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Luhe County is almost 100% Hakka county. It is understood that some residents in the Henglong District of Xintian Town speak both Hakka and Hoklo dialect. The ancestors of Luhe originally lived in the Yellow River Basin. Due to famines in history, they migrated south in batches and successively arrived in Gulongchuan, Tingzhou in Fujian and even Jiangxi. Their living customs and habits mostly retain the characteristics of the Central Plains people, but they are also influenced to some extent by the customs of the Fujian and Guangdong Hoklo people. As for traditional festivals, they have formed their own unique traditions. Now we will briefly describe Luhe festival customs.

The Chinese New Year is the most grand traditional festival of the year for the Hakka people. Luhe people’s New Year customs can be summarized as pre-holiday preparations, worshiping ancestors on the 30th afternoon, having a reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve, staying up late, burning firecrackers (opening the door), eating fast on the first day of the Lunar New Year, opening the new year on the second day of the Lunar New Year, sending poor ghosts to the poor on the third day of the Lunar New Year, Four visits to my natal family, the seventh day of the Lunar New Year (eating seven kinds of vegetables and tea), and the fifteenth day of the lunar month (Lantern Festival).

On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, which is called the "New Year's Price", on the 30th afternoon, each family brings the fattest capons, pork, eggs, rice cakes and wine to the sect's public hall or ancestral hall to gather together Worship ancestors. This is because the Hakka people are influenced by traditional Confucian ethics and retain extremely solemn ancestor-respecting etiquette. From ancient times to the present, no one dares to neglect it, and it has been passed down from generation to generation. After returning from ancestor worship, the whole family sits around a table to have a reunion dinner, watch the New Year's Eve around the fire, and talk about family happiness. On the early morning of the first lunar month, every family must carefully choose the time to open the door. The earliest is at 11:30 on Spring New Year's Eve, and the slowest is at four quarters of Mao. After opening the door, a string of cannons are lit. The sound of bamboo means getting rid of the old year and also heralds the beginning of the new year. Speaking of "burning skewers and firecrackers", it goes back to the legend of "burning green bamboo to drive away evil spirits". There are historical records: Li Di lived in the mountains, and his neighbor Zhongsou was haunted by the smell of the mountain. Di ordered him to throw green bamboos into the fire in the courtyard day and night. The bamboos were heated and exploded in the fire, making a sound of "Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!", which was a sneaky sound. He was frightened and escaped, but in the end he was safe and sound. Later generations mistakenly believed that firecrackers could ward off evil spirits, and this custom has been passed down to this day.

The custom of eating vegetarian food on the first day of the Lunar New Year is closely related to religion. In the past, there were many people in the Hakka area who believed in Buddhism and Taoism, but most of them did not become monks. Even if you are not a believer, you will still be influenced by Buddhism and Taoism, and as a result, you will get used to it and form a local custom. When they get up early on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the person in charge of the family will devoutly rinse their mouth and face, solemnly bow to the gods and ancestors, and then the whole family will have the first meal. On the second day of the Lunar New Year, people call it "the New Year". At this time, chickens and ducks are killed again, and the "New Year's meal" is eaten before dawn.

"The poor man's day on the third day of the lunar new year". On the third day of the first lunar month, all firecrackers, paper scraps or other garbage and dirt accumulated at home and outside the door are cleaned up on this day, which is commonly known as "giving away to the poor". On this day, we neither go out to visit nor welcome guests. This custom is no longer popular today.

"Return to my parents' home on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year." After more than a month of intense activities from the twelfth lunar month to the third day of the first lunar month, housewives have some free time on the fourth day of the lunar month. They return to their parents' home (transferred to their maternal home) with gifts and stay there for a few days, at the earliest. On the sixth day of the lunar month, I will return home again. Because of the ancient custom, it is called "seven no exits and eight no returns". It means that if you don't return on the sixth day of the lunar month, you will have to wait until the ninth day of the lunar month. If you don't return on the ninth day of the lunar month, you will have to wait until the 11th day. Because the local people call the tenth day of the Lunar New Year "Xiao Tian Chuan", it is not suitable for going out.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month, seven kinds of vegetable tea are eaten. "The seventh day of the first lunar month is Ren's Day". As the name suggests, Ren's Day is a person's birthday. It is said that heaven and earth first opened and all things flourished. Chickens are born on the first day, dogs are born on the second day, pigs are born on the third day, sheep are born on the fourth day, cows are born on the fifth day, horses are born on the sixth day, humans are born on the seventh day, and grains are born on the eighth day. Therefore, the seventh day is the human day, which is the most spiritual day among all things. On this morning, people in Luhe cook "seven kinds of vegetable tea" for main meals. The "seven vegetables" include garlic, kale, snow peas, veins, wormwood, fennel, mint, etc. Those with richer families add shrimps, squid, and mushrooms and stir-fry them with oil. Then they put good young tea (green tea), sesame seeds, and peanuts into a clay pot, beat them carefully with a tea stick into a paste, and pour them into the boiling pot. Boil water to make fragrant Hakka tea. The seven kinds of vegetables can be soaked in tea, added with rice, or fried with rice popcorn, depending on everyone's preference. This kind of tea is not only fragrant and delicious, but also clears away heat and cold, dispels evil spirits and strengthens health, and refreshes the mind. It is a unique folk delicacy in China that has been passed down from generation to generation by the Hakka people.

