For the Chinese, the first day of New Year is dedicated to welcoming the Gods of the heaven and earth. That's why the year hasn't really started until the second day, when an official "Year-start' meal (New Year feast) is hosted (traditionally in the morning). A live rooster must be slaughtered and the rooster dish should be included in this meal. It's because the words for 'live rooster' rhymes with 'vitality' and 'opportunities' in Chinese. In other words, this is a wish for good luck and prosperity in the New Year.

People would go visiting their friends and relatives after the meal to send them auspicious wishes and greetings. In the Northern provinces, people would buy common carps on the second day of New Year and release them into the river. The word for 'fish' rhymes with 'leftover' in Chinese and the word for 'common carp' rhymes with 'profit'. Releasing the fish into the river means the person would make so much profit in the New Year that there is leftover wealth. Moreover, company owners would treat all their employees to dinner on the same day, as a gesture to thank them for their hard work in the past year. Yet, in case the employers intend to fire someone, they would notify the person during the dinner. As there must be a whole chicken dish that night, the slang 'being given a ruthless chicken', which means being fired, was developed from there.