Spring Festival: Commonly known as the Chinese New Year, it is the largest traditional festival for the Han people. Starting from the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, people rush to buy new year's goods, rehearse social fires in urban and rural areas, and prepare for the New Year. On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, you must eat "Laba porridge", which is boiled rice. The rice is very fragrant and no vegetables are eaten. In addition to being eaten by people, some must also be sprinkled to the heaven and earth to show respect to God and pray for peace. On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, commonly known as "The Stove Fire Lady goes to heaven", the Kitchen God is going to visit her natal family and speak about the good and evil of people. Therefore, at night, the Stove God's statue is taken down and burned sincerely, and "stove dry food" must be offered to the Kitchen God to take it with him. After that, you have to visit the graves of ancestors, clean the house, and put up window grilles. On the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, post new pairs, door gods, and five blessings, and clean the inside and outside. In the evening, use the "vinegar altar god" (burn a round water granite red, put it in a vinegar bowl and go around each house and livestock pen) to clean the home, and then fire a cannon to invite the god. Most families use yellow paper to sign the two sacred tablets of "the three gods of wealth" and "the three generations of ancestors", and worship them devoutly with incense, table, wine, horses and steamed buns. Afterwards, the younger generation pays New Year greetings to their elders, and the elders give new year's money to the younger generation and eat pork knuckles and head meat, which is commonly known as "biting ghosts". Afterwards, they would play cards or drink alcohol until dawn, which is commonly known as "keeping the New Year's Eve up". At dawn on the first day of the first lunar month, people fire cannons to "welcome the God of Joy", eat steamed rice noodles, and then go to various houses in the village to pay New Year greetings to the elderly. On the fifth day of the lunar month, it is taboo to do needlework, sweep the floor, use cutting knives, and talk nonsense to pray for a good year. auspicious. On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, people usually eat noodles and make dough balls, which is commonly known as "tangling the five poor". They also clean up the garbage inside and outside the courtyard, and wash dirty clothes, which is called "sweeping the five poor". On the seventh day of the lunar month, people eat longevity noodles, burn incense and firecrackers. (According to legend, the first day of the first month is chicken, the second day is dog, the third day is pig, the fourth day is sheep, the fifth day is cow, the sixth day is horse, and the seventh day is human.)
Lantern Festival ( Shangyuan): the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. In some places, there is a saying of "Little New Year and Big Fifteenth Day". Generally, from the ninth day of the Lunar New Year, the social fire teams of various villages and towns begin to dispatch, with lions, dragon lanterns, land boats, etc. traveling around the countryside to visit households. Larger villages also rehearse Qin opera and combine social fire every night. The performance, with lights and colors, firecrackers blasting and gongs and drums noisy, made the scene very lively. Men, women, and children of the 14th, 15th, and 16th years all go out for sightseeing, which is called "traveling to cure diseases" and bring good fortune. The old custom is to light up lanterns on Yuan Ye as a drama, so it is also called Lantern Festival.
February 2: Commonly known as "dragon raises its head", every family fry beans, which means to awaken the dragon god and pray for sweet rain. Usually, haircuts and beards are specially performed to signify the restart of farm work in the new year, and also mean to get rid of the old and clothe the new with the new.
Hua Chao: February 12 is Hua Chao, also called Hundred Flowers Birthday.
She Day: A day when farmers worship the community and pray for good luck. The fifth Wu day after the beginning of spring (around the vernal equinox) is called Chunshe. The fifth Wu day after the beginning of autumn is Qiushe, around the autumnal equinox.
Cold food: two days before Qingming. "Jingchu Suishiji" says that one hundred and fifteen days after the winter solstice, it is called cold food and fire is prohibited for three days. Therefore, some people use "one hundred and five" as the nickname for cold food. However, it is still calculated that the two days before Qingming are not necessarily 150 days, but sometimes 160 days.