Hakka Leicha has a long history and will be introduced in another chapter.

On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, we welcome the gods and make wine.

The thirteenth day of the first lunar month is customarily called "Lights-On Day" in rural areas. What is the source is yet to be examined. This day is to welcome the gods and make wine.

To welcome the gods, that is, the "princes" and "emperors" from the mountain temples are carried back to the village in sedan chairs and placed in pre-erected tent houses. This kind of house is called "Lamphouse". There are red couplets posted on the door of the lamp shed, most of which are words of praise for good luck.

On the day of welcoming the gods, as soon as it dawns, people gather in front of the lantern shed to prepare to welcome the gods. The person in charge of each family brings incense and lanterns, and arranges the team in order. The leader is in charge of welcoming the gods, and he is carrying a "luo grid" ① and a large lantern. Then there are the people who shoot Dunzi Guns (called three-target continuous guns in other places), then there are a dozen or even dozens of flags, those who carry the sacred sedan, and play gongs and drums, and finally there are the people who participate in welcoming the god. After three shots, the team set off in a mighty manner. Along the way, cannons roared, gongs and drums roared, flags fluttered, and fires flashed, making it very lively. After welcoming the god to the "lamp shed", people rush to offer incense first, and then the chief presides over the collective worship. Dozens of Eight Immortals tables in front of the lamp shed are filled with offerings, which are very rich. After worshiping, the ceremony to welcome the gods comes to an end.

At noon, puppets or Chinese operas were performed on the stage in front of the lamp shed. Villagers from all over the country gathered here to watch the performance with great interest.

In the afternoon, it is customary for those who married their wives and gave birth to a boy last year to make wine in the lamp shed to celebrate the birth of their new baby. This custom is now only popular in villages in some towns and villages.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, there is a Lantern Festival. The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Shangyuan Festival, also known as the Lantern Festival, commonly known as "the first half of the first lunar month". On this day, the main food for rural and urban residents in Luhe is "caibaobao". Early in the morning, housewives have to prepare the ingredients for making rice dumplings. Generally, fresh garlic stems are mashed, diced tofu is mixed well and seasoned as the filling, and white rice flour is added to the pot with appropriate water, and then cooked over high heat, which is called "cooking the base." Finally, the housewife invited the neighborhood aunts to take care of her. The cooked rice dumplings are steamed in a pot. The refreshing, delicious and fragrant "caibaobao" is out. You won't get tired of this rice dumpling if you eat it a lot. The more you eat, the more you want to eat. There is a popular saying in the local area: "Don't be afraid that your daughter-in-law will work for a whole day, and you don't have to twist your mouth as a servant." This authentic snack in Luhe is famous far and wide, and everyone who comes to Luhe wants to try it for themselves. In addition, overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan who have lived overseas for a long time need to eat several meals when they return to their hometowns.

On the 15th day of the first lunar month, according to past customs, farmers must do two things: first, go to the bamboo forest to cut a dark green bamboo tail with a tail, and insert it on the chicken perch; second, go to the wheat field to pick out the bamboo tail. The four largest ears of wheat are inserted above the gate on both sides. Everything they do is to pray for "good weather, good harvests, and prosperous livestock" in the New Year.

At night, men, women and children, old and young, take advantage of the moonlight to watch the lanterns and celebrate the Lantern Festival at the lantern shed that has been set up. Usually, lantern fairs come in various forms and are colorful. It integrates artistry, knowledge, interest and nationality and is deeply welcomed by the masses. Such as Chang'e Flying to the Moon, Two Dragons Playing with Pearls, Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, Journey to the West, Puzzle Lantern, Revolving Lantern and so on. It is true that the lamp sheds are full of music and people are buzzing all night long, and the lights are shining all night long.