On New Year’s Eve in Hong Kong, every family has a reunion dinner together. Most of the dish names for the reunion dinner have auspicious meanings. After the reunion dinner, people usually go to the New Year's Eve market to browse the flower market. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, people begin to officially celebrate the New Year, posting Spring Festival couplets (waving spring), New Year pictures, dragon and lion dances, etc., and visiting relatives and friends to pay New Year greetings. Macau has its own unique customs. "Xie Zao" is one of the most traditional Chinese customs preserved in Macao. On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, people in Macao call it "Thanks to the Kitchen God". Macau people celebrate the Chinese New Year on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. On New Year's Eve, staying up late and visiting the flower market are two major events for Macau people to bid farewell to the old year and usher in the new year. Staying up late means playing mahjong, watching TV, reminiscing and chatting; Macau holds a flower market during the New Year's Eve, mostly peach blossoms, daffodils, pots of bamboo, and pots of oranges. The flowers are blooming, which indicates a bright future for the new year. On the Spring Festival (the first day of the Lunar New Year), Macau people pay attention to "profiting the market" to show good luck. "Benefit" means red envelopes. On this day, the boss will get "profit" when he meets his employees, the elders meet juniors, and even married people see unmarried people. Macau people call the second day of the Lunar New Year the "New Year's Day". To eat the "New Year's Day" meal, you must have nozzle, lettuce, and carp, in order to make money. Beijing: There are many household chores in the twelfth lunar month. Since the twelfth lunar month, literati and poets have been writing Spring Festival couplets under the eaves of shops in an attempt to earn some money for the New Year. After offering sacrifices to the stove, New Year couplets were gradually hung up, giving thousands of households a completely new look. Some people use red paper, and some use red paper. Only the inner court and the princes of the clan use white paper with red and blue edges as a rule. Those who are not members of the clan are not allowed to use it. In the twelfth lunar month, the plum blossoms are tied up and placed in a device with a big belly and a small mouth. They are placed about five feet underground, and a fire is lit to make the ground slightly warm. The plum blossoms will gradually turn white, and they are caged with paper and sold in the market. The same can be said for Xiaotao, Yuli, and Yingchun. In the prosperous area, mat tents are set up and pictures are sold. Women and children rushed to buy it for fun. On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, porridge and fruit sellers lined up in the market. There are also those who sell walnuts, persimmons, dates, chestnuts, and dried water chestnuts. They store them in baskets on their shoulders and sell them by shouting. Secondly, there are fat pheasants, Guandong fish, wild cats, wild ducks, cured meats, iron sparrows, fruit covers, giant Buddha flowers, thousands of Dou Guang, and Louzizhuang Yuanbao. After the 10th day of the lunar month, Wei paintings, door gods, hanging coins, gold and silver foils, gold coins, selling gold coins, horse-burning paper, glass mirrors, and window holes are sold. After the 20th day, sugar melons, sugar cakes, glutinous rice bamboo cakes, and Guandong sugar are sold. The bad grass and beans are for Shenma when delivering the stove on the 23rd. There are also those who sell kiln wares, exchanging copper and silver for porcelain bowls, incense burners and candlesticks from the capital, stuffed gourds for children to use to save money, and pots and tiles for cooking at the stove. After the twenty-fifth day, sesame straw, pine and cypress branches, and atractylodes are sold for "simmering the year". Prices of all things in the twelfth lunar month are more expensive than usual, so there is a proverb that "the land and water in the twelfth lunar month are three times more expensive". At this time, the elderly always want to advise their younger generations to be careful with their money, so there is a proverb of "Twenty-seven or eight, take the goods that are equal". On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, every family cooks fruit porridge. Everyone prepares rice and beans the day before, and uses fruit carvings to create figures. In the middle of the night, the porridge is cooked, and the whole family gathers together to give it to relatives and neighbors, called Laba porridge. Laba porridge is made of yellow rice, white rice, glutinous rice, millet, water chestnuts, chestnuts, red cowpeas, peeled date paste, etc., cooked with water, and used externally to dye red peach kernels, almonds, melon seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, white sugar, and red Pond and suosuo grapes are used for dyeing. Do not use lotus seeds, lentils, barley, or guayuan, as they will damage the taste. Every day on the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, peel the fruits, wash the utensils, and work all night until the porridge is ready at dawn. In addition to worshiping ancestors and