Chongqing’s folk customs are in urgent need of extra points

The festival with the most ethnic characteristics of the family is the New Year's Day; the most ethnic song and dance in the festival is "Sheba Day".

Sheba Ri "Sheba" means "waving hands"; "Ri" means "doing". In Tujia language, the verb and object are inverted, "Sheba Ri", the Chinese literal translation is "waving hands", and the free translation is "waving hands dance". It is an activity of sacrifice and prayer of the Tujia people, usually held on New Year's Day, and has developed into comprehensive folk activities such as sacrifice, prayer, singing and dancing, social interaction, sports competitions, and material exchanges. There are different sizes of "waving hands". Held every three to five years, it’s called the “Big Wave.” "Big Hands Waving" is large in scale, has many sets, and lasts for seven or eight days. It is held in front of the "Waving Hands Hall" together with market trade, cultural and sports activities. "Waving Hands Hall", in Tuwang Temple. "Small waving hands" is small in scale and has a small number of sets. It usually lasts for one to three days and is mostly held in the ancestral hall of the clan.

In the hand-waving activity, the Tujia people recalled the hardships of their ancestors in starting a business, cherished the achievements of their ancestors, and displayed the life scenes of the Tujia ancestors. The entire activity has strong traces of ancestor worship.

New Year: The Tujia people worship their ancestors very much and call the day of ancestor worship as "New Year". However, the time of "Celebrating the New Year" varies depending on the surname, clan, and region. For example: the Peng surname in Youshui Hexi and the six surnames Peng, Bai, Li, Ma, Cai and Tian in Shidi are March 3rd; the Tian surname in Longtou Village, Youshui Township is April 8th; the Li surname in Keda, Beach, Youshui and other townships It is the first day of July. During the clan year, an ancestor worship ceremony must be held in the ancestral hall, first offering sacrifices to the earth king, and then to the ancestors of the clan. In the ancestral hall, firecrackers continued all day long, iron guns roared, horns sounded, and "ho ho" bursts. The grand occasion was unmatched by other festivals. Later, it was gradually changed to a household festival. Among the local kings who offered sacrifices were Lord Peng, Tian Haohan, and Xiang Laoguan; there were also those who offered sacrifices to Ran Xuanwei, Tian Xuanwei, Yang Xuanwei, and Ma Fubo. Among the ancestors of the clan worshiped, Yang surnamed Yang Zaisi, Li surnamed three ancestors of the "Tian" generation, and some kings of the eight tribes surnamed Peng and Xie. After the sacrifice, they traveled to villages and villages, visited relatives and friends, sang songs and entertained guests. It was really "the mountains and villages were filled with songs, and the guests were flowing in and out with joy", which lasted for three or five days.

Catch the New Year: The Tujia people usually celebrate the Spring Festival one or two days earlier than the Han people, and some may celebrate the Spring Festival six or seven days earlier, which is called "Catching the New Year." The time for "catching up with the new year" varies depending on the surname clan. Take Youyang County as an example; the surname Peng in Laozhai Township means "catching up with the new year" on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month; the surname Peng in Houxi Township means "catching up on the new year" on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month; The eighteenth year is "catch up with the new year". The ways of celebrating the New Year are not exactly the same. However, during the "New Year" festival in Dashatan Township, it is forbidden to kill chickens and pigs, and it is forbidden to light oil lamps at night. Only candles can be lit and kept on all night. When some people named Peng celebrate the New Year, men have to cook in the early morning. After the meal is ready and the sacrifices to the ancestors are completed, the women and children are called to get up. After dinner, the whole family went out to play. Tujia people cook in tripod pots on weekdays. For rice, they cut the meat into pieces, add condiments, layer rice, meat, radish, etc., and cook them together in one pot. When the "New Year's rice" is ready, they must first offer sacrifices to their ancestors. During the sacrifice, burn incense and candles, burn money into paper, kneel three times and kowtow nine times to remember the merits of the ancestors and pray for their protection.

