a birth
When a woman is pregnant, she is called "happy", and she is not allowed to do any heavy work at home, and she has to buy the food and things she needs before and after the birth. The mother's family to send "warm nest" (or cool car), as well as baby clothes, brown sugar, lard, straw bibs, diapers, etc., known as the "birth". Baby clothes must have red sweater (not sewing edge), straw paper edge should also have a red mark, said wishing to give birth to a man. Fort Li around the birth, the mother's family to send gray plaque.
b. Deliveries
Pregnant women at the time of labor, waist and abdominal pain, this time to prepare pots and buckets for delivery. The fetus is about to be born, and then sat on the bucket child, called "on the bucket". In the past, the midwife (commonly known as the "midwife") was often called upon to deliver the baby. If a baby boy, the midwife said "congratulations on raising a fat boy"; if a woman was born, "mother and daughter are safe" to console the host family. If it is the first birth of a female, it is said that "first blossom, then fruit". There are consecutive births of women's homes, often with the means of drowning the baby. Nanxiang difficult labor, midwives often do to the door to drop the bowl, in order to children born quickly. Placenta old with a small jar storage, into the crushed lime, cover buried with the bottom of the bed, known as the "hidden clothes", so the birth of the place called "clothes cell ground. Fetus was born, the right to come to the unexpected guest, called "step on the birth", according to legend, the child grew up with similar habits and step on the birth of the person. The steady woman is often passed down from generation to generation, and has practical experience, which is helpful to the smooth delivery of the mother, but this old method of delivery lacks scientific disinfection and nursing knowledge, which often results in excessive maternal bleeding or infection with tetanus bacteria, causing "postpartum shock" and other diseases. Therefore, after the implementation of the new style of delivery, pregnant women to hospital delivery, the old custom is abolished.
c. Annunciation
After the birth of babies, there are Annunciation, Qu Tang, Haian area, the birth of a male to friends and relatives to send red eggs and hairy rice porridge (glutinous rice congee), the birth of a female to send jujubes, the recipient must be on the spot back to the gift (fresh eggs, indica rice), and in some cases, also packages of happy money. Hedong area of the birth of a male reported happy, the number of red eggs sent to become a single; birth of a female does not report happy, called "muffled big money".
d. Wash three
Three Dynasties wash the child's wind is very ancient, Tang Dynasty has been recorded. The baby was born on the third day, for him (her) bath, dress, open milk, take the name of the breast, and feast on friends and relatives, called "wash three period". Generally, the baby is washed by a steady woman, and after the washing, the baby wears a sweater, and the main family, relatives and friends reward the steady woman with "money for washing the baby". Before the baby's milk with licorice, rhubarb baking juice to feed the baby, commonly known as "catalyze the belly". When the milk, to grind ink, begging for breast milk from the opposite sex of the baby, with a red-hot copper into the ink, milk heated, fed first, I wish it grow up to have a good spouse, have wealth, culture. Wash three Chao organized banquets, the maternal family of the mother must be present. Nanxiang born male, in the wash three hanging in front of the room decorated with red cloth.
e. menstruation
After the birth of a woman, to be embraced by the bed, so that the blood smoothly downstream, called "sitting in the moon" (modern science has proved that this is unscientific), the days gradually longer, the mother can be free to move about the room for a moment, basically not from the bed, food and drink from the family to send. In order to keep warm and prevent infection of the head wind, the mother should be tied to wrap the head scarf or post "head wind ointment", until the full moon. During the menstruation period, the mother should drink moxa soup (aged moxa is good) with brown sugar to drive away the cold to remove the silt, the beginning of the day three services, and later reduced. Of course, those who are more sophisticated will take the traditional Chinese medicine "biochemical soup". Maternity months to eat less salty, eat more crispy cakes, sugar bubble oil deep-fried noodle cake, white soup pig's trotters a kind of nutrients, it is said to make the maternal milk, but also to prevent the future of the old more cough.
