Composition "Intoxicated with New Year Customs"

The Mid-Spring Festival is an ancient festival in my country and the most important festival of the whole year. How to celebrate this festival has formed some relatively fixed customs and habits over thousands of years of historical development. Many are still passed down to this day.

The traditional view is that the first day of the first lunar month is Rooster Day, the second day is Dog Day, the third day is Pig Day, the fourth day is Sheep Day, the fifth day is Ox Day, and the sixth day is Pig Day. Horse Day, the seventh day of the lunar month is Human Day.

Xiao Nian, which is the 23rd or 24th day of the twelfth lunar month every year, is a festival to worship the Kitchen God.

It is the beginning and foreshadowing of the entire Spring Festival celebration. There are two main activities: sweeping the year and worshiping the stove. In addition, there is also the custom of eating stove sweets. In some places, they also eat fire roasting, sugar cakes, oil cakes, and drink tofu soup.

Sweeping dust

"On the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, dust and sweep the house." According to "Lu Spring and Autumn Annals", my country had the custom of sweeping dust during the Spring Festival in the era of Yao and Shun. According to folklore: because "dust" and "chen" are homophonic, sweeping dust in the New Year means "removing the old and spreading the new", and its purpose is to sweep away all bad luck and bad luck. This custom entrusts people with their desire to destroy the old and establish the new and their prayers to say goodbye to the old and usher in the new. Every Spring Festival comes, every household has to clean the environment, wash all kinds of utensils, remove and wash bedding and curtains, sweep the Liulv courtyard, dust away dirt and cobwebs, and dredge open ditches and ditches. Everywhere is filled with the joyful atmosphere of doing hygiene and welcoming the New Year cleanly.

Spring couplets

Spring couplets are also called door pairs, spring posts, couplets, couplets, peach charms, etc. They describe the background of the times and express good wishes with neat, dual, concise and exquisite words. , is a unique literary form in my country.

Every Spring Festival, no matter in urban or rural areas, every household will select a red Spring Festival couplet and paste it on the door to add a festive atmosphere to the festival.

Affixing window grilles

In the folk, people also like to put various paper-cuts - window grilles on their windows. Window grilles not only enhance the festive atmosphere, but also integrate decoration, appreciation and practicality. Paper-cutting is a very popular folk art in my country and has been loved by people for thousands of years. Because it is mostly pasted on windows, it is also called "window flower". With its unique summary and exaggeration techniques, window grilles vividly express auspicious symbols and good wishes, decorating the festival with prosperity and splendor.

Paper-cutting is a very popular folk art and has been loved by people for thousands of years. Because it is mostly pasted on windows, people generally call it "window flower".

Window grilles are rich in content and have a wide range of themes. Since most of the buyers of window grilles are farmers, window grilles contain considerable content that expresses farmers’ lives, such as farming, weaving, fishing, herding sheep, feeding pigs, raising chickens, etc. In addition, window grilles also have themes such as myths and legends, opera stories, etc. In addition, images of flowers, birds, insects, fish and the twelve zodiac signs are also very common.

While pasting Spring Festival couplets, some families will paste the word "福" in large and small sizes on their doors, walls and lintels. Posting the word "福" during the Spring Festival is a long-standing folk custom in my country. The word "福" refers to blessing and luck, expressing people's yearning for a happy life and their wishes for a better future.

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.

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.

Firecrackers

There is a saying among Chinese folk that "firecrackers open the door".

When the New Year arrives, the first thing every household does when they open the door is to set off firecrackers to ward off the old and welcome the new with the beeping sound of firecrackers.

Firecrackers are a specialty of China, also known as "firecrackers", "firecrackers" and "firecrackers". It originated very early and has a history of more than 2,000 years. Setting off firecrackers can create a festive and lively atmosphere. It is a festive entertainment activity that can bring people joy and good luck. With the passage of time, the application of firecrackers has become more and more widespread, and the varieties and colors have become more and more numerous. During major festivals and happy events, as well as weddings, house construction, openings, etc., firecrackers must be set off to celebrate and for good luck. Now, Liuyang in Hunan, Foshan and Dongyao in Guangdong, Yichun and Pingxiang in Jiangxi, and Wenzhou in Zhejiang are famous hometowns of fireworks in my country. The firecrackers they produce are of various colors and high quality. They are not only sold well across the country, but also exported to the world.

There is a saying among Chinese people that "firecrackers open the door". The first thing in the New Year is to set off firecrackers to get rid of the old and welcome the new.

Distributing paper at 0:00 on the first day of the lunar month

The old custom is that the Spring Festival starts at 0:00 on the first day of the lunar month. Parents in Shandong generally get up first to "distribute paper" and put a fire whip before opening the door. Then you can speak. Men, led by their parents, worship the gods of heaven and earth.