At the reunion, fruit trees, plowshares, cattle pens, pig pens, and chickens should be given first. Give food to the family and put "New Year's money" on the grinder, mill, hoe, etc., in order to wish for a good harvest, abundant livestock, abundant fruits, and prosperity of wealth. **Joy the masses**

A. Robbing for silver water

Tips: In the Zhongliang Mountain area, the custom of "grabbing for silver water" on New Year's Eve is still preserved, and a wonderful year begins with laughter and laughter. /p>

Keywords: Silver Water, Wealth, War

[Open and Covert Fighting over Silver Water]

Mo Daokan in Zhongliang Town, Shapingba District still retains the scene of the robbery for silver water. The custom of grabbing silver water is not the water made of silver, but the first bucket of water on New Year's Eve. The well must be the one at the east end of the village, which represents good days. Coming from the east. The villagers believe that whoever can grab the first bucket of water from the well will have great wealth and good luck in the coming year.

At around ten o'clock on New Year's Eve, the villagers gradually left their homes. Come out and gather next to the well. The adults chat about everyday things, while the children set off fireworks nearby, waiting for the arrival of the New Year.

Do you think this is a warm and touching picture of emotional exchange? >

Wrong!

The location where the adults stand is carefully selected, with the goal of grabbing the silver water as soon as possible. Carry it with you and be ready to join the fight for silver water at any time.

[Entry at Yinshui on New Year's Eve]

As 12 o'clock approaches midnight, the noise gradually subsides, and everyone waits with bated breath for the 10-second countdown. Those closest to the well are the strong laborers of each family, and the water-filling tools are getting closer and closer to the well mouth, striving for a momentary lead.

Hu Qun, a villager, described the suffocating wait like this: "My heart beat faster and faster, my throat was so dry that smoke was rising, my body could not move due to nervousness or excitement, and I could hear in my ears Without the sound of breathing, he and the villagers next to him turned into puppets."

The sound of the New Year's bell was like a magical spell that broke the spell, and the "puppet" beside the well immediately returned to life. The men were busy grabbing silver water, the women shouted their men's names loudly on the outer layer, and the children screamed and jumped with excitement on the outer layer, cheering for their fathers or uncles.

At this critical moment, no one will be polite, both open arms and hidden elbows are raised. The men tried their best to squeeze the others away.

Being the first to fill the bucket does not mean grabbing the silver water. It only counts when you carry the silver water home and pour it into the water vat. The men carrying two large buckets were sprinting on the field ridge under the moonlight, shouting "Gold and mercury are flowing in" all the way. The women were laughing behind them, and the children had already run home to wait.

In a few minutes, cheers came from every household in the village, announcing that this year's silver water grabbing merits had been completed. There is no referee, no championship, no bonuses and trophies. What the villagers get are good wishes for a happy life.

Xiaoyu: Robbing silver water is a laborious job. How can you compete with others if you don’t have the physical strength? Go to the gym tomorrow (encourage yourself).

B. "Halloween" in the first lunar month

Tip: Tujia children in southeastern Chongqing always hope that every day is the first day of the first lunar month, so that they can be entertained by candy and cakes from their neighbors.

Keywords: children, candy, visiting

Tujia rules: On the morning of the first day of the first lunar month, children have to go from house to house to pay New Year greetings to their elders in the same village. Households that accept New Year greetings from children should give candies, pastries, and snacks as gifts in return. The children must be under 12 years old.

When Western children celebrate Halloween, they first make pranks and threaten "Do you want me to treat you or do you want me to do tricks?" However, Tujia children only need to say sweetly: "Happy New Year" and then greet them. If the elders are in good health, they will receive gifts.

The degree of well-behavedness of a child is directly proportional to the number of gifts. Children who usually give adults headaches should be more honest now. According to Tujia rules, although every family must give gifts, the type and quantity are not specified. If the gift given to a child is only a candy, or even a melon seed, the parents of that child will be so embarrassed that they will die of embarrassment.

After the children have finished asking for gifts, they gather in the Bazi to compare with each other. The child who gets the most gifts will definitely be happy, and he will be the best child in the coming year.

Xiaoyu: I was quite good when I was a child (oh, my face was swollen by a flying egg), and I could at least get a "high score" of more than two melon seeds (my friend who just threw eggs, please help me again) Throw in some chopped green onion, the fried egg with chopped green onion still lacks ingredients, thank you).

