岁): People stay awake all night for increase longevity of the elderly family members.
• Angpau: Angpau with lucky money or sweet inside were distributed to the young by elders. The red color of the angpau symbolizes good luck and also ward off evil spirits. 
• Ancestor Worshiping: Chinese believe that deceased family members have a continued existence and they will look after the family.
• New Cloth: New cloth especially in red colour will be worn during Chinese New Year as it symbolize a new start and monster Nian scared about this colour. Black and white is avoided during Chinese New Year because they represent mourning.
• New Year Visits (Bai Nian): Chinese travels back to their home town to meet their family and also to visit relatives and friends.
• Firecrackers: To scare away any traces of monster Nian, because it is afraid of noise.
• Lion Dances: The loud beats of the drum and cymbals together with the face of the lion dancing can evict bad or evil spirits. Lion dance are popular for visiting houses and shops to perform the traditional custom of "Cai Ching" (采青) as people believed it can brings prosperity to people.
• Sticky Cake (Nian Gao): To appeasing the appetite of the Kitchen God and also sticking his mouth to prevent him from speaking ill about the family. 
• Yu Sheng (鱼生): To achieve prosperity and vigor, normally having Yu Sheng on renri (day 7).
• Jade Emperor Ritual (Bai Tian Gong): The Hokkiens will have another family reunion dinner, and they pray to the Jade Emperor at midnight (day8). 
• Lantern Festival: Children will go out at night carrying lanterns which symbolic of hope and good luck. People will eat Tang Yuan (汤圆) as it considered to family reunion.

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Nián Nián Yǒu Yú 2026

Rabbitfish 白肚鱼 for Chinese New Year

Rabbitfish as a symbolic dish in Chinese New Year (CNY)

Rabbitfish is one of the must-buy food during Chinese New Year(CNY). The species commonly eaten is White-Spotted Rabbitfish. Its stomach region is usually bitter. CNY period coincides with their mating season, as a result, the fish taste great. Rabbitfish contains fish roe and milt(fish semen) during this time. Rabbitfish Milt tastes like soft tofu and with a tinge of seafood flavour. This is viewed as an abundance by the Chinese and will also buy it for its taste.

Fish is one of the most eaten food during the Chinese New Year (CNY). The word Fish (鱼yú) has the same pronunciation(余yú) as Chinese idiom 年年有余 (nián nián yǒu yú). Traditional Chinese idiom represents surplus all year round. It is one of the popular auspicious blessings during CNY festive season. Chinese choose Rabbitfish as one of the preferred fish even calling it “发财鱼” prosperous fish. Thus, it is common to buy Rabbitfish as a custom is to wish their loved ones prosperity and living in abundance during reunion dinner.  There will often be some leftover fish to symbolise surplus that matches the idiom. Most importantly, CNY reunion dinner is once a year, Chinese will definitely buy it during CNY.

White-Spotted Rabbitfish is also known as Spinefoots and they belong to the Siganidae family. Rabbitfish is a diurnal animal (active during the day). At night, it often hides in between rocks and corals. Younger rabbitfish form large schools, while the adults are usually seen in smaller schools. Some species can reach up to a length of 40 cm. White-spotted Rabbitfish is more commonly found up to 15cm. The rabbitfish elevated spines contain poison glands on its fins. These spines can be found on their fins. As Rabbitfish have venomous spines on their fins, you must act with caution when handling rabbitfish. Although not lethal, its sting can inflict great pain to people. While rabbitfish are not aggressive in nature, however, they do not hesitate to sting predators in self-defence. Rabbitfish is mainly herbivorous. Its diet is based mostly on algae. Some species of rabbitfish eat zooplankton, seaweed and corals.

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Rabbitfish season brings family and friends together for CNY

Rabbitfish is also known as “fa cai yu”, or “get-rich fish”, as it is believed to bring prosperity. PHOTO: MOH ZAKARIA

Rabbitfish is a popular dish that tastes best during Chinese New Year, as its mating season coincides with the festive period and it is said to taste less fishy when filled with roe and milt, the male equivalent of caviar. For some families here, the dish even has a convening power, bringing together extended family and triggering memories of childhood reunion dinners. A group of 19 people from Singapore celebrated this Chinese New Year by feasting on the tropical fish. On Feb 10, Ms Jennifer Chang, 57, took her family to Kiki Beach Resort, a resort on Galang Island near Batam, Indonesia, to savour the delicacy and bring back memories of her late mother’s cooking.

