CNY, Day Five: Welcome the God Of Money, Nosh on Grilled Meat and Niangao

The fifth day of New Year week, aka 大年初五 Dà nián chū wǔ. Here's what folks will be getting up to today:

1. Welcome the God of Money 

In Chinese culture, the fifth day of New Year marks the God of Money's birthday (funny that it comes so soon after paying him a visit). On this day, many households and families will open their door and windows to invite the god in, hoping that their wealth will also start rolling in and they will have a smooth year ahead.

You will probably find Beijingers posting pictures that read 接财神 Jiē cáishén, which means they are ready to let the god (and the wealth) come into their homes.

2. Say goodbye to poverty

Once people have welcomed the God of Money, it's time for them to say bye to poverty.  One way for them to do that is to stir fry beans to make the cracking sound that’s supposed to bring them good luck. Others like eating foods that resemble the sound of fireworks to scare away bad spirits.

For a lao Beijinger and meatlover like myself, I particularly enjoy feasting on some 炙子烤肉 Zhì zi kǎoròu just so I can listen to the sizzling sound of the meat. It's a traditional Beijing dish with grilled meat barbecued on iron rods. There's nothing more heartwarming than sitting around a grill with family, friends and the smell of barbecue sauce on a cold winter day.

If you would like to feast on this classic dish, I recommend a place called 烤肉刘 Kǎoròu Liú, an age-old classic among many Beijingers.

3. Eat niangao

In certain places, people like to eat 年糕 Niángāo, which in Beijing means munching down on 糍粑 Cíbā. People eat niangao because the name is similar to the pronunciation of 年高 Niángāo, which, while it literally translates to "tall year" means "get better year by year". To feast on this delicious treat, you can head to 北京宜宾招待所 Běijīng Yíbīn Zhāodàisuǒ or 静一餐厅 Jìng Yī Cāntīng. When dipped in brown sugar, these sweet and sticky rice cakes taste truly like heaven!

Read: CNY, Day Four: Thank the Kitchen God & Sweep Your Floor (Again) 

Images: Dianping