On the New Year’s Day, pasting Spring Festival couplets, wearing new clothes, worshiping ancestors, having a reunion dinner, and receiving lucky money have become the themes. What is special is that the son-in-law has to bring candies (including Shusha and Teochew mandarin oranges) to pay New Year greetings to his father-in-law and mother-in-law on New Year's Eve, give red envelopes, and bring New Year blessings. However, the formal and solemn New Year's greetings are held on the first and second day of the first lunar month. New Year's greetings after the second day of the first lunar month will be regarded as insufficient sincerity and unkind.
On the first day of the first lunar month, there are many taboos in the countryside, such as sweeping the floor, pouring dirty water, taking out garbage, washing clothes, asking for debts from others, beating and scolding children... The most special thing is that women are not allowed to come casually When newlyweds visit each other's house, even if they are guests, the man must be in front and the woman behind; in addition, fasting is advocated on the first day of the Lunar New Year, and the offerings to worship ancestors must also be light. This is mainly due to the sumptuous dinner on New Year's Eve (Chaozhou proverb: frugal and frugal). May Day, Fu Fu celebrates New Year’s Eve).
The first day of the first lunar month is the first day of the New Year. There are theatrical performances in the stage square, mainly for children. There is everything you need to talk, play, recite and sing, fully displaying the aura of the children in your hometown. The preschool children also performed well. Their song "Grown Up" won bursts of applause from the audience and attracted countless flashes of light.
On the second day of the first lunar month, a lantern riddle station is set up in the stage square for locals to guess. Lantern riddles, also known as Wenhu and Denghu, are an integral part of Chinese culture. Chaozhou lantern riddles are famous in the Chinese riddle world for their strong local characteristics (shown in puzzles and types) and unique guessing methods (shown as "beating drums to guide guessing") and are famous at home and abroad. It is a pity that such cultural and entertainment activities that combine ideological, artistic, intellectual and educational qualities have not had many participants over the years.
It must be pointed out here that during the four days from New Year's Eve to the third day of the Lunar New Year, gambling is very popular in the countryside. Gambling is open to the public, and the "iron shooting room" is quite large. , everyone takes what he likes. "Pai Gow" has come from behind and has the potential to sweep the market. As the saying goes, "Big gambling will hurt your health, but small gambling will make you happy." Most people in the countryside rely on the attitude of "little play" (small play) to bet on success and good luck. After all, it is the gambling that hurts the body. Very few. But gambling is not a good thing after all. We look forward to a new and healthy mass activity in the countryside to replace it, to enliven the festive atmosphere and enrich people's lives.
The fourth day of the Lunar New Year is the day when "God falls to the sky" (this god is the Kitchen God, also known as Siming Gong. On the 24th day of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, the God goes to heaven to report his duties, and the villagers burn paper horses and cranes to serve as mounts for the Kitchen God). Women place offerings and then worship. The Chaozhou proverb "The useless lady cannot see the third month of the lunar month" also reflects the cumbersome preparation work for "God falls to the sky" from one aspect.
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, the gods fall from the sky, and then the activities of "asking for peace" (not many people in the countryside call "asking for the king") continue one after another, and last until the first day of February. "Asking for peace" means asking about luck in the year and seeking peace of mind. Why should we choose to ask for peace after the gods have fallen into the sky? I heard from the elders that after the gods have fallen into the sky, all things will be efficacious if you ask for them.
On the fifth day of the lunar month, the married daughter can return to her natal family, bring souvenirs (i.e. gifts), and talk to her natal family about daily life and family affairs. However, this custom has gradually faded away, and only older people continue to practice it. In addition, this day is also a time when women in the village are busy worshiping "gods and gods". People come and go, and the incense in Shigucheng is prosperous.
