According to Songzi County Records, there are several kinds of folk customs in daily life:
1. Coronation ceremony. "The ancient three rituals have been abolished for a long time. Men can wear hats when their hair is tied, and women can add clouds when their temples are combined." Nowadays, the custom of the coronation ceremony is not only disappearing in a loose way, but with the changes of the times, both men and women no longer require long hair, and this custom of the Han nationality has also withdrawn from the historical stage.
2 wedding. "At the beginning, with antique Nacai, ask the name ceremony, please Geng with money, but from the simple to the constant. It is also rare to see a kiss. When a woman arrives at the door with a car, she sets up an incense table, and one person wishes her praise, which is called' stopping the carriage'. The son-in-law enters first, welcomes the new wife to the hall, marries, and drinks a glass of wine. The next day, I worshipped my ancestors, that is, the ancient temple. I paid my respects to my aunts, uncles and elders, gave money to the bride, and went into the kitchen for three days to make a soup, so I started. "
It can be seen that in the Qing Dynasty, the more formal etiquette, such as "antique lottery, asking for a name, and offering money to invite Geng", was mostly simple, but now it no longer exists. The rest of the rituals and customs, such as "tying the knot, drinking a glass of wine, meeting the elders in the ancient temple", are common in ancient times and have no special features.
However, among some reliable wedding customs we found online today, one is very special, that is, scolding the matchmaker. This is a ceremony for rural brides before they get married. On the wedding day, the bride gets dressed, and when the matchmaker who comes with the wedding procession arrives, the bride scolds and sings "media scolding songs", and her words are quite mean, such as "You matchmaker, goblin woman, chop your skull to pieces. The world is not as bad as you, and the pus on your head is bad for your feet. Scold you for your long feet, and you've been a matchmaker all your life. How many embroidered shoes are ruined, and how many reeds are trampled on socks; Scold you for having a big mouth, drink wine with a bowl, have chicken, duck, fish and meat, and talk a lot ... ". This is because when a person is so abused, it is inevitable to fight. But at this time, the matchmaker can only listen and wait until the bride sings the "media-cursing song" before the matchmaker takes the bride out of the boudoir. Of course, the bride's scolding is not a real scolding, because her lover has long been a lover who fell in love with her work, and the matchmaking is only inspired. At this time, "scolding" is a confession that the daughter doesn't want to leave her parents. This custom did not exist in the Qing dynasty, but was produced in modern times. I think it has the influence of national integration. Because there are many Tujia people living in Songzi area, under the influence of Tujia people's crying marriage custom and the form of filial piety in Han ethnic areas, the bride must show her reluctance before leaving home, and scolding the matchmaker is a good expression.
another custom is to celebrate the wedding, that is, to send a wedding gift. This is similar to the customs in most Han areas now, and it may be changed from the past "the elders give the bride money to worship". In recent years, due to the prosperity of economic construction, all kinds of daily necessities are not unusual, and the patterns are new, so people tend to send money to their weddings so that the married family can buy their own satisfactory things.
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funeral. "Three days of funeral, ceremony also. If the detention is delayed, the loss rate will be simplified. Twisted, stubborn, poor with cloth, rich with silk, or even wrapped in cotton, add clothes, Shu Ren is a towel and deep clothes. After three days of service, I was hanged. The burial is deep and sealed, and the inscription is only used by those who are expensive. Folks listen to the words of the Kanyu family, stop worrying about overseas Chinese, and change the signs (), which makes the body and soul uneasy. Many people believe in Er's family, and the bells and drums blow, and they recite scriptures in Zhai, which means that the endowment is a blessing. Actually, it is regarded as a regular experience, and it is inevitable for a few people to be wise. Hey! It' s what to follow, and it' s what to do. "
What is said here is that in Songzi area in the Qing Dynasty, after people died, they were not in a hurry to bury, park coffins, or bury them shallowly, and then open the museum again to change their burial clothes, and invited people to do it nearby.
At that time, the recorder began to criticize that this custom would make the deceased uneasy, and it did not conform to the principle of being buried in the earth. Today, however, this custom has become more and more fierce, instead of being corrected by retro people, as the author hoped. According to the local old man, when the patient was dying in Songzi, his relatives asked a strong man to sit around the bed with a sword in his hand and put a fishing net on the bed, saying that this would prevent "impermanence" from approaching the patient. Once a person dies, his family members burn "gas-falling paper" outside the door. This is a straw sandals fee for Yin Cha, so that he should not be too rude when escorting the ghost; People also ask the monks to "open the way" and burn paper cars and paper horses for the dead to walk instead of walking; The purpose of "opening the throat" is to let the dead eat in the underworld. These contemporary customs are obviously the result of the evolution of "bells and drums blowing, fasting and chanting" in the past. In addition, after the death of the old man, it is called "white mourning", and all relatives and friends mourn for him. In addition to sending paper incense, wax and whip to pay homage, money is usually sent, while flowers are sent to the town to express their condolences, and some are sent to elegiac couplets or to carry a scroll.
