1. Preparations a year ago: December 16th: Tail Ya.

During the interview, the old man’s description was obtained: “There is a local saying of ‘the second day and the sixteenth day of the lunar month’. On the second and sixteenth days of each month, the boss (i.e. the employer) improves the food for the workers (i.e. the employees).

Day. December 16th is the last day of the year. In addition to paying the clerk and treating him to a meal, the boss also has to decide whether to continue to work, so it is not convenient to talk about it directly.

You still give red envelopes and treat people to a meal, but use the chopsticks to indicate that if the chopsticks are pointed inwards, it means that the person can still stay. If the chopsticks are pointed out, then this person will know better and will not come again next year. "Of course, as time passes.

With the changes in society, the scene described by the old man no longer exists today.

December 20: "Qing Chuan" or "Qing Chaos".

Before the Chinese New Year, the custom of clearing away bad luck and abandoning the old and welcoming the new is carried out in Xiaoxi Town on this day. In other areas of southern Fujian, the time for clearing ships is different, but the content is basically the same.

On this day, housewives will take their children to clean all corners of the house. In addition to the usual cleaning areas, they also need to move furniture and clean dead corners. They scrub furniture, floors, windows, and use a special long broom to sweep the ceiling.

Clean away years of dust and grime.

This activity is still maintained today, but the author learned in the interview: “In the past, after cleaning, every household would hang up ancestor images in the hall, and put water, tea, wine and fresh fruits as offerings during the Spring Festival.

It is only removed after twenty days. "Nowadays, few families worship ancestors in the hall for a long time. December 20 is just a day for thorough cleaning.

At this time, Pinghe County has been shrouded in a festive atmosphere. Banners of "Celebrate the Spring Festival" are hung in front of each unit. There are more and more New Year-related products on the streets and alleys, red Spring Festival couplets, bright clothes, children

We are on winter vacation, and adults are gradually relaxing at work, preparing for the New Year.

December 24: Sending the Kitchen God to heaven.

According to folklore, the Kitchen God, who has been supervising the human world for a year, returns to heaven today, so every household will set up a hall, offer incense, candles and tea to send the God to heaven, and pray that the Kitchen God will bring more good things when he goes to heaven.

The main offerings include candies, biscuits, tangerines (meaning auspicious), rice cakes, radishes, etc.

Today, the activities and offerings haven’t changed much.

In the preparation process of the festival, in addition to hygiene and sacrifice, food is naturally indispensable. Nowadays, most residents in the county buy fish and meat and other food directly from the market, which is different from the traditional practice. As the song says, preparing festival food is in

It used to be one of the main activities of the Spring Festival.

The festival customs before the change are recorded here as follows: December 25th: Fish in the pond.

People catch all the fish in the pond as new year's goods to improve their lives.

Common ones include silver carp, grass carp, carp, etc.

December 26: Sakaziwei.

On this day, families go to the market to start buying new year goods and gifts, such as Spring Festival couplets, sugar cane, new clothes for children, etc.

There is a folk song like this in Pinghe County: "Sun Quan wants firecrackers, the old man wants a black dress, and the wife wants pollen", which describes the many household chores of the head of the family.

December 27: Boar killing.

When the commodity economy was underdeveloped, several families often raised a pig together. On this day, the pigs were killed and each family shared the pork equally, so that the pork needed for the Spring Festival would be available.

Nowadays, housewives go to the market on this day to buy food needed for the Spring Festival.

In addition, affection, gifts, and cultural exchanges between urban and rural relatives and friends mainly take place during this period.

Relatives and friends in the countryside will send some poultry, agricultural products (winter bamboo shoots, star fruit, sugar cane, etc.) and homemade foods (such as rice cakes, rice cakes, etc.) as gifts when paying New Year greetings; while residents in cities and towns will send New Year pictures, wall calendars, towels, tea and other items.

Give back.

When we come and go, we chat about family affairs and the past, and our mutual feelings are expressed and exchanged.

In Pinghe County, this habit has not changed much.

December 28: Catch the tail fair.

In the past, this was the last market of the year. People would buy all the items they would need during the Spring Festival, such as oil, salt, vegetables, meat, etc. The normal supply would be restored after the fifth day of the first lunar month.

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During the interview, the old man said: "Before the fifth day of the first lunar month, only urgently needed goods such as firecrackers and incense candles were sold. Even the drug store would only open a small opening! One year in the early days of the year, someone at home fell ill in the middle of the night, and the doctor didn't even knock on the door for a long time.

It’s so scary to come out. Things are much more expensive than usual, sometimes even dozens of times more expensive.” Although there is no shortage of goods now, stores have been open since the third day of the first lunar month, but their business hours have been shortened, but people are still used to it.

On the 28th day, buy all the non-perishable food, put New Year couplets on your house, go to the barber shop to do your makeup, and prepare the ingredients needed to make food the next day.

In addition, there is a custom in Pinghe County that debtors will consciously repay their debts on the 27th and 28th of the lunar calendar. If they are unable to pay off, they must discuss with the creditor the time for repayment in the coming year.

Those who are unable to repay their debts will go to the homes of relatives or friends to hide from their debts on New Year's Eve.

December 29: Kill chickens and ducks.

The more important foods during the Spring Festival must be prepared on this day.

Including chicken, duck, spiced mixed vegetables, self-stuffed sausages, fried dates (traditional homemade holiday food), etc.