Who knows the sayings about customs and habits?

Folk customs and habits in Shitai, Anhui

1. Living customs

Clothing: In the late Qing Dynasty, farmers wore casual clothes sewn by hand, mostly made of coarse cloth (homespun cloth) For clothing materials. Single clothes: Men wear short jackets with partial or double breasts, and wide-waisted and wide-crotch trousers. The colors of the clothes are mainly white and blue. Women wear side-breasted jackets, slightly longer, with the waist not exposed, and the style of trousers is the same as men's trousers. Cotton-padded clothes: Most people wear cotton-padded jackets and cotton trousers. The styles of men's and women's cotton-padded clothes are the same as men's and women's single clothes, mainly blue and black. Adult men usually use a large cloth belt (about five feet long) to tie their waists in winter. Those who wear long shirts or robes should lift up the right lapel and put it in the large belt on the left waist to facilitate walking and working. Men and women have the habit of tying their trousers with belts (commonly known as leg-tying), and children mostly wear clothes made of homespun, home-dyed, home-woven stripes and gingham.

Teachers, doctors, businessmen, etc. mostly wear long robes. They wear long robes in winter and do not need to tie their waists with large cloth belts. Gentlemen and wealthy families mostly use silk and satin as clothing materials. Men wear long gowns, mandarin jackets in spring and autumn, long robes and waistcoats in winter, and do not use large belts to tie their waists.

Children wear crotchless pants and often wear red cloth pockets embroidered with flowers, plants and animals. Adorable young children often wear pants with two legs of different colors (commonly known as mandarin duck pants). In winter, young children often wear cat-hoove cotton trousers (the legs are slightly longer and the trouser legs are stretched with cotton sock soles). Babies wear native pants (made of tight-crotch shorts made of cloth. After wearing them, tie the legs with cloth belts and put in an appropriate amount of sand).

During the Republic of China, people’s clothing did not change much. A few people in towns wear Chinese tunic suits and suits. A few school students wear school uniforms, middle school students wear military uniforms, and elementary school students wear Boy Scout uniforms.

In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, after land reform, farmers' lives improved. More and more people wore fine cloth (commonly known as foreign cloth) clothes. Middle-aged and elderly people still wore old-style casual clothes. Government cadres, workers, doctors, teachers, students and Among teenagers, popular uniforms include Chinese tunic suits, Lenin suits, youth uniforms, student uniforms, work uniforms, etc. The colors of clothing are mainly blue, white, gray and black. Fewer and fewer people wear long gowns and robes. During the Cultural Revolution, there was a craze for green clothing among teenagers. After 1978, people's clothing styles, materials, and colors have changed greatly, and there is not much difference between urban and rural areas. People wear uniforms, such as Chinese tunic suits, Lenin suits, youth uniforms, student uniforms, work clothes, suits, sportswear, zip-up shirts, jackets, etc. Suits are fashionable among young people, culottes are popular among young women in summer (not many in rural areas), and long and short woolen coats are popular in winter. Down jackets and leather jackets are increasingly popular. There are still a few elderly people in rural areas who wear old-style casual clothes. Most of the clothing materials are chemical fiber cloth and blended cloth, followed by woolen cloth. It is rare to wear cotton clothes. Clothing colors are becoming increasingly diverse, including red, yellow, blue, white, black, gray, green and various stripes, squares, floral cloth, etc.

Nowadays, babies wearing traditional pants are gradually becoming obsolete. The habit of young children wearing red cloth bellybands, mandarin duck trousers, and cat-hoove cotton trousers still exists.

Hat During the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, peasant men generally wore thread-woven monkey head hats (also called tiger hats), felt hats and mats, and straw hats (woven from wheat oranges or reeds) and bamboo hats in hot weather. Women often wrap their heads with homespun, home-dyed, home-woven twist scarves in winter, and older women wear two-tile headbands. In the Qing Dynasty, melon-skin hats (also called hat cushions) with red bumps on the six-tile roof were popular among wealthy men from Confucian families. During the Republic of China, they often wore felt hats.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, uniform hats became popular among men, and fewer felt hats and monkey-head hats were worn. In winter, navy-style velvet hats (commonly known as locomotive hats) were mostly worn. Women often use square scarves or scarves to wrap their heads, and their colors vary according to their age. After 1978, peaked caps became popular among men, and knitted woolen hats gradually became popular among middle-aged and elderly women in winter.