making offerings to Buddha, giving gifts to relatives and friends is not allowed to pass noon. And use red dates, walnuts, etc. to make lions, children, etc., to show your ingenuity. On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, an ice cellar was set up in the Yuhe River, and water was transported across the river to be stored in the inner kiln. Ice was set up in Taiye Pond to store snow in the ice kiln. The doors were opened to transport the ice cellar, which was very convenient for use in summer. At the end of the watch on the twenty-third day, every family worships the stove, sets up poles in the courtyard, and hangs sky lanterns. The sacrifices included soup, rice, sugar melon and sugar cakes, and the horse was fed with fragrant glutinous rice and stir-fried beans in a bowl of water. The man prays to you with words to curb evil and promote good. Women in the inner room clean the stove, paint it with pure mud, burn incense and worship silently. Every December, within the 19th, 20th, 21st, and 224th day, the Qintian Supervisor will select auspicious days, seal them as usual, and declare them to the world, and all will be on public holidays. Since then, the Liyuan Theater has been closed on a certain date, with eight groups performing together, and the show will start on New Year's Day next year. Children who go to school will also be given a break by their school teachers after the "sealing", which is called "school year break". The period from the 25th to New Year's Eve is said to be "the days of chaos". "Twenty-seven, wash away the guilt, twenty-eight, wash away the sloppiness." At the end of the year, throw away the leftover medicines for a year outside the door, and burn the collected prescriptions together. This is called "throwing away all diseases." ". Burn pine branches, cypress leaves, atractylodes, and auspicious pills in the furnace, which is called "Simmering the Year".
The day before New Year's Eve is called "Little New Year's Eve". There is a banquet at home, and people come and visit and call it "Farewell". Burning incense outdoors is called "Heavenly Incense" and usually takes three days. A lot of old people on New Year's Eve. On New Year's Eve, people in python robes and coats go out to visit relatives and friends, which is called "saying goodbye to the New Year." When family members bow to their elders, it is also called "Farewell to the New Year". Newlyweds must go to their father-in-law's house to say goodbye, otherwise it would be disrespectful. On New Year's Eve, sesame straw should be sprinkled on everything from the courtyard to the front door. This is called "stepping on the New Year." On New Year's Eve, it's the first night of the night, with torches glowing and firecrackers ringing outside the door. There are clusters of carriages and carriages. All the officials came to the court to congratulate the New Year. At this time, the sound of firecrackers was like waves and thunder, spreading throughout the government and the public all night long. It is also mixed with the sound of rattles, melon seeds being sold to relieve boredom, glutinous rice wine being sold in ice cups, osmanthus head oil being sold to shake the sweethearts, and vegetable fine powder being sold, which is comparable to the sound of firecrackers. It is really nice to hear. "In the home of the native people, new clothes and hats are worn, and sacrifices are made to gods and ancestors; after burning germanium and silk, the Meishuang family worship together, offer pepper plates, pour cypress wine, close steamed cakes, and sip powder soup. When going out to welcome the occasion, go to the medicine window, If you meet relatives and friends on the road, you will give them a gift and then wish them: "Blessings in the new year." "As for the entertainment utensils, there are carved flowers and fruits for tea, assorted hot pot dishes, soups with goose fat, pork steamed buns, glutinous rice cakes, and yellow millet; for wine and food, pickled chicken, bacon, and pickled herons and phoenix fish are used. , pheasant claws, deer and rabbit breasts; fruits include pine nuts, hazelnuts, peach, apricot and melon kernels, chestnut jujube branches, hawthorn cakes, green branch grapes, Baizigang durians, Qiubo pears, Pingbo fruits, lion tangerines and phoenix oranges, Orange slices and Yangmei are mixed with the delicacies of the sea and the mountains. Even if you are not close to each other, you will still have to drink three glasses of wine to celebrate the occasion. "As the saying goes, it is better to visit thousands of families during the new year. Sitting together as a family, while the four horses are noisy and happy all day long, it can be said to be a momentary victory." Tianjin Laba'er: Tianjin people call the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month "Laba'er" and have the custom of drinking Laba porridge. Many Tianjin people also soak garlic in vinegar on this day, which is called "Laba vinegar". "Laba vinegar" not only tastes mellow, but also lasts for a long time. Visit the Empress’ Palace: Starting from the 15th day of the twelfth lunar month, all kinds of new year goods are on the market, and Gongnan Gong North Street, with the Empress’ Palace as the axis, is even more lively. When boys come to the Queen's palace, their first goal is the wind gourd. Adult men