f... Full Moon
When a child is born for one month, it is called "full moon". Full moon day to shave the hair, shaved hair with red and green silk thread tied into a ball, hanging in the cradle or tent hooks, it is said that the baby can make the courage to ward off evil spirits. On this day, grandmothers bring their daughters, sons-in-law and babies home to celebrate, and when they go, they put some pot ash on the babies' foreheads, which is called "zaodouer", wishing them to be strong and healthy. When they return, they put powder on the baby's forehead and wish it to be strong and healthy, and when they come back, they put powder on it and wish it to be white and tender. When the baby goes home with his parents, he will lie in the cradle presented by his grandmother's house, with all the pillows and covers, and he will also bring back the "Maer" (a small wooden bedpan) for urination and defecation.
g. Weekly Catch
Babies turn one year old in the valley called "age", friends and relatives to come to celebrate. Grandparents and aunts and uncles should be made for the baby collar, neck locks, bracelets, anklets and other silver products and baby clothes, shoes and hats, and buy firecrackers, fish, steamed bread and other items, other friends and relatives discretionary gift. Is the day the child held by the adults held the "week" ceremony, in front of the god on the table display of living utensils, stationery, toys and other objects by their own, to divine the future.
h. Send name, recognize godmother
Where it is not easy to get a child born, and very favorite child, the family often send its name or recognize the godmother or as "godmother". To send the name to the temple, worship the old monk as a teacher, for the child to take a monk's name, and give the child monk clothes, shoes and hats. The family called the baby "Monk Little". Where the name of the child, grow up to get married, you need to return to the original temple to ask the monks to perform the law for its redemption to return to secularism. There is also a name in the Buddhist temple tree, the same for the child's longevity. Recognize the godmother, generally is to choose more children and the Chinese zodiac does not clash, so that the child to worship its mother. Recognize godmother, the child's family should be prepared to filial piety, godmother also returned to the new shoes and hats. When the townspeople lead the children to recognize the godmother, the godmother must wrap the children in the skirt, which has shown that it will be in line with the biological children.
(2) Marriage
a. Visiting relatives
When a man is married, when a woman is married, the marriage is concerned about "when the family is right", is the old society to visit the relatives (ask the name of the center of the idea.) Most of them want to:
The old society is the old society to visit the relatives (ask the name of the center of the idea), the old society to visit the relatives. Most to:
A visit to the "bottom", to understand each other's families whether there is fox odor. Both sides of the visit is very strict, in addition to this outdoor side and relatives, which at that time also counted as a simple concept of eugenics.
The second visit to the "family", clearing the soil, agriculture, industry and commerce, requiring the portal to match, or "climbing high relatives". In particular, they avoided intermarriage with those so-called low social occupation "lower nine streams" family.
The third visit to the "generation", to discuss the class row generation, can not be messed up "word" (large families have a family shrine, each generation of people are unified provisions of the name of a word, such as "moral article glory and wealth" and so on, in order to word by word, the family shrine, the family shrine, each generation of people are unified provisions of a word, such as "moral article glory and wealth" and so on. "and so on, to the word in order to rank generation).
The fourth visit "family situation", the woman on the male side of the fields, houses, furniture, food, trees, 'livestock and tenant relations should be detailed understanding. Also visit the number of male siblings, this is because the "small family to move poor, everyone share poor", directly related to the actual situation of the family economy. However, the male side of the female side of the economic conditions of the requirements of a little less, that "buy pigs do not buy a circle", the family does not matter.
Five visits to the "object", which is the most important one, but also one of the most difficult to visit. Because of the feudal era, parents arranged marriages, men and women often can not see face to face, the matchmaker from the ghost, the drawbacks, often resulting in lifelong suffering.
