Origin of the Nianyefan 年夜饭的由来

辞年，就是在除夕吃丰盛的晚餐，俗话叫做“年夜饭”，也有的地方叫做“团年饭”、“合家欢”、“分岁酒”、“守岁酒”、“辞岁酒”。辞岁之风自晋朝以来就很盛行，当夜骨肉团聚，儿孙绕膝，灯红酒绿，共话团圆。接着就是守岁。西晋周处的《风土志》说：“除夕夜，围炉而坐，达旦不寐，谓之守岁。”许多诗人都有吟咏守岁的诗句。孟浩然写道：“续明催画烛，守岁接长筵。”杜甫也曾有：“守岁阿戎家，椒盘以颂花。”的佳句，把守岁的乐趣写得活灵活现。
Nianyefan (Dinner on the Spring Festival’s Eve) is also called “Unity Year Dinner,” “Family Unity Dinner,” “Year Division Dinner,” “Keeping Year Feast,” and “Feast to Bid Farewell to the Old Year.” People usually have a big dinner on the eve of the Spring Festival every year to bid farewell to the old year and usher in the new year. This custom became very popular during the Jin Dynasty. At that night, all the family members reunite, children run around the knees of their parents and the whole family talks about reunio against the background of beautiful lanterns while drinking wine. After the dinner, all the family members wait for the new year to come. According to Local Custom, compiled by Zhou Chu in the Western Jin Dynasty, “On the Spring Festival’s eve, all the family members sit around a stove and keep awake all night long. This is called Shousui (keeping the year).” Many poets have verses on shousui. Meng Haoran wrote, “Burning candles until early the next day, we just stay awake and have dinner.” Du Fu also said, “I stayed in Arong’s home on the eve of the Spring Festival. The dishes are just like flowers.” These verses vividly depict the fun of shousui.
江南每年吃年夜饭的时候，家家户户都要把大门关起来，不能大声说话，不能敲击碗筷。吃完年饭后，就要将桌子的碗筷收拾干净，再打开大门，这叫做闭门生财，开门大吉。这规矩习俗据说是为了哄骗铁拐李而传下来的。
In regions south of the Yangtze River, when people begin to have nianyefan, or New Year's dinner, they often close their front doors and speak in low voices. No one is allowed to knock on bowls or chopsticks. After dinner, they clear away all the bowls and chopsticks before opening the door. This custom is said to be used to cheat Tieguai Li, one of China’s most famous Taoist gods.
原来吃年饭的时候，家家户户都是开着大门的。玉皇大帝想了解民间疾苦，于是派铁拐李在此时下凡查看。铁拐李是个跛脚叫花仙。因此便在人间吃年饭的时候，提着篮子跛着脚沿街到各家乞讨。讨完饭，他把讨来的东西提给玉皇大帝看，谁家穷，谁家富，一看就知道了。据此，富的，玉皇大帝便命令有关神仙让他一年遭几次灾，不要太富；穷的，则让他发几次财，不要太穷了。这事儿慢慢传到了人间，有一户人家，比别人都奸，很快想到了应对之策。吃年饭时，把大门关得紧紧的，家人谁也不准大声说话，等铁拐李来讨饭时，他家年饭已经吃过，打开大门时，桌上空空荡荡的，无以施舍给铁拐李，铁拐李一看，这家够穷了，连年饭都吃不起，于是在他家门口放上几个元宝就走了。这下，这户人家便发了，但没有不透风的墙，别家也看出了他家发财的原因，便都跟着学起来。谁知道铁拐李见家家都关着门吃年饭，便知人们已经知道了他的任务，就不再到人间来讨饭察贫富了。可是关着大门吃年饭的习惯，却从此流传下来。
Previously, every family had nianyefan with their doors open. The heavenly Jade Emperor wanted to learn about people’s livelihood. He sent Tieguai Li to descend to the world to have a look. Tieguai Li took the form of a crippled beggar. He held his basket and begged for food door-to-door at the time when people were having nianyefan. After that, he showed the Jade Emperor what he received from each family, so the Jade Emperor could know who was rich and who was poor. For the rich families, the Jade Emperor would ask immortals to punish them so as to make them a little poorer; for the poor families, the Jade Emperor would give them some opportunities to make money so that they could be a little bit richer. Eventually, the common people learned of this. There was a clever man who had a brilliant plan. While having nianyefan, he closed his door tightly and forbade his family members to speak loudly. When Tieguai Li came to his family to beg for food, he had finished eating and opened the door. The table was empty and he had nothing for Tieguai Li. Seeing this, Tieguai Li thought this family must be very poor and they could not afford to have nianyefan. So, he left some treasures on the doorway and left. Then, the family became very rich. But he could not keep the secret and other families also followed the practice, hoping to get rich. When Tieguai Li returned, he saw all the families closed their doors and had learned of his work. He did not come back again. But the custom of closing the front door and clandestinely eating nianyefan was handed down from generation to generation.