Eating...

...our way through the upcoming Chinese New Year.

It is the year of the snake:

Pineapple and oranges are used everywhere to wish happiness and prosperity.  More thanks to the bakeries for expounding on this:

The Chinese New Year (CNY) welcomes in spring...and new beginnings.  The date fluctuates from year to year, as the calendar is lunisolar (which is another detailed learning lesson).  There are many things to celebrate in the days preceding, plus for the 15 afterwards, but the basic jist of it is:
Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese new year vary widely. People will pour out their money to buy presents, decoration, material, food, and clothing. It is also traditional for every family to thoroughly cleanse the house, in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors will be decorated with red colour paper-cuts and couplets with popular themes of "good fortune" or "happiness", "wealth", and "longevity." On the Eve of Chinese New Year, supper is a feast with families. Food will include such items as pigs, ducks, chicken and sweet delicacies. The family will end the night with firecrackers. Early the next morning, children will greet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year, and receive money in red paper envelopes. The Chinese New Year tradition is to reconcile, forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone.