You：我们经常吃米饭，但饺子可不是每天都吃。We usually eat rice but we don’t usually eat dumplings every day.

David：Sometimes I have had meals with Chinese friends and at the end of the meal, they choose whether to eat rice or dumplings. Why? 我跟中国朋友一起去吃饭时，他们经常会在快吃完时才点米饭或饺子。这是为什么?

You：哦。在餐馆里，人们可能喜欢在正餐后吃点面食来填肚子;而在家里人们并不是每天都吃饺子。如果每顿都吃米饭，虽然很方便，但也会觉得烦的。中国人有除夕夜吃饺子的习俗，而且这一习俗在北方更为盛行。Well, maybe this is true in restaurants when people eat starch to fill up at the end of a meal. But eating at home is different. At home, dumplingsaren’t intended for every day consumption. If you eat rice at every meal, although it’s convenient, it can get boring. It’s a Chinese custom, especially in the north, to eat dumplings the night before Spring Festival.

David：Why? What’s the history?为什么?有什么说法吗?

You：是有一个故事但我不大清楚。我是南方人，我们那儿没有这个习俗。There is a story but I don’t know it. I am from south China and we don’t share that custom.

David：It’s not a part of the custom in southern China. It is only a custom in Beijing?中国南方没有这个习俗。那仅仅是北京有吗?

You：不仅是北京，而且整个北方都有这样的习俗。

David：Someone told me before that, because the dumpling is round, it symbolizes the beginning of a new cycle. I am not sure, but sometimes I understand they put a coin inside when they make dumplings, whoever eats the dumpling with the coin will have good luck. Maybe this is more northeastern culture. 以前有人告诉我，饺子是圆的，象征着新的一轮的开始;我不知道这是不是真的。可是，我知道有时候人们包饺子时也会把一个饺子里面包上一枚硬币。吃到这个饺子的人就会有好运。也许这更具有东北特色一些。

You：我也这样认为。Yeah, Ithink so.