The first meal of the Spring Festival after midnight is dumplings.

When cooking dumplings, set off firecrackers. In order to drive away evil and seek good luck, sesame straw is used to cook dumplings in some areas, which means that the new year will be like sesame seeds blooming steadily, and the days will be better and better. The dumplings need to be cooked a lot, so there must be more than enough, and steamed buns should be placed in the pot after the meal to have more than enough. After the dumplings are cooked, first serve a bowl to honor heaven and earth, and then serve a bowl to honor Kitchen God. When dining, in addition to one bowl per person, one or two more bowls are served in order to hope that the population will flourish. Eating dumplings is full of festive joy. Dumplings during the Spring Festival are often filled with money, dates, chestnuts, etc. Eating red dates means that you can get up early to work in the new year and get rich through hard work; eating chestnuts means that you can work hard and sweat profusely in the new year; If you eat peanuts, you will live a long life; if you eat money, you will get rich. Whoever eats any of these is heartily congratulated. If the child gets money, the parents will be very happy and think that the child has potential. In addition to encouragement, they will also reward the child with money as a way of congratulations. In many places, vegetarian dumplings are eaten on the first day of the Lunar New Year, which means "a year of vegetarian peace". In Linqing local people eat various kinds of steamed buns, date cakes, glutinous rice cakes, etc. for breakfast on the first day of the Lunar New Year, as well as a "whole dish" made of various kinds of meatballs, vermicelli, and cabbage, which is called "eating for the whole year."

The folk custom of eating dumplings during the Spring Festival was quite popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Dumplings are usually made before 12 o'clock in the evening on New Year's Eve and eaten at midnight. This is the beginning of the first day of the first lunar month. Eating dumplings means "Gengsui Jiaozi", and "子" means "子". "Shi" is homophonic with "dumpling", which means "happy reunion" and "good luck".

New Year greetings on the first day of the new year

On the first day of the new year, people get up early, put on their most beautiful clothes, dress up neatly, go out to visit relatives and friends, and pay New Year greetings to each other. I wish you good luck in the coming year. There are many ways to pay New Year's greetings. Some are led by the clan leader and several people go door-to-door to pay New Year's greetings; some are colleagues inviting a few people to pay New Year's greetings; and others get together to congratulate each other, which is called "group worship." Since it was time-consuming and laborious to pay New Year greetings at home, some upper-class figures and scholar-bureaucrats later used various stickers to congratulate each other, and the later "New Year's greeting cards" developed from this.

With the development of the times, the custom of New Year greetings has constantly added new content and forms. Nowadays, in addition to following the previous methods of New Year greetings, people have also started to use ceremonial telegrams, phone calls, mobile phone text messages, and online QQ New Year greetings.

New Year's money

When paying New Year's greetings during the Spring Festival, the elders should distribute the New Year's money prepared in advance to the younger ones. It is said that the New Year's money can suppress evil spirits. Because "Sui" and "祟" are homophonic, the younger generations will get With the New Year's money, you can spend the first year of life peacefully. There are two types of New Year's money. One is made of colorful ropes threaded into a dragon shape and placed at the foot of the bed. This record is found in "Yanjing Years' Notes"; the other is the most common, which is given by parents wrapped in red paper. Children's money.

Eating rice cakes

It is said that rice cakes were first used to offer sacrifices to gods and ancestors on New Year’s Eve, and later became a Spring Festival food.

Steamed rice cake. Rice cake has become a must-have seasonal food for almost every household because of its homophonic pronunciation of "year high" and its varied tastes.

The styles of rice cakes include square yellow and white rice cakes, which symbolize gold and silver and convey the meaning of getting rich in the new year.

Visiting friends on the second day of the Lunar New Year

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, I will not leave home, but today I will go to the homes of relatives and friends to pay New Year greetings. The elder brother and the younger brother held hands, and the host's family stayed for dinner, while the west's family held a wine banquet. When they left, they still had two hundred New Year's money.

Giving gifts on the first day of the first lunar month is to express feelings instead of things, while visiting on the second day of the lunar month is to express affection with things. They are different.

In the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, elders can give lucky money to juniors, but subordinates cannot give money or gifts to superiors because it is suspected of being a "gift".

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, guests are asked to eat a meal of noodles with soybean paste, which shows that they have not forgotten the life of their ancestors who used soybean paste as a dish during hunting or marching. Don’t give odd numbers to gifts on the second day of the Lunar New Year

Taboos on the second day of the Lunar New Year:

Don’t go home empty-handed, and the gifts you bring to your parents’ family must be in even numbers, as odd numbers are unlucky.

It is taboo to sacrifice to the God of Wealth. In the old days, there were people who came to sell statues of the God of Wealth. Those who do not want to buy can only answer that they already have it, and it is taboo to say no. To avoid bad luck.