never forget to buy lanterns when they come here. Women mostly come here to "wash their dolls." The "dolls" tied back from the Empress' Palace must be "washed" once a year, which is something women must do before the festival. Sugar melons to worship the Stove: The 23rd of the twelfth lunar month is the day when the Stove Lord ascends to heaven. Every family has to buy sugar melons and wait until 12 o'clock at night to worship the Stove Lord. After the incense burns out, please take down the Stove King statue and light it on fire. On New Year's Eve, you will buy a new Stove King statue and replace it with the "Stove King Code". It is like this year after year. Diaoqian'er: Diaoqian'er is a pattern cut out of colored paper and pasted on the glass and horizontal edges of doors and windows as an embellishment of the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival. The hanging money attached can only be damaged on the fifth day of the first lunar month, otherwise it means an unlucky year. "Po Wu": Tianjin people call the fifth day of the first lunar month "Po Wu". On this day, every household eats dumplings, and the chopping board must make a clanging sound for the neighbors to hear, to show that they are chopping "little people." Tianjin people attribute unsatisfactory things to the "little people". Only by getting rid of the "little people" can they be prosperous and smooth. Setting off firecrackers on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year also means to avoid evil and avoid disasters. Hubei Tuanfeng people in Hubei drink chicken soup as their first meal during the Spring Festival, symbolizing "peace and peace". Among them, the main labor force eats chicken feet, which means "making money in the new year", "promising young people" eat chicken wings, which means they can spread their wings and fly high, and the head of the family eats chicken bones, which means "getting ahead". Zigui people eat deep-fried white mugwort as their first meal, which is homophonic to "baihao" for good luck. In Jingzhou and Shashi areas, eggs are eaten as the first meal, which means "real, good luck and good luck". If you meet a guest, you should eat two "poached eggs" that are cooked very tender and the yolk can be seen through the white, which means "silver is wrapped with gold, gold is wrapped around silver, and you get gold and get silver." Wuchang celebrates the fourth day of the first lunar month as "New Year's greetings for the new son-in-law." When the new son-in-law returns to his in-law's family, he must endure the teasing of his in-law's family without getting angry. The order of New Year greetings in Huangpi is "visiting the family on the first day of the Lunar New Year, visiting the maternal uncle on the second day of the Lunar New Year, and returning to the Yue's family on the third day of the Lunar New Year". If a family member has a bereaved family member, he or she must write a message on a basket of paper and stick it on the door to refuse New Year greetings. Xiaogan Xiaogan is located in the Jianghan Plain, but its seasonal customs are basically the same as those in most parts of northeastern Hubei, but it is also uniquely interesting. When people get up early on the first day of the Lunar New Year, they first worship heaven and earth, family gods, and elders, and then go out to pay New Year greetings. New Year greetings are regardless of relative or distance, which is called "New Year greetings regardless of size." When New Year visitors come to the house, they will be invited to stay and treated with glutinous rice cakes. As the saying goes, "When you pay New Year's greetings and festivals, your glutinous rice cakes will crack." New Year's greetings usually last until the third or fourth day of the Lunar New Year. People here also have the custom of judging the production situation in the New Year based on the cries of birds heard on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
If the clockbird crows first, it is suitable to raise ducks; if the magpie crows first, it is suitable to raise chickens; when sparrows fly noisily at dawn, it means a good harvest; people also think that hearing dogs barking on the first day of the new year is not a good sign. At 12 o'clock on New Year's Eve, each family will send a finished gold ingot model to the door, which means that it will attract wealth in the new year. On the first and second days of the new year, people do not sweep the floor, There is no need to draw water or even fire, and the food is cooked in advance, which is called "New Year's Eve". I only started carrying water on the third day of junior high school, and burned paper money by the well and said it was "buying water." The door god should also be taken off and burned on the second day of the lunar month. As the saying goes: "If you burn the door god paper on the third day of the lunar month, everyone will seek their health." At the beginning of the new year, when writing, one would first write a "New Ordinary Paper" on red paper. The words “If you move with a snake pen, everything will go well” are posted on the wall. The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the climax of the Spring Festival. Gongs and drums are beaten loudly. When there are no gongs and drums or there are few gongs and drums, people beat the iron cans as gongs and drums. Therefore, there is a folk saying in Xiaogan that "knocking the tin can half way through the first month". The Dragon Lantern Festival is the centerpiece of Xiaogan folk festivals on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. People usually start to tie dragons on the eighth day of the lunar month, and also tie lions, colorful boats, bamboo horses, stilts, platforms and other styles. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, men, women and children, old and young, have fun together and sing various colorful lyrics. Lotus-picking boats go from village to house, and they sing whatever words they see at each house, such as "The old man will live longer, the young man will be at peace, the family will be happy, the four seasons will be peaceful, the grain will be abundant, the deer and the crane will spring together, the seven stars will turn around, the eight immortals will come to the door, and the wealth will last forever" ", Ten Blessings" and other auspicious words of blessing. On the night of the Lantern Festival, there is also a local custom in Xiaogan of inviting the seventh sister, asking for advice and begging for luck. The seventh sister is called Zhang Qijie locally. Legend has it that she is the seventh daughter of the Jade Emperor. She is the most ingenious and kind-hearted. One day, the seventh sister learned that there was a young man named Dong Mingyong in Danyang (now Xiaogan). Because his family was poor and had no money to bury his dead father, he had to sell himself into slavery. The Seventh Sister was deeply moved, and secretly married Dong Yong for hundreds of years, and they got married under the big locust tree. It's a pity that Dahuaishu, who was the matchmaker, was so happy that he changed the "good match for a hundred years" to a "good match for a hundred days", which made Dong Yong's sixth sister only have a hundred-day fate. The seventh sister used her skillful hand to weave 10 pieces of brocade silk to redeem Dong Yong, preparing to renovate the home. Unexpectedly, the Jade Emperor was very angry when he heard about it and summoned the seventh sister back to the palace. The seventh sister had to fly away in pain. Her weaving machine turned into shuttle stone, and the loom remained in the world. People can still hear the "click, click" sound of the loom in the dead of night. Every year on the night of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, girls in costumes gather beside the Shuttle Stone, begging for skills from the Seventh Sister with sewing boxes in hand, and singing begging songs. After singing the song of begging for cleverness, you also need to ask about the age, good or bad luck, whether you can get married, etc. In addition, some people use glutinous rice flour to make goose egg shapes, and let pregnant women burn the "goose eggs" to predict whether they will have a boy or a girl. Cleavage indicates the birth of a girl, and small warts on the eggs indicate the birth of a boy. Local folk also say that the night of the 15th day of the first lunar month is the day when rats marry their daughters, and people are not allowed to make noise at home. Women should light a sesame oil lamp under the bed and say, "Please look at the lamp, Madam Red," while bowing. It is said that in this way, there will be no bedbug infestation for a year. People also used bamboo baskets to throw from the house to take advantage of the cotton harvest. If you look up, the master will have a good harvest, but if you are a servant, the harvest will be poor. In addition, there is an interesting custom in the Xiaogan area. During the fifth watch, people use fire to illuminate chestnuts, pears and other fruit trees, and while doing so, they beat the trunks of the trees with knives and axes. One person asked while knocking: "Does it bear fruit?" A person nearby responded: "It bears fruit!" It is said that if you do this, the branches will be full of fruits in the new year. Wenzhou, Zhejiang Firecrackers: In the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, the first thing every household does is to rush to open the door. The whole city is filled with the sound of firecrackers, which symbolizes seeing off the old and welcoming the new and bringing in good fortune, which is commonly known as "welcoming the new year". There is also a tradition of "opening the door". Generally, a bunch of small firecrackers are set off first, called "hundred-ton firecrackers." Welcome the new year. It is required that all three rounds sound loud and clear, which is the most auspicious. According to popular belief, the earlier you open the door, the better. It means that whatever you do this year will go smoothly, you will get rich as you wish, and those who farm will have a good harvest. In some places, when opening the door cannon, they also mutter: "Open the door, fire up the cannon; wealth will come, and happiness will come." Generally, the outer and inner skins of firecrackers are uniformly red, and after setting off, the paper flowers are all over the ground, and the lights are bright. Zhongyun brocade formed a hall filled with auspicious colors and full of joy. Firecrackers are now banned in cities and towns, but they are still allowed in rural areas and on fishing islands. Worship the Six Gods: The cannons are opened, and the men and women of each family wear new clothes. The housewife burns Buddhist tea and holds various sacrifices in Jiangxi porcelain bowls and offers them on the incense table. Images of ancestors are hung in the middle hall. We worship the ancestors first and then the six gods (the Kitchen God, the Eaves God, the White Tiger God, the Well God, the Earth God, and the God of Wealth). Folks believe that these six gods are the protectors of every family. When worshiped during the New Year, they mainly pray for the safety of the population throughout the year and the prosperity of the family business.