Qingming Festival: Starting from the fifth day before Qingming, we choose the past day to sweep tombs, worship ancestors, and repair tombs. On the day before the Qingming Festival, most people do not visit graves, because they say that the paper money burned on this day will be taken away by Jie Zitui.
Shangsi: It was originally scheduled to be a Si day in early March (so it was called Shangsi). The old custom was to use this day to go to the water to get rid of bad luck, which was called Xiu. But since Cao Wei, the festival has been fixed on March 3rd. Later, it turned into a festival of drinking and feasting by the waterside and spring outings in the countryside.
Buddha Bathing Festival: Legend has it that the eighth day of April is the birthday of Sakyamuni. "The Chronicles of Jingchu's Age" says that on April 8th, Jingchu bathed the Buddha in fragrant soup from various temples and held the Longhua Meeting.
Duanwu (Duanyang): the fifth day of May. "Jingchu Age Chronicles" says that Qu Yuan threw himself into the river on May 5th. People raced across the river on this day to express their desire to save Qu Yuan. (Later, the boats were made into dragon shapes, which was called dragon boat racing.) There are many legends about the Dragon Boat Festival. After the Tang Dynasty, the Dragon Boat Festival was designated as a major festival, and rewards were often given. Willow branches are placed on the doors of every house, rice dumplings and sweet wine fermented rice are eaten, children carry purses, and their hands and feet are tied with five-colored threads, which is called "flower wrapping thread." Apply realgar to your mouth and nose or drink realgar wine to prevent bites from snakes and scorpions.
Furi: The third Geng day after the summer solstice is called Chufu, the fourth Geng day is called Zhongfu, and the first Geng day after the beginning of autumn is called Zhongfu (mofu), collectively called Sanfu. It is said that "fu" means hiding in hiding to avoid the heat. It is also a big festival since it is held in Fushi. Generally speaking, the so-called Fu Ri roughly refers to the first Fu Ri.
Qixi Festival: July 7th. "Jingchu Sui Sui Ji" says that the evening of July 7th was the night when the Morning Glory and the Weaver Girl gathered. All the women tied colorful threads and pierced seven-hole needles, and left wine, preserved melons and fruits in the courtyard to beg for cleverness.
Zhongyuan: June 15th. Buddhist legend: Mulian's mother fell into the realm of hungry ghosts, and the food she put into her mouth turned into fierce fire. Mulian sought advice from the Buddha, and the Buddha taught him the Ullambana Sutra and asked him to make an Ullambana on the 15th day of the seventh month to save her. mother. Later generations regard Zhongyuan as a ghost festival, and there are superstitious activities such as giving alms to hungry ghosts.
Mid-Autumn Festival: August 15th. People think that the moon is the brightest at this time, so it is a festival for watching the moon. When the bright moon rises, every family offers melons, fruits, moon cakes, and incense to the moon to celebrate the harvest. The whole family is reunited, and neighbors give each other moon cakes to wish them peace and happiness.
Double Ninth Festival (Double Ninth Day, Double Ninth Day): the ninth day of September. The ancients believed that nine is the yang number, and every hundred months falls on nine, so it is called the Double Ninth Festival. The ancients had the habit of climbing high to drink on this day. According to "Xu Qixie Ji", Fei Changfangshi, Hengjing of Runan, said that there would be a great disaster in Runan on September 9th, and that taking dogwood bags to climb mountains and drinking chrysanthemum wine could avoid disasters.
October 1st: Commonly known as "Sending Cold Night", people cut and paste clothes and quilts with paper and burn the money at the ancestors' tombs or intersections outside the village to let the ancestors spend the winter.
Wherever possible, there is also the habit of eating mafu steamed buns.
Winter Solstice: It is the Winter Solstice Festival. The day before the winter solstice is called the minor solstice. The ancients regarded the winter solstice as the starting point of solar terms. From the winter solstice, the days get longer day by day, which is called "winter solstice and one yang life". The ancients also believed that when winter comes, spring will follow.