Some of their friends also joined in the festivities. The youngest in the group was four years old and the oldest 62. It was the first time Ms Chang has gathered with her siblings to have rabbitfish since their mother died seven years ago, she said. She hoped to reminisce about the times they spent having rabbitfish with their mother while enjoying the sea view and activities at the resort. “She was the only one who prepared (the fish) for me, so I have missed this dish for many years,” said Ms Chang. “She would try to steam it for me throughout Chinese New Year. I would get many rounds of rabbitfish, as long as they sold it in the market.” Her mother would steam rabbitfish Cantonese-style with garlic, red chilli, sesame oil and soya sauce for the family, she said, adding that it is her favourite way of enjoying the fish. The dish was cooked only during Chinese New Year because rabbitfish are small and do not contain roe when it is not mating season. “Even though my mum’s cooking was always the best, I’m grateful to Kiki Beach Resort for this special treat,” Ms Chang said. The owner of the resort, Mr James Poh, 59, said mating season for rabbitfish lasts around a week during Chinese New Year, starting from Feb 5 and ending before Feb 15 in 2024. During that time, the meat of the fish tastes firm and sweet, he said. As for its roe, he likened it to foie gras, which is creamy and smooth.

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Teochew Style Steamed White-spotted Rabbitfish

Every year before and during Chinese New Year (CNY) period you would definitely be able to see this auspicious "White-spotted Rabbitfish(白肚鱼/拜年鱼)" available at all wet market fish stalls as well as the seafood sections at major supermarkets. These fish taste especially delicious during this season and they are also big in size and comes with roes that are particularly relished too.

Last year I have shared with you a similar Teochew style recipe known as "Pan-fried White Spotted Rabbitfish With Leeks"(recipe HERE) whereas for this year it would be the steamed version which consists similar ingredients. My dad used to cook this dish and according to my mum who taught me this recipe over our phone conservation, she mentioned that in order to maintain the texture and taste of the fish it would be good if I blanched it in boiling water before steaming. (in this case the fish is half cooked and it would not release so much water during steaming which will affect the texture of the meat).

So since I wanted to achieve what my dad used to cook for us, I follow my mum's suggestion and steps to dot and surprising it works well. My steamed white-spotted rabbitfish taste almost 90% like my childhood food. Now at least I have master another traditional food in our household which might comes in handy one of these days.

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Teochew-style Steamed White-spotted Rabbitfish 潮式清蒸白肚鱼

This is a signature Teochew dish. The Teochews love their ingredients fresh and the steamed rabbitfish is part and parcel of an elaborate spread that the Teochews eat for brunch called the “Teochew Muay” (潮州糜). Teochew Muay can be likened to the Spanish tapas, where one consumes a large selection of small dishes except that the meal is eaten with plain rice congee.

The consumption of rice congee with a huge platter of at least ten side dishes is a key feature of Minnan cuisine. This practice can be seen from Taiwan to Shantou in Canton where the Teochews live. As a result of the Teochew diaspora, Teochew Muay is eaten in Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and even in France. What mainly distinguishes Teochew Muay from the other Minnan rice congee spreads, is this dish, the steamed White-spotted Rabbitfish.

Ingredients:

4 white-spotted rabbitfish (known in Teochew as “Bair Tor Hir”), descaled and gutted

2 cloves of garlic, shelled and minced

5g fresh ginger, sliced and cut into strip

2 tbs peanut/sunflower oil

2 tbs Shaoxing rice wine

5 ts Chinese fermented soy bean paste

salt and white pepper powder to taste

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Steamed White Spotted Rabbitfish - 清蒸白肚鱼

Fish is very commonly eaten during the Chinese New Year because fish in Chinese (鱼) sounds the same as excess in Chinese (余). What many people do not know is that there is a certain delicacy that can be found in our local wet markets. This special delicacy is the rabbit fish. Most of you would know rabbit fish as a common, affordable fish... except during the Lunar New Year season. For a few days in a year - and only for a few days - the rabbit fish sold in local markets are full of creamy roe or milt (fish semen).

It is believed that eating the rabbit fish when its stomach is full of roe or milt is a sign of prosperity. In particular, the Teochews in Singapore believe that eating rabbit fish (pek tor he in Teochew dialect) will ensure good luck for the coming year.

The best way to eat this delicacy during Lunar New Year is to steam it for about 3-4 minutes. You will know that it is cooked when the fish eyes turn white. Eat it with a mixture of lime, soy sauce, chilli and garlic (optional). Remember, don't overcook it so that the roe is not hard but creamy. Last but not least, eat with the joy of looking forward to a fresh new start to the new year, where all things are possible.

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Siganus canaliculatus

Siganus canaliculatus, the white-spotted spinefoot, white-spotted rabbitfish, pearly spinefoot, seagrass rabbitfish, slimy spinefoot or smudgespot spinefoot is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is native to the western Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean where it occurs on reefs and in lagoons.