Receive the Three Gods: After worshiping the Six Gods, set up a small square table in the atrium, fill it with a bowl of rice, cover it with red paper, and glue it around. Place it on the table, burn incense and light candles, and worship devoutly. This is called "Receive the Three Gods" ( That is, Yuqing, Shangqing, Taiqing in Taoism), after the sacrifice, it was moved indoors, and it was not until the fourth day of the first lunar month that the gods were sent away and removed from their seats. Ancestor worship: In the old days, at noon on the first day of the first lunar month, every family in Dongtou County would worship their ancestors. Its ceremony is performed by the housewife. List the offerings first, arrange the wine cups and chopsticks, and pour rice wine into the wine pot. A bench should be placed between the shrine and the altar, and then red candles should be lit, and incense should be burned on the incense burners of all the shrines of the ancestors, the three official emperors, the earth god, and the kitchen god. When the red candle has burned about three-quarters or the incense is about to be burned, start burning "gold paper" (a kind of paper money folded into the shape of an ingot with gold foil on it. It is believed to be effective only after chanting sutras) and set off firecrackers. Finally, when the food is removed, the chairs in front of the serving table must be moved before removing the food. When worshiping ancestors, the gifts on the table are not allowed to be touched; all the offerings after worship, except cakes and fruits, must be re-cooked or heated with steam before they can be eaten. Otherwise, it is considered disrespectful to the gods and ancestors. Walking incense: Early in the morning on the first day of the first lunar month, there is an old custom of "walking incense". Civil and military officials from all over the city, with their hats and chariots, and all deacons, sounded gongs to clear the way, and went to various temples to offer incense. They were very majestic. The elderly and heads of each family had bathed and changed clothes before dawn, and rushed to the shrine or nearby temple first. They open the temple door, burn incense and light incense lamps. Some even stay up and wait in the temple on New Year's Eve. As soon as the Hai hour is over, burn incense quickly to show your piety. It is believed that the first person to light incense is the most auspicious, so there is a custom of competing to light the first pair of candles. As the saying goes: "Whoever opens the temple door first will definitely make a lot of money this year." Elderly people go to various temples to worship the temple gods, mainly praying for good luck in the new year and safety for the whole family. However, due to differences in class, industry, gender, age, etc., there is an endless stream of people who come to worship God. Some want to make a fortune in business, some want a good agricultural harvest, some want children and heirs, etc. In larger temples such as the Dongouwang Temple, worshipers will wish red envelopes to the temple if their prayers come true. Those who are rich on the first day of each year will use large candles weighing more than a hundred kilograms to fulfill their wishes. Kaizheng: In the old days on Dongtou Island, every household would hold a "Kaizheng" ceremony around the time of the thirty-night New Year's Eve. It is hosted by the elder of the family or the person in charge of production and life in the family. The presiding officer must "purify" (that is, abstain from sex on New Year's Eve) and bathe the whole body, and must not come into contact with dirty things before "correcting". The desk is placed at the entrance or in the courtyard, and two benches should be placed on the table legs to raise the height of the desk. The offerings include three kinds of animals, fish, fruits, pastries, plain noodles, etc. There are a pair of large red candles with a foot length on both sides, commonly known as "all-nighters". During the "Kai Zheng" ceremony, the presiding officer lights the "all-nighter" and burns three pillars of incense. After that, the whole family kneels down, puts their palms together and asks the sky, prays sincerely, and prays for God's blessings to bless the whole family with peace, wealth, and all the best in the new year. After praying, the whole family stands in silence for a while, then burns "gold paper" and sets off firecrackers. Final meal. Since the 1980s, the "opening" time has been advanced to midnight, accompanied by the New Year's bell ringing on CCTV. The ceremony is also much simpler, some just blow off firecrackers and set off fireworks. But there were so many firecrackers being set off, especially the "Hundred