La Day: La is the name of the sacrifice. "Shuowen" says "Three Xu days after the winter solstice to worship hundreds of gods", it can be seen that the wax day in the Han Dynasty was the third Xu day after the winter solstice. However, "Jingchu Sui Sui Ji" lists the eighth day of December as the twelfth lunar month, and says that villagers beat thin-waisted drums and act as vajra warriors to ward off fatigue. The eighth day of December is the general explanation, and to this day there is still the custom of "Laba porridge".
New Year’s Eve: the night of the last day of the year. Except means to remove the old and bring out the new. The last day of the year is called "New Year's Eve", so that night is called "New Year's Eve".
The origin of New Year’s Eve New Year’s Eve refers to the night of the last day of the twelfth lunar month every year, which is connected 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". The meaning of New Year's Eve is "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. "New Year's Eve" is a day of the year when people get rid of the old, make new arrangements, and pray for blessings and warding off disasters.
In the old days, it was also called "New Year's Day", "New Year's Eve", "Sui's New Year's Eve", "Sui Duo", "Sui End" and "Sui Sui". Folks often called it "New Year's Eve" or "New Year's Eve" or "New Year's Eve". New Year's Eve." Folks in our country generally attach great importance to the next day, which is called the "New Year's Day". In the old days, industrial and commercial people regarded the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and New Year's Eve as the three major festivals of the year. Each festival had to settle accounts, and New Year's Eve was the most important. It was necessary to sort out the year's current accounts and verify profits and losses. Plan for the coming year. According to traditional Chinese customs, New Year's Eve and Spring Festival coincide with each other and have similar customs. They are actually a traditional festival.
"New Year's Eve" means New Year's Eve when the old year ends, and the new year begins tomorrow morning, which is a good omen for getting rid of the old and bringing in the new. Wang Anshi's poem "Yuan Ri" says: "With the sound of firecrackers, a new year is eliminated, and the spring breeze brings warmth like a slaughtered Su. Thousands of households always replace old talismans with new peaches." "Meng Liang Lu" Cirrus Cloud: "Twelve The end of the moon is said to be the day when the month is over and the year is over. It is called the New Year's Eve. Every household, big or small, sweeps the door, removes dust and filth, cleans the courtyard, changes the door god, hangs the bell, nails the peach charm, and puts up the spring sign. Sacrifice to ancestors and prepare offerings of incense and greetings at night to pray for a happy new year. "Wanli Jiaxing Prefecture Chronicle": "In the twelfth lunar month, villagers dance in the market with ink paintings and perform ancient rituals on New Year's Eve. , peach charms, spring stickers, wells are sealed, firecrackers are set up, gongs and drums are played all night long, which is called staying up late on New Year’s Eve. It started in the Southern and Northern Dynasties.
(Liang) Xu Junqian's poem "The wife of the Communist Party of China sits and watches the New Year's Eve at night": "The joy is not over and the passion is not over, don't stop drinking when you enjoy it. I like peaches in the wine, and find bayberries in the rice dumplings. Open the curtain and let the wind blow. , the candles burn out and turn to ashes. Don’t doubt your hair and hair are heavy, just to wait for the dawn light. "On New Year's Eve, there is still the custom of "saying goodbye" and giving "New Year's money". "Yanjing Chronicles of the Years": "Threading colorful ropes, braiding them in the shape of a dragon, and placing them at the foot of the bed is called lucky money. Those who respect the elders and give them to children are also called lucky money."
New Year's Eve Song< /p>
New Year’s Eve is busy, don’t forget God.
Three heads and six eyes, please try it first.
Guarantee that my family will be prosperous in both people and wealth.
Children are studying and studying quickly.
The whole family has measles.
Farming income and warehouses full of grain.
If raised at home, the six animals will prosper.
I pray that next year will be prosperous.
