Chinese New Year: From Ancient Roots to Duckin' Pie

What’s All the Quack About Chinese New Year? 🧧✨ 

Did you know that Chinese New Year is celebrating 2025, the Year of the Snake, on the 29th of January?! 🐉

In fact, have you ever wondered what Chinese New Year is all about in general? If so, let us take you on a crazy whirlwind journey through the history, traditions, and - most importantly - the food of this vibrant celebration, and how to join in on the fun!!
((Spoiler alert: it ends with pie!))

From Ancient Roots to Dazzling Celebrations 🎇

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, actually dates back thousands of years 😮 Originally a time to honour ancestors and deities while ushering in the new farming season, it’s evolved into a grand celebration marking the end of winter and the start of new beginnings!!

In China, festivities kick off with family reunions, cleaning the house to sweep away bad luck, and decorating with red (the luckiest colour) 🧧 The celebrations span 15 days, ending with the magical Lantern Festival, where glowing lanterns light up the skies and dragon dances dazzle the crowds 🐲

How the UK Does Chinese New Year 

Chinese New Year has become a global event, and here in the UK, we’ve embraced it with open arms (and chopsticks) 🍜

🥡 Major cities like London, Manchester, and Glasgow host epic parades and cultural performances, bringing a taste of China to our streets!

On the 29th you're sure to find everything from dragon dances to food markets serving up steaming bowls of noodles, dumplings, and crispy duck 😋

Even if you’re not near a big celebration, it’s the perfect excuse to gather friends and family for your own feast at home - cue the Duckin’ Pie!

The Feast: A Festival of Flavour 🥟🥢

New recip pie from the chefs at Chunk. Duck Pie served on a white plate with stir fried vegetables and a bowl prawn crackers

The heart of Chinese New Year? The food, of course! 🎉

Traditional dishes are packed with symbolism: dumplings for wealth, noodles for longevity, and whole fish for abundance.

And duck? It’s the showstopper - rich, flavourful, and oh-so-celebratory, of course!! Inspired by this delicious tradition, we created our famous Duckin’ Pie 🦆

In fact, here's a little peak into how it's made...

 

Tender duck marinated in a hoisin-style sauce, slow-cooked sous vide (for melt-in-your-mouth perfection), combined with stir-fried veggies, and wrapped in our crisp, golden pastry!!

It’s all the flavour of a Lunar New Year feast, (and your favourite takeaway) in pie form!

How to Celebrate at Home 🏮

If you’re not near a parade or market, don’t worry, you can still get in on the action:

🏮 Decorate with Red: Paper lanterns, banners, and good-luck symbols.
🏮Raise a Toast: Grab some tea for a celebratory drink 🍵
🏮Feast Like There’s No Tomorrow: Dumplings, noodles, and - of course - our Duckin’ Pie for the main event.

Trust us, ANY of these festivities will get you in the mood to celebrate the New Year all over again and properly indulge!

Quack Open the Celebration! 🥧

Whether you’re steeped in Chinese New Year traditions or joining in for the first time, this celebration is all about joy, togetherness, and great food.

So, waddle on and grab your Duckin’ Pie, and make this Lunar New Year one to remember!!

Chinese symbol of good fortune

Gong hei fat choy (Wishing you great happiness and prosperity!) 🧧✨

Go on - Take a Chunk!