There is another condition when visiting relatives, that is, the age of the two sides suitable, zodiac match, and passed down many sayings. Such as: "female big one, grain hoard no place to fold", "male big three, gold mountain by silver mountain"; "female big three, will be begging for food," and so on, these are without a little scientific basis of nonsense.
b. Betrothal
Mutual recognition, if the two sides intend to marry, the woman will be born in the year of the woman, month, day, time of each line belongs to the heavenly stem, the earthly branches, that is, eight books on straw paper, red paper, sent by the matchmaker to the man, said "hair Geng post". Geng post is also known as the straw paper post. The male party to provide in the God cabinet under the furnace, and the body to detect bad luck, within three days can not happen to break the vessel or other ominous signs, or return to the woman. Such as three days nothing, the man is the "eight" to the fortune-teller projected "marriage to see whether the Qiankun two Zao eight matches. There are also a few people "love pro to do pro", do not engage in a set of divination. Marriage recognition, the man asked the matchmaker to choose an auspicious day to the woman's home to send obligations, silver, jewelry, etc. as a bride price (bride price), into the "betting on the post child" or "Na Cai". Hoi An Town, must send cinnamon, tea. Qu Tang area after the woman was hired, candy to neighbors, said to have been hired. After the engagement, the unmarried son-in-law should go to the woman's home to send "door gift" on New Year's holidays. Over the gift "fixed gift" ceremony is grand, there are certain specifications. Generally want to send pig bladder, carp, cake dumplings reunion (harmonic "high school reunion") and so on. Male hosts, female side at the same time to invite friends and relatives to announce the engagement.
c. Premarital Preparations
Before the marriage of the male party, must first be agreed with the female side of the date of marriage, and the date of the official marriage written in the red post, sent by the matchmaker to the female side, commonly known as the "call", and in addition, the male party to send the "call gift," that is, to be Through the matchmaker to discuss the gift, clothing, jewelry, compensation to send and other conditions to the daughter is young, the dowry has not yet done, such as excuses; such as the success of the negotiations, that is, the male party issued a red invitation to meet the red card (commonly known as the "day"), to determine the "auspicious day" to be married. Male in the wedding three days before the female party to send "open face gift", including "on the head of the whole" (rouge, pollen, red rope, gold flowers), wedding clothes (rented phoenix crown, cape, colorful clothes, embroidered skirts, cover the head of the red scarf), masters and mothers of the mat (which is a daughter is not constantly on the road to the mother's home, that) As well as for the female family to set off firecrackers, high rise (commonly known as "fire") and so on. The woman must gift son-in-law up and down clothing, shoes, hats, belts (tasseled belt), send rich bag (embroidered bag) and other six, together with the dowry trousseau delivery, which is "back to the good" gift.
Before the woman got married, the first relatives to ask her to play a few days to show goodbye, called "drying the marriage", the gift is called "flower meter" or "add makeup". The day before the woman got married, the home to do "to be female wine", parents taught to the rules of the bride, abusers to thank heaven and earth, worship ancestors.
One day before the wedding, the man went to the woman's home to receive the dowry. The dowry is divided into hard bedding (wood) and soft bedding (new bedding to be sewn by those who are blessed with longevity). Among the wooden utensils, there are three rounds (toilet, foot basin, and soup tureen) (which are necessary for the woman's life and also mean "three yuan and the first". The toilet is also known as "Zi Bucket", because people sit on the bucket like riding a horse), the toilet is filled with red chopsticks (harmonic "fast"), fried rice, straw paper (sealed with red paper into a folder), on top of the red dates, peanuts, cinnamon, chestnuts (harmonic "). (which means "early-born son" and is served to the children on each day of the week). On this day, the male party shall invite many children and grandchildren, blessed with longevity to accompany the room, warm the sedan chair, store, and eat warm wine.
d. pro welcome (wedding)
The day of the wedding, the male family will be sent before dawn sedan chair to the female home to meet the bride, in good condition, there is a hall of fame of the lanterns in front of the guide, and equipped with drums and musicians, the groom will also be sitting in the official sedan chair with the same, matchmakers in the front; conditions are poor, the Hebei with a boat, Henan, with two people to carry the bamboo frame sedan chair (or a wheelbarrow). Whether rich or poor, the bride will never walk.