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Sacrifice ceremony. After the funeral, there is a service sacrifice, a sacrifice is made, and the sheep is used for the sacrifice, supplemented by shame. Usually, doctors and scholars are sacrificed to sleep, and the case is placed in the Lord, Zhao Mu is in order, and the column is cooked. Season, chicken, dolphin, fresh, cricket (in doubt) salty. Scholar-officials are full of clothes, such as auspicious sacrifices; No day, plain clothes, vegetarian food.
The ritual of offering sacrifices has generally disappeared in Han ethnic areas because of historical reasons. Perhaps it will be possible to restore these previous traditions after being influenced by the custom of Taiwan Province returning to the mainland to offer sacrifices to his ancestors in the future.
Songzi's folk customs at the age of
The following are all quoted from Songzi County Records:
On the first day of the first month, the people in the village celebrate the Lunar New Year, and the old and young worship their ancestors and the gods in turn, while the children worship their elders and drink Tu Su wine, and then people in the village worship each other. The city is closed. Even if you don't sweep, take the livestock and hide it. On the third day of the new moon, Ruo Chu coins were sent to the ancestors, offering sacrifices to the door gods, and the sergeants went to their own businesses. On the first day of "beginning of spring", Yi Ling led his subordinates to meet in the eastern suburbs, and they followed the drum music, and the scholars joined hands to watch, throwing cattle with grains. On the day of Yue-ri, the city made an order to sacrifice the local cattle with ochre whip to send the cold. On that day, Koharu cattle were sent, and Ximin apologized for the flood and drought with its color. "Yuan Xi", with lights on and songs on the moon. Or read poems to hide mysteries, inviting people to guess, which is called "playing riddles". It was the month when Shan Nong planted pine seedlings.
in February, the long-term officials tried to cultivate in the fields to persuade farmers. Children fly kites. "Social Day", offering sacrifices to social competitions, and having a banquet for fun. Tian's family mostly soaks grain every day.
In the Qingming Festival in March, willows were inserted, paper money was hung on the first tomb, and wine and fruit were offered to worship and sweep away. It is said that there is no taboo to repair the tomb three days before and after, but it is not clear what is the meaning of "Qingming Day".
in April, farmers began to pay tribute to the valley.
May "Dragon Boat Festival", holding mugs, drinking calamus wine and picking herbs. Scraps of realgar and wine are sprinkled in the atria, and children's forehead is called epidemic; Or carve small gourds and macaque children's arms with rhubarb. It's even more important. Riverside race, old as usual.
On June 6th, books and clothes were exposed, which was also called pest control. It is also said that mulberry strips are pressed every day, and when they are cut and planted in the spring, they will be durable and not moth-eaten.
In July, on the Chinese Valentine's Day, the boudoir worships cows and girls with melons and fruits. "Zhongyuan", set up an incense table in advance to worship the ancestors, seal paper money into money, and write the names of the ancestors; Incineration in the open space in the evening is called "sending baggage". New mourning, then the tenth day will be sacrificed. The monks in the temple built the "Orchid Club", and those who have food, wine and money are helpless, such as the priests who offer sacrifices to the altar.
on August 2nd, the society was worshipped, such as Chunzhong. "Mid-Autumn Festival", jujube chestnut, ling Qiu are boarded in the city, combined with cake bait, set up to celebrate the moon, and given to the marriage party. It is evening, and there are customs such as "sending melons" and "touching autumn".
On September 9th, scholars climbed mountains, drank chrysanthemum wine and chanted for fun.
in October, when the trees and wheat have finished, the pond weir will be built only after the farm work is over.
On the "Winter Solstice Day" in November, ancestor worship comes before the ancestral hall, and the literati pay homage to each other, but the common people are absent-minded.
In December, "Laba Day" mixed porridge, named "Laba porridge", used bamboo branches to sweep the house. On the 23rd, burnt Chu coins were given to the kitchen god with tea, and weeds and miscellaneous beans were filed on the ground, which was called "feeding horses", and so was "New Year's Eve", and the 24th was called "off-year". "New Year's Eve", paste peach characters and write Spring Festival couplets. Sacrifice to the gods and ancestors, drink in order of respect and inferiority, and say "Tuannian wine". It's a night of firecrackers, and you can't sleep for a long time to "keep your age." Giving money to children is called "lucky money".
