New Year customs in Jiaodong area
1. Midnight meal
During the Chinese New Year, families get together. In addition to communicating emotions, eating is a very important thing. . Midnight meal, also known as "New Year's meal", refers to the meal of dumplings served at midnight on New Year's Eve. It can be said that people have worked hard for a year just for this dumpling meal. Therefore, no matter rich or poor, everyone has to eat this dumpling.
The dumplings on New Year’s Eve are different from usual ones. They have the meaning of "Jiaozi", which is the alternation of old and new at midnight. At that time, no one is asleep, and they are all waiting for the arrival of the new year, in order to "keep up the new year". Commonly known as "staying through the year". When the 12 o'clock bell rings and the steaming dumplings are served, the person has grown one year older, so this meal of dumplings is also called the "year-increasing meal." The family all watched the Spring Festival Gala on TV. After 11 o'clock, they started making dumplings and cooked them before 12 o'clock. The water used to cook dumplings must be much more than usual, which means "more than enough" for the coming year. We can’t talk about dumplings yet, we have to call them “boiled silver”. When the dumplings are boiled and broken, you cannot say "broken" or "broken". You should say "earn", which means making money and getting rich. For good luck, people also wrap a dozen dumplings with copper coins or red dates to become "big money dumplings". Eating the dumplings symbolizes good fortune and good fortune in the new year.
Before eating dumplings, you have to set off firecrackers and hand out paper. Giving out paper means burning paper, which means that there will be abundant wealth in the coming year. Fishermen will go to the seaside Temple of the Sea to hand out paper and set off firecrackers, praying to the God of the Sea for protection on the sea in the coming year and a warehouse full of fish and shrimp.
2. "New Year's dinner" in a broad sense
New Year's dinner in a broad sense refers to eating and drinking before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Every year on the twenty-sixth or seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, every household will steam dumplings, make rice cakes, make steamed buns, and steam "Yuanbao" and "Chongchong". The dumplings are mostly steamed with jujubes. There are nine dates in the jujube dumplings, while the small ones only have five dates. Nian gao is mainly made from steamed glutinous rice. It is sticky and sweet and means "higher every year". Yuanbao is made of flour to look like a Yuanbao. It is placed in a box on New Year's Eve to bring wealth. The "Sheng Chong" looks like a small dragon. It is placed in the grain store or noodle vat on New Year's Eve to express the wish for a bumper harvest and a full warehouse in the coming year.
In order to be auspicious during the New Year, many things eaten and drank have another name. Because "garlic" is a homophonic word for "san", it is called "Yihe cuisine". Eat "garlic" "Jinegar" is unlucky, so it is called "taboo" to eat.
3. Worshiping Ancestors and Respecting Heaven and Earth
On New Year’s Eve, every household will invite their ancestors to “go home” for the New Year. The ceremony is to “place bowls” with radish silk on the bottom of the bowls. Put something on the table first, then put squares of big fat meat, spinach and other bright things on the top of the bowl, and then insert a pair of bright red chopsticks. Large dumplings, bowls with various foods, and incense burners are all placed on the same table. Only after worshiping heaven and earth and offering sacrifices to ancestors can the family eat.
4. Setting off firecrackers and pasting Spring Festival couplets
The setting off of firecrackers starts from the 30th day of the New Year to the 15th day of the first lunar month. Two of them are indispensable. One is the third day of the New Year. It’s midnight when the paper is burning, and the second is when it’s time to say goodbye to the new year on the third day of the Lunar New Year. The louder and more firecrackers are set off, which indicates that they will earn more in the coming year. Therefore, discerning families compete with their neighbors to see who can set off more firecrackers. Weihai has banned firecrackers for nine years. The ban was lifted last year, and this year the firecrackers are getting louder and louder.
Posting Spring Festival couplets on New Year’s Eve is a must-do for every household. In the past, I would write it myself or ask someone to write it. Nowadays, most people buy ready-made couplets, with big red paper and bright gold characters. The couplets that attract wealth and good fortune are full of joy and fulfill everyone's expectations for life.
5. Pretending
Pretending is an entertainment activity that is similar to cultural activities. Early in the morning on the first day of the Lunar New Year, men, women, old and young took to the streets to perform live performances and have a great time.
The content of the performances is very complicated, including lion performances. In the past, there were kelp lions from Nanzhu Island and manma lions from Beizhu Island. Older people still remember it. The performances also include the indispensable running of land boats, running donkeys, walking on stilts, dancing yangko, playing flower drums, etc., one after another, similar to a square formation.
There is a leader in front of these square formations. The leading hand holds a wooden pole, wrapped in flower paper, and moves on the hands, feet, waist, and behind, which is called "flower stick". The person who beats the flower stick opened the scene first, and some of the opening words are humorous and almost become classics, which are still fresh in the memory of many people in Weihai: "If you tell me to blame, I will blame you/I dig a ditch on the roof of the house/ Shuigou helped me plant a willow tree/Grow a gourd on the top of the willow tree/Grow a gourd and break it in half/Take it to Dongzhuang and beg for food/Dongzhuang gave me a bowl of cold noodle soup/Xizhuang gave me a bowl of cold-dried rice/I walked to the door and smashed it/Mr. The dog is eating, the bitch is watching/The dog is spinning around in anger."
6. Making noodle lanterns on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, every household will be busy steaming noodle lanterns. sign of the Zodiac. It is not about steaming all the twelve zodiac signs, but steaming whatever zodiac signs the family belongs to. Generally, three generations of people, old and young, are steamed. Noodle lanterns generally use bean flour as raw material, so they are also called bean noodle lanterns. The face lamp is simple to make. It is shaped like an inverted bowl. There is a lamp bowl on the top and a base on the bottom. On the night of the 15th, soybean oil is poured into the lamp bowl and cotton is twisted into a lamp twist. The children all compete to occupy a lamp bowl to see whose lamp stays on for a long time and who will be the most prosperous in the coming year.
7. Chinese New Year Taboos
When visiting someone’s home during the Chinese New Year, there are certain rules that must be followed, otherwise the host will be disgusted.
For example, it is strictly forbidden to stick chopsticks upright in the bowl when eating, because this is a way to sacrifice the dead. When visiting relatives and friends, it is strictly forbidden to bring five or ten gifts. "Five" and "ten" are considered very unlucky. After the firecrackers are set off on New Year's Eve and the first day of the Lunar New Year, no matter how thick the confetti is in the yard, it cannot be swept away, because the confetti is regarded as money all over the yard. Sweeping it away will be regarded as sweeping the money away.
----- During the New Year, customs vary from place to place. What I record is the New Year customs in Weihai, or it can be said to be in Jiaodong, which reflects the customs and customs of the people in this area.