The reunion dinner on Chinese New Year's eve is usually a large and lavish meal, flavorful and delicious, because it is not only a dinner but also a family reunion. The whole family sits around the table and enjoys food and chatting. It is indeed a moment of happiness cherished by every Chinese.

Nowadays, more and more Chinese people opt for a dinner out, as compared to in the past, when the traditional way was to have this big get- together only at home. Some hold the opinion that the traditional way to eat reunion dinner at home is troublesome and time-consuming, especially after having a tiring year. The opinion is reinforced by the fact that two months ahead of the New Year's Eve, almost all decent restaurants in Beijing have already fully booked.

Different grades of reunion dinners features different dishes and several of the dishes served on this occasion have auspicious meanings and are indispensable to the night's menu, for instance, Long Year Vegetables, which is mustard greens, to represent intelligence, the Whole Chicken, symbolizing wealth for the whole family and Jiaozi, the Chinese dumplings stuffed with meat and vegetables. Since the shape of the dumplings resembles a gold ingot, eating Jiaozi symbolizes the coming of wealth into one's life.