C． Three shocking cannons shook Wushan

Prompt: Anyone who plays mahjong is afraid of firing cannons, but Wushan people are eager to fire cannons. What is going on?

Keywords: cannons, signals, final madness

The "sky-blasting cannon" (that is, the three-eyed cannon, this newspaper once reported) will be fired during the Spring Festival. This is Wuxi Mountain People’s traditional Spring Festival customs. Because his new family has moved to the county town, Lao Huo from Ninghe Ancient Town in Wuxi County decided to give it a last try.

Because the sound of the cannon was too loud, Lao Huo chose the hilltop behind the house to set off the cannon. As usual, Lao Huo held the cannon in his left hand. He didn't have much time left for the 20-centimeter-long fuse. He lit the fuse with a cigarette butt in his right hand. He stretched out his left hand quickly and smoothly, with the muzzle pointing upward, and he saw a puff of smoke. The sizzling fuse carried sparks into the barrel of the cannon, and suddenly the world was shaken by the blast of a cannon. The tongue of fire drew a red line in the dark night, which was more than one meter long. Then fire the last two shots in this way, and all three shots are considered lucky.

Lao Huo told me that this year’s three shots are for moving to a new home, for the happiness and good health of the whole family, and for the readers and editors of "Metropolitan Hot News" to send the best news from the depths of Wuxi. The original sound of New Year’s firecrackers. With a sense of humor, he also reminded everyone not to blame him for setting off firecrackers while playing mahjong.

Xiaoyu: It turns out that shooting off firecrackers has a double meaning. I’ve learned a lot!

D. Fire serves as a lantern during the Lantern Festival

Tip: It is said that the Lantern Festival lanterns are like fire. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of every year, fire is used as a lantern, but it is even more lively.

Keywords: New Year, praying for blessings, fire lanterns,

There is a custom of burning fires on New Year's Eve in rural areas of Fengjie. The flames do not go out after New Year's Eve and continue to burn until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

On the Lantern Festival, the villagers began to "let off lanterns." What is placed is not a lantern, but a fire lantern made by wrapping the grain and straw prepared in advance by the villagers into bundles and lighting it with the New Year's Eve fire.

Starting in the morning, fields, hillsides and even paths will become places where households put lights. Some people threw the lanterns into the cultivated fields or on the cold roads. The brave ones ran all over the hillside carrying the smoking straw. Some even rode motorcycles and dragged the lit straw around.

At noon, the women tied the straw into bundles inside the house, while the men lit the straw outside the house, held it gently, and threw it in the front yard and back. The lit straw fell to the cold ground, and the flames were swallowed up by the earth. The billowing smoke seemed to express its strong dissatisfaction with the land. In order to light more lights, every household competes in throwing torches, and good-hearted people throw firecrackers into the smoke pile from time to time, causing grass foam to fly everywhere.

According to the old people, the bigger the smoke, the better. Any place smoked will have a good harvest in the coming year. The fifteenth-century fire lanterns gradually dwindled in the evening, until the fireworks were swallowed up by the vast darkness.

Lighting lanterns is to pray for burning away the pests and disasters in the coming year. It is a gift to autumn. It burns hope and releases the best blessings for the coming year.

Little words: The lamp is like fire, the fire is like lamp, I really want to feast my eyes on it.

E. Tiring "Zhuanzhuan"

Tips: Hechuan and Wusheng belong to Chongqing and Sichuan respectively. The two places border each other and have "enclaves" in each other's territory. People here use Zhuanzhuan during the Chinese New Year. .

Keywords: "boiling water" to bloat the belly, waiting in line for meals

People in the enclave do not go out on the first day of the Lunar New Year, but start to go out from home on the second day of the Lunar New Year, commonly known as "Zhuan Zhuan" meeting".

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the villagers of Tianzi Village in Hechuan got up very early and carried New Year's goods to relatives' homes one by one.

Go to a house, put down your picks and take out the prepared New Year goods. Although the relatives were polite, their faces were filled with joy as they held the gifts, and they quickly pulled her into the house to drink "boiled water" (poached eggs). At least 2 in a bowl, even numbers are auspicious.

