during the spring festival, many areas in China pay attention to eating rice cakes. New Year's cakes, also known as "New Year's cakes", are homophonic with "high every year", meaning that people's work and life are improved year by year.

As a kind of food, rice cakes have a long history in China. In 1974, archaeologists discovered rice seeds in the Hemudu matriarchal clan social site in Yuyao, Zhejiang, which shows that our ancestors began to grow rice as early as 7, years ago. People in the Han Dynasty called rice cakes "rice cakes", "bait" and "glutinous rice cakes". The ancients also had a development process from rice cake to flour cake. In the 6th century AD, the cookbook Shiji contained the method of making rice cakes "white cocoon candy", which said, "If rice is cooked and cooked, and it is hotter than Chu Jiu's, it must be cooked extremely well, so as not to have rice grains ..." That is, after the glutinous rice is steamed, it is boiled into rice, and then cut into peach pit sizes.

The method of milling rice into cakes is also very early. This can be proved by Qi Min Yao Shu written by Jia Sixie in the Northern Wei Dynasty. The production method is that glutinous rice flour is sieved with silk, and then added with water and honey to form a hard dough, and dates and chestnuts are attached to the dough, and then wrapped with bamboo leaves and steamed. This kind of glutinous rice cake has the characteristics of the Central Plains.

rice cakes are mostly made of glutinous rice flour, and glutinous rice is a specialty of the south of the Yangtze River. In the north, sticky grains like glutinous rice exist, and sticky millet (commonly known as millet) was first introduced in ancient times. This kind of millet hulled powder, after steamed with water, is yellow, sticky and sweet, and it is a delicious food for people in the Yellow River valley to celebrate the harvest. The article "A Brief Introduction to the Scenery of the Imperial Capital" published during the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty recorded that Beijingers at that time would "eat millet cakes on New Year's Day of the first month and celebrate the New Year's cakes". It is not difficult to see that "New Year's cake" is a homonym of "sticky cake" in the north.

There are many kinds of rice cakes, such as white cakes from the north, yellow rice cakes from farmers in Saibei, Shuimo rice cakes from water towns in the south of the Yangtze River, and red turtle cakes from Taiwan Province. Rice cakes have different flavors from north to south.

There are two kinds of northern rice cakes: steamed and fried, both of which are sweet. In addition to steaming and frying, southern rice cakes are also fried in slices and boiled in soup, which are both sweet and salty.

It is said that the earliest rice cakes were used to worship the gods in the New Year's Eve and for ancestors in the New Year's Eve, and later they became food for the Spring Festival.

The rice cake is not only a kind of holiday food, but also brings new hope to people. As a poem in the late Qing Dynasty said, "People's hearts are high, and food is made in harmony, so that the year is better than the year, so as to pray for the year."

The first half of the first lunar month is called Lantern Festival, also known as Lantern Festival and Shangyuan Festival.

for breakfast, families should eat more rice dumplings. Small grains without stuffing are called "sugar balls", while large ones with stuffing such as hundred fruits, jujube paste and oil and water are called "Yuanxiao".

after the family dinner in the evening, go out to enjoy the moon and watch the lights.

At night, the fire trees and silver flowers, the city gates are wide open, and the streets and alleys are full of colorful lights. Everywhere, gongs and drums, cymbals and cymbals play Lantern Festival. Ladies travel in groups to "hang the street", which is exactly "inviting the moon guest to invite the moon guest, and watching the lantern people look at the lantern people", which is very lively.

At that time, there was a children's song describing the grand occasion of Changzhou Lantern Festival: "Gan Tang Bridge, opposite drum bridge, drum tower facing the temple gate, boring boring! Lights are coming! Lights are coming! Grid lamp? A group of harmony lights, two dragons playing with beads, three yuan harmony lights, four-sided wishful lights, five-child champion lights, hexagonal wind ling lights, seven-child eight-husband lights, eight immortals crossing the sea lights, nine lotus lights, ten-sided hibiscus lights, boring boring boring, lights come! "There was an old dragon lantern at the back, and twenty-four little lynx jumped out, scaring the young lady.

After the Taiping Army conquered Changzhou, during the Lantern Festival, "holy soldiers" played "Taiping Army gongs and drums" to celebrate the Spring Festival. On the theatres on both sides of Qingyun Square, the men and women "holy soldiers" of Taiping Army dressed up to sing beach springs, and the soldiers and civilians had fun together, often staying up all night. On this day, there are often five or seven people together in the streets and lanes, carrying gongs and drums and knocking while walking, commonly known as "Lantern Festival in Langjie". At night, women go to the suburbs or outside the village together to take three bridges, and the round-trip route cannot be repeated, which is called "taking three bridges"; Some people pick a handful of leafy vegetables on the way and wipe their collars, which is called "relieving boredom"; Country girls also tied bald brooms, bamboo branches, etc. into a reed torch ten feet high with hemp stalks, and burned it in the field, which is called "according to the wealth of the field" to predict the drought and rain.

Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is on the 15th day of August in the lunar calendar, commonly known as "August and a half". A few days before the festival, people often give moon cakes, ham, water chestnut, lotus root and so on as "send-off gifts" to relatives and friends. Eat "sugar taro" in the morning, have family reunion in the evening, and enjoy the moon by drinking. Women often set up incense tables in the patio for lotus root and incense burning to celebrate Ramadan Palace. Literati and scholars meet to admire the moon and compose poems in the boat pavilion.