At present, most of these customs have disappeared. For example, in the first month, people worship gods, throw whips and oxen, and apologize for the floods and droughts; in February, they borrow fields, persuade farmers, and "celebrate the society day"; in June, they print books and press mulberry strips; in July, they worship cows and women on Tanabata; in the "Zhongyuan", they set up incense tables to worship their ancestors; in August, they "worship the society", send melons and touch the autumn. Some of them are due to the changes of the times, such as those slightly superstitious customs and activities, such as praying, divining the good weather in the coming year, and begging for the ancestors, which have been directly abandoned or simplified. This is also influenced by the establishment of materialism after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
In addition, some customs, such as "sending melons" and "touching autumn" in August, can be vaguely found in some literary works after the founding of the People's Republic of China, but with the opening and development of men and women's social interaction, these customs have successfully completed their historical tasks and withdrawn from the stage.
The customs in December and the Lantern Festival on the 15th of the first month should be the best preserved. The existing folk customs are basically the same as those in the past, and even slightly developed, making them more lively and perfect. The list is as follows:
The Spring Festival, commonly known as the Chinese New Year, lasts for 23 days from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month to the 15th day of the first lunar month, with many activities and great excitement.
(1) Send the Kitchen God: On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, it is said that on the day when the Bodhisattva (Kitchen God) was ordered to report a family's good and evil to the Jade Emperor, every household lit pots and lanterns, burned incense and worshipped, prayed for the Kitchen God to play good deeds and drive out fires, and sent them to their homes to worship the gods at ordinary times. After seeing God off, the gods were not at home, and all is forgiven began a busy year. But if there was a funeral at home, I didn't send it to God that year.
(2) It is called off-year to celebrate off-year on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, have a small family banquet and pay homage to ancestors. All kinds of folk recreational activities began from this day, which is commonly called "making spring". According to legend, on this day, Gao Kezi (mouse) will celebrate the New Year (there is also a wedding party), so it is not appropriate to make noise. He should go to bed early and keep quiet. Otherwise, "if you quarrel with it for one day, it will quarrel with you for one year."
(3) Busy year: Before the 3th day of the twelfth lunar month, "every household is busy for the New Year", cooking sugar, making tofu, making Baba, making new year's goods, putting up Spring Festival couplets, putting up new year pictures and cleaning. Cleaning is generally on the 28th of the twelfth lunar month. As the saying goes, "Twenty-eight, wash sloppy."
(4) Year of the Communist Youth League: The 3th day of the twelfth lunar month is the New Year's Day, which is commonly known as "the crow, the magpie and the old crow all have the 3th day". Most of the group years are in the morning, and some are before dawn or at night. Before the Year of the Communist Youth League, the Buddha was worshipped with pig heads, pig tails and garlic, incense was burned and firecrackers were fired, and then the ancestors were worshipped behind closed doors, and then the whole family was seated in the Year of the Communist Youth League. Only the fish in the group can't be eaten at the table, and it will be eaten next year, which means that there is more than one year. It takes longer to eat the reunion dinner than usual, even if you finish it first, you can't just sit down. After eating the reunion dinner, open the door to receive money, commonly known as "opening the door." In the evening, the lights are on at the ancestral graves.
(5) Shounian: According to legend, on New Year's Eve, immortals from all walks of life patrol the lower bound and count people. In order to let the immortals know that the population is prosperous, every household uses the tree to make a prosperous fire, and the family talks all night. Even if the child wants to sleep, he should sleep in the slag nest (where firewood is placed in front of the stove, the kitchen god will tell all the immortals that the family is not short of heads). As the saying goes, "Thirty fires, fifteen lights", "You stay with Bodhisattva's father for one night, and Bodhisattva's father will stay with you for one year."
(6) Travel: At dawn on the first day of the first month, the family put on new clothes, washed their hands and faces, then opened the front door wide, chose the right place to worship the world, and set off firecrackers with firewood. After the trip, take firewood (money) into the house and close the door, commonly known as "tight money door" After entering the house, the daughter-in-law screens sugar tea or egg tea for the in-laws, and the elders accept the worship of the younger generation, and also give the young children and grandchildren "lucky money". In the 198s, cities and towns traveled at zero o'clock, and after the midnight bell of CCTV rang, firecrackers and fireworks were set off in unison, which was full of joy.