The sedan chair did not arrive at the woman's home, the matchmaker first told the woman's home to receive the sedan chair, firecrackers. The woman's door is closed, the man must give the woman sent "open door seal" (this money is reserved for the mother's brother points). Then open the door for tea, and check whether the gifts meet the requirements (among them must be "Wan Nian Qing", planted in the courtyard by both men and women). After the tea, the male party will fire the cannon and play music, the first time to "urge the makeup". After the meal, and then three "urge makeup", only then by the parents instructed their daughters on the sedan chair.
Such as the Department of "one day round", after tea, before the meal, the dowry (Hebei with a boat, Henan with a car or by manpower picking, lifting), of which "toilet" by the bridesmaids to move, and to send the reward money. Otherwise, the groom needs to do it himself.
Open the door to drop the sedan chair to pass into the hypnotic makeup, by the Blessed One for the bride to comb her hair and dress up, parents instructed their daughters on the sedan chair. Bride out of the room to foot father and brother old shoes, to show that the mother's family is not stained soil wealth. Sedan chair to carry "three words of truth" (on behalf of the old calendar sealed with red paper) to ward off evil spirits. On the sedan chair, the mother of the bride to cry loudly, to show her daughter's love and cherish. Along the way across the bridge must set off firecrackers, fire. Some places, by the bride's brother holding a lamp to send said "send the bride". Hebei region, after the bride commercial boat, by the brother with a pot-washing broom in the boat on the three corners of the brush, leaving a corner of the brush, said the female family to share the wealth of the male family; start the boat, the boat in the center of the river circled around three times to show that the bride to the family of the bride reluctant to part with the feelings. Sedan chair to the male family, firecrackers, drums and music. When the bride enters the door, the feet step on the firewood (harmonic "wealth"), across the prosperous fire pot (said the days of prosperity).
Spring Festival
The first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, formerly known as New Year's Day (divided into dynasties), commonly known as the first day of the Lunar New Year. The old custom, in the early hours of the morning when the old man lying in bed to listen to the nature of the animals, in order to divine the luck of the year. Households scrambled to burn incense and firecrackers, grabbing heaven and earth, especially early to burn the "first incense", mostly for the family to add a man or good fortune. Hedong family is customary late start, every family until three poles of the sun to get up. In the morning, the housewife into the kitchen, to "old fire" pot fried eggs, warm fruit tea, hot white soup pork, given to the elderly sitting in the family to eat on the bunk, others are getting up to eat jujube tea, Yuanbao tea, dumplings and pastries. After breakfast, the natural residential area as a unit, groups of young and middle-aged people from various households went from house to house to pay New Year's greetings, and the hosts entertained them with cigarettes, tea, peanuts, candies, etc. The town shops sent each other New Year's greetings. Stores in towns send each other red New Year's invitations, which are thrown through doorways. At noon, incense is burned in honor of the gods (also known as "down the rise" to thank the gods). Before lunch, do not sweep the floor, do not splash water, do not move the scale, do not move the scissors. On the first day of the year still have to eat old rice custom, the Hebei family at noon to eat old New Year's Eve rice, leftovers (known as "under the life of the rice"), the evening meal to eat noodles (known as longevity noodles); Henan, the Hedong family in the evening to eat old rice, at noon to eat glutinous rice (or sticky傺 rice). According to the customary dinner in advance, go to bed without lights, that can make the summer mosquito reduction. From the second day of the year, each family one after another to visit friends and relatives, each other to pay tribute to the New Year. On the second day, rituals can not be exempted, for tenants on the landlord, the boss home to pay tribute to the New Year, son-in-law with his wife and children to pay tribute to their parents-in-law, Hedong region, children and nephews to the uncle (uncle) parents to pay tribute to the New Year. Friends and relatives invited each other to spring wine, called "please spring goblet", generally until the first month of the fifteenth. Rural areas in the Hedong region call the invitation of spring wine "pulling the dragon lantern", which lasts until the half of February. On the second day of the first lunar month, farmers go to the land temple (ancestral shrine) to offer incense to the land lord and land lady, praying for a year of favorable wind and rain, and no pests in the fields. The store then honors Xuan Tan Bodhisattva (i.e., the god of wealth, Zhao Gongming), and runs a wine reception for employees.