Firecrackers", even thousands of them strung together, the sound was loud and lasted for a long time, and it was extremely lively. Worshiping tea: On the morning of the first day of the first lunar month, there is still a custom called worshiping tea on Dongtou Island. During the worship of tea, red dates, longan, rice cakes, etc. are boiled into sweet tea, which is called "red date tea". Its auspicious meaning is: red dates - days become more and more prosperous, longan - family reunion, safety and success, rice cake - climbing higher step by step. "Tea worship" is divided into two parts: one is worshiping ancestors, filling small bowls and offering them in front of the statue of the Kitchen God; the other is worshiping the Kitchen God, which involves burning incense, candles, gold paper and setting off firecrackers. After worshiping tea, each member of the family holds a bowl to drink. Since the first meal of the New Year is to eat soup, in the following days, if they go out or work at home, and are hampered by rain, people will laugh at themselves by saying "you eat soup on the first day of the first lunar month." After drinking tea, noodles are cooked and eaten, commonly known as "longevity noodles". It is not only for good luck and wishes the whole family a long life, but also because tea is not enough, it is used as a supplement to eat, killing two birds with one stone. Breakfast: For breakfast on the first day of the first lunar month, Wenzhou people like to eat Song Gao (a sweet steamed rice cake). When eating, cut the sponge cake into thin slices, and then cut the fat in the soy sauce meat into thin slices and embed it between the two sponge cakes. It tastes sweet and salty, and has a unique flavor. They also eat rice dumplings, or boil a bowl of vermicelli with a hard-boiled egg on top. These foods all contain the symbolic meaning of "higher years" and "reunion". Some people cook New Year's rice together with mashed cakes and sponge cakes. In Pingyang, people eat rice cakes and glutinous rice balls, and some drink brown sugar soup first, then add noodles and eggs; in Taishun, housewives make sugar tea, steam sugar cakes, and serve cabbage (salted radish) to the whole family. good".
But in the Yandang area of ??Yueqing, people eat rice dumplings. On New Year's Eve, each family will cook a pot of rice dumplings and eat them when they get up early on the first day of the year. It is said that eating Zongzi has two meanings. One is because Zongzi has the same pronunciation as "Zong", which means remembering the ancestors; the other is because Zongzi has the same pronunciation as "Zhong", which means winning the title of fame. In Yueqing, most people use red dates, persimmons, and glutinous rice balls. In Baishi Town, Yueqing, people eat soup dumplings, glutinous rice dumplings, and Zhuangyuan cake for dinner on the first day of the new year. When falling asleep, place your shoes in front of the bed to pray for blessings from heaven. During the Spring Festival in urban areas, guests have the custom of offering Yuanbao tea, that is, putting two fresh olives in the tea. Not only does the tea taste fragrant, but when you see olives floating in the yellow-green tea soup, they look like Yuanbao. It is commonly known as "Yuanbao tea". Contains the blessings of good luck and wealth in the new year. Desserts include round-eye meat, lotus seeds, and red dates, as well as meatballs, eggs and vermicelli. New Year's greetings: On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, first at home, the younger generation kowtows and salutes to their elders in order, which is called "New Year's greetings". From the second day of the Lunar New Year, neighbors, relatives and friends go back and forth to pay homage to each other. If they meet each other on the road, they will bow to each other and say hello (now they nod and shake hands to say hello), and they will also put their palms together and say "New Year's greetings" to each other. People visit each other's homes to wish each other good luck, which is also called "New Year's greetings" and "New Year's greetings." First, the younger generation goes out to their elders' homes to pay New Year greetings, and then the older generation returns to pay their respects, which is called "Hui Nian". When newlyweds visit their parents-in-law's house for the first time to pay New Year's greetings, they say "Worship the first year", and when descendants go to the funeral home to pay New Year's greetings they say "Worship the New Year". According to the old custom, Wenzhou people do not visit relatives on the first day of the first lunar month. The time for New Year greetings is generally from the second to the tenth day of the Lunar New Year or extended to the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year. In Cangnan, it is called "Tanzhengyue", and when you go to a relative's home, you have to bring gifts. Before the 1950s, agricultural products were relatively simple, mostly longan, lychee, red dates, jujubes, brown sugar, persimmons, etc. They were wrapped in special straw paper and sealed with red paper (some were printed with lace words to celebrate the New Year), so it was called " "Zhipan Bao", also known as "Gao Bao" and "Red Bao". Each package of gifts is about half a catty. How many packages need to be sent depends on the