(7) New Year greetings: I don't go out on the first day, and I visit my parents at home. However, if my relatives and friends died the year before, I will go to pay homage on the first day, commonly known as "New Year's greetings". On the second day, I worshipped my husband. After the third grade, relatives and friends worship each other in the neighborhood until the fifteenth day of the first month, commonly known as "Happy New Year, not later than the fifteenth day." Here, lions, dragon lanterns, three-stick drums, Taoist feelings, talking drums, ground flower drums, bamboo horses and so on make spring along the door.
(8) Send the New Year: On the 15th day of the first month, when the Chinese New Year is over, both urban and rural areas celebrate with dragons and lions, and every household eats Yuanxiao and lights the night lights, also known as Lantern Festival or Lantern Festival. After liberation, the countryside only lit night lights, which seemed dull. Towns are more lively, with fireworks and firecrackers, dragon dancing and lion playing, decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, which flourished before liberation.
after comparing the current customs of Songzi with the records in Songzi County Records compiled during the Qing Dynasty, I would like to talk about two unique local customs that once appeared in Songzi area, but were not recorded in the book.
1. Songzi talks about drums. Folk Quyi, also known as Shuo Gu. During the Tongzhi period of Qing Dynasty, it became popular in Jingzhou Songzi Xizhai, Jiehe City and Yanglin City. Drum artists rap along the door for a living. At first, only one person played drums and told stories, without singing or accompaniment; Later, it gradually developed into two people singing, one playing drums and storytelling, the other playing suona accompaniment, and answering questions with storytellers. Suona Qupai includes "Water Wave", "Six-character Tone" and "Compassion". Music can be divided into two categories, namely, playing brand music and singing brand music. After 1949, the drums of Songzi were collected and sorted out. In 1973, the reform was carried out. The southern dialect of Songzi County was adopted in rhyme, and both rap and singing were emphasized. The music absorbed some music scores of Songzi folk songs. Besides suona accompaniment, orchestral instruments were added, which was very popular among the masses. Old menstruation, adapted and sung by Shen Xingya, a drummer, was recorded and played by Hubei Radio. "Old Watch" participated in the performance of Baihua Book Fair in Hubei Province and won the first prize of creative performance. ?
This is also recorded by a Songzi person: all my memories before I became an adult were left in my hometown Songzi, and the local custom of making New Year's Eve is still fresh in my memory. Every year on the 3th of the twelfth lunar month, after the reunion dinner, the old man and the young man take turns to come to the door to fight "Lotus", pat "Fishing Drum Tube" and jump the lion. This kind of entertainment, mixed with local culture, is quite popular. In the 198s, when I was in my teens, as long as I heard the sound of "fishing drums" and "lotus flowers" coming from outside, I would sing along with them. People who accept their "slapping" have to give money, ranging from 2 cents to 5 cents. If you meet a family that eats commodity grain, it will be a few kilograms of millet or a few packs of cigarettes. From the New Year's Eve to the fifteenth day of the first month, the "Lotus" has to stop. If you meet any wedding party, it must be the bride and groom, the parents and the relatives. At the end of the day, these artists filled their long cloth bags with bulging feet.
However, these customs, such as singing "talking about drums", playing "lotus" and "dancing with lanterns", have been eliminated or protected as intangible cultural heritage today. The reason is very simple, mainly because the people are extremely poor and have no money to survive, which is a spontaneous way of asking for money. Now that everyone's living standards have improved dramatically, it is no longer necessary to survive in this way. This seemingly common folk form has naturally been forgotten by ordinary people.
2. Songzi ballads. Songzi ballads, which come from the folk, are both songs written by composers and ballads written without chapters. They are extremely rich in content and varied in forms. The main styles that have been excavated are: folk songs, Tian Ge, chant, minor, lantern songs, folk songs, current political songs, children's songs and so on. In terms of musical features, five tones are the most. In terms of melody and sentence structure, there are one sentence, upper and lower sentences, three sentences, five sentences, and six or eight sentences. When singing, there are often expanded sentences, hurried sentences and worn sentences.
folk songs are mainly popular in Nanshan district and hilly areas of the county. There are many kinds, according to the types of labor, mainly including herding cattle songs, herding sheep songs, cutting firewood songs, planting yangko songs, catching battle songs and carrying songs; According to the content of lyrics, it can be divided into scenery songs, fantasy songs, lyric songs and love songs; According to the tone, it can be divided into high-pitched folk songs, flat-pitched folk songs and low-pitched folk songs. Lyrics are concise and easy to understand; The tune is free and unrestrained, high-pitched