New Year’s Eve customs New Year’s Eve and Spring Festival are connected, and the customs are different but related. The theme of New Year's Eve is to get rid of the old and bring in the new, to reunite and celebrate. The main customary activities include worshiping ancestors, pasting Spring Festival couplets, eating New Year's Eve dinner, giving New Year's money, watching the New Year's Eve, setting off firecrackers, etc.
[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 called "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, which is 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.
[Posting blessing characters, pasting window grilles, pasting New Year pictures, pasting hanging thousand] New Year pictures are an ancient folk art in my country. They reflect the customs and beliefs of the people and place people's hopes for the future. . New Year pictures, like Spring Festival couplets, originated from the "door god". Spring couplets developed from the names of Shen Tu and Yu Lei to text, while New Year pictures still developed along the direction of painting. With the rise of woodblock printing, the content of New Year pictures is no longer limited to door gods, but gradually invites the God of Wealth into the home, and then in some New Year painting workshops, "Three Stars of Fortune, Luxury and Longevity", "Blessings from Heavenly Officials", " Colorful New Year pictures such as "A bumper harvest", "Prosperous livestock", "Welcome the Spring and receive blessings" can satisfy people's good wishes of celebrating the good year. Because Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty advocated posting Spring Festival couplets during the Spring Festival, New Year paintings became popular due to his influence. Three important production areas of New Year paintings appeared across the country: Taohuawu in Suzhou, Yangliuqing in Tianjin and Weifang in Shandong, forming the three major schools of New Year paintings in my country. 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. Hanging Qian is to use auspicious words engraved on red paper with a long ruler and stick it in front of the door to complement the peach charms. Those with figures of the Eight Immortals on them were hung in front of the Buddha. It is mostly used by thousands of households, but less used by aristocratic families. The yellow paper is three inches long and the red paper is more than an inch long. It is a "small hanging thousand" and is used by shops. The earliest hanging Qiandang was made of coins (copper coins). Like New Year's money, it has the effect of suppressing victory.
[Keeping up the New Year’s Eve] Folks in our country have the habit of staying up late on New Year’s Eve, which is commonly known as “staying up late”. Staying up all year long starts with the New Year's Eve dinner. This New Year's Eve dinner should be eaten slowly, starting from the time when the lanterns are turned on. Some people have to eat until late at night. According to Zong Mao's "Jingchu Years' Records", the custom of eating New Year's Eve dinner has existed at least in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The custom of keeping the year old includes not only a feeling of nostalgia for the passing years, but also a good hope for the coming New Year.
[Jie Shen] Jie Shen is a distinction between the old and new years, but the time of Jie Shen is not uniform. Some ceremonies begin as soon as Zizheng arrives, some begin to receive the gods at "Zizheng" time, that is, at midnight, and some begin after "Zizheng". After offering sacrifices to the stove, all the gods returned to the heavenly palace and ignored the secular affairs of the human world. At midnight on New Year's Eve, that is, when the new year came, they came to the human world to take care of affairs. The ceremony of receiving the gods is held in front of the heaven and earth table, and is presided over by the eldest member of the family. Because the directions in the heaven where the gods live are different, the directions from the lower world are naturally different. As for which god to pick up and where the god comes from, you must check the "Constitution" in advance, and then lead the whole family to hold incense and pick up the god according to the direction in the courtyard. . For example, the "Constitution" in the Xinwei year states: "The God of Wealth is due east, the God of Fortune is due south, the God of Gui is northeast, the God of Joy is southwest, the God of Taisui is southwest, etc." After kowtowing according to the direction, stand still until the incense is gone, kowtow again, and finally remove the incense roots, idols, ingots, etc., and put them into the money and grain basins that have been prepared in the courtyard for burning. When burning, burn pine branches, sesame straw, etc. together. Firecrackers went off during the reception, and the atmosphere was extremely intense.
