What is the significance of breastfeeding in July and a half in 2022?
1, please register first.
At the time of ancestor worship in July and a half, the ancestral tablets should be invited out one by one, respectfully placed on the dedicated altar, and then incense should be burned in front of each ancestor's tablet three times a day, morning, noon and fainting, until July 30. If there is a portrait of your ancestors, please come out and hang it.
2. Pay attention to the order of worship.
When worshipping, kowtow to each ancestor in the order of seniority and seniority, pray silently, report to the ancestors and ask someone to check their words and deeds this year first, so as to protect the peace and happiness of the whole family.
I am safe and happy. When returning, burn paper money and clothes, which is called burning coating, or Buddhist or Taoist ritual crossing.
3. Sacrifice ancestors
Mid-Autumn Festival is usually held at noon that day. Every family has prepared rich dishes, wine and rice. In their respective halls, the tables of the Eight Immortals are filled with 24 full-flavored seats, seven pairs of chopsticks, a pot of wine and seven cups. Put a fruit box in the middle. Fruit boxes are generally carved with hexagonal solid wood, and plates are also carved into rectangles with six squares on them, in which mushrooms are placed.
4, worship ceremony and pay attention to burning paper
When the banquet is set, the host lights three incense sticks, two red candles, incense sticks, bows down as a ceremony, and invites ancestors to enjoy the sacrificial banquet, hoping to bless the health, peace and prosperity of future generations. And stop to ask for permission before burning gold and silver coins. The banquet can't be withdrawn until the golden paper is burned out.
On the same day, three sacrifices were offered to the gods and buddhas in the hall. The so-called three sacrifices means that one main sacrifice is matched with two kinds of auxiliary sacrifices. The main sacrifice is usually cooked pig's trotters of five catties, and the side sacrifice is usually cooked fish, squid, fish and chicken. For example, there is Guanyin Bodhisattva in the hall. Because Guanyin's mother doesn't eat meat, she often sacrifices it with fresh fruit.
Because the gods and buddhas are higher than their ancestors, they can only offer "golden paper", and silver clothes and the like are of low value, which cannot reflect the sincerity of good men and women, so they are not among the offerings.
On the Mid-Autumn Festival, in addition to ancestor worship and Buddha worship, the host also pays homage to the gods of Cuo, Foundation, Kitchen, Bed Mother, and even the gods of cowshed, stable, sheepfold and pigsty, five-flavor banquet bowls, all wrapped in silver.
What should be prepared for the meal in Hengyang in July and half?
In July and a half, it is more lively than the Chinese New Year, and people are invited to eat "burning clothes".
Pearl Township in Hengdong County is also called "receiving ancestors" or "receiving guests" in July and a half. During the first to fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, they spend July and a half. Different families have different days, and the same family has established rules on time arrangement.
For example, the Liu family took in a guest on the first night and sent him away on the second night. When the uncle's family heard the firecrackers from his house, they immediately lit incense, candles, paper money and set off firecrackers, just to take the guests to their home.
July and a half is a very grand event. If you are absent for no reason, you will be said to have forgotten your ancestors and be considered a worthless person.
At this time, the main activity is to worship ancestors, and drinks, fruits and snacks should be provided in the morning, noon and evening. Strangely, according to traditional customs, distiller's grains are used instead of wine. On the afternoon of sending guests out, you should burn a lot of paper money and clothes made of paper, as well as sacrifices such as paper boxes, and write a list of relatives who died within five generations, then pour cock blood on all these items and choose a place to burn them.
July and a half is the most solemn commemoration of the deceased relatives in a year, but it is also an activity with a strong human touch.
Before the first day of July every year, relatives and friends who often go will say hello early, "When can my family see my ancestors? Come and eat' burning rice'. " Because there are many paper-cut clothes to burn in July and a half, this kind of lunch for relatives and friends is called "clothes-burning rice".
