I left my hometown at the age of 8 and know little about it. In my impression, there are too many customs in my hometown, and there are also many days when I need to worship Buddha. My mother has "important things" to do every month, the first 15, all kinds of clean government. When I was a child, I thought it was a little troublesome for my mother, but after my mother was busy, I would also have delicious food, all kinds of snacks, fruits or chicken, duck and fish. Why not? When I grew up, when eating was no longer a temptation, I told myself that since my mother felt at ease after worshipping, let her go. I didn't try to persuade her to change, but I'm not interested in understanding the culture behind it, let alone learning all kinds of manners.
May 6, 20 18, March 22 of the lunar calendar. Invited by a friend, I went to my friend's hometown Puning for two days. It happened that the next day was Mazu's birthday. I stayed there for two days and personally felt the strong atmosphere of the festival and the local villagers' attention to the festival. That concern made me personally feel that this folk festival has another meaning besides worshipping.
It began to rain when we got up early in the morning. A friend said that the most grand and lively birthday of Mazu was Mazu's outing. I am curious. What if it rains? My friend said, "I haven't tried to rain on this day for many years." The rain should have stopped as soon as Mazu came out. I ask you to say, "Water is wealth, and rain means that your village will be rich and expensive this year". The friend said happily, "Yes! ".I suddenly feel that I am actually a Chaoshan person in my bones.
The parade began at the local school. When we arrived at the primary school in the village, the parade had already started. We only saw the queues of primary school students at both ends, and they were behind the parade. I was surprised to hear from my friend that the school was closed for two days because of Mazu's birthday! It's really education from the baby! ! We can know how much the local people and government attach importance to this festival.
We decided to drive behind the line-Mazu was at the head of the line. My friend said to intercept at the ancestral temple. However, when we arrived at the ancestral hall, we only saw the middle part of the team-the queue of veteran cadres. Friends say that these old people are over 65 years old and have made contributions to the village. So they are behind Mazu. This queue is exquisite.
Let's continue to chase in the car, and the team will enter the village!
But when we entered the village, we were blocked by the crowd before we entered the parade, and we still missed the front line. I felt a little embarrassed when it rained heavily and sometimes, but the villagers were in high spirits and talked happily in the rain.
We have to abandon the car and follow the crowd. I heard that the parade was going back to school, so we hurried to school. The rain on this day is really hard to predict. It rained for a second, and my umbrella was always open and closed. I'm nervous!
As soon as we arrived at the school gate, it began to rain cats and dogs. The roadside was full of spectators, and the parade was marching in the rain.
Although I didn't catch up with Mazu, I was still very excited to catch up in the rain.
Besides the parade, I also saw many giant incense sticks leaning against the wall outside the school. I'm curious what this is for.
My friend said that these incense sticks were for the villagers. If necessary, you can buy it and plant it in the fields in the village to bless your family.
I see.
The next day, we went to the fields in the village to see what happened. Wow ~ ~! This is undoubtedly the most spectacular incense array I have ever seen! ! !
Although cruising makes me feel a little novel, this is not the reason why I want to write this article. What prompted me to record this experience was another kind of affection brought to me by this festival.
Before my friend and I came, my friend mentioned going home on Daughter's Day. I am curious. Daughter's Day? Is there such a festival? She said yes, on this festival, all married daughters want to be reunited at their parents' home. So Mazu's birthday is also called Daughter's Day. She herself goes back from Shenzhen every year. In addition to feeling the excitement of Mazu's birthday and tasting the delicious food in his hometown, the most important thing is to reunite with relatives and friends. This festival, in heng shan cun, is more important than Mid-Autumn Festival. Over time, this festival has actually become a day for all friends to get together, not just for the married daughter to go back.
My friend said that I could meet many childhood playmates and talk about the recent situation on this festival. When I was a child, her home was a place where everyone got together. The second day of Mazu's birthday parade is the day of sacrifice. After the worship, many friends who come home from other places will gather in her old house to chat. Therefore, although no one lives in her old house, it is still well preserved, leaving a lot of laughter from relatives, friends and guests who come back from afar every year.
After the cruise, we specially visited the old house. A dog was left in the house to watch the house, and a coffee table was placed in the middle hall for guests. When they have time, they will go back and simply clean up and keep popular.
The next day, we went to worship God with our friends and returned to our old house.
Sure enough, on this day, the old house was full of people and laughter. My friends' children came to my old house one after another, and some relatives and friends also came to join in the fun. Like me, I was one of them.
Friends say they don't have to make an appointment in advance. As long as you go back to your hometown, you will come automatically the day after the worship, chat and drink a few cups of tea. Then some friends may go back to the city where they worked hard that afternoon, and some will stay for a day or two.
For a long time, I didn't care much about the festivals in Chaoshan, because I felt very complicated, too particular and too tired to be a man.
This experience, I still don't understand the culture of worship, but I feel the affection and friendship behind this worship more. Isn't it a good holiday if a holiday can make all the children away from home reunite with their parents and let relatives and friends get together to talk? No matter what the motivation of these children who work outside the home is, worship or belief, I think everyone who insists on running home this holiday must have other feelings besides worship. Then, it must be a good feeling.
20 18.5. 10 composition.