Dakeng Camp Bamboo Hammer on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. I wonder if there is still such an activity in Dakeng Township, Gurao? However, incorporating folk customs from other places into local folk songs just illustrates the traditional friendship between Nei Che and Tai Hang. However, Tai Hang has become an industrial township, and Nei Che still has a long way to go to develop its economy. As for "Ying Zhu Chui", will it be a performance of English singing? If so, the hometown can invite the Yingge troupe from the adjacent "Hometown of Yingge" Jianshan, borrow stones from other mountains, and engage in the "Bamboo Hammer Camping" activity with local characteristics.
The seven kinds of soup on the seventh day of the lunar month means that on the "Human Day" day, a chowder of seven kinds of vegetables will be eaten. Chaozhou people have the custom of eating seven kinds of soup, and the Neichang people are no exception. The so-called seven kinds of soup are generally celery, onions, garlic, spring vegetables, mustard greens, coriander, and lily. Celery is a homophone for "hard work", which means hard work can make you rich; onion is a homophone for "clong", which means smart; garlic is a homophone for "suan", which means being able to calculate; coriander is a homophone for "yuansui", which means "you have a good relationship"; spring vegetables is a homophone for "spring wealth", which means getting rich in the new year. "Mustard" is called "big vegetable" in Chaozhou dialect, which is homophonic to "big fortune", meaning "wealth"; "lily" means "pepsia". If you replace it with leeks, it means "get rich for a long time". Like all Chaozhou people, Neichang people eat seven kinds of soup, not only because of the inheritance of food culture, but also full of longing for a better life.
On the eighth day of the lunar month, a theater tent was set up. In my childhood memories, my hometown would always set up a theater tent and invite "Little Chaozhou Opera" - shadow play (i.e. skin monkey play) to Huazhai (in view of the fact that Chaoyang has I also copied the tradition of beautifying the character "下" (下) into the character "华") and performed performances near the west gate. Later, the shadow puppetry gradually faded away, and the theater tent became in name only. It would be a very meaningful thing if my hometown could reorganize the original Teochew opera troupe or invite Teochew opera troupes from other places to perform on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year. Firstly, it can enrich the content of folk songs, secondly, it can increase the festive atmosphere, and thirdly, it is also beneficial to promoting Chaozhou culture.
On the ninth day of the lunar month, heaven and earth are born. "Heaven and earth are born" means "Tiangong is born". Legend has it that when Nuwa opened the heaven and earth and created all things, she created the earth on the ninth day of the lunar month and the earth on the tenth day of the lunar month. Therefore, the ninth day of the first lunar month is called the "God's birth" day. There is also a legend that the ninth day of the first lunar month was the birth day of Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty. Chaozhou people commemorated the deceased emperor and tabooed the birth of God. This became a worship custom that has been followed from generation to generation. I'm afraid the meaning of Neichang people worshiping God has faded away, and they are just seeking peace and good fortune.
On the tenth day of the lunar month, Laoye Babei, "Babei" means throwing a cup, that is, the village boss (the elder who presides over divine affairs) will go to Laoye Palace (i.e. Sanshan King Temple) to throw a cup and ask for the master's travel route. The Laoye Palace in the village is very special. Four lords are enshrined in one palace. It is said that the fourth prince among them came from Longxi, the "hometown of beauties" (Longxi is commonly known as "Macuo Liao") one morning, and was built in Neiche. There are two well-known sayings in Baxiang in the main body: If you want to eat good fish, you want to marry a beautiful wife in Macuoliao; Macuoliao is a mountainous place, and the elegant and beautiful mother can never leave. ", endless meaning) transformed into a chick and ran to the inner wing. The people in Neichang sincerely worshiped him and respectfully called him the "Fourth Prince". This fact and legend just confirm the close friendship between Neichang and Longxi. The fourth princes who came from Longxi had very special responsibilities. They usually stayed in the temple and rarely traveled. Therefore, the village evolved the saying "the fourth princes have no directors", "the fourth princes take care of (follow) the food, and the fourth princes control (see) the palace". ” and other common sayings.