[New Year’s Eve Dinner] When the children are playing and setting off firecrackers, it is also the busiest time for housewives in the kitchen. The New Year’s dishes have been prepared a few days ago, and the New Year’s Eve dinner always takes place The chef made it 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 laughter everywhere, one after another. , filled with ears, intertwined into a cheerful New Year's Eve movement.
Eating New Year’s Eve dinner is the most lively and happy time for every household during the Spring Festival. New Year's Eve. The table is filled with sumptuous New Year dishes, and the whole family is reunited. Sitting around the table and having the reunion dinner together, the sense of fulfillment in my heart is really indescribable. People not only enjoy the table full of delicacies, but also enjoy the happy atmosphere. There are big dishes, cold basins, hot stir-fries, and snacks on the table. Generally, two things are indispensable, one is hot pot. One is fish. The hot pot is boiling, steaming, warm and sultry, indicating that it is booming; "fish" and "yu" are homophonic, which symbolizes "abundance in auspicious celebrations" and also means "abundance every year". There are also radish, commonly known as cabbage, which is used to wish good luck; lobster, fried fish and other fried foods are used to wish prosperity for the family, just like "fire cooking oil". The last part is usually a sweet dish, wishing you a sweet life in the future. On this day, even if you don’t know how to drink, you can drink a little.
There are many famous New Year’s Eve dinners, which vary from north to south, including dumplings, wontons, long noodles, yuanxiao, etc., and each has its own specialties. Northerners are accustomed to eating dumplings during the Chinese New Year, which means "Geng Sui Jiao Zi" (Geng Sui Jiao Zi), the alternation between the old and the new. And because the white flour dumplings are shaped like silver ingots, serving them on the table symbolizes "making a fortune in the new year, and the ingots rolling in". When making dumplings, some people also wrap a few coins that have been sterilized in boiling water, saying that whoever eats them first will make more money. The custom of eating dumplings was passed down from the Han Dynasty.
According to legend, the medical sage Zhang Zhongjing saw that the ears of the poor were rotten by the cold during the twelfth lunar month of winter, so he made a "Quhan Jiao Er Decoction" to treat frostbite for the poor. He used mutton, chili peppers and some cold-warming medicinal materials, wrapped them in dough to make ear-shaped "Jiao Er", cooked them in a pot, and distributed them to the poor. After eating, people felt their whole bodies warm and their ears warm. Later, people followed suit and it has been passed down to this day. Eating wontons during the New Year means taking the beginning of the new year. Legend has it that the world was in a state of chaos before it was created. Pangu created the world, and then there were four directions in the universe and long noodles, also called longevity noodles. Eating noodles in the New Year is a wish for a hundred years of longevity.
[Set off firecrackers] When midnight strikes, the New Year’s bell rings, and the sound of firecrackers rings 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 poem "Yuan Ri": The sound of firecrackers marks the end of the year, and the spring breeze brings warmth to the people. Thousands of households are as bright as the sun. Always replace old talismans with new ones. It depicts 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.
[Ancestor Worship] In ancient times, this kind of custom was very popular. Due to the different etiquette and customs in different places, the forms of ancestor worship are also different. Some go to the wild to visit their ancestors' tombs, some go to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors, and most of them place the ancestor's tablets in the main hall in sequence at home, display the offerings, and then the worshipers press the long The younger ones offer incense and kneel down in order. When the Han people worship their ancestors, they usually make fish and meat bowls, which are served in high bowls, which is quite similar to eating with bells and cauldrons. For southerners living in Beijing, ancestor worship is particularly grand. Most of them are eight bowls of dishes, with a hot pot in the middle and cups and chopsticks according to the spiritual position. On New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and New Year's Eve, the hot pot is fanned out and the dishes can be changed at any time. Banner people worship their ancestors, which is different from Manchuria and Mongolia. Mongolian Banner people offer yellow rice noodles fried in butter, which are fried in sesame oil and dipped in white sugar when they are removed, which gives them a different flavor. Manchurian bannermen worshiped their ancestors and offered walnut cakes, hibiscus cakes, apples, and plain wax sandalwood, which was extremely quiet and solemn. On New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, vegetarian dumplings are served, and on Yuan Yuan night, Lantern Festival is served. Every morning and evening, incense is burned, kowtow is offered, and new tea is offered. Although there are different forms of ancestor worship, most of them are hung on New Year's Eve and the offerings are withdrawn on the night of the Lantern Festival. Relatives and friends who are close to you must also visit the ancestor hall when paying New Year's greetings. Not only should they be careful to follow the distant past, but they will never forget their intentions, because of the virtue of respecting their ancestors. , also saved by this.