Siganus canaliculatus was first formally described in 1797 as Chaetodon canaliculatus by the Scottish explorer Mungo Park with the type locality given as Bengkulu Province on Sumatra. This taxon is largely sympatric with the mottled spinefoot (Siganus fuscescens) and these taxa are also very similar in appearance. Molecular analyses in 2011 found that there were three separate lineages within S. canaliculatus and S. fuscescens, that these lineages interbred and that each lineage had specimens which referred to either taxon, this suggests that S. canaliculatus is a junior synonym of S. fuscescens. This is not the position taken by FishBase[6] or Catalog of Fishes. The specific name canaliculatus means “grooved”, a reference to the grooves in the fin spines. Park did not know that, like all rabbitfishes, these spines contained venom glands for defence.

Siganus canaliculatus has a moderately slender, laterally compressed body, the standard length being 2.3 to 2.8 times its depth. The dorsal profile of the head is weakly to notably concave over the eyes with a pointed snout. The front nostril has a flap, in juveniles this covers the rear nostril, although it becomes shorter as the fish grows and is completely absent in the oldest fishes. The dorsal fin has 13 spines and 10 soft rays while the anal fin has 7 spines and 9 soft rays. The front spine on the dorsal fin points forwards. The caudal fin is nearly emarginate in smaller individuals of less than 10 cm (3.9 in) standard length becoming forked in larger fish. This species attains a maximum total length of 40 cm (16 in), although 20 cm (7.9 in) is more typical. The colour and pattern of the white-spotted spinefoot is very variable. It can be greenish grey to yellow brown and is marked with 100-200 perlescent blue to whitish spots on the nape and anterior part of the body, these are similar in size to a match-head on the lower flanks. There are 2 to 3 rows between the first spine of the dorsal fin and the lateral line, which are roughly one sixth the size of the eye, and another 10 or so rows between the uppermost point of the lateral line and the base of the first spine in the anal fin. Alarmed or injured fishes adopt a pattern where their flanks are mottled with patches of light and dark brown and cream, forming a pattern of 6 or 7 uniformly spaced, dark oblique zones with lighter zones of similar breadth separating them. There is normally dark spot immediately to the rear of the upper end of gill opening, this spot is similar in size to the eye, and a thin bar along the upper margin of the operculum.

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Ramadan رمضان 2026

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. It is during this month that Muslims fast. It is called the Fast of Ramadan and lasts the entire month. Ramadan is a time when Muslims concentrate on their faith and spend less time on the concerns of their everyday lives. It is a time of worship and contemplation.

During the Fast of Ramadan strict restraints are placed on the daily lives of Muslims. They are not allowed to eat or drink during the daylight hours. Smoking and sexual relations are also forbidden during fasting. At the end of each day the fast is broken with prayer and a meal called the iftar. In the evening following the iftar it is customary for Muslims to go out visiting family and friends. The fast is resumed the next morning.

During Ramadan, it is common for Muslims to go to the Masjid (Mosque) and spend several hours praying and studying the Quran. In addition to the five daily prayers, during Ramadan Muslims recite a special prayer called the Taraweeh prayer (Night Prayer). The length of this prayer is usually 2-3 times as long as the daily prayers. Some Muslims spend the entire night in prayer. The holiday of Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and the start of the next lunar month, Shawwal. This day is declared when the crescent new moon has been sighted or if sighting of the moon is not possible due to the weather, the completion of 30 days of fasting.

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Fú Dào Le 福到了2026

Those Chinese Characters on the Door

It's a homophone, a play on words. The character that is hung upside down is Fú - 福, pronounced “foo”. It means fortune or luck.

The pun - In Mandarin, saying Fú Dào Le means "luck or fortune has arrived". But the word "Dào" can also imply to fall down or turn upside-down. So, literally turning the character 福, Fú, upside-down is a play on words implying fortune has arrived.

On the door - You'll see the character, usually written in gold on a red background, hung on doors across the country by Chinese hoping for good fortune for the new year. The decorations are often left up all year so you may see it at any time. And why not? Everyone needs a little fortune heading their way.

Year of the Horse 2026

Xīn Nián Kuài Lè 新年快乐 - Fú Dào Le 福到了

A Peranakan Chinese New Year

How the creatures in the Chinese Zodiac found their place

The wily rat made sure it won the race

You may be wondering why the lunar years, as they are known, each bear the name of a different creature - and why there are twelve of them. It's based on an ancient tale, and it goes a little like this.

Why was there a race? The story goes that a race was organised by the Jade Emperor - one of the most important gods in traditional Chinese religion - who invited all the animals in the world to take part. Twelve species turned up at the start line: a pig, dog, rooster, monkey, sheep, horse, snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger, ox and rat.

As a reward for turning up, the Emperor named a year in the zodiac after each one, while the race would determine the order each animal would be placed.

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