The fifth day of the first month for the "God of Fortune Day", also known as "five-way day", the store opened. Shopkeepers on the "God of Wealth" is extremely important, from the fourth night, the store number of the door that is posted God of Wealth statue. Shopkeepers bathed and dressed, some stay up all night, and prepare three sacrifices (pig head, rooster, flower fish, commonly known as "six eyes"), midnight that is to get up and burn incense "to receive the God of Fortune," the sound of firecrackers ceaselessly.
The first business in the New Year, such as women to buy, known as "full (mother) business", price concessions. Folk poor artists are also then dressed in costumes, dressed as the God of Fortune knocking with a gong, each to the store number in front of the door to play a fortune to ask for rewards, so-called "jumping God of Fortune". In the evening, the owner of the store invited employees to eat "God of Fortune wine".
Hai'an custom to the first to the fifth for the "five days of the year", people are wearing new clothes, new hats
new shoes. Because of the "cotton" and "mold" resonance, so some areas avoid wearing cotton shoes, the Hebei people's homes in front of the eaves of the red lanterns, from the first night to the first month of the eighteenth drop lights, called the "sky lanterns".
Lantern Festival
The first fifteen days of the first month of the Lantern Festival, also known as the Festival of Lights, the Festival. "Thirteen on the lamp, eighteen off the lamp", this period for the Lantern Festival period, the first month of the fifteenth for its climax. Farmers hang papier-maché red lanterns (covered with rain hats) on bamboo poles during this period and light them every night to pray for a good year. For those who are suffering from eye diseases, the festival is held from the first one to the 30th day of the first month. Lantern Festival, in addition to Zhang Lantern, see the lights, to eat glutinous rice flour dumplings in the morning, and at night to eat oil fried dumplings, peanuts, broad beans, white fruit and other food. Lantern period generally have "on the lamp round son drop lamp face" food customs.
The Lantern Festival night, the farmers to take the grass tied into more than ten feet long ignited, to get their own ridge waving, said "fried hemp string. Usually hemp string into twelve sections, if it is a leap year, must be more than one section, each section put two small firecrackers. Farmers swing while singing "burnt rice ballad" such as: "the first half of the month, fried hemp string, pick up a spike head weighing catty half, dad said to grandma look"; "the first half of the month, fried hemp string, other people's vegetables copper coins, my family's vegetables colander big; other people's vegetables were born with mange, my family's vegetables sold on the street" and so on. Fried hemp string is also called "fried hemp worm", "put burning fire". Folk have to hemp string flame prediction of the year into good or bad, crimson trillion drought, white trillion water.
February 2
The second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, each family will have married their daughters so the day to bring back to her mother's home to rest, the length of time varies. Hebei has a folk song: "February 2, the family boat with women two." Hedong has a ballad said: "Pick Penny, do cake children, with daughter, not with daughter poor dog." There is a day, Hedong, Henan area matchmaking active, proverb: "February 2nd dragon head, Wang Baochai embroidery building throwing colorful balls."
Qingming Festival
Around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar for the Qingming Festival. It is the day when families set up offerings to their ancestors, called "honoring the first". Qingming Day, women and children have to wear cauliflower, willow vulgar, morning food chestnut surface willow leaf spread cake, folk legend has "Qingming not wear willow, after death into a mangy dog" proverb. Ten days before and after Ching Ming, each family successively swept the tomb, hanging silk, inserting small flags, burning paper, for the old grave padding, plus the top. Three years after the burial of the deceased, the children sweep the grave to do wine rituals, before and after three years, respectively, known as the new grave, in the grave, full of graves. The day before Ching Ming is the "Cold Food Festival", no fireworks, only eat cold food. After the Republic of China is not attached importance to, have changed to the afternoon of Qingming Day to eat cold food. After the establishment of the new China, the institutions and schools and people's organizations more than before and after the Qingming Festival to visit the tomb of the martyrs, to honor the flower wreaths, in memory of the martyrs.