"Send off the New Year"

The New Year send-off ceremony is usually held in the evening to send the gods and ancestors back to heaven.

Burning the Door God Paper In the old days, on the third day and night of the Lunar New Year, the pine and cypress branches during the New Year Festival and the Door God Papers hung during the festival were burned together to indicate that the New Year was over and work had to start again. As the saying goes, "Burn the door god paper, and you will find your own health."

The Small New Year is the Tianqing Festival. It was a court festival in the Song Dynasty. In the first year of Dazhong Xiangfu of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, Zhenzong issued an edict declaring the third day of the first lunar month as the Tianqing Festival, and officials and others took a five-day holiday. Later, it was called the Xiaonian Dynasty. It did not sweep the floor, beg for fire, or draw water, just like the Sui Dynasty.

"Guining"

The third day of the first lunar month is the day when the son-in-law visits his father-in-law and the daughter returns to her parents' home to visit her parents.

There are many things to pay attention to when going back to your natal family. You must bring an even number of gifts, not odd numbers, usually four. Your natal family cannot accept all of them. When you return to your husband's house, you have to take some of them back. We only have lunch when we go back to our parents’ house, and our daughter must rush back to her husband’s house before dinner. When a daughter returns to her natal family, if there is a nephew in the family, the aunt must give the nephew a red envelope.

"Returning to one's parents' home" is also called "Guining". In the past, there were many taboos on the bride's return home, but they only refer to the taboos on the bride's return to her parents' home. After the bride returns home, her identity has changed and she is a member of another family, so her parents' family often "guards against her."

The Stove God’s Festival on the fourth day of the first lunar month: Welcome the Kitchen God back to the people

The fourth day of the first lunar month is also known as “Sheep Day”. Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, the traditional view is that the first day of the first lunar month is Rooster Day, the second day is Dog Day, the third day is Pig Day, the fourth day is Sheep Day, the fifth day is Ox Day, and the sixth day is Horse Day. The seventh day of the lunar month is Human Day. It is said that this is because when Nuwa created all living things, she created the six animals first and then the humans. Therefore, the first to the sixth day of the lunar month are the days of the six animals. (Source: "Spring Festival" issued by Xinhua News Agency)

On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, sheep are counted in the old imperial calendar. Therefore, the often said "three sheep (yang) kaitai" is a symbol of auspiciousness and is also a welcome to the Kitchen God. Back to the days of civil society.

◆There are some rural customs in the north. They tie the god of fire, put corn stalks or wheat stalks on a stick, light it and send it to the river from their home, which means there will be no fire in the home for a year.

◆The Stove Lord wants to check the household registration, so every household must stay at home, prepare abundant fruits, burn incense, light candles and set off firecrackers to show their welcome.

◆From the first to the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, shops are closed and women do not use needlework.

The fourth day of the Lunar New Year is the day to welcome the gods, and the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month of the previous year is the day to send off the gods. When sending off the gods, all the gods in the lower world ascend to heaven to pay New Year greetings to the Jade Emperor and report the good and evil of human behavior. , descended to earth again on the fourth day of the first lunar month. It is said that the gods go to heaven to report their duties and report the good and evil in the world. On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, they will return to the world and continue to accept sacrifices and monitor the good and evil in the world. Therefore, one must be very careful to welcome the gods down to earth on this day, so it is called the "God Receiving Day". . The folk custom of the Spring Festival: Sacrifice to the Stove

In the old days, most stores would host a banquet for all the shop assistants on the fourth night of the Lunar New Year and distribute red envelopes. There was an old saying in Beijing in the past: "We are not afraid of the sky or the earth, but we are afraid of the shopkeeper speaking Mandarin on the fourth night of the Lunar New Year." The banquet includes wine and vegetables, and it is customary to eat steamed buns after drinking. The shopkeeper then raised a glass of congratulations and said "hard work" to everyone. This is called "mandarin".

After the official talk, the buns were served, and the shopkeeper pinched the buns himself. Whoever put the buns in the bowl was hinted that he had been fired. The fired person automatically packed up his luggage and left after the meal, so this informal banquet was commonly known as "Eat the fuck buns." ".

The God of Wealth Festival on the fifth day of the first lunar month: Bringing the God of Wealth back to the people

Folklore says that the fifth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of the God of Wealth, and every family holds a banquet to celebrate the God of Wealth.