Those who have few relatives put down their picks and sit in the courtyard to relax, thinking about where to go next home. When transferring, you should pay homage to the seniors first, and the "co-ordinators" last. With good luck, I could visit four or five houses in the morning, and just drinking "boiled water" would make me bloated.

If relatives are gathered together, they are lucky; if they live separately, it will not take more than two days to distribute the gifts. The owner of the gift usually explicitly "warns" the New Year visitors to come for a midday or late-night snack at noon or in the evening. The more families the gift is given to, the more time they have to wait in line for two or three days to eat the meal. Going from house to house to eat, it still has a bit of a rural feel.

It seems that this transfer will tire your feet first and then your stomach. It is indeed a bit unbearable.

Xiaoyu: As the old saying goes, no bowl of rice is delicious.

The Divine Dance for Twelve Years

Tips: On New Year’s Eve when thousands of families gather together, there is no lively reunion dinner, only the mysterious dance and Tu Laosi (the master of the Tujia people) devout prayer. All this is because of a crying newborn baby...

Keywords: newborn baby, asking the gods to dance, Baijiasuo

Youyang Houxi Township, where They are all Tujia people. The geographical location here is remote and the mountain roads are difficult to travel. It takes a day to get to the county seat.

Due to the inconvenient transportation, many traditional Tujia customs are still preserved here. Dance to invite the gods on New Year's Eve is one of them.

If a child is born on the 30th day of the year, Tu Laosi must be invited to dance at home. From now on, Tu Laosi will be invited to dance every New Year's Eve until the child reaches 12 years old.

Tian Jinghong from Houxi Township told reporters: "The Tujia people believe that children born on New Year's Eve have gathered all the spiritual energy and evil spirits throughout the year, and they must ask Tu Laosi to perform a sacred dance to drive away the evil spirits."< /p>

After Tuolaosi had eaten and drank enough, he began to dance to please the gods. The child was wrapped tightly, and his parents held him and watched.

First of all, Tu Laosi will put up a sacred picture of the Tujia family in the house, and then wear an "official hat" on his head, a cassock, and eight pairs of skirts around his waist. The instruments used include eight treasures copper bells, ox horns, tokens, bamboo hexagrams, as well as the indispensable swords and staffs.

From about 8 o'clock in the evening, Tuolaosi held the staff in his left hand and the sword in his right hand, waving around the four walls of the hall, murmuring words, and then walked out of the steps of butterfly walking through flowers, swallows flying back, and lion steps. Various dazzling steps such as the rabbit step, combined with exaggerated expressions and movements.

The magic weapon hanging on Tuluosi then made various sounds, one after another. After dancing for nearly half an hour, Tu Laosi will bring a bowl of water, take a big sip, and spray it four times on the four corners of the main room to cleanse and eliminate the darkness.

For children born on ordinary days, 40 days after the birth of the child, the grandmother's family will use ashes from the bottom of their own pot to draw a "ten" on the child's forehead to ward off evil spirits. For children born on the 30th of the year, Tu Laosi will draw the character "ten".

At the end of the dance to invite the gods, some Tu Laosi will use the sword to make a few pretentious gestures next to the child's little face, indicating that the evil spirit has been driven away from the child.

[Baijia Silver Lock for Safety]

Baijia Lock is the most obvious sign of children born in the 30s.

Baijia locks are generally made of silver and are of exquisite workmanship. They must not be removed if you are under 12 years old. Some families, in order to prevent naughty children from damaging the lock, will drop beeswax on the lock and check for damage at any time.

Xiaoyu: Poor parents in the world! So touching! If anyone has a tissue, borrow one first. Tears are streaming down my face.

B． The ceremony of appreciating the sky where man and nature are united

Tip: When it is dark, the old man gets out of bed quietly, takes his bags and goes out quietly. This is not a thriller, but the beginning of the New Year worship ceremony for the elderly in Daba Mountain.

Keywords: dense forest, pitch black, Daba Mountain

In the villages in Chengkou County near Shaanxi Province, there is still such a custom: in the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, the elderly in the family climb mountains Sacrifice to heaven.