Hairstyle Before the Qing Dynasty, men had full hair. After the Qing army entered the customs, they changed to shaving around the head and growing long hair on top, with a braid hanging down the back. After the Revolution of 1911, fewer men wore their hair in braids. Most of them shaved their heads, and a few wealthy men had short hair (commonly known as foreign hair). During the Republic of China and before, women had full hair, unmarried women wore their hair in a braid hanging down their backs, and married women wore their hair in a bun (commonly known as a bun). During the Republic of China, some female students began to wear haircuts (commonly known as half hair, with hair growing to the neck).

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, short hair became popular among men, and only the elderly shaved their heads. It is popular for women to cut their hair, and a few young women have long hair with double braids. Most older women still wear their hair in a bun. After 1978, many young men and women pay attention to beautiful hairstyles and have permed hair.

In the old society, women often had their feet bound and wore pointed-toed cloth shoes, mainly blue and black.

Young women from wealthy families wear embroidered shoes, and older women wear galoshes (wearing a pair of small soft-soled shoes and slipping on a pair of shoes). Men wear Yuankou cloth shoes, mainly blue and black. Farmers generally cannot afford rubber shoes, so they often wear oil shoes on rainy days. In winter, people wear cotton shoes or "hair nests" made of reed tassels and linen. Men usually wear wool nests with high wooden soles, which can prevent rain and snow and keep warm, but are relatively bulky.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the styles and colors of men's and women's shoes changed greatly. From handmade cloth shoes, machine-made cloth shoes, sneakers, rubber-soled cloth shoes, suede leather shoes, oiled leather shoes, plastic-soled cloth shoes, and plastic sandals gradually became popular. , plastic slip-ons, leather sandals, travel shoes, lint shoes, rain rubber shoes, rain boots, etc., all with novel styles and various colors. After 1978, medium-heeled shoes became popular among young and middle-aged men, while high-heeled shoes became popular among young women. To this day, many people still wear high wooden bottoms in winter.

Socks In the early Republic of China and before, people mostly wore hand-sewn cloth socks, mostly white for men and blue or black for women. Later, they gradually wore cotton socks (commonly known as foreign socks), and the soles of the socks were worn out. Finally, put on the cloth base and continue wearing it. In the late 1970s, cotton stockings became less common and more synthetic fiber socks were worn.

The people in this county mainly eat pasta. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, farmers ate wheat noodles when harvesting wheat. When harvesting autumn grains, they ate sorghum, soybeans, millet, corn and other miscellaneous grain noodles, mixed with red taro and bran vegetables. Except for festivals and receiving guests, they rarely ate wheat noodles. , there are very few wealthy people who eat wheat noodles all year round. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, people's lives continued to improve. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the joint production contract responsibility system was implemented in rural areas. Farmers began to become rich. Basically, they ate wheat noodles all year round, and few people ate miscellaneous grains.

There are a variety of meals, including steamed buns, flower rolls, steamed buns, pot cakes, thick steamed buns (also called Kang steamed buns), baked buns, sugar buns, vegetable buns, oil cakes, etc. People in this county are accustomed to eating steamed buns, especially baked buns. The method of making the dough is to roll the mixed noodles (dead noodles) into a round shape (more than a ruler in diameter) and as thin as thick paper, and then put it on a hot griddle. It is baked and cooked. In the past, sesame seeds were often mixed into the noodles to make steamed buns, which were then cooked and cooked as snacks for children. Rice types include porridge, salty soup, noodles, dumplings, rice, etc. Usually porridge, noodles, salty soup, etc. are the main ones. Local people are accustomed to eating white noodles, which are noodles without oil, salt or vegetables.

The main meat dishes are pig, sheep, beef, chicken, duck, goose, fish and other meats. The Hui people are taboo on eating pork. Eggs include chicken, duck, goose, etc. Eggs are mostly used for cooking and making soup, while duck and goose eggs are mostly pickled salted eggs. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, farmers rarely ate meat or eggs, and some even couldn't eat them during the New Year and holidays. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, people's living standards continued to improve, and the average annual meat and egg consumption per person gradually increased. After 1978, farmers gradually became richer, and the demand for meat and eggs further increased. The market supply was sufficient, and both purchases and sales were booming. Vegetables include cabbage, spinach, garlic sprouts, etc. in spring, and cucumbers, eggplants, leeks, celery, green peppers, tomatoes, beans, etc. in summer. In autumn, there are radish, winter melon, pumpkin, winter squash, potato, cauliflower, lotus root, etc., and in winter, there are cabbage, radish, etc. Commonly eaten vegetables in the four seasons include onions, garlic, peppers, bean sprouts, tofu, etc. After 1978, the county began to use plastic sheds to cultivate vegetables. People can eat celery, peppers, cucumbers, cabbage, spinach and other fresh vegetables all year round. Since ancient times, households in this county have the tradition of pickling dried radish, kohlrabi, preserved vegetables, bean paste, watermelon paste, fermented bean curd, etc.