On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, the preparations for the Fifth Route Ceremony began at three o'clock in the afternoon and ended at nine or ten o'clock in the evening. The first is the desk, usually two Eight Immortals tables can be put together. The first table is filled with fruits such as tangerines and sugar cane, which symbolize broad wealth and sweet life; the second table is pastry, which symbolizes promotion and evergreen; the third table is the main banquet, which serves whole pigs, whole chickens, whole fish, and Yuanbao soup. Half of the table is filled with rice, noodles, and vegetables. A green onion is inserted into a bowl of street rice, and a thousand-year-old red plant is inserted into the onion tube, which means excitement and prosperity every year. The food and wine on the third table can only be served after receiving the Five Gods of Wealth. Everyone is full of hopes of getting rich, hoping that the God of Wealth can bring gold and silver to their homes and make them rich in the new year.

To pick up the God of Wealth, the owner must bring incense and candles to the God of Wealth Hall in the five directions of east, west, south, north, and middle. gun. After receiving everything, the host and the waiter bowed to the God of Wealth in turn, and then cremated the horse silk on the original offering table to express their respect to the God of Wealth. The ceremony is finally over.

Fan Li: A minister under King Gou Jian of Yue during the Spring and Autumn Period. He helped the King of Yue defeat Wu. Later, he made a fortune in business and changed his name to Tao Zhugong. Later generations regarded him as the god of wealth.

Guan Yu: Guan Yu in the Three Kingdoms was an "all-powerful" figure who valued loyalty the most. Later generations treated "righteousness" and "profit" equally and regarded him as the god of wealth. Most businesses in general worship Guan Yu, believing that he has a protective effect on the business.

Most of the folk offerings are from Zhao Gongming. The printed image is very majestic, with a black face and thick beard, a helmet on top, a whip in hand, surrounded by patterns such as cornucopias, large ingots, and corals. , to set off and highlight the gorgeous and luxurious effect.

There are many folk legends about the God of Wealth: Cai Jing in the Song Dynasty was rich. According to folk legend, he was born as the God of Wealth. He was born on the fifth day of the first lunar month, so people worshiped him as the God of Wealth. After Cai Jing was demoted, the people replaced the God of Wealth. At that time, the national surname of the Song Dynasty was Zhao, and the character Xuan was a component of the character "Lan", so the God of Wealth was given the name Zhao Xuantan to worship.

On the fifth day of the lunar month, the God of Wealth is received, and Zhao Xuantan is the most respected. In addition to Zhao Xuantan being revered as the "Right God of Wealth", there are also folk sayings such as the "Partial God of Wealth" Wuxian God of Wealth, the "Chinese God of Wealth" Caibo Xingjun and the "Martial God of Wealth" Guan Shengdijun. The belief in the Five-Hand God of Wealth is popular in the Guanyuan area of ??Dexing, Jiangxi. There is the Five-Hand God of Wealth Temple outside Andingmen in Beijing. The "God of Wealth and Wealth", Cai Silk Xingjun, is also known as the "God of Fortune and Wealth". His portraits are often listed with the three stars of "Fu", "Lu" and "Shou" and the God of Joy. Together they are Fu, Lu, Longevity, Wealth, happiness. Caibo Xingjun has a white face and long hair, and holds a treasure basin in his hand. This is where the four words "recruiting wealth and treasures" come from.

The fifth day of the first lunar month is commonly known as Powu. According to folk custom, many taboos five years ago can be broken on this day. According to the old custom, it is necessary to eat "water dumplings" for five days. In the north, it is called "boiled dumplings". Nowadays, some people only eat it for three or two days, and some eat it every other day, but there is no one who doesn’t eat it. This is true from the prince's mansion to the small households in the streets, even when entertaining guests. Women no longer stay taboo and start visiting each other to pay New Year greetings and congratulate each other. Newly married women return to peace on this day. It is said that it is not suitable to do anything on the fifth day, otherwise you will be in trouble during the year. In addition to the above taboos, the five customs of Po Wu are mainly to send away the poor, welcome the God of Wealth, and open markets for trade.

Southerners worship the God of Wealth on the fifth day of the first lunar month. According to folklore, the God of Wealth is the God of Five Ways. The so-called five roads refer to east, west, south, north, and middle, which means that you can get wealth in any of the five ways.

The five sacrifices are the household gods, kitchen gods, earth gods, door gods, and walking gods. The so-called "Lutou" refers to the gods among the five sacrifices. Whenever you receive the God of Wealth, you must offer a sheep head and a carp. Offering a sheep head means "auspiciousness", and offering a carp is a homophone of "fish" and "yu" in the picture. The poem is auspicious. People firmly believe that as long as they can get the God of Wealth to appear, they can get rich.

Lutou God is a god of wealth believed in by Wu. It is customary to regard this day as his birthday, and it is quite spectacular to offer sacrifices and greet him.

It is commonly believed that the sooner you pick up the road head, the better. The earliest one to pick up the road head is the true god, which is particularly effective, so it is called "grabbing the road head". In some places, people really "rush to grab the road" on the fourth day of the first lunar month, and it has become a custom. Now that the road god is no longer the protector of travel, people no longer worship it when traveling.