situation of the relatives you are leaving. In the old Nanhuo store, during the Spring Festival, many people bought red envelopes. Starting from December 20, after 9 o'clock every night, the shop assistants are busy wrapping red envelopes until late at night, and each person can also have a bowl of mustard green rice cake for dinner. If business is good, it will be arranged until after the Lantern Festival. Some stores only put more than 20 red dates in a red envelope. It's funny to say that after passing through the East family, I sent it to the West family, and then the West family sent it to the Nan family... Finally, the bag broke, and the red dates in the bag were dug by the children and eaten. Sometimes only one was left, and they were still being sent back and forth. In the middle and lower reaches of the Nanxi River in Yongjia, during the first Spring Festival after their marriage, the son-in-law went to his parents-in-law's house to pay New Year's greetings and make rice cakes, commonly known as "door-to-door cakes." Grind white rice and cook it, pound it in a stone mortar, knead it into rice cubes, and then place it in a wooden mold to print it into round and flat rice cakes with patterns on the front, such as Shuangxian Hehe and Liu Haixian. Qian, Zhuangyuan Xiang and other figures. The quantity should be one load, about 50 pairs to 100 pairs. In addition, there are also pork, sponge cake, longevity noodles (suomian), etc. In Wencheng, New Year greetings are called "Maeng Nian". In the old days, if you brought a child over one year old to visit your grandparents, you would usually choose the third, sixth, or ninth day, which was called "three, six, and nine days." When going out, draw vermilion or black ink on the child's eyebrows and the tip of his nose to avoid "little devils" from attacking him. On the fourth day of the first lunar month, most people do not go out or work. Because it is the same as "death", people who speak southern Fujian are taboo on the ninth day of the first lunar month. Because "Nine" and "Dog" are homophonic. In Yueqing, no one can go out to visit relatives and friends on the first day of the new year. In Baixi and other places, even the second day of the Lunar New Year is listed as a taboo day. If any unconventional person comes to the house rashly, he will be criticized face to face. Starting from the third day of the Lunar New Year, those who have not yet seen the "New Year's Eve" carry gold boxes to visit their parents-in-law, aunts, and godparents, and pay New Year greetings at the same time, which is commonly known as "looking at the first month." The gifts are mainly sponge cakes or pounded cakes, followed by red-sealed ingot paper packages of fish, meat, lychees, Kuiyuan, etc. Customs stipulate four gifts for old relatives and six gifts for newlyweds. The above-mentioned elder relatives who are being honored (including those who are being honored) usually return to pay homage before the Lantern Festival begins. If the grandparents and parents of the son-in-law, nephew, or godson have passed away, the son can be sent to go. Anyone who visits relatives and friends for the first time in the first month of the first lunar month, regardless of seniority, must carry two red envelopes. The person being visited must make tea, cook snacks, or host a banquet. Otherwise, it is considered rude to do so. In Pingyang, my nephew went back to his grandma’s house for the first time to pay New Year greetings. Grandma’s house sent a calf as a gift. In Dongtou, when a daughter returns to her parents' home, she must carry a "red bucket" to her parents as a sign of filial piety. The so-called "red barrel" refers to a small carved or red-painted wooden barrel, which contains cooked food, as well as pasta or glutinous rice made with large fish and meat as seasonings, usually about 2.5-5 kilograms. As the saying goes: "The soul of a son is like a banner, and the treasure of a girl is in a red bucket." This means that if a son is born, someone will wear sackcloth and mourn him after his death, and a soul flag will be raised during the funeral; if a daughter is born, there will be a "red bucket" in the first month to show filial piety.
After the 1970s, the custom of carrying red buckets basically disappeared, and the "paper bags" also disappeared, replaced by wine, meat, canned food and other foods. During the Spring Festival, for relatives and friends who come to pay New Year's greetings, most of the hosts have to entertain them with wine, commonly known as "New Year's wine", which is the Spring Banquet. There are also special banquets to invite relatives and friends to have a drink. Generally, the food and wine are quite generous. If relatives and friends come with children under the age of 16 (virtual age), then these children must be given lucky money, which is called "belly pressure". When relatives and friends leave, there must be a return gift, usually candies, pastries, water chestnuts, etc. According to the old custom, if you don't go to pay New Year's greetings, it is a sign of breaking up the relationship. Therefore, some old relatives (relatives from the previous generation) and the next generation have to take turns to go to pay New Year's greetings. Old relatives who have no contact during the four seasons and eight festivals must go to pay