People in this county eat three meals a day. Generally, breakfast is porridge (mostly sweet potato porridge in winter), steamed buns, and pickles; lunch is steamed buns, fried (roasted) vegetables, and soup; dinner is noodles or porridge. , steamed buns, or salty soup, steamed buns, served with stir-fried vegetables or pickles. Dinner is commonly known as soup in the local area. The food tastes slightly salty and spicy.

Since ancient times, people in this county like to have a north-south main house (also called the north house) as the main house. There are usually three rooms, one light and two dark, with the middle room as the guest room and the east and west rooms as bedrooms. Elders live. The east, west and south houses are auxiliary rooms, where the younger generations live, or used as warehouses, kitchens and livestock houses. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, working people could not afford to build houses, and most of them had to live in the same house for several generations.

In the past, most of the public housing was built with earthen walls and thatched roofs, and only a few wealthy households lived in brick and tile houses. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, people's living standards continued to improve, and the housing structure gradually changed. In the 1960s, they were generally made of earthen walls and tile roofs. After 1978, most of them had brick walls and tile roofs with corridors. Some farmers built buildings, but there were very few thatched houses. In the past, there were no windows at the back of people's houses, but now only a few houses have windows at the back, and most of them have small windows for sleeping rooms.

On the journey, people went to the market, visited relatives and friends on foot, and a few people used donkeys, horses, and mules to travel. Wooden wheelbarrows or animal-drawn four-wheeled flat carts are often used to pick up and drop off guests.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, transportation continued to change. At first, rubber-tired flatbeds were used. After the 1970s, bicycles became popular in urban and rural areas. After 1980, buses and buses were connected from the county seat to all towns, and many young people bought motorcycles, which made it more convenient for people to go out or transport.

2. Life customs

Birth induction: A few days before the birth of a pregnant woman, the mother's family prepares brown sugar, eggs, etc. and sends them to her husband's family, which is called "birth induction". After that, pregnant women generally no longer return to their parents' home for fear that the baby will be born in their parents' home, which is a taboo.

Announcement of good news: Three days after the birth of the first baby, the father prepares red eggs (cooked eggs dyed red) and goes to his parents-in-law's house to announce the good news and inform the time of delivery of porridge and rice.

Send porridge and rice: After the first baby is born, it usually lasts 9 days for girls and 12 days for boys. Grandma’s family prepares brown sugar, eggs, wheat (or millet), baby clothes, jewelry, toys, etc. to celebrate. . On the same day, other relatives and friends also prepare gifts to congratulate the baby, and the parents of the baby hold a banquet to entertain the baby, which is called sending porridge and rice. When guests return, give them red eggs and steamed buns to express their gratitude. Grandma usually stays with her grandson for a few days. If she needs to go back in an emergency, she should leave a piece of clothing.

Receive the full moon: When the baby is one month old, the grandmother will pick up her grandson and stay with him for a few days. Put some black ink on the baby's face when he goes away, and put some white powder on his face when he comes. As the saying goes, "Go away with a black face and come with a white face. The longer the baby grows, the more prosperous it will be." Grandma gave another chicken and put a piece of red cloth around the chicken's neck. This chicken was only allowed to be raised and not slaughtered.

Marriage Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, men and women married according to the orders of their parents and the words of the matchmaker.

Matchmaking: also called "proposing marriage". The matchmaker weighs the character, character, family background, social status, etc. of both men and women, and thinks that the two families are a good match and there is a possibility of marriage, so she goes to the man and woman's families to introduce each other's situation. When the two families got to know each other and had no objections, the matchmaker told the parents of both parties that they were willing to marry each other for a hundred years.

Guo Xiaoqiang: After the male and female families agree to marry, the male's parents will write on red paper "Don't be stubborn, act recklessly, fail to prepare the six rites, pass the red first, ×× family, I wish to marry you. The letter "Bingren ×××. ×××年×月×日" is handed over to the matchmaker and forwarded to the girl's parents. If the girl has no objections, she will submit the above-mentioned consent letter, and the marriage will be confirmed between the two families.

After the small Cambodian ceremony, the man prepares jewelry, clothing materials, dates, chestnuts, etc., which will be sent to the woman by the matchmaker on an auspicious day. After the woman’s family is hired, a Cambodian sticker with the birthday of the married girl will be written on red paper. (commonly known as Nian Ming Tie) is delivered to the groom's family by a matchmaker. The man asks a fortune teller to find out the fortune of the year. If the birth dates of the man and woman are not incompatible, they will get engaged.

After getting married and engaged, the man chooses an auspicious day, prepares a sedan chair, a suona, and a three-eyed gun, and goes to the woman's house to marry her. A man carried a rooster to the woman's house in a sedan chair, but the woman did not keep it and gave away a hen as a reward for the good fortune of the two families. The bride is dressed and tied up, with a red scarf (red cloth scarf) on her head, sedan red (i.e. red clothes) on her body, and red embroidered shoes. She is carried by her bridal brother to the sedan. When the sedan leaves the village, three gunshots are fired. The suona was played in front of the sedan chair, and the dowry followed the sedan chair. Guns were fired and music was played whenever they encountered villages, bridges, or temples along the way. In the eastern part of the county, two brothers from the mother-in-law's family carried the teapot and teacups to the groom's village and returned home. In the western part of the county, unmarried sisters send a sedan chair to the groom's house to take care of the bride. The bride and groom return after paying homage to the church.

The sedan chair landed in front of the groom’s house. Amidst the sounds of suona and gunfire, a girl from the groom’s house presented a wine pot wrapped in red cloth to the bride (called a money-giving shell pot). Two other girls who are not incompatible with the bride's zodiac sign help the bride get out of the sedan chair, and slowly walk onto the reed mat spread in front of the sedan chair. When they step onto the second reed mat, they pass the first reed mat over the bride's head, and so on. It starts again and again, until it reaches the altar table in the courtyard. During this time, one person on each side of the bride sprinkles red dates, peanuts, osmanthus, chestnuts, husband's skin and other objects on the bride's head. This is called spreading war, which indicates the early birth of a noble son and a happy marriage. On the altar table, incense candles are lit, and a bucket containing sorghum is placed. A mirror is placed in the bucket, and a weighing rod is inserted. The bride comes to the altar table and worships the heaven and earth (called the worship hall) with the groom. After the worship, the groom picks up the bucket on the altar table. , lead the bride into the bridal chamber, put the bucket on the bed, use the weighing pole to pick off the red hair on the bride's head, and the couple have a heart-to-heart drink. At this time, everyone was making trouble at the wedding, forcing the bride and groom to kiss, bite an apple, and so on. After taking a break, the bride changes her clothes and makeup, and then goes to the altar table in the courtyard to pay homage to her relatives and friends (commonly known as dividing the bride and groom). First, she kowtows to her parents-in-law, and then they kowtow in turn according to their relative proximity. Those who ask for their heads must give money as a kowtow gift. In the evening, when the bride and groom enter the bridal chamber, someone must listen to the bridal chamber. If no one listens, the mother-in-law or sister-in-law puts a broom in front of the bridal chamber window to express good luck. The lights in the bridal chamber are kept on all night. This is called the "longevity lamp."

On the third day of marriage, the bride and groom pay homage to their ancestors’ graves. Generally, on the 6th day after the wedding, the bride’s family will pick her up and send her back the same day. He was picked up again on the 9th day and sent back after staying for 6 days. It is commonly known as "pick up 9 and stay at 6, and you will not suffer (suffering) for the rest of your life." On the 18th day, the bride will be picked up by her natal family and will stay for 18 days. The bride will prepare shoes, pot lids, etc. for the whole family and take them back to her husband's house.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the country promulgated the Marriage Law, abolished the arranged marriage system, and implemented free love and independent marriage. It is not common for young men and women to get married freely in rural areas. Most of them are introduced by an introducer. The man and woman meet first, and after a period of time to understand the situation, if both parties have no objections, they go to the government agency to register their marriage and receive a marriage certificate. Then the wedding date is selected, food and drinks are prepared, relatives and friends are entertained, and the wedding is held. In the past, old customs such as riding in a sedan chair, wearing a red headband, giving money, shells and pots, and kowtowing to the gods of heaven and earth have been abolished. In the late 1970s, when men and women got married, it became common for women to require face-to-face gifts and betrothal gifts. The amount was increasing day by day, which had become a social nuisance and attracted the attention of the government and relevant units. After publicity and education, this trend has been curbed.