This custom has an elegant name: Pintian.

In the cold winter of Daba Mountain, the mountain wind howls and the ground freezes. This is a test of the old man's will. The old man must overcome difficulties and reach the top of a nearby mountain.

It is called Pintian, but it actually has no complicated movements. The old man placed the pig head meat, peanuts, water and wine and other sacrifices he brought on a slightly flat ground, and then performed the most important ritual: meditation.

Find a flat ground, sit cross-legged with your legs, put your hands on your knees, close your eyes, and breathe evenly. Old Man Pintian put aside distracting thoughts and kept silently reciting the names of his family members and what he wanted to do. Everything was OK!

The old man who has enjoyed the world said that after maintaining the meditation posture for a long time, his body feels light and floating. When the whole person feels that the world no longer exists, and even the idea of ??meditation does not exist, his request is granted by God, and Tiantian is a complete success.

Finally, the old man bowed three times toward the horizon of the rising sun, and then happily went down the mountain.

After returning home, the old man cannot tell anyone whether Pintian is successful, otherwise his wish will not come true.

Xiaoyu: For young people in the city, a warm nest is the most comfortable (continue sleeping, please do not disturb)!

C. The Nian is one day earlier than the Han people

Tips: Tujia people have their own Nian with their own national characteristics, which is "catch up with the Nian".

Keywords: catching up with the new year, leftover rice, big glutinous rice cake

Going into the new year is the Spring Festival of the Tujia people. It is the most solemn festival of the Tujia people, and it is one day earlier than the Spring Festival of the Han people. The twelfth lunar month is celebrated on the twenty-ninth day of a leap year, and the twelfth lunar month is celebrated on the twenty-eighth day of an ordinary year.

There are two theories about the origin of catching up with the New Year.

One is: one year, the ancestors of the Tujia nationality received news that the enemy was coming during the Spring Festival, and decided to celebrate the New Year one day early. As a result, on the Spring Festival day, the Tujia ancestors were full of fighting spirit and wiped out their enemies in one fell swoop. From now on, this day has become a custom and it has become a celebration of the New Year.

Another theory is: During the Jiading period of the Southern Song Dynasty, someone led a crowd to rebel in the Yuanjiang and Youyang areas. The Tuwang received the imperial decree and dispatched troops to suppress the rebellion. Since time was tight and I couldn't wait until the New Year, I decided to celebrate the New Year in advance.

According to the old rules, after cooking on the New Year's Day, Tujia people can only eat leftovers until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The women got up at 5 o'clock that morning to light a fire and cook, and put all the delicious food on the table that they could not usually see.

After a busy day, the whole family sat around the fire, eating sweet glutinous rice cakes, drinking intoxicating rice wine, and tasting delicious Tujia bacon, and had a great time. The flames in the stove soared high, making everyone's face blush. This is how the Tujia people welcomed the arrival of the New Year.

Xiaoyu: The lively and joyful Tujia New Year made the reporter very excited. I really want to go home and have a lively New Year!

D. When celebrating the New Year, bow to the Pig Pen Gate

Prompt: Why do you even have to bow to the Pig Pen Gate? Do you believe it?

Keywords: sacrifices, pig pen door, head and tail

Wushan people living in the gateway of eastern Chongqing express themselves in the unique way of "worshiping the pig pen door" in the New Year Expectations for the coming year.

Miaoyu Town, formerly known as Damiao, is located in the south of the Yangtze River, about 120 kilometers away from Wushan County. Zhao Benlin, a local who is over 60 years old, told us about the Spring Festival folk custom of "worshiping the pig pen door".

Every New Year’s Eve, the first thing Lao Zhao does when he gets up early in the morning is to clean the pig pen and prepare sacrifices for the pen door god. The sacrifice is very unique. It is a waxed pig head with a pig tail stuffed in its mouth, which means that the family will have a head and tail in the New Year.

When worshiping the door god, the head of the family, Lao Zhao, walks in front holding the pig's head, followed closely by his lover. The couple stood about two meters away from the pig pen door. Lao Zhao inserted three incense candles on the door of the pig pen and burned a stack of paper money in the brazier placed next to the door. The firecrackers suddenly went off, making the pigs in the pen tremble with fear.