At the time of "burning clothes and cooking", three aunts and six grandmothers and neighbors' close friends came, and the room was full of people, which was very lively. When eating, stir-fried chicken with ginger, a dish made by blood sacrifice cock, will be told by adults at the dinner table that eating this dish can grow fast, and adults will specially give it to children.
July and a half are sometimes more lively than Chinese New Year. This July and a half custom is the same as many places in Hengshan and Nanyue.
Don't touch stools and tables when serving "old guests"
Valentine's Day (the seventh day of July), which is popular among young people recently, happens to be the day when the gates of hell are closed, and all the "old guests" (referring to the deceased ancestors) come back on this day.
During this time, adults often greet their children at home, "Go home early at night." And you can't leave your child at home alone, for fear of being scared, because before the tenth day of July, the "old guests" who have come back from the dead haven't found a home.
After opening the gate of hell, there is not much difference from usual except calling the children's attention. Until the evening of the tenth day of July, every household will set off firecrackers to welcome "old guests" back to their homes. From the next day, meals will be provided every day. If there are many brothers in the family, they will provide "old customers" in turn.
When offering sacrifices to "old guests", it is forbidden to touch the stools and tables used for sacrifice. Five days later, that is, July 15, we will be ready to burn these bags. The paper money in each bag should be separated one by one, which contains Mingbi, and then wrapped with white paper.
Burning steamed stuffed buns means sending "old customers" back. Every bag should be written with the name of "old guest" with a brush, otherwise, just like sending a letter, without an address and name, the recipient may not receive the paper money sent by the younger generation, and there will be no money to use.
People who burn buns usually say something to the effect of praying for the blessing of "old customers" while burning buns. At the same time, the package should be burned to the extent of the postman.
Although they are all Hengnan, there are still some differences in different places. For example, in Dongxiang areas such as Xiangyangqiao Town and huaqiao town, regular customers are usually from July 1 1 day to 14.
Dongxiang is for "old customers" every day. In the morning, it's fried dough sticks, steamed bread and the like. I want to buy more than a dozen bowls at noon, which is very rich. In the evening, tea and fruit will be provided. When serving "old customers", you are not allowed to touch stools or tables. After the supply is over, you can use other things.
As an "old guest", I presented Tongyeba to Baihepu Town in Qidong.
On the evening of October in the lunar calendar, the eldest of the family, that is, the oldest elder, will gather the whole family together, have dinner first, and explain the related matters and specific arrangements of sacrifice, such as how to sacrifice ancestors in turn in these five days; If you don't have one, which one will do it for you; Paper money, firecrackers, gold and silver ingots, ghost clothes and trousers, and other fashionable sacrificial articles are all burned to ancestors.
Of course, the most important thing is that the whole family will take their ancestors home for the New Year. Generally, we choose the village entrance or our own door, depending on the size of the place, offering sacrifices, lighting incense and candles, and burning paper money. Then the old man began to mutter something about the great events that have happened at home since this year.
Then, set off firecrackers to welcome our ancestors home for the annual July and a half festival.
In the next few days, everyone took turns offering sacrifices. Incense, candles and cannons are available before meals. When the ancestors have finished eating, everyone will eat again. There is wine and meat in the ancestors, and every meal is fresh. Leftovers can't be served If there are many brothers, the elders in the family will usually be present every day, and they will report their work and wishes to their ancestors (sometimes called "old guests") before meals, and the old people will help each family.
On July 15, after the grand dinner, the grand ceremony began. The whole family put paper money, sacrifices (fruits, tung leaves) and other sacrifices in place together, put the burnt paper money on it and spread flying paper to show what the family burned for their ancestors. Things burned, and flying paper burned in the fire. Please check the ancestors. Then burn the scattered silver prepared for the coffin carrier. The old man will specifically explain that these are gifts for the coffin carrier, or there are some wild ghosts around him, so that they can take some from here and don't rob their ancestors.