[Sending the God of Wealth] In the old days, since the opening of the Wealth Gate at midnight during the Spring Festival, people would send gifts to the God of Wealth. They would hold a piece of paper printed on the God of Wealth outside the door and shout: "Here comes the gift to the God of Wealth!" "At this time, the owner of the house, in order to welcome the God of Wealth, gave the visitor a reward. Of course, he always said some auspicious words when giving it to the God of Wealth. For example: "The gold and silver treasures are rolling in"! "There are a pair of golden lions on the left and a pair of golden phoenixes on the right"! And so on and so on. Another way is to dress up as the God of Wealth, wearing a red robe, a gauze hat, a fake beard, and a yellow bag for collecting money, followed by a few gongs and drums, going from house to house. Distribute statues of the God of Wealth in order to collect rewards. Every time I go to someone's door, I sing: "The left compartment is full of gold and silver, and the right side is full of treasures." A lot of auspicious words are uttered, until the owner happily takes the red paper statue of the God of Wealth. , gave them some money, and these people who pretended to be the God of Wealth, thanked them repeatedly, beat hard for a while, and moved to another house amidst the sound of gongs and drums.
[Giving New Year's Money] New Year's money is given by the elders to the younger ones. In some families, after the New Year's Eve dinner, everyone sits at the table and is not allowed to leave. When everyone has finished eating, the elders give it to the younger ones. , and encouraged his children and grandchildren to learn and make progress in the new year and be a good person. In some homes, parents wait for their children to fall asleep and put them under their pillows at night. In other homes, children gather in the main hall, shout Happy New Year to grandparents, parents, and mom, kneel down in line, and then reach out for red envelopes. They even went to the grandparents' bedroom and ran to the edge of the bed together, shouting: "New Year's money, New Year's money!" The old man didn't think it was lively enough, so he pretended to be stingy, went from bargaining to besieging and groping, and finally dug out the ancestor's red envelope. After everyone looted everything, they dispersed. The old man was overjoyed when he saw this scene, thinking it was a good sign that everything would go well in the new year. Giving lucky money during the New Year reflects the care of the elders for the younger generation and the respect of the younger generation for the elders. It is a folk activity that integrates family ethical relationships. There is a nursery rhyme that goes: Samsung is in the south, and every family pays New Year greetings; the younger ones kowtow, and the older ones give money. If you don't want money, just turn your face and leave.
Origin:
According to legend, in ancient China there was a monster called "Nian", with a head long and tentacles, and it was extremely ferocious. "Nian" lives deep under the sea all year round, only climbing ashore every New Year's Eve to devour livestock and harm people.
Therefore, every New Year's Eve, people in villages and villages help the old and young to flee to the mountains to avoid the harm of the "Nian" beast.
On New Year's Eve this year, people in Taohua Village were helping the elderly and young to take refuge in the mountains. An old man begging came from outside the village. He was holding a cane, a bag on his arm, a silver beard flowing, and eyes like Long star.
Some of the villagers sealed their windows and doors, some packed their bags, and some drove their cattle and sheep. People everywhere shouted and horses neighed, creating a scene of panic and panic. At this time, who still has the heart to take care of this old man begging.
