Fuqing "making teeth"
Fuqing people regard the Nine Immortals of Shizhu Mountain as the local protector, so the land gods enshrined on Shizhu Mountain are highly valued and respected. Every year, on the second day of the second lunar month, many businessmen and people who do business outside will come to Shizhu Mountain to worship the "general land" dedicated to Fuqing and pray for a good harvest.
According to the traditional custom, the first tooth was on the second day of the second lunar month, corresponding to the "tail tooth" of last year1February 16. Both are called "tooth making".
The custom of making teeth has a long history. According to Ci Hai, the cloud "gluttony" originated from ancient officials offering sacrifices to the moon and hope. The next day, the attendants shared the sacrifice of meat, which was called "official sacrifice of meat" and "official sacrifice of teeth". In modern Chinese, there is also a word called "offering a rare tooth", which means they can eat delicious meat and so on. Therefore, "making teeth" is also a homonym of "offering sacrifices to your official". The above account shows that the custom of "official sacrifice" was first promoted by the government, and then spread among the people, widely popular in the business community.
Fuqing's traditional folk custom of "making teeth" is generally carried out in the industrial and commercial circles, fishermen and shipping circles, which is slightly changed according to the official sacrifices of the ancients. In ancient times, the official held sacrifices on the first day (the 15th day of the first month), while the folk held "tooth making" on the second day (the second day). For the development and prosperity of business, industrialists and businessmen honor their children with fruits and incense on the second and sixteenth day of every month, and fishermen and shippers also have to "grind their teeth" to ensure their smooth sailing and make a fortune.
The custom of "making teeth" is that farmers only make two "teeth" at the head and tail, and the rest are simple and indefinite, while the industrial and commercial circles, fishermen and boat people do it every month, and dare not lack it. This shows that the custom of "making teeth" is the expression of marine industrial and commercial culture in folk customs.
In early spring and February, spring returns to the earth. The second day of the second lunar month is an ancient "Zhonghe Festival", also known as "Spring Dragon Festival", which is little known now, but the seasonal proverb "On the second day of February, the dragon looks up" has been circulating among the people.
The second day of the second lunar month is an important traditional festival in the vast rural areas of China. At this time, just after the Spring Festival, field farming activities are about to begin, so February 2 is also called Spring Festival and Farmers' Day. The agricultural proverb says, "On February 2nd, farmers looked up, and everyone used small households to plow cattle." According to the climate law, on February 2nd, most parts of China were affected by monsoon climate, with the temperature rising, sunshine hours increasing and rain gradually increasing. The conditions of light, temperature and water can satisfy the growth of crops, so February 2 is also an agricultural festival in the southern countryside.
It is said that the Dragon Head Festival originated in Fuxi era, the leader of Huang San. Fu "attaches importance to farming and farming". On February 2nd every year, "Huang Niang delivers food and uses her to plow the fields". Later, the Yellow Emperor, Tang Yao and Yu Xia all followed the example of their predecessors. In Zhou Wuwang, this custom is carried forward; On the second day of February, a grand ceremony was held so that all civil and military officials could plow an acre of land in person. After that, "February 2nd" was named "Toutou Festival".
The saying that "the dragon looks up" was first seen in Liu Dong's "The Scenery of the Imperial Capital in the Ming Dynasty": "On February 2, the dragon looked up, steamed the New Year, sacrificed leftover cakes, smoked the bed kang ..."
There are many folklores about "On February 2nd, the dragon looked up". According to legend, Wu Zetian abolished Tang Lizhou as emperor, and the Jade Emperor was furious, and the Dragon King did not rain for three years. The dragon king could not bear to lose his life, and it rained heavily secretly. When the Jade Emperor learned about it, he took the Dragon King out of the Heavenly Palace and put it at the foot of the mountain. Limin people thank the Dragon King for the rain and dew and pray to heaven every day. Finally, they moved the Jade Emperor and released the Dragon King on February 2, so the Dragon King raised his head and came to Yun Geng to sprinkle rain to nourish the seedlings and benefit the farmers.
This folk story of "the integration of heaven and earth" is the crystallization of the wisdom of ancient working people; From another angle, it also reflects the reality that ancient agriculture was restricted by the weather and the tiller's good wishes for good weather and abundant crops. As the agricultural proverb says, "On February 2nd, the dragon looked up, the big warehouse was full, and the small warehouse was full."