餃子 = Sleep together and have sons ???

[Chunn]

I think it is very ridiculous translation. I found this in a guide book here in Phuket, they were writing about Chinese New Year, and a part of them is about 餃子 as follow.

"One of the most popular dished is jiaozi, literally translated: sleep together and have sons. This is a long-lost good wish for Chinese families."

I don't know much about eating dumpling tradition, but I don't believe that people wish for such things they claimed. Can anybody assure me that they were wrong?

[daydreamer]

hi.. I'm new here. But I am a 100% Chinese was born and raise in China.

Although I live in the southeast, but I do like Jiaozi. And I have never heard the tradition you read in that book. I'll later try to find the reason...

There're tradition i know for Jiao zi.

Basically, Jiaozi has two meanings,

1. the shape of Jiaozi look like the ancient money called "Yuanbao" (元宝)

so, people eat them in the new year's day hoping they can earn lots of money in the following year.

2. People put many kinds of things inside Jiaozi. Just like putting lits of wishes and dreams. Wish their dreams can come true.

Hope my answer can help you some.

[wix]

I think they are making a play on words. 餃子=> 交子

交 jiao can mean sexual intercourse

子 can mean son

[xuezhongwen]

Of course Jiaozi doesn't mean that. It comes from 交子, meaning "crossing the midnight".

You can find a little history of dumpling at

http://www.xuezhongwen.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=249&highlight=dumpling