b. Summer
April to June on the lunar calendar, the main festivals are summer, Dragon Boat Festival and June 6. After the summer solstice, all rice seedlings, grain seedlings. Farmers are afraid of drought and flooding, often held during this period is the annual green seedling meeting. In case of prolonged drought, there is still the Dragon King will do to seek rain. Summer in addition to the above three festivals, there is the May 13th birthday of Guan Laozi, brothers to worship God on this day, banquet, in honor of Guan Di. June 9 for Guanyin birthday, more vegetarian fasting custom.
Lixia
Around April 6 on the lunar calendar for the Lixia Festival, the family boiled eggs, quit sitting on the threshold, lunch must be chives scrambled eggs. Qu Tang area is not nap, to prevent resistance and resistance to summer. Men, women and children to be weighed in the summer, women are wearing soapberry leaves or sleepy grass on the head, said to avoid summer drowsiness. Before and after the summer wheat is just cooked, with young wheat grinding patties (commonly known as "cold tender") to taste the new custom.
Dragon Boat Festival
The fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar is the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Dragon Boat Festival, Tian Kuang Festival. On this day, every household is wrapped in brown seeds. The old custom is to hang the Dragon Boat Festival charm in front of the door, indoor hanging Zhong Kui judge statue, the God on the cabinet display fresh ai, calamus, burning disk incense. There are jumping judges in the market, the theater more plays "White Snake" and other plays. Women with colorful velvet and satin, made a variety of exquisite incense bags, worn on the children, called "Dragon Boat Festival Jin'er". Children wearing new clothes, neck tie "hundred rope", feet wear "tiger shoes". Lunch at noon, closed for lunch, called "Wushu", dishes shall have "five red", namely, dry pickles braised pork, red amaranth, braised yellowtail, red carrots, red fried shrimp, etc., but also drink Xionghuang wine. After the meal, with ai leaves dipped in andrographis wine sprinkled all over the wine room room nooks and crannies, or with ai leaves, calamus smoke, and in the children's forehead with andrographis wine book "king" word to ward off evil spirits and drive away the five poisons. Bathroom in the town of the day will be calamus, moxa leaves chopped up in the pool water (commonly known as hundred grass soup) for bathing to prevent sores. Hairy foot son-in-law more than this day to the female side to send dumplings, duck eggs, yellow fish, pork and other courtesies, such as the wedding date has been close to the need to send clothing. The next day, married children with their husbands back to the bride's home, said "eat rancid dumplings". Haian Town, the old Dragon Boat Festival tour Fengshan common, had won a great moment, this has not Xing.
June 6
The old custom is to sunbathe in the sun on the day of exposure to ambush, eat new wheat fried with burnt chips. Proverbs have "June 6, eat a piece of coke crumbs to raise a piece of meat," said. Women wash their hair on this day, men and children bathe in the river, proverb: "June 6, wash white meat." The mother's family should give the newly married children to do summer clothes, said "send summer". Some places have June 6 with children resting on the custom of big volts. This custom has been diluted.
c. Autumn
July to September on the lunar calendar, the main festivals are the Autumn Festival, Tanabata, the Mid-Yuan Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Chongyang Festival. In addition to the old days there is the July 30th birthday of the King of Tibet, the townspeople in the evening of this day, pointing the "ground lamp" to honor the gods, or Yan monks to put the open-air fireworks, in order to supersede the lonely souls and wild ghosts, known as the "Meng Lan Hui", commonly known as "put Li Liao". "
This is the first time that we have seen this.
Autumn is the day to eat watermelon, meaning that the melon can get rid of the summer heat, and there is a day to eat watermelon can be "rotten pig's hair" said. Most of the people in Libao area eat deep-fried noodle cake cooked with pumpkin on this day.