Birthdays In the past, only a few wealthy families celebrated birthdays. On every birthday, relatives and friends prepared gifts to celebrate, and the host hosted a banquet, which was very grand. Due to limited economic conditions, the working people rarely celebrate their birthdays. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, people's lives continued to improve, and more and more people celebrated birthdays, mostly children and the elderly. Children and teenagers light candles and eat cakes on their birthdays, and relatives and friends send toys, clothes, etc. to express their congratulations. Most elderly people celebrate their sixty-sixth, seventy-third, and seventy-seventh birthdays. On the sixty-sixth birthday, married children and relatives prepare 66 steamed buns, 66 flat meals, and 6 pounds and 6 ounces of meat to celebrate their birthdays. , as the saying goes, "Sixty-six, eat a piece of meat"; when you are seventy-three, carp must be included in the birthday gift; Few chickens, as the saying goes, "Seventy-seven, eat a chicken."

On a young woman's first birthday after her marriage, her family prepares gifts and invites relatives to go to her daughter's house to congratulate her. This is called "making a living".

Funeral In the past, funeral rituals in this county were complicated and full of superstition. Before dying, most elderly people move their beds to the main hall and put on their shrouds. Burning paper money at the end of one's life is called "burning one's head paper". When the body is placed in the coffin, it is said to be "intermented." There is usually an oil lamp in front of the coffin, which is called a "soul-inducing lamp"; an earthen basin, called an "old basin", for relatives and friends to burn paper money when they express their condolences; Insert a pair of chopsticks, which is called a "yin and yang jar". In addition, there are several willow sticks wrapped with white paper tassels, about 2 feet long, called "mourning sticks", which will be used by children and grandchildren to pay homage to the deceased and to kowtow to relatives and friends. A mourning shed is set up in front of the funeral house, with an offering table in the center and offerings placed on it. Boys and girls tied with paper are placed on both sides of the mourning shed. White paper is pasted on the door of the house, and a white paper flag is placed beside the door, with men on the left and women on the right, to show neighbors.

The son, daughter-in-law, daughter, grandson, etc. of the deceased are all called "filial sons", and the sons are called "dutiful sons". They wear white filial piety hats, white filial piety robes, hemp rope waists, and white shoes. The daughter-in-law and daughter wear white scarves on their heads, white mourning gowns, white cloth belts to tie their trousers, and white shoes. Other members of the clan wear white mourning hats and white shoes for men, and white scarves and white shoes for women. The filial son waits on both sides of the coffin day and night, with men on the left and women on the right. This is called "keeping watch". When relatives and friends express their condolences, filial sons should kneel down and worship, male filial sons should bow to male guests, and female filial sons should pay homage to female guests and cry with them. The host's family gives white mourning hats to male guests, white scarves to female guests, and white cloth belts to son-in-law, grandson-in-law and nephews. This is called "breaking filial piety".

On the third day after death, "send money" and "sit at the door". In the evening, family members prepare incense, candles and paper money, pack a piece of flat food for each age of the deceased, cook it and put it in a bucket with soup, and go to the crossroads outside the village to pay their respects. This is called "giving money". During the delivery, the suona was in front, and the two people carried the bucket with the food behind them. They poured the food and soup away with spoons along the way, and the filial son and everyone followed. Go to the crossroads, light incense, candles, paper money, bow, and then choose another way to return. After a short rest, perform "seating the coffin lid" (sealing the coffin lid with nails). Relatives and friends came to pay their last respects to the body. If the deceased is a woman, her natal family must be invited and their consent must be obtained before the deceased can be seated. Otherwise, the natal family will often make excuses to waste the victim's money or even obstruct the funeral.

After the death of an elderly person, the mourning period is longer, generally not less than 7 days. Some funerals were delayed until more than a month later. If the spouse of the deceased has passed away early, the day before the funeral, the family will prepare paper money and go to the grave to pray for the deceased to come home, which is commonly known as "inviting the spirit". On the day of the funeral, relatives and friends come to pay their respects with gifts. In addition to the offerings, relatives such as daughters, granddaughters, nephews, and nieces usually prepare a coffin mat and an offering gift.