On the tenth day of the lunar month, the Neizhou Youshen Games kicked off. When the master is traveling, horse-headed gongs clear the way, a few children carry Anlu signs, and then small Chaozhou gongs and drums accompany him. However, this small scene can bring back beautiful memories of my childhood. I think about the only time when I was a child, I waited for a long time in front of the Laoye Palace to fight for the Anlu sign, and finally I was able to carry the "Quiet" sign majestically. Walking around the streets, although the reward was only two Teochew mandarin oranges, it was my biggest asset in being good in front of my parents. In recent years, "carrying bids" has been added to my travels, which has become a beautiful scenery. It would be even better this year if the "Nei Che Da Luo and Drum Team" composed of nearly 200 children aged 7-15 years old trained last year could be put on display this year. It will be an exciting moment when the women's flags show off the pure beauty of Nei Che's mother, and the Chaozhou gongs and drums show off the heroic appearance of Nei Che's children.
By the way, which area of ??the village the Three Mountain King will spend the night in is decided by throwing a cup. Where the master rests will determine the "New Year's Rooster" (i.e. the New Year's luck) in the village this year, whether it will be good weather, floods or typhoons, which is full of Nuo-like mystery. When I was a child, I had witnessed the elders sighing or cheering for the rest of their lives. What made people worry about the harvest was always the harvest. Neichang is a purely agricultural area. In the past years when science was not advanced and information was not circulated, the harvest of crops was closely related to changes in the natural environment. It is understandable and understandable that the people of Neichang, while working diligently, would place pious sustenance on the gods in the face of unforeseen circumstances.
On the eleventh day of the first lunar month, the king of the Three Mountains will spend the night in Neicheding Village. This day is an important festival for the people of Dingzhai. The Yingshen Village Meeting was held simultaneously in the four communities of Dingzhai: Dayuanshe, Baifushu, Shipaishe, and Dabaoshe. During the ceremony, there were decorations from the Caishen Factory, the launch of fireworks, and the start of a movie. The scale is not very large, but it is impressive.
Twelve things are burned, and "burning" means the game. In fact, it is a wedding ceremony held by the East-West Gate Niangzi (unmarried women) in Huazhai, the main birthplace of Nei Che. The competition mainly focuses on dressing up the East-West Gate God Factory, supplemented by an open-air movie showing in Huazhai. Dongmen (also known as Dongshe) has the two surnames of the Zheng family and Dongmen Lin family in the Huazhai territory, and Ximen (also known as Xishe) has the three surnames of Lan, Li and Longjinglin. "The East and West account for the joy of generation? Throw four yi apricot skulls, throw four yi brothers? Laina? Mantle? Guaang 缼缟诟mao? Ai? Laina? Mantle? He? ち Ye Tan caries? Tao Siyan rhyme 肂袅 ?Carboxylic calypse white four 镒鹹宝ㄎ椿榕?蛹?拗?Γ└?Yan'an Zhihe?呑value 艽揪≈合he蘼鄱嘁?Mei Na 笥 dizzy? Gray? Huangqiao? Shangdan?na The rate is steep? The burden? The promontory curtain is scarred and the edge is owed to the cheese and the hair is pulled? What is it? It is not difficult to understand why Gurao requires women from our hometown when offering sacrifices to the community. Their request to help them hand-make two dolphins was declined. It is not difficult to understand why the Caishen Factory in 2008, the 10th anniversary of Mother’s Day, was so ingenious and highly praised. Everything is like a famous poem by Jia Dao, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. "Ten years of sharpening a sword" is mentioned in the poem "The Swordsman".
Thirteen Mingzai walked around the street. "Mingzai" means night, and "Walking around the street" means the old man. People carry them through the streets and alleys according to the traditional route, and tour the countryside on Thirteen Nights, which can be called the countryside of Nei Che 10 surnames (i.e., Lu, Lan, Li, Zheng, Lin, You, Liu, Zhang, Chen, and Wang). It is a carnival night for the people. On this day, there are movie performances in each area. Villagers place offerings in each area to welcome the Holy Spirit.