Tanabata
The night of July 7 is commonly known as Tanabata, which is also called "Begging for coincidence festival", and it is said that it is the day when Cowherd and Weaving Maiden meet on the magpie bridge. Farmer's girls often look at the clouds of coincidence, legend has it that who can look at the clouds of coincidence, who will be able to master the female red. There are also hidden in the eggplant fields, melon shed under the "begging". This custom is no longer practiced today.
Mid-Yuan Festival
The 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar is the Mid-Autumn Festival, commonly known as the half of the 7th month. On this day, each family wraps flat food (dumplings), cooks new rice, eats lunch in advance, burns paper to offer ancestors, known as the burning anniversary. Folk song has "early burn Qingming late burn winter, July dead, etc. not in" said.
Mid-Autumn Festival
The 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar for the Mid-Autumn Festival, commonly known as the "August Festival", also known as the "Reunion Festival", the Hedong people called the "Festival of the people". Before the festival, friends and relatives send gifts to each other, mooncakes for the necessary things. On this day, families eat moon cakes, rice cakes and lotus root cakes. Nanxiang farmers do more pots and pans the size of the "moonlight cake", downriver people are more slaughter ducks for food. In the evening, a feast is held, and families enjoy the moonlight with wine. After dinner, each family set up in front of the door or courtyard for moon cakes, fruit, lotus root, diamonds, pomegranates, persimmons and other offerings, burn incense to the moon, worship "Taiyin Xingjun" statue of God, bubble tea in front of the God, commonly known as "honoring the moon". Hedong area for the moon mother statue. If there is an occasional lunar eclipse, the sound of firecrackers and gongs is heard everywhere to drive away the sky dog eclipse the moon, until the moon returns to light. The famous stores in the market towns hold "moonlight meetings" and set off fireworks in the evening, which is very lively. The storytellers and opera sing "Chang'e Runs to the Moon" and "Tang Ming Huang Visits the Moon Palace" and other seasonal programs. Engaged young men should give their husbands' families moon cakes, lotus roots, fish, clothing and other gifts, called the festival. Farmers have to look at the mid-autumn moon to predict the next year's abundance of customs, proverbs have "bright moon in the clouds arch, the next year, shrimp and fish to extinction," said. Today, in addition to the "moonlight", "moonlight will" and other customs have not survived, the rest remains the same.
Chrysanthemum Festival
The first nine days of the ninth lunar month is the "Chrysanthemum Festival". On this day, the town deli steamed sticky cake for sale, called "Chrysanthemum Cake", and comes with a five-color paper triangle flag, printed with auspicious patterns, called "Chrysanthemum Flag". In the evening, the stores and workshops invited the masters to eat "Chongyang wine". As the saying goes, "Eat a cake of Chung Yeung, said to throw the evening tea; eat Chung Yeung wine, to the night for pulling". Qutang town is the day of eating fenghua common, think eat fenghua will not be crazy dog bite. Today, this day has been designated by the state as "Respect for the Elderly Day".
d. Winter
From November to the winter solstice into the winter. The twelfth month of the lunar calendar is called the Lunar New Year, from the twentieth day of the Lunar New Year to New Year's Eve, counting the days by nights. During this period, the family to dust cleaning, steamed cakes, steamed buns, rice crackers, etc., some people also pickled salted fish, salted meat. Families should rush to wash clothes and bedding on sunny days, and the folk ballad says, "Rich or poor, wash for the New Year". Barbershops and bathhouses are especially busy because of "cutting Yuanbao's head and taking Yuanbao's bath". On the twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh nights, some people honored the gods and ate New Year's Eve wine in stores. From twenty nights to twenty-nine nights, there are full-time night watchmen in the market town, carrying lanterns and knocking on bamboo clappers to remind people of fire and theft. After the founding of the country, the local government departments pay more attention to the winter defense, the organization of the militia and the work of the night patrol on duty, do a good job of security.