The memorial ceremony is carried out in sequence according to the closeness and distance of the relatives. Amidst the sound of guns and suonas, filial sons hold mourning sticks and kowtow to greet them, which is commonly known as "receiving tributes". After the sacrifice, the host entertains the guests. After the banquet, the funeral is held. The coffin is first carried to the gate and stopped. Relatives, friends and neighbors then pay homage. This is called "road memorial". After the sacrifice, the coffin was carried to the cemetery. When the coffin was just lifted, the filial son smashed the old basin to pieces. This was called "breaking the old basin", which symbolized the right of inheritance. The suona troupe played in front, and the eldest descendants and grandchildren carried white paper flags and followed the dutiful son. Everyone carried the coffin and followed the dutiful son. The female dutiful son walked behind the coffin. When the coffin arrived at the cemetery, relatives and friends paid tribute again. The coffin is then placed in the tomb, commonly known as the "coffin under the ground". Mr. Yin and Yang adjusted the position, placed the Yin and Yang jar and mourning stick in front of the coffin, covered it with a coffin mat, then sealed the earth to build the tomb and inserted white paper flags.

On the third day after the funeral, immediate family members prepare paper money and go to the grave to pay homage and rebuild the grave. This is called a "garden grave." After that, people go to the grave to pay their respects according to the schedule. One period is 7 days (from the date of the funeral), and the burning lasts until the fifth period. It is commonly known as "burning five periods of paper".

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, funeral procedures and feudal superstitious etiquette gradually decreased. Burial objects such as paper cows, horses, boys and girls were basically abolished, and mourning clothes were gradually replaced by wearing black veils. Laying wreaths among cadres and employees and holding memorial services are increasingly popular. In May 1977, the Dangshan Crematorium was completed, and the trend of cremation gradually became popular.

In the local area, regardless of whether the deceased was married, had a son or a daughter, as long as the elders are still alive, the funeral is usually not delayed. Generally, the burial takes no more than three days, and some are buried on the same day after death, and the funeral ceremony is often simple.

3. Seasonal Customs

Traditional Festival Spring Festival: The Spring Festival falls on the first day of the first lunar month. It is the most grand festival of the year and is commonly known as "New Year". As soon as the twelfth lunar month (the twelfth month of the twelfth lunar month) comes, people prepare for the New Year. As the saying goes, "After eating Laba rice (the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month), you will prepare for the new year", preparing money, food, and clothing. After the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, people are busy buying chickens, fish, meat, eggs, cigarettes, sugar, incense, candles, firecrackers, spring couplets, stove paintings, door paintings, etc. After the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, we start steaming steamed buns, fried meatballs, fried peanuts, fried melon seeds, folding sugar, cleaning, etc. The day before the Spring Festival, Spring couplets, stove paintings and door paintings are posted. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, poor families posted Spring Festival couplets earlier than rich families, and after they were posted, they were not allowed to enter the house to collect debts.

On the first day of the first lunar month, people get up at dawn, light candles and burn incense, set off firecrackers, worship gods and welcome the new year. Adults and children wear new clothes and kowtow to their elders to pay New Year greetings. Generally, flat food is eaten for breakfast. When the pot is cooked, a few are left unfinished, which symbolizes that there will be leftovers in the New Year. After breakfast, neighbors pay New Year greetings to each other, and each household prepares cigarettes, wine, sugar, peanuts, melon seeds, etc. to entertain them warmly. Regardless of whether there are conflicts in daily life, as long as they are elders, they should pay New Year greetings to them. Otherwise, they will be criticized by everyone. Neighbors often eliminate the barriers and reconcile by paying New Year greetings. Relatives start paying New Year greetings to each other on the second day of the first lunar month. They usually visit their uncles on the second day of the first lunar month, father-in-law on the fourth day of the lunar month, aunts on the fifth and sixth day of the lunar month, and then other relatives and friends. Most of them end around the tenth day of the first lunar month.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, old customs such as burning incense to worship gods, putting up paintings on the stove, and kowtowing during the Spring Festival have been abandoned. Most of the people use the Spring Festival to visit the families of military martyrs and carry out cultural and sports activities.

Send off the God of Plague: The fifth day of the first lunar month is the day to send off the God of Plague. Elderly women in the village gather by the well, burn incense and paper money, worship the God of Plague, pray for relief from diseases, and then line up to send the God of Plague to the east crossroads of the village. . Don't look back on the way back, otherwise, the god of plague will follow you back. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, this festival became obsolete.