Only an old woman in the east of the village gave the old man some food and advised him to go up the mountain quickly to avoid the "Nian" beast. The old man stroked his beard and said with a smile: "If my mother-in-law lets me stay at home all night, I will definitely take care of him." The "Nian" beast drove him away.
The old woman looked closely and saw that he was a boy with fair hair and a strong spirit. However, she continued to persuade him, but the old man smiled and said nothing, so she had no choice but to leave the house. , went up the mountain to seek refuge.
In the middle of the night, the "Nian" beast broke into the village. It found that the atmosphere in the village was different from previous years: the old woman's house at the east end of the village had a big red paper on the door, and the house was brightly lit with "Nian". "The beast trembled all over and let out a strange cry.
"Nian" glared at her mother-in-law's house for a moment, then screamed and rushed over. As she approached the door, there was a sudden "bang bang bang bang" explosion in the courtyard. The sound made "Nian" tremble all over, and he didn't dare to move forward.
It turned out that "Nian" was most afraid of red, fire and explosions. At this time, the door of the mother-in-law's house was opened wide, and only one person was seen in the courtyard. The old man in red robe laughed. "Nian" was shocked and ran away in panic.
The next day was the first day of the first lunar month. The people who had returned from the refuge were surprised to see that the village was safe. The old woman suddenly realized it and hurriedly told the villagers about the beggar's promise.
The villagers rushed to the old woman's house. They saw red paper on the door of her house and a pile of unburned bamboo in the yard. After the bang, a few red candles in the house were still glowing...
To celebrate the auspicious arrival, the overjoyed villagers put on new clothes and hats one after another, and visited relatives and friends. The news spread quickly in the surrounding villages, and everyone knew how to drive away the "Nian" beast.
From then on, every New Year's Eve, every household posted red couplets and set off firecrackers. The candles are brightly lit, and people watch the New Year's Eve. Early in the morning, people visit relatives and friends to say hello. This custom has become more and more popular and has become the most solemn traditional festival in China:
New Year's Eve refers to the night of the last day of the twelfth lunar month every year. It is connected 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 year and welcome the new year. This means that the old year is gone and the new year is replaced in the coming year. This is also the best time for children to understand the traditional Spring Festival and receive traditional education.
The family will do three things this night: offering sacrifices, eating New Year’s Eve dinner, and keeping the New Year’s Eve together. We will never forget the deceased ancestors in our family, and the Spring Festival is no exception. At this time, we will offer food or flowers to express our feelings. This is a commonly used ritual among Chinese people in my country. The form of ancestor worship may vary depending on religious beliefs, but commemoration. The meaning of ancestors is the same.
This traditional activity is very meaningful to children. This activity not only allows children to understand their own family, but also teaches them to respect their ancestors. Elders.
New Year’s Eve dinner
Eating New Year’s Eve dinner is the most lively and happy time for every family during the Spring Festival. On New Year’s Eve, the table is filled with sumptuous New Year’s dishes. The whole family is reunited, sitting around the table and enjoying the reunion dinner. The sense of fulfillment in my heart is really indescribable.
The specialties of New Year’s Eve dinner:
There are usually two things that are indispensable for New Year’s Eve dinner, one is hot pot and the other is fish. The hot pot is boiling, steaming, warm and sultry, indicating that it is prosperous; "fish" and "yu" are homophonic, symbolizing "abundance in auspicious celebrations" and "abundance every year". There are also radish, commonly known as cabbage, which is used to wish good luck; lobster, fried fish and other fried foods are used to wish prosperity for the family, just like "fire cooking oil". The last part is usually a sweet dish, wishing you a sweet life in the future.
Various New Year’s Eve dinners
There are many different New Year’s Eve dinners, which vary from north to south, including dumplings, wontons, long noodles, Yuanxiao, etc., and each has its own specialties.