New Year's greetings during the Spring Festival. Hall layout: On New Year's Day, wealthy families would hang a red gold longevity screen (only for those with long-lived elders) or large paintings and calligraphy in the central hall. There would be a long table in front of the screen, with evergreens and red flowers on the left end, and a finely carved sculpture on the right end. In the middle of the screen, there is either a clock or a large ingot. There are a pair of large tin stands on the left and right (some weigh more than a hundred kilograms and are as tall as a person), with large candles on them. There are two square tables arranged in front of the long table. In addition to the large tin table and large candles on both sides, there is also a pair of bright-angle lamps (commonly known as "tang lanterns"). There is also a large ingot (made with a bucket of glutinous rice and brown sugar) in the middle of the two tables. (Made), inserted with silver flowers, wrapped in colorful red, and placed with a few horizontal tangerines, symbolizing the entrance of wealth. In addition, there are several flower pots from Jiangxi kilns on display, with various flowers planted on them, such as plum blossoms, lilacs, daffodils, Buddha nails, etc. On the flower pots, red paper strips with the word "Auspicious" written on them are pasted, and on the long table In front of the square table, there is an embroidered red satin table rail, and there are finely carved gold lacquer railings on the left and right corners. The middle hall is lined with calligraphy and paintings. Large chairs and coffee tables were arranged on both sides, covered with bright red satin embroidered chair drapes, and several plates of refreshments were placed on the tables. When a guest comes, the host and guest will be seated separately. In addition to refreshments, tea or snacks such as lotus seeds and longan are served on Jiangxi teacups on lacquered wooden trays, as well as glutinous rice balls and red dates. On this day, even the bed curtains, bed mattresses, bedding, etc. in the room were washed and replaced. Even the dressing tables and mirrors were covered with satin embroidered mirror covers. All the beams, eaves, and steps were decorated with Beautiful palace lanterns were hung, with only two pairs of red gauze lanterns hanging on the front beam to show grandeur. New Year's Day: Scholars use big red paper to write auspicious words, or "All year round, good luck with reading." This is called "New Year's Day," and there are also longer ones, such as "New Year's Day, good luck." All year round, Everything goes well. The business is prosperous, the wealth is abundant, the crops are prosperous, the family is prosperous, the weather is good, the country is peaceful and the people are safe." After writing, stick it on the wall. Those who can write poems will be inspired by the scene and write a few poems that encourage themselves. Placing Yuanbao: Each household uses brown sugar, glutinous rice, and indica rice to make large and small Yuanbao, which means to attract wealth. Any place in the home used to store objects, such as barns, rice vats, bookcases, cages, wardrobes, drawers, and altars. Jars, etc., put a small ingot on them. Wear new clothes: On the first day of the Lunar New Year, people have to wear new clothes, which also means saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new. In the old days, rich gentry and rich households wore new clothes of woolen silk and satin; even the old clothes of coarse cloth worn by poor households were neat and clean, different from ordinary days, in order to cope with the auspicious New Year. Children wear bright red clothes, young women are of course covered in red, and even old women wear bright red skirts, because red symbolizes good luck among the people. It is usually taboo for children to wear bright clothes, but today is an exception. Some people wear nets over red clothes and wear tiger claws. Some people also hang small swords, shells, wood or copper carvings on their belts, which are " means "to resist evil". Nowadays, people's clothing has undergone great changes. The colors, styles and materials are more colorful and developed to a high level. But wearing new clothes to welcome the New Year remains unchanged. Travel: When going out on the first day of the first lunar month, you have to choose a direction. First, burn incense in front of the Kitchen God, then take an empty pot, put a spoon in it, and rotate it vigorously. According to the direction of the handle that stopped at the end, one person will hold the scissors and go forward. Then listen and remember what the first person you meet said. , cut it (virtual action), which means taking half of it and returning it for divination. This is called "xiang divination", commonly known as "divination, cutting and listening". Happy oral fortune-telling: During the Chinese New Year, people in Wenzhou area enjoy oral fortune-telling. They are only allowed to say auspicious words and avoid speaking unlucky words. "When relatives entertain each other and auspicious words are spoken, gifts such as peace money and ten thousand-year-old cypresses must also be added to gifts at the age of the year. Otherwise, it is regarded as auspicious." ("Yongjia Hearing and Seeing Records" by Sun Tongyuan of the Qing Dynasty)