Sending the God of Fire: The seventh day of the first lunar month is the day of sending the God of Fire. At dusk of that day, everyone holds torches and sets off firecrackers to send the God of Fire to the crossroads in the southwest of the village, burn incense and pray, praying to the God of Fire to prevent the fire. You are not allowed to look back on your way home, lest the Vulcan follow you back. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, this festival became obsolete.

Lantern Festival: The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival, and Yuanxiao is eaten on that day. At night, each family lights an oil lamp made of steamed flour. Some people steam dragon lanterns from noodles, light them and place them on the grain store. Some use colored paper to tie knots with various flowers and trees including wheat, cotton, corn, fruits and vegetables, and insert them into the dung pile, commonly known as "money trees". Children and teenagers carry lanterns of various shapes such as dragons, fish, rabbits, horses, lotus flowers, etc., and gather together to race lanterns. In the past, during the Lantern Festival, traditional entertainment activities were held in the four passes of Dangcheng, such as bamboo horse dance in Beiguan, dragon lantern play in Xiguan, land boat play in Nanguan, and lion dance in Dongguan. It attracted crowds from more than ten miles around the city, making it very lively. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the county cultural department held a light show every year.

People in this county often use the shape, size and number of lanterns to predict the harvest of various crops that year.

February 2: The second day of the second lunar month is the Dragon Sacrifice Day. On that day, people steam steamed buns shaped like dragons and use plant ashes to hoard grain in the courtyard, outside the gate, and on the drying ground. pattern), with a handful of grains buried in the middle to wish for good weather and abundant harvests throughout the year. As the saying goes, "On February 2, don't work, just hold your child and eat big steamed buns."

Japanese people eat "scorpion claws", which are made by soaking soybeans in salt water and frying them. It is intended to disinfect and eliminate disasters. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, people mostly regarded February 2 as the beginning of spring planting and production. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, after the Spring Festival, people were busy with preparations for spring plowing and spring planting.

Qingming Festival: A few days before Qingming Festival, families sweep the tombs of their ancestors, add soil to the tombs, and burn paper money. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, government officials, school teachers and students, etc., visited the graves of revolutionary martyrs during the Qingming Festival, laid wreaths, and carried out revolutionary traditional education.

Qingming Festival is also known as the Cold Food Festival in the local area. Every family eats boiled eggs and puts wicker sticks on both sides of the door and under the eaves to commemorate Jie Zitui. Local legend says that during the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Wen of Jin went into exile abroad. After returning home, he was granted the title of minister, but he was not rewarded by Jie Zitui, so Zitui lived in seclusion in Mianshan with his mother. Later, when Gong Wen of Jin could not find Jie Zitui, he burned the mountain to force him to do so. Zitui was pushed out, but Zitui did not want to come out and be burned to death. Duke Wen of Jin used Mianshang as the land for Zitui.

Dragon Boat Festival: The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanyang Festival. On this day, every family eats rice dumplings and sugar cakes, and puts moxa sticks under the eaves. Children wear sachets and tie their wrists with colorful velvet cords. The grandmother embroidered the "Five Poisons (Scorpions, Centipedes, Snakes, Geckos, and Toads) Red Belly Band" for her little grandson. It is said that eating rice dumplings, sugar cakes and inserting moxa sticks are to commemorate Qu Yuan. Children tie their wrists with colorful velvet threads, cut them off at the beginning of the seventh lunar month, and throw them on the house for magpies to pick up and build a magpie bridge for the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. Children wearing "Five Poison" bellybands can ward off disasters and take refuge. The sachet contains mugwort leaves, angelica angelica, vanilla, etc. to prevent pests from harming the body.

On the first and fifteenth day of June: People in the area north of the old Yellow River route and in the eastern part of the county regard the first day of June in the lunar calendar as the "small year" (the Spring Festival is the big year). Each family steams steamed buns and makes dumplings. , place peaches, plums, apricots, red flowers and other fresh fruits to offer sacrifices to the gods. People in the areas south of the old course of the Yellow River and in the west of the county regard the 15th day of the sixth lunar month as the "Off Year". Therefore, there is a local saying that "the first and fifteenth day of June (June) are the same". July 7th: Legend has it that the seventh day of the seventh lunar month is the day when the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meet on the Magpie Bridge. This county also calls this day the Qi Qiao Festival. At night, unmarried women place offerings of fruits under the moon and beg for skills (learn needlework skills) from the Weaver Girl.