"Giving away the poor" on the fifth day of the first lunar month is a very distinctive custom among ancient Chinese people. On this day, women in each household are made of paper, called "Sweeping Qing Niang", "Five Poor Women", and "Five Poor Women". They carry paper bags, sweep the dirt from the house into the bags, and send them outside to blast them with cannons. This custom is also known as "sending the poor to the poor" and "sending the poor daughter-in-law out". In the Hancheng area of ??Shaanxi Province, people are not allowed to go out on the fifth day. Fresh meat must be roasted in a pot, and madou must be stir-fried to make it crackle and make a sound. It is believed that this can eliminate poverty and bring wealth. In addition, in the old days, people had to eat particularly well on New Year's Eve or the fifth day of the first lunar month, which was commonly known as "filling the poor hole." The widely popular folk custom of sending the poor away reflects the traditional psychology of the Chinese people who generally hope to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, bid farewell to the old poverty and hardship, and welcome a better life in the new year.

It is an old custom that during the Spring Festival, large and small shops close together from the beginning of the new year and open on the fifth day of the first lunar month. The fifth day of the first lunar month is regarded as the holy day of wealth. It is believed that choosing this day to open the market will definitely attract wealth.

The Poor God’s Day on the sixth day of the first lunar month: Send away the poor god

The Horse Day, the sixth day of the first lunar month: Go to the fields to prepare for spring plowing, and send the poor spirit away.

The folk custom song of the Lunar New Year in Guangzhou mentions: "On the first day of the Lunar New Year, people worship gods, on the second day of the Lunar New Year, people worship people, on the third day of the Lunar New Year, people beg for rice, on the fifth and sixth day of the Lunar New Year, it is the New Year. On the seventh day of the lunar month, spring goes away, but on the eighth and eighth day of the lunar month, it does not come back. On the 9th day of the lunar month, the head is empty. On the 10th day of the lunar month, spring comes. On the 11th day, children come back. On the twelfth day, they set up a lamp shed. On the thirteenth day, they turn on the lights. On the fourteenth day, the lights are bright. On the fifteenth day, they pray. After finishing the lanterns, picking green leaves will eliminate all kinds of diseases. "As the saying goes, on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, people seek good fortune and throw away the poor.

"Giving away the poor" on the sixth day of the first lunar month is a very distinctive custom among ancient Chinese people. Its meaning is to offer sacrifices to the poor ghost (poor god), also known as "poor son".

So, who is the Poor God?

The image of the poor god in the game

Li Yong, a writer of the Tang Dynasty, said in "Jinguyuan Ji": "The Gaoyang family is thin, good clothes and poor food. People make new clothes and It is torn and burned, and the palace title is "Poor Son". On the dark day of the first lunar month, people die in the lane. Today, people make clothes and sacrifice them in the lane, saying that they are sent to the poor ghosts. "According to Chen Yuanliang of the Song Dynasty. "Records" quoted "Wenzong Beiwen" records: "When Zhuanxu was in Gaoxin, a son was born in the palace. He was not fully clothed, and he was known as the poor son in the palace. Afterwards, he died at the end of the first month and was buried in the palace. He said to each other, 'Today I will send the poor son away. '"

Send a banana boat to the poor

In Han Yu's "Sending to the Poor", it is mentioned that the poor ghosts should "build a cart with willows and guide the sail to the wall." That is to say, when sending away the poor, you should not only prepare a symbolic car and boat for the "poor ghost", but also bring dry food to the "poor ghost". In some places, there is also the practice of "sending the poor in banana boats". It seems that each place has its own way of dealing with poverty. The widely circulated folk custom of sending the poor away reflects the traditional psychology of the Chinese people who generally hope to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, bid farewell to the old poverty and hardship, and welcome a better life in the new year.

The "Human Day" on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year: Recuperate the body and mind

"Human Day", according to legend, if the sky is sunny on this day, it means personal comfort; if it is cloudy and rainy, it means disease and plague. born. Also known as the "Seven Evil Days".

The seventh day of the first lunar month is the Human Festival, which originates from ancient mythology: Nuwa created the world, and after creating animals such as chickens, dogs, pigs, cows, and horses, it evolved several times and became the custom of the Han people to eat seven kinds of soup

Spreading pancakes

On this day, people eat spring pancakes and roll "box dishes" (cooked meat food), and spread pancakes in the courtyard to "smoke the sky".

Eat Qibao Soup

A soup made from seven kinds of vegetables is eaten during the day to bring good luck. It is also said that this soup can remove evil spirits and cure all diseases. . Different regions have different products, different fruits and vegetables, and different meanings. Guangdong Chaoshan uses mustard, kale, leeks, spring vegetables, celery, garlic, and cloves; Hakkas use celery, garlic, green onions, coriander, leeks and fish, meat, etc.; Taiwan and Fujian use spinach, celery, onions, garlic, Leeks, mustard greens, shepherd's purse, cabbage, etc. Among them, celery and onions signify intelligence, garlic signifies good calculations, mustard greens bring longevity, and Hakka people like to cook them with fish, which means they have enough food.

