On the first day of the first lunar month, in addition to posting Spring Festival couplets, setting off firecrackers and eating jiaozi, there is also a custom of saving fire in many places. Some branches of Sang Mu and cypress trees, others use grain and grass, and they are lit in the fifth watch for a year's peace. Others, such as worshipping God and ancestors and paying New Year greetings, are similar to other places.
Lantern Festival custom: In Shangdang area, besides watching lanterns and setting off fireworks, there is another custom in Zezhou, Gaoping, Changzhi and other counties, which is to build a stove outside the gate and light a charcoal fire, which is called "human fire". Its shape is a figure, hollow burning, very beautiful, increasing the heat, making the streets warm as spring.
On the "Five Bean Festival" of the Eighth Five-Year Plan, every household will eat "Five Bean Porridge" cooked by millet mixed with red beans, soybeans, mung beans, peas and cowpeas.
On the "Laba Festival" on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, every household eats "eight-treasure porridge" boiled or steamed with glutinous rice, dried fruits such as jujube, chestnuts, almonds, walnuts and longan, peanuts and sugar. Some places in Jincheng put noodles, gold ingots and dark copper coins in the "eight-treasure rice", which is called "laba rice with gold ingots". People who eat black copper coins represent good luck.
On the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, most people eat honeydew melons and set off firecrackers. In some rural areas, the custom of painting, offering and incense to the kitchen god is still preserved.
Special Customs There is a special custom among Party counties, Licheng County and Xiangyuan City. Licheng people and Xiangyuan people call each other "in-laws". Regardless of gender, age, strangers and acquaintances, people in Licheng always start cursing and fighting when they see people in Xiangyuan or Xiangyuan. Licheng people are called Xiang Yuan's "brother-in-law" and Xiang Yuan's "little nephew", but they never turn against each other in fighting and hold grudges. As long as the word "in-laws" is mentioned, they can make up immediately. They can even eat together, without bookkeeping or paying for accommodation. Just like a family, if you fight with people from other places, you can be consistent and protect each other. This custom is still reserved.
Tunliu County does not produce tea, but Tunliu people love tea and drink strong big leaf tea. Many residents are almost addicted to tea. When buying tea, they usually buy it by weight and put it in a basket.
Tunliu people are also very particular about tea ceremony. When making tea, you should first boil the water with a big iron pot, and then put a lot of tea leaves into a porcelain pot and brew it with boiling water until the pot is full of water. When pouring tea, the tea brewed for the first time is only poured to one third of the teacup; The second time, the third time, add it to the full cup one by one. The tea brewed in this way is a little bitter at first, but it tastes sweet and refreshing.
Tunliu people entertain guests with tea in a special way. When a guest drinks tea, the host should constantly add tea to the guest. Even if the guest takes a sip of the teacup, as soon as the teacup is put down, the host will fill it for you immediately. Even if the guests repeatedly say no, the host will think that you are being polite and will continue to give you more, so that you can't finish a cup of tea. If you know the "rules" there, as long as you pour a little tea left in the cup on the ground, the host will think that you have really drunk enough and won't give you any more tea. This is the so-called "pouring tea soup without drinking".