July 15th: The area north of the old Yellow River in this county and the Tangzhai area east of Dangcheng City calls the 15th day of the seventh lunar month the "Ghost Festival". Every family burns paper money in front of the graves to worship their ancestors. .

Mid-Autumn Festival: The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. A few days before the festival, each family presents moon cakes, wine, meat, fruits, etc. to relatives and friends. On this day, people in other places usually go home to reunite, eat moon cakes, drink reunion wine and admire the moon in the evening.

The first day of October: Legend has it that the first day of October in the lunar calendar is the day when the Lord of Hell "collects ghosts". On this day or in the future, families go to the graves of their ancestors to burn paper money.

Laba: The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is the Laba Festival. Every family eats porridge made of millet (or rice), red dates, red beans, sugar, etc., commonly known as "Laba porridge", which means to celebrate the harvest. People often smear Laba porridge on jujube trees, and it is said that it will produce more jujubes in the coming year.

Sacrifice to the Stove: The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the day to worship the Stove. People burn incense and kowtow to Lord Zao, praying that "God will say good things and the lower world will be safe." They also took off the paintings of the Kitchen Lord and burned them, which was called sending the Kitchen Lord to heaven. This custom is now abolished.

New Year’s Eve: The last day of the lunar year is called New Year’s Eve, and locally the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month is commonly known as Nianchui. Post Spring Festival couplets and door paintings on the morning of New Year’s Eve. In the evening, a horizontal stick is placed in front of the gate, which is called a door-blocking stick. Its purpose is to prevent wealth from flowing out. In the evening, burn incense, kowtow, and worship the gods in the courtyard, beside the gate and in front of the various shrines in the room. The adults give their children New Year's money, and the whole family eats a reunion dinner and drinks New Year's Eve wine. Most people don't go to bed until midnight, and some people stay up all night, which is called "staying up all night". On New Year's Eve, customs such as burning incense, kowtowing to worship gods, and placing door sticks are now abolished.

New festivals Most of the new festivals are national festivals uniformly stipulated by the country after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and they are all based on the Gregorian calendar time. The first day of January is New Year's Day, which is a one-day holiday. May 1st is International Labor Day, with a one-day holiday. October 1st is National Day, with a two-day holiday. March 8 is International Women's Day, and female employees have a half-day off. May 4th is Youth Day. June 1 is International Children’s Day, and primary schools and kindergartens have a one-day holiday. July 1 is the anniversary of the birth of the Communist Party of China. August 1 is Army Day.

At that time, various agencies and groups will carry out celebration activities, and more and more urban and rural people will hold wedding celebrations on the new festival.

4. Etiquette

In the Qing Dynasty and before, people in this county mostly knelt down and bowed their hands. During the Republic of China, fewer and fewer people knelt down and bowed. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, most people shook hands, but now few people kneel down, hold hands or bow. When a guest comes to the host's door, he or she does not go in directly, but knocks or calls to the door first, and the host either calls out to come in or goes out to greet him. The host invites the guests to take a seat, offers tea and cigarettes with both hands, and the guests thank them. When the guest leaves, the host walks to the door, and the guest and host salute each other and say "goodbye" to each other. Folks and neighbors usually meet each other and greet each other: "Good morning?", "Hello?", "Are you busy lately?". When we meet before and after meals, we usually ask "Have you eaten (meal)?"; before and after dinner, they usually ask "Have you drank (soup)?".

When asking for directions and things, get off the car (or mount) first, distinguish the age characteristics of the other person, and address the other party as "old man, old woman, aunt, boss (brother), sister-in-law, little brother, sir, comrade, etc." Ask again. After asking, say "Thank you" or "Sorry for your trouble". The other party usually answers: "You're welcome" or "Nothing." If you have done something wrong to someone else, you will usually apologize to the other person by saying "I blame you", "I'm sorry", or "Please forgive me".

After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Five Stresses and Four Beauties activities (stressing civilization, politeness, hygiene, order, and morality; spiritual beauty, Beauty in language, behavior, and environment), and is selected as a "Civilized Unit" every year. Evaluation activities such as "Five Good Families", "Good Wife", "Good Husband", "Good Mother-in-law", "Good Father-in-law" and "Good Sister-in-law" are continuously carried out in urban and rural areas.

Reference materials: /d/200811100136.htm