Day 7 of Chinese Spring Festival New Year Celebrations

Popular with Chinese communities in Singapore and Malaysia, Yu Sheng is a raw fish salad traditionally served on the 7th day of the Chinese New Year season, which the Chinese celebrate as everyone's birthday. It's a tradition for families to toss the salad while calling out Lo Hei!, which means to whip up or toss up good fortune. It's believed that the higher you toss the salad, the greater your luck and prosperity in the New Year!

Yu Sheng is made with fresh fish such as salmon, raw vegetables such as Daikon radish and carrots, and lucky foods such as peanuts (which symbolize longevity) and pomelo (symbolizing abundance). Here is a basic recipe for Yu Sheng from the Reader's Digest Asia website.

• More Symbolic Chinese Recipes
• Delicious Chinese Dumplings
• Love and Lanterns - The Chinese Lantern Festival

Day 5 of the Chinese Spring Festival Celebrations: From P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Zodiac Noodles combines noodles with pork loin, ham, cabbage and shiitake mushrooms in a spicy Kung Pao-style sauce. The recipe calls for rice vermicelli noodles - thin noodles made with rice flour - but you can substitute spaghetti if desired. This tasty noodle dish is a great way to celebrate the Year of the Dragon!

More Recipes Using Rice Vermicelli

• Singapore Noodles
• Restaurant-Style Salad Rolls - no-cook spring rolls
  Ants Climbing a Tree

  
  

  _{Zodiac Noodles photo © Amy Jones of Ogilvy PR, acting on behalf of P.F. Chang's China Bistro, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Today is the anniversary of the birth of the man widely renowned as Scotland's national poet. Tonight in Scotland and around the world, people will celebrate Robbie Burns Day by feasting on traditional Scottish dishes such as Cock-a-leekie Soup and Haggis.

In Vancouver, BC, home to North America's third largest Chinatown (by population), the Chinese community celebrates with a special Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner. The brainchild of fifth-generation Chinese Canadian Todd Wong, "Gung Haggis Fat Choy" has grown from a small dinner between friends, to a fun annual event featuring a cultural fusion of music, poetry, and of course, food, from deep-fried Haggis Wonton to "Neeps" served in the style of Chinese turnip cake.

Want to try making your own fun fusion dishes for Robbie Burns Day? Here is a recipe for Haggis Spring Rolls in Filo Pastry, while chef Julie Van Rosendaal has recipes for Haggis Potstickers and Stir-fried Neeps and Tatties.

Colorful Mu Shu Pork is another popular dish during the Chinese New Year season. Classic Mu Shu Pork (pictured in the photo) combines thin strips of pork with exotic cloud ears, dried lily buds and Chinese dried mushrooms. In this recipe for Easy Moo Shu Pork, Gretchen Siegchrist uses easier to find Chinese vegetables such as bok choy and mung bean sprouts. You can enjoy the Moo Shu Pork as is, or serve it in the traditional style on Mandarin pancakes that have been brushed with hoisin sauce.

_{Mu Shu Pork photo, Copyright © by Rhonda Parkinson, licensed to About.com, Inc}