At this moment, Lao Zhao put his hands on his chest, bowed his head three times to the pig pen door, then placed the plate on the pig pen door, uttered some auspicious words, and wished the livestock prosperity in the coming year. When adults worship, children usually play behind Lao Zhao, staring at the pig's head and laughing non-stop, and occasionally saying "It stinks".

After the ceremony is completed, the waxed pig head is thrown into the pot and cooked. The family happily eats the pig head to celebrate the New Year.

Xiaoyu: Worshiping pigs and eating pigs, hehe, human psychological activities are really difficult to understand!

E. I only pay my respects to my mother-in-law during the New Year

Tips: It’s not about favoring girls over boys, and it’s definitely not gender discrimination.

Keywords: the first day of the first lunar month, mother-in-law, turning a blind eye

The first day of the first lunar month is the day when the Tujia daughter-in-law returns to her parents’ home, and the son-in-law must accompany her. This is the custom of the Tujia people in southeastern Chongqing.

If the two parties are not married yet, the man can also request to visit the woman’s house for New Year greetings. At this time, the woman should think carefully. If she agrees to the man's request, it means agreeing to marry him.

The Tujia son-in-law was very cautious when he went to his mother-in-law’s house to pay New Year greetings. Tujia people don’t like comparisons, but there are two gifts that a son-in-law must bring when he comes to visit: a 6-kilogram glutinous rice cake pounded by the son-in-law himself, and a complete pig’s head. The glutinous rice cake and pig's head represent the son-in-law's filial piety and his promise to treat his wife well.

The person who welcomes the young couple can be anyone in the family except the father-in-law. Not only would the father-in-law not come out to greet him, but even if he saw his son-in-law at home, he would turn a blind eye. The son-in-law showed respect for the woman's natal family by ignoring her father-in-law.

When a son-in-law enters the house, he must first hand over the big glutinous rice cake and waxed pig head to his mother-in-law, and then he and his wife kowtow to her in New Year greetings. The mother-in-law first lets the young couple drink tea, and then hands the son-in-law a pair of shoes made by herself as a return gift.

This pair of shoes is very knowledgeable. If the shoes are of fine workmanship and elegant texture, it means that the mother-in-law is very satisfied with the son-in-law. If the shoes are of different sizes and not exquisite in workmanship, it means that the mother-in-law has a problem with her son-in-law. The son-in-law will cheer secretly.

Only a few villages in southeastern Chongqing still retain this Tujia custom.

Xiaoyu: Alas, it’s not easy to be a son-in-law with hairy feet these days!

F. Eating "begging rice" during the Spring Festival

Tips: In Liangping County, it is traditional to eat "begging rice" during the Spring Festival. Do you know what is called rice and how to call it?

Keywords: reunion, dinner, sacrifice

There are many descendants of Huguang immigrants in Yuanyi Town, Liangping County. Every New Year's Eve, everyone will go to the homes of their elders to have a reunion dinner. You have to "call for rice" before eating. This is a kind of worship and sacrifice by future generations to their ancestors.

Before the family reunion dinner, firecrackers are set off outside the house. All family members stand up and no loud noise is allowed.

The head of the family first pours half a bowl of strong liquor, then fills several bowls of rice with his own hands, then distributes the chopsticks to the sides of the bowls, and then shouts the names of the ancestors, such as "Grandma is invited to eat, and my father is invited to eat." ". At this moment, tears of longing will quietly fall from the reddish eye circles of the elders.

People in the house will also call softly several times after the owner to express their longing for their loved ones. The whole process takes about three to two minutes.

During the meal, there is a person in the corner who burns paper money for the ancestors. While burning, he reads the name of the ancestor and informs the ancestors to check for the "New Year money".

After calling the name, the head of the family held the wine bowl in his hand, bent down, and gently sprinkled the wine on the ground. Then he poured the rice that was first scooped into the bowl back into the pot, and the family began to move. Enjoy this sumptuous reunion dinner with chopsticks.

