尾牙

wěiyá

noun

Measure Word

一场尾牙 chǎng

Meanings

1 year-end company banquet (held on the 16th of the 12th lunar month)
2 end-of-year staff dinner

Characters

tooth; (here) ritual feast

Examples

今年公司的尾牙在五星级酒店举办。

Jīnnián gōngsī de wěiyá zài wǔxīngjí jiǔdiàn jǔbàn.

This year the company's year-end banquet is at a five-star hotel.

每个员工都期待尾牙抽奖。

Měi ge yuángōng dōu qídài wěiyá chōujiǎng.

Every employee looks forward to the year-end banquet lottery.

Tips

culture

Originally a Fujianese / Taiwanese tradition: shopkeepers worshipped the Earth God on the 2nd and 16th of every lunar month (做牙, zuòyá). The last one of the year — 尾牙 — became the boss's banquet for staff, complete with lucky draws. Now standard at most Greater China companies.

memory

Literally 'tail-tooth': 牙 here is short for 牙祭 (yájì), the old shopkeepers' ritual feast; 尾 marks it as the last one of the year.

Stroke Order

尾 wěi

牙 yá