Yuan is the beginning, Dan means dawn. Although New Year's Day is not as grand as the Spring Festival, it is not without importance. Because New Year's Day means the beginning of a new year, we also have different customs all over China, which means that the new year has a new atmosphere and a new look.
I summed up that the customs of New Year's Day are nothing more than the following. If there are any shortcomings, please add them in the comments section.
What are the customs on New Year's Day?
Dietary customs
Speaking of the custom of eating, there are differences between the north and the south during the New Year. But the main purpose is to celebrate the arrival of a beautiful new year on this day.
In our north, we eat jiaozi in the New Year. There are two reasons:
(1) jiaozi is shaped like an ingot. On this day, every household in the north will wrap jiaozi with different fillings, which means that there is money to spend in the New Year.
(2) New Year's Day, which has been three or nine days, is the coldest season. Eating steaming jiaozi won't freeze your ears on this day.
In the south, we will eat rice cakes and glutinous rice balls, which means that we can be round and round in the new year and rise year by year. It is said that on New Year's Day in southern Fujian, red paper should be inserted in rice, indicating that the new year is booming and thriving.
Second, the custom of ancestor worship.
After all, New Year's Day is the first day of a new year, representing the beginning of a new year. Generally, there is a custom of offering sacrifices to ancestors everywhere. I hope the gods will bless me and have a good new year.
On New Year's Day, everyone hangs statues and ancestral tablets in the main hall. Move out of the altar, put bowls, chopsticks and offerings, and insert three sticks of incense in the incense burner. Pray for the blessing of the gods and ancestors, and the new year will be safe, smooth and complete.
Third, the custom of watching lanterns.
In our northern area, whenever winter comes, the ice lamp is repaired here. There are colorful lanterns in the ice lanterns, which are very dazzling and colorful at night. I think this is equivalent to a flower viewing lamp in the south.
The custom of setting off firecrackers
It is a common practice to set off firecrackers to celebrate anyone's happy event in China. It is also necessary to set off firecrackers on New Year's Day, which means that all the bad luck and bad luck in the previous year will collapse and usher in good luck.
The custom of sending greeting cards
There is also the custom of sending greeting cards on New Year's Day. I remember when I was at school, on New Year's Eve, my classmates would send greeting cards to congratulate each other. Wishing each other in the new year: learning progress, good health, all the best, and so on.