The New Year is passed every year, and the rice is cooked every year. No one can change these rules passed down by our ancestors. While enjoying the happiness of modern life, you should not forget your ancestors. Ordering rice is also a major feature of the Chinese New Year dinner.

Xiaoyu: If our ancestors are wise, they will definitely enjoy themselves with their descendants.

Answer: xcsgjv - Juren Level 5 2-6 15:27

The Spring Festival is the first day of the first lunar month in the lunar calendar, also called the lunar year, commonly known as "New Year". This is the most solemn and lively traditional festival in our country. The Spring Festival has a long history. It originated from the activities of worshiping gods and ancestors at the beginning and end of the year during the Yin and Shang Dynasties. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, the first day of the first lunar month was called Yuanri, Yuanchen, Yuanzheng, Yuanshuo, and New Year's Day in ancient times. 25th lunar month: Picking up the Jade Emperor to drive away the silkworms in the fields at the end of the year

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve means Every year on the night of the last day of the twelfth lunar month, it coincides with the Spring Festival (the first day of the first lunar month). The word "Chu" in "New Year's Eve" means "to go; to change; to change". New Year's Eve means "the end of the month and the end of the year". People have to get rid of the old and replace the old with the new in the coming year. means, it is the last night of the whole year in the lunar calendar. Therefore, the activities during this period are centered around eliminating the old and bringing in the new, eliminating disasters and praying for blessings.

Sticking to the door god

There is a custom of sticking to the door god during the New Year in various parts of our country. The original door god was carved into a human form of mahogany wood and hung next to the person. Later, the portrait of the door god was painted and posted on the door. The legendary brothers Shen Tu and Yu Lei specialize in controlling ghosts. With them guarding the door, evil spirits big and small dare not come in to cause harm. After the Tang Dynasty, there were paintings of the fierce generals Qin Qiong and Yuchi Jingde as door gods, and there were also paintings of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei as door gods. There is one door god statue on the left and right door respectively. Later generations often painted a pair of door gods as civil and military. There are three types of door gods: the first type is the "door god", which is usually posted on the car door or the entire door. It is about four or five feet high and two or three feet wide. The second type is the "street door god", which is usually posted on the small street door. It is about two feet high and one foot wide. These two door gods are two gods, one with a black face and one with a white face. White left and black right, white good and easy, black ferocious and evil, each holding a yue. The third category is the "house door god", which is slightly smaller and more limited than the street door god. It also has two gods, black and white, but there are also two gods, black and white, who are seated. At most, there is a picture of "Qilin presenting his son" on the door of the house. Two dolls are painted with powder and grease and comb the prince's crown, each riding a unicorn. This kind of door god was supposed to be posted on the door of the newly married house to bring good luck, and later it became a New Year decoration on ordinary street doors.

Posting Spring Couplets

Spring couplets are also known as "door pairs" and "spring posts". They are a type of couplets. They are named because they are posted during the Spring Festival. One source of Spring Festival couplets is Taofu. At first, people carved human figures in peach wood and hung them by the door to ward off evil spirits. Later, they painted the image of the door god on the peach wood, and then simplified it to inscribing the name of the door god on the peach wood board. Another source of Spring Festival couplets is spring stickers. The ancients often posted the word "Yichun" on the Beginning of Spring, which later developed into Spring Festival couplets. The real popularity of Spring Festival couplets began in the Ming Dynasty, related to Zhu Yuanzhang's advocacy. According to the "Miscellaneous Theory of Hairpin Cloud Tower" written by Chen Shanggu of the Qing Dynasty, one year when Zhu Yuanzhang was preparing to celebrate the New Year, he ordered that a Spring Festival couplet be posted on the door of every house to celebrate. Originally the Spring Festival couplets were inscribed on peach boards, but later they were rewritten on paper. The color of peach wood is red, and red has the meaning of good luck and warding off evil spirits, so Spring Festival couplets are mostly written on red paper. However, the temple uses yellow paper, and the mourning system (when mourning is not completed) uses white, green, and yellow colors. White paper is used in the first year, green paper in the second year, yellow paper in the third year, and red paper is used after the fourth year of mourning. Paper. Because the Manchu people were still white, the Qing court Spring Couplets used white paper, with blue edges wrapped on the outside and red stripes on the inside.