October Chao
The first day of October on the lunar calendar called "October Chao", before and after a few days to sweep the graves full of graves, sacrifices and Ching Ming Festival is similar. On this day, there are cooking glutinous rice to send flies, Hedong is to cook red beans rice to send flies. Li Fort old custom is held on this day of the city god will. And Hedong area in October towards the washing of cattle, plowing cattle began to winter rest. Win weak old cattle, often eliminated.
Winter Solstice Festival
Winter Solstice Day in the calendar around December 22nd. The day before is known as Little Winter, when families offer sacrifices to their ancestors and burn paper. On the winter solstice, also known as the Great Winter, there is a custom of eating soup dumplings in the morning. Evening reunion feast, stores and workshops have "winter wine", commonly known as "big winter is like a year". Hedong also between the winter worship rituals. From the winter solstice onwards, the number of nine for the intersection of winter. Winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night, so there is a proverb: "winter solstice does not sit at night, the summer solstice does not step on the car."
Lapa
The eighth day of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar to convey the room said that Sakyamuni Buddha became a Taoist day. Folk imitation temple custom, with glutinous rice, soybeans, peanuts, Cigu, green vegetables, red beans, etc., mixed with the cooking into the "Lahai congee" meal; sophisticated rich households put red dates, chestnuts, white fruit, mushrooms, mushrooms, fungus, etc., said "eight treasures congee". Buddhist believers in the evening to eat noodles to wish "infinite longevity Buddha". Other people have a banquet. Today, eat Lapa congee is still common.
Send stove
Lunar New Year's Eve 24th family sent stove, praying for the stove king, "said good things in the sky to the world to keep safe". The offerings are generally four plates: caramel (sticky seal Zaojun's mouth), tea and rice (symbolizing the peace of life), tofu ("rich" resonance), red beans and crushed straw (Zaojun god horse fodder), the Hedong people also for the wine lees. After the founding of the country this custom gradually abolished.
New Year's Eve
The 30th day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar (the 29th day of the month for the small) for New Year's Eve, commonly known as the "30th night". The day before New Year's Eve is New Year's Eve, and most families offer their ancestors at noon; some families offer their ancestors at noon on New Year's Eve. The day before New Year's Eve is New Year's Eve, and most families offer sacrifices to their ancestors at noon; some families offer sacrifices to their ancestors at noon on New Year's Eve. New Year's Eve before the family busy, steamed pastries, do New Year's dishes, fried peanuts, broad beans, fried rice, buy tea, playing New Year's goods, etc. must be at this stage of the preparation of the outdoor Bi. New Year's Eve, the old custom of the eaves should be inserted red paper, yellow paper decoration and sesame straw, the portal should be posted on the red paper, spring scrolls and the God of the Door; hall inside the New Year's Eve paintings, Shunsui strip, and the "Fu" word upside down, take "Fu to" the harmonic sound. Mourning family spring couplets the first year yellow paper, the second year green paper, the third year full of filial piety after the red paper. The inside and outside of the house is cleaned and reorganized, and the door and the head of the field are packed with bushels of lime to play "Yuanbao Hoard", or known as "Qilin Footprints". On the night of New Year's Eve, the ancestors were honored, the God of the Stove was received, and the family hosted a banquet and ate "New Year's Eve Wine". New Year's Eve rice, generally to cook more, the remaining set aside for the New Year to eat "old rice"; potpourri to stay whole, called "rice root", and a plate containers, on the insertion of pat tree branches, sesame stalks, decorated with white fruit, peanuts, copper coins, paste yellow paper, God of Fortune image, called the "old rice pot". "Chen rice bowl", placed on the God's cabinet. After the banquet, clean up the kitchen, clear the stove surface, pots and pans, full of water tanks and art buckets. Before going to bed, the elders should give the younger generation to send "pressure (to keep) the year money; each pillow put candy, jujube, everlasting fruit (shelled peanuts), for the year of the pillow to open the food; and divided into new clothes, new hats, new shoes and socks for the year of the year to wear. Hedong some people stay up all night, sitting people to wait for the amount, called "keep the year",.