In the evening, there is a "walk around the street" starting ceremony. It didn't take long, and we passed through the east, west, and south gates of Huazhai Laowei Village. The village is the main birthplace of the village. Those who carry the master have to run, and the ones who play gongs and drums also have to run. The faster, the better. The faster the New Year, the better the rush. The roads in the village are not suitable for onlookers, and the west gate to the south gate is a wide rural road, so here. Usually a large number of spectators gather, causing short-term traffic jams. In the place where Laoye camped, a strange custom appeared in the village - burning Laoye Jicang (尻草, butt), which is actually not true. Instead of burning the master's ass, the master would light a bundle of straw in front of the door when the camp arrives, which means the more it burns, the more prosperous it will be.
In the Chaozhou area, the only ones who dare to make fun of gods like this are the "Tuo Kitchen God" in Yanhong, Chenghai and the "Jiao Laoye" in Chao'an, and the "Shao Laoye Jicang" in Neiqiao. I was very confused about this custom, and finally I came up with a clever explanation. It might be a clue left by the ancestors of the She people. A friend once asked a riddle: The ancestors of Chaozhou lived there and named a village in Chaoyang. The answer was Neichang. The origin of the name of Neichang Township is inseparable from the She people. Among the four surnames of the She ethnic group, Lan is said to be one of the main surnames (Guan, Luo, Lu, Lan) of Neichang Township, and its population ranks second in the township. . I hope this folk custom can attract the attention of folks and fashion experts.
As night falls, the Master Parade officially begins. The first stop is in front of the Huazhai Ancestral Hall, which runs through more than a dozen areas. The time for the master to stop depends on the number of people in the area. When the master is coming, three tribute cannons must be fired, a fairy Teochew opera must be performed, the master's barn must be burned, and cannons must be lit to welcome him. The master will sit down, burn incense and kneel down to worship. Fireworks (commonly known as "golden flowers" in the countryside, which are small fireworks) will be set off to celebrate marriage or the birth of a boy. Every year the fireworks are released, and Dingzhai is even better, especially Dabao Society (commonly known as Huanghu), which always has new ideas. After the master has toured an area, the area must also distribute sweets and cakes, and throw a cup to determine the worship ceremony for the coming year. The annual "Walk around the Street" ends near dawn. On this night, there are bursts of drum music, the sound of firecrackers, constant fireworks, and lingering incense. It is a night of entertainment for humans and gods.
On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, the master entered the palace, and Nei Che returned to its former tranquility. In the morning, chickens and dogs could hear each other, and it was surprisingly quiet. Because most people got up very late on this day, especially the young people who had been shopping all night with "Walking around the Street".
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival. For the Chinese, especially the Chaozhou people, this is a very important festival. The traveling gods games in many places will start from this day. When the neighboring villages and towns, especially the six surrounding villages, are noisy with drums and music, Neichang people collect banyan branches and bamboo leaves and place them on door lintels, stoves, and poultry houses to pray for the safety of people and animals. Except for a few people who pay homage to the master (those who got a boy last year, except the Lan family, all have to pay homage to the master and invite Ding table, no credit is allowed), there is no sound of Dingdian cannon. Is this another tradition of the She people? What is even more surprising is that when all the surnames in the village killed chickens and geese to worship their ancestors, the Zheng family members, who accounted for the majority of the population, were all absent without exception. All of these undoubtedly add a lot of weirdness and mystery to the so-called "Lantern Festival".
At the end of the fifteenth year, Ziniang went to the port to find a job (men and women were looking for jobs). In fact, after the 13th day of the first lunar month in Neichang, the excitement at the beginning of the year came to an end. Chaoshan people were active all over the country with the hope of the New Year and the enthusiasm of the solar terms, and began a year of ups and downs.