Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of Chinese New Year vary widely, but there is one common traditional celebration; “the family dinner on Chinese New Year’s Eve”. It is the biggest event of any Chinese New Year's Eve and can be compared to Christmas dinner in the West. A dish consisting of fish (Yu) and tofu (Dou Fu) will appear on the tables of Chinese families because the pronunciations of fish and tofu are homophones for the word “Fu Yu”; which means good fortune and prosperity. In northern China, it is customary to make dumplings (Jiaozi) after dinner and have it around midnight. Dumplings symbolize wealth because their shape is like a Chinese tael. By contrast, in the South, it is customary to make a New Year cake (Niangao). Niangao literally means increasingly prosperous year in year out