Vegetable stalls in Shantou city will put together 7 dishes on this day. People are willing to accept it regardless of the cost, regardless of the weight. If a household in the countryside owes one or two pieces of vegetables and picks one or two vegetables from others in the field to make up seven pieces, no one will call him a thief.

Friends who are parents may wish to make some for their children next year, which will also give us another excuse to eat and drink.

The ancients believed that it was good to have clear weather on the seventh day of the first lunar month, which meant that life would be prosperous and the world would be harmonious. There is a saying in Dongfang Shuo's "Book of Divination" in the Han Dynasty that "on the seventh day of the lunar month, from dawn to dusk, the moon will be clear, the stars will be seen at night, the people will be safe, and the monarch and his ministers will be in harmony." It can be seen that the idea of ??"people's day" has been circulated at least in the Han Dynasty.

Grain Day Festival on the eighth day of the first lunar month

It is said that the eighth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of Guzi Maizi. If the weather is sunny on this day, it means that the rice harvest will be good on this day, and if it is cloudy, it will be poor in the year.

Folks use the eighth day of the first lunar month as the day when the stars descend to the lower realm. They make small lamps and burn them to worship them, which is called Shunxing, also known as "sacrifice to stars" and "receive stars". Two sacred codes are used for sacrifices. The first one is printed with Xingke, Suzaku, Xuanwu, etc., and the second one is "the star of longevity and longevity". Put the two pieces together front and back, clamp them on the sacred paper clip, and place them in the middle behind the Yao table in the courtyard for worship. In front of the sacred code, there are lanterns made of yellow and white lantern paper dipped in sesame oil. They are placed in a "lantern bowl" about an inch in diameter and lit. Either 49 or 108 lanterns are used. Then serve cooked Lantern Festival and tea. After dusk, worship with Beidou as the target. After the sacrifice, when the remaining lamp is about to go out, the sacred code, incense roots, sesame straw, pine and cypress branches are burned together to complete the sacrifice.

Shunxing

People use the eighth day of the first lunar month as the day when the stars descend to the lower realm. They make small lamps and burn them to worship them. This is called Shunxing, also known as "sacrifice to stars" and "receive stars". star". Two sacred codes are used for sacrifices. The first one is printed with Xingke, Suzaku, Xuanwu, etc., and the second one is "the star of longevity and longevity". Put the two pieces together front and back, clamp them on the sacred paper clip, and place them in the middle behind the Yao table in the courtyard for worship. In front of the sacred code, there are lanterns made of yellow and white lantern paper dipped in sesame oil. They are placed in a "lantern bowl" about an inch in diameter and lit. Either 49 or 108 lanterns are used. Then serve cooked Lantern Festival and tea. After dusk, worship with Beidou as the target. After the sacrifice, when the remaining lamp is about to go out, the sacred code, incense roots, sesame straw, pine and cypress branches are burned together to complete the sacrifice.

Shunxing Festival Customs

According to Taoism and astrologers, everyone has a year-long constellation every year, also called the "fleeting year-according constellation" (sun, moon, water and water). The nine stars of , fire, wood, metal, earth, Luohou, and Ji all take turns to take care of life in the year). A person's destiny for a year is completely in the hands of this year-end constellation. The eighth day of the first lunar month of each year is the gathering time of all the star kings, and it is also said to be the day of "the lower realm of the stars", so the star king is worshiped on this day. (i.e. Shunxing), it is possible to obtain the blessing of the Star King. Therefore, some people go to Baiyun Star Observation Temple (i.e. Yuanchen Hall) to burn incense and follow the stars. But regardless of whether you go to the temple to offer incense or not, in the evening, after the stars appear in the sky, each family will hold a star-sacrificial ceremony. "Yanjing Chronicles": "On the eighth day of the lunar month, after dusk, dip paper in oil, light 108 lamps, burn incense and worship it, which is called 'Shunxing'". While scattering lanterns and flowers at home, many people went to the Yuanchen Hall of Baiyun Temple to participate in the Shunxing Festival.

Yuanchen Hall is commonly known as "Xingxiu Hall" or "Shunxing Hall". The temple is on Baiyunguan West Road. In the hall, there are sixty statues of stars and constellations that have been in their sixties for sixty years.

