Reunion Dinner

Reunion Dinner

　　The Reunion Dish, also known as the Mixed Dish, is a traditional ethnic dish that every Tujia family in Zhangjiajie must prepare for the New Year. It is made by simmering radish, tofu, Chinese cabbage, scallions, pork, red chili strips, and other ingredients together in a pot—this is the "Mixed Dish." Aside from its delicious taste, it also carries deep meaning. It symbolizes a bountiful harvest and family reunion, and reflects the Tujia people's remembrance of their ancestors’ glorious traditions.

　　The Reunion Dinner, also called the New Year’s Eve Dinner, is the family reunion meal eaten on New Year’s Eve, or the evening of Lunar New Year’s Day. This day is extremely important for Chinese people. On this day, families prepare to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one by sharing a reunion dinner. In ancient China, some prison officials would even allow prisoners to go home and reunite with their families for the New Year, which shows just how significant the “Reunion Dinner” was to the Chinese people of old. The family is the cornerstone of Chinese society, and the annual Reunion Dinner fully reflects the mutual respect and affection among family members, strengthening the bonds within the family.