·Northerners are accustomed to eating dumplings during the Chinese New Year, which means "Geng Sui Jiao Zi" (Geng Sui Jiao Zi), the alternation of old and new. And because the white flour dumplings are shaped like silver ingots, serving them on the table symbolizes "making a fortune in the new year, and the ingots rolling in". When making dumplings, some people also wrap a few coins that have been sterilized in boiling water, saying that whoever eats them first will make more money. The custom of eating dumplings was passed down from the Han Dynasty;
·The custom of eating wontons during the Southern New Year is derived from the meaning of the beginning. Legend has it that the world was in a state of chaos before it was created. Pangu created the world and created the four directions of the universe;
·Long noodles, also called longevity noodles. Eating noodles in the New Year is a wish for a hundred years of longevity.
Recommended Spring Festival recipes:
·There is more than enough every year
Ingredients: yellow croaker, tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar, Rufenfen, chopped green onion, garlic, diced bamboo shoots
Preparation method: Cut the yellow croaker into crisscross cuts, fry 80% of it and take it out until cooked. Leave the oil in the pot, add the above seasonings, thicken it, and pour it on the fish. Serve.
·New Year Cake
Ingredients: red rice cake, white rice cake, sugar, water, rice flour
Preparation method: Cut the red and white rice cakes into rectangular shapes Shape into lumps, dip in Ru powder and add oil, take out and place on a plate. Put sugar water in the pot, when the sugar melts, thicken the rice cake and pour it over the rice cake.
, sesame oil
Preparation method: Season the quail eggs and meat swallows and pour them into a bowl. Slice the above raw materials into pieces, drain them, take them out, top them with Shaoxing wine and sesame oil, and place them on top of the raw materials. .
Sauteed mustard greens and spring rolls are also essential for New Year’s Eve dinner. Mustard greens mean wealth.
·Basheng hot pot
Ingredients: shank flowers, shrimps, fresh squid, oysters, green moths, sashimi, sturgeon strips, celery shreds, shiitake mushrooms, vermicelli, etc.
p>
Preparation method: Bring the seasoned hot pot to a boil, pour it into the pot as you like.
When having New Year’s Eve dinner, we can’t forget the family members who prepared the feast, because it takes several days from preparation to production, and on New Year’s Eve, these family members make it possible for others to eat. Heart, eating and eating are still busy.
Keeping the year old
The custom of keeping the year old is not only a feeling of nostalgia for the passing years, but also a good hope for the coming New Year. The ancients wrote in a poem "Shou Sui": "Invite the Ajong family to keep the year old, and the wax torch passes red to the blue gauze. Thirty and sixty years have passed by, but I cherish my years from this night." It is human nature to cherish the years. Therefore, the great poet Su Shi wrote the famous line "Keeping the New Year's Eve": "There will be no time next year, and worries will be wasted; if you work hard today, you can still be proud of your youth!" This shows the positive significance of keeping the year old on New Year's Eve. At this time, parents may wish to read these famous poems to their children and explain them so that they can understand their meaning.
"Two years in one night, and two years in the fifth hour." This evening the family reunited and gathered together happily, and the table was filled with refreshments and fruits. When making offerings during the New Year, a large plate of apples is indispensable. This is called "peace and peace". In the north, some families also offer a bowl of rice, which is cooked years ago and served during the New Year. It is called "every other year's rice", which means that there are leftovers every year and can't be eaten all year round, so this year they still eat the old rice. This pot of rice and millet is usually cooked with a mixture of rice and millet. As the saying goes in Beijing, it is called "two rice rice" because it has yellow and white. This is called "gold and silver, and the pot is full of gold and silver".
In addition, the names of the cakes, melons and fruits prepared in many places during the observance of the New Year also have the meaning of winning praise, such as:
Eating dates - spring comes early ;
·Eat persimmons - everything goes well;
·Eat almonds - happy people;
·Eat longevity fruit - immortality;
p>
·Eating rice cakes - getting taller every year.