Set off firecrackers

When the New Year's bell rings at midnight, the sound of firecrackers shakes the sky across the entire land of China. In this "Three Yuan" moment of "the Yuan of Year, the Yuan of Moon, and the Yuan of Time", in some places, a "vigorous fire" is built in the courtyard to show that the energy is strong and prosperous. Around the blazing fire, the children set off firecrackers and jumped happily. At this time, there were bright lights inside the house, brilliant sparks in front of the court, and loud noises outside, pushing the lively atmosphere of New Year's Eve to its climax. . Poets and writers of all ages have always praised the coming of the New Year with their most beautiful verses.

Wang Anshi's "Yuan Ri" poem:

The sound of firecrackers marks the end of the year,

The spring breeze brings warmth to the people.

Thousands of households are as bright as the sun.

Always replace old talismans with new ones.

Describes the festive scene of our people celebrating the Spring Festival. The sound of firecrackers is a symbol of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, and an expression of festive mood. Business family. Setting off firecrackers has another meaning: they set off firecrackers on New Year's Eve to make a lot of money in the new year. However, according to old customs, you should be the first to honor the God of Wealth, and the last to set off firecrackers. Legend has it that if you want to make a fortune, the firecrackers should sound until the end to be considered sincere.

Eating New Year’s Eve dinner

While the children are playing and setting off firecrackers, it is also the busiest time for housewives in the kitchen. The New Year dishes have been prepared a few days ago, and The New Year's Eve dinner is always cooked by the chef on New Year's Eve. In the north, dumplings for the New Year's Day are also made on the 30th night. At this time, every chopping board was busy chopping meat and chopping vegetables. At this time, the sound of chopping boards came from every house, the sound of firecrackers came from the streets and alleys, the sound of "crackling" abacus and the mellow sound of accounts coming from the small shops, mixed with the chatter and laughter everywhere, one after another. , filled with ears, intertwined into a cheerful New Year's Eve movement.

New Year pictures

Hanging New Year pictures during the Spring Festival is also very common in urban and rural areas. The thick black and colorful New Year pictures add a lot of prosperity and joy to thousands of households. New Year pictures are an ancient folk art in my country, reflecting the people's simple customs and beliefs and reposing their hopes for the future. New Year pictures, like Spring Festival couplets, originated from the "door god". With the rise of woodblock printing, the content of New Year paintings is no longer limited to monotonous themes such as door gods, but has become rich and colorful. In some New Year painting workshops, "Three Stars of Fortune, Luxury and Longevity", "Blessings from Heavenly Officials", "Five Grain" Classic color New Year pictures such as "Prosperous Harvest", "Prosperity of Six Livestocks", "Welcoming Spring and Receiving Good Luck" can satisfy people's good wishes of celebrating the good year. There are three important producing areas of New Year paintings in our country: Taohuawu in Suzhou, Yangliuqing in Tianjin and Weifang in Shandong. They have formed three major schools of Chinese New Year paintings, each with its own characteristics.

The earliest New Year paintings collected in our country today are the woodcut New Year paintings of the Southern Song Dynasty, "Slender and Slender with the Beauty of the Country", which depict four ancient beauties: Wang Zhaojun, Zhao Feiyan, Ban Ji and Luzhu. The most widely circulated among the people is a New Year painting of "Mouse Marriage". It depicts an interesting scene of a mouse marrying a bride according to human customs. In the early years of the Republic of China, Shanghai Zheng Mantuo combined the calendar with New Year pictures. This is a new form of New Year pictures. This two-in-one New Year picture later developed into a wall calendar, which is now popular all over the country.

Night symbolizes driving away all evil plagues and looking forward to good luck in the new year. This custom gradually became popular. In the early Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem about "keeping the year old": "The cold leaves the winter snow, and the warmth brings the spring breeze." To this day, people are still used to staying up late on New Year's Eve to welcome the new year.

In ancient times, staying up late had two meanings: older people staying up late meant "saying goodbye to the old year", which meant cherishing time; young people staying up late meant to prolong the life of their parents. Since the Han Dynasty, the transition between the new and the old year has generally been at midnight