Anyone who goes to the Yuanchen Hall to follow the star must first find his or her natal star. If he is born in the year of Jiazi, he should go to the statue of General Jin Bian of Taisui in Jiazi, burn incense, kowtow, and give alms. Then to the constellations on duty this year. If this year is the year of Guihai, go to the statue of General Lu Cheng, the Taisui of Guihai, burn incense, kowtow, and give alms. This will bless you with a smooth year.

Shunxing uses one or two Star God codes. The first one is printed with names such as "Xingke", "Suzaku", and "Xuanwu", and lists the names of the constellations to which they belong. In the middle is "Bagua", with the words Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches printed in the inner circle, and the twelve zodiac signs printed in the outer circle. The latter one is "The Star of Prolonging Life and Longevity", which is placed behind the Star God code, with only the top name showing. Two of them are clamped on a sacred paper clip at the same time and placed in the center behind the heaven and earth table in the main hall.

When worshiping the star, a "golden lantern" (yellow lantern flower) should be placed on the desk, stove, threshold, pot, etc. to light it, which is called "scattered lantern flower".

It means to ward off bad luck. After the star worship ceremony, the whole family gathers together to have a Lantern Festival meal.

The Legend of Shunxing Festival

It is said that this day is the day when the stars descend to the lower realm. The stars in the sky are at their best, and it is the time for elders to recognize the stars for their children and grandchildren. It’s freezing cold in the first month of the year, so you can’t stand in the courtyard for a long time. You can really recognize the stars in the summer evening. On this day, you mainly learn about the names of the stars listed on the “Star God Horse” invited from the fragrant wax shop. Astronomy". The star worship ceremony of the Shunxing Festival is held at night. Rich families put up 108 lanterns, while ordinary people can put up 49 lanterns, at least 9, representing the sun, moon, water, fire, wood, metal, earth, Luohou and Ji. These nine are all responsible for the stars in the fleeting years. The lamp bowl is shaped like a small goblet, either made of clay or copper, with soybean oil inside. The lamp is twisted with "lantern flower paper". After worshiping the "Star God Ma'er", the housewives place these lanterns on the desks, edge of the kang, cabinets, and even on the steps, corners, doorways, etc. in the bedroom, kitchen, and living room, just like a candlelight party. It is called "scattered light flower". At this time, in this mysterious group of lanterns, the elders should tell their children and grandchildren the principle of "an inch of time is an inch of gold" and the importance of maintaining "cautious independence", because the "fleeing time and destiny stars" are always monitoring everyone's every move. "If you don't want others to know, you have to do nothing yourself." The scattered lanterns are very romantic, and you can look forward to and imagine them until all the lanterns are burned out, and then the whole family says "Xingxi" to each other, then the lights have to be turned on again and the firecrackers have to be lit. The branches are lit, just like a bonfire, which makes people think gracefully.

The Ninth Day of the First Lunar Month

The ninth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of the Jade Emperor, the highest god in heaven, commonly known as "the birth of God". "Tiangong" is the "Jade Emperor", and Taoism calls it "Yuanshi Tianzun". He is the highest god who rules the universe. Every time his birthday is celebrated, people will hold sacrifices to celebrate. From midnight snacks until four o'clock in the morning, all You can hear the constant sound of firecrackers. The ceremony of worshiping the God is quite grand. An altar is set up under the God's furnace in the main hall. Generally, a long bench or a low stool is used to place gold paper first and then a high Eight Immortals table as the "top table". A table with auspicious patterns is tied in front of the table. , and there is a "lower table" at the back. The "top table" houses a sacred throne made of colored paper (symbolizing the throne of God). In the center of the front is an incense burner. In front of the burner are three bunches of red paper thread and three cups of tea. Next to the burner are candlesticks. Five fruits are arranged behind it. Offer tangerines, tangerines, apples, bananas, sugar cane and other fruits) and Liuzhai (lily needles, fungus, mushrooms, cabbage sum, wild beans, mung beans, etc.) to the Jade Emperor; the lower table offers five animals (chicken, duck, fish, eggs, pork or Pork belly, pork liver), sweets (raw kernels, rice dates, cakes, etc.), red tortoise cakes (shaped like a tortoise, dyed red on the outside, with tortoise shell marks to symbolize human longevity), etc. are offered to the gods of the Jade Emperor.

Before worshiping the God of Heaven, the whole family must fast and bathe. On the ninth day of the Lunar New Year, family members are prohibited from drying their clothes, especially women’s pants and underwear, or emptying trash cans to show respect for the Jade Emperor; sacrificial offerings If you want to use livestock, you must use roosters, not hens. If you want to fulfill your wish, you must use whole pigs or whole sheep. Some devout families think that worshiping at home is not enough, so they will rush to Tiangong temples in various places overnight, such as the Temple of Heaven on Zhongyi Road in Tainan, the Tiangong Altar in Kaohsiung, and the Muzha Nanzhi Temple, etc., every year at the beginning of the Lunar New Year Babi is brightly lit and bustling with activity.

On the day when God is born, there is also a ceremony to "Anti Sui". People whose zodiac signs conflict with Tai Sui can go to the temple, write their name, age, add some sesame oil money, and entrust the temple authorities Just be responsible for making offerings. There is another way to comfort Tai Sui: at the beginning of the year, surround the rice tubes used to hold rice with red pieces as a furnace at home, write "Tai Sui Xingjun is here", and then worship it every day.

The tenth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of the earth: the stone birthday is the mouse’s wedding daughter

The tenth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of the earth. There is heaven and earth. They are no different than my parents. The houses of people and animals all depend on the ground; rice, wheat, and grain all grow on the ground. Bring the flavor of vegetables as a sacrifice to celebrate his birthday and he will be happy. Loyalty, filial piety and justice are the foundation of life; one must be down-to-earth in doing things.

New Year pictures and paper-cuts of "Rat Marrying Girl" and "Rat Marrying Girl" are regarded as "mascots" among Chinese people and are posted on walls and windows during New Year and festivals.

On the tenth day of the lunar month, the birthday of the earth. There is heaven and earth. They are no different than my parents. The houses of people and animals all depend on the ground; rice, wheat, and grain all grow on the ground.

Bring the flavor of vegetables as a sacrifice to celebrate his birthday and he will be happy. Loyalty, filial piety and justice are the foundation of life; one must be down-to-earth in doing things.

Songs for the Tenth Day of the New Year

On the first day of the new year, the sun shines on the east window as soon as I wake up (sound announcement). I get up and change into new clothes; Hanging in the nave. The Jiuzi fruit plate is neatly arranged, ready for guests to come and go; now the servants are told not to sweep the floor, and the children are not allowed to make soup when eating or drinking.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, children are even more happy. They did not leave home yesterday on the first day of the Lunar New Year, but today they have to go to their relatives’ homes to pay New Year greetings. The elder brother and the younger brother held hands, and the host's family stayed for dinner, while the west's family held a wine banquet. When they left, they still had two hundred New Year's money.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, I went to pay homage to my mother-in-law. Brother-in-law and his daughter--come together and you will get a good deal. Smile widely. Meet the civilized people and say congratulations. I met my mother-in-law and said I would make a fortune. The tea and wine were both good, the aunt next door asked the girl with a smile. When. Raise a baby on the moon.

The fourth day of the Lunar New Year. Sleepless nights, every house welcomes the God of Wealth, and auspicious whips are sent out everywhere. The five-way righteous gods sit in the middle, and the fortune and market are divided into two sides. The candles with golden heads are bright, and the sheep-head ingot fish are all offered. I went home to worship and was busy, and I was dedicated to worshiping you. Wow, how can there be a God of Wealth with millions of people? I'll clone myself into your shop.

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, my friends want to have the opening wine. When drunk, fast guessing; five pairs and eight horses keep talking. There is a friend who wants to continue chatting, and a friend who wants to break up. Come and go, everyone is busy. Those who come feel happy, those who leave feel sad. I advise you not to be sad, you will have to fight for a good face in the future.

The sixth day of the Lunar New Year. Still short of new clothes. The sound of gongs and drums is deafening. Borrow the Lantern Festival in advance to practice. Lantern Festival lanterns. There are customs everywhere. The dragon lantern is curling up, and the rainbow lantern is glowing; children are told not to buy sweets. Save your money and buy candles. The old term for champion and younger brother. We need to change the *** and the five clans.

The seventh day of the Lunar New Year. birthday. After breakfast, take a scale and weigh out the most consistent weight. The elder brother weighed sixty pounds, and the younger brother weighed forty-seven. He said to him, "Don't make any boasts." My brother will eat more meat next year. Get a bigger guy than you.

The eighth day of the Lunar New Year. On Mai's birthday, every farmer prays for a good harvest. There will be no more wheat in the world. Will there be anything to satisfy our hunger? A grain of wheat is planted in the field, and when the autumn comes, it takes a lot of effort to break the rice and eat the new rice.

On the ninth day of the lunar month, Tian’s birthday. Everyone in this world depends on God. Ask for help before doing anything. My mother-in-law prayed to Buddha to cultivate herself. Xinhua chants sutras no matter what happens, and he has been practicing for a hundred years without any problems; he brings good luck, removes bad luck stars, and performs good deeds with expedient means to generate benevolent intentions.

On the tenth day of the lunar month, the birthday of the earth. There is heaven and earth. They are no different than my parents. The houses of people and animals all depend on the ground; rice, wheat, and grain all grow on the ground. Bring the flavor of vegetables as a sacrifice to celebrate his birthday and he will be happy. Loyalty, filial piety and justice in life are the foundation of the earth; one must be down-to-earth in doing things