Laba: The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is Laba Festival, hence the name "twelfth lunar month". As soon as the "Laba" is over and the Spring Festival is approaching, every household should clean the house dust from the day of Laba. Laba porridge was eaten that day, and tofu was dried in yi county and Beixiang, Xiuning County, which was called Laba tofu. After Laba, every family began to slaughter Nian pigs, and invited each other to eat pig-killing wine, wrap glutinous rice dumplings, make rice preserves, fry oil tofu, stir-fry peanuts and broad beans, and make sesame sugar and frozen rice sugar. It is also necessary for people to arrange their wedding activities on this day, so there is a folk saying: "Laba Laba is a good day, and how many older women change into older women?"

Lunar New Year's Eve: December 24th of the lunar calendar, commonly known as "Lunar New Year's Eve". Late the night before, every household offered a sacrifice to the kitchen stove, which was commonly known as "sending the kitchen stove". Pray for the Kitchen God to speak well in front of the Jade Emperor and bless the safety of a family. On this day of off-year, ancestral paintings are hung in front of every family hall, which record the names of ancestors in previous dynasties or draw portraits of ancestors. Set up a candlestick incense table, buy a tribute, and pick up the ancestors to come home for the New Year. From this day on, every household cleaned furniture, dismantled and washed bedding, swept away dust and greeted the New Year cleanly.

new year's eve: the proverb says, "hurry for thirty nights, and be at leisure for the first day." Have a New Year's Eve dinner and set off firecrackers at midnight, which is not much different from other places.

Spring Festival: On the first day of New Year's Day, everyone dresses up, and the younger generation pays New Year greetings to their elders. Everyone pays New Year greetings to their ancestors in turn, and peers also congratulate each other. On this day, pay attention to taboos, don't move knives and scissors, don't take needle and thread, don't fry in the pan (don't make noise), don't touch the broom, don't splash water outside the door, don't break cups and bowls, and don't beat and scold children. It is considered unlucky to violate taboos, and there will be financial ruin, illness and other disasters this year. Qimen County also has the custom of "calling the Year". That is, on the first day and the second day of the first month, the foreman, who is the oldest person in the village, organizes young people and boys to form a long snake array and shout New Year greetings from house to house. Every time they arrive at a house, the foreman shouts the names of the parties who have been paid New Year greetings and adds a title, or says, "Pay New Year greetings to Baoting", or shout goodbye with a title. The worshippers immediately said, "Thank you for coming", and those who called Nian Fu said, "You should come". Don't be interesting.

Lantern Festival: Lantern Festival is played on the 15th day of the first month, and every family eats it. In the evening, we have to send our ancestors back to the mountains, put food and wine in front of their portraits, burn incense and worship, and hang lanterns in every household. Lantern Festival lanterns are the most popular in Yansi Town, Huizhou District.

February 2nd: February 2nd of the lunar calendar is the birthday of the earth god, and Huizhou in ancient times was called "the dragon looks up". It's probably because in midsummer, there is more rain and thunder can be heard, so there is this saying. In rural areas, farmers are forbidden to go to the fields on this day, and women are forbidden to spend the day with needlework. It is the custom in Jixi county that on this day, zongzi wrapped with glutinous rice for a lifetime is cooked to worship the land god. February 2 is also the birthday of Baihua, so it is also called "Flower Festival". On this day, scholars decorate Baihua, hold Wenchang Fair and compete for poems.

Taboos during the Lunar New Year: Chinese New Year usually lasts from the first day to the fifth day, and it will be separated after the fifth day, indicating that this year has passed, and it is time to return to normal life. There are some taboos in the conventional customs for Chinese New Year, such as don't get angry

swearing, hitting children, etc. The following are taboos that people often hear during Chinese New Year.

On the first day of New Year's Eve:

1. Married daughters can't go back to their parents' homes: A daughter married in the New Year will eat her poor family, so she can only go back to her parents' homes on the second or third day of junior high school, but the implication is that the married daughter is already the daughter-in-law of another family. After

, many people in her husband's family will come to pay New Year's greetings, so the daughter-in-law can't go back on the first day.

2. Don't eat porridge, meat and medicine for breakfast: In the past, the poor people only ate porridge, so they must eat dry rice on the morning of the first day of the New Year, which means that the family will be rich all year round, while the morning of the first day of the New Year is called the gathering of all gods.

It means that all gods come out to pay New Year greetings, so to show respect, first of all, don't eat meat, be vegetarian, and don't

except for serious illness.

3. Don't call other people's names to wake people up: Don't call people's names to wake people up on the morning of the first day of the New Year, which means that

Party has to be urged to do things all year round.

4. Don't pay New Year's greetings to people who are still asleep: Don't pay New Year's greetings to each other when they are still asleep on the first day of the New Year, and wait for them to

get up, because this will keep them in the hospital bed all year.

avoid washing clothes on the first and second days: water has a water god, whose birthday is on the second day of the first day, so don't wash clothes on these two days

.

from grade one to grade five:

1. Do not take a nap during the day: Taking a nap during the Chinese New Year means that you will be lazy all year round. The implication

is that many guests come home to pay New Year greetings during the Chinese New Year, and it is rude to take a nap.

2. Avoid dumping sewage, garbage and sweeping the floor: don't do sweeping during the Chinese New Year, because it will easily sweep away the wealth in your home.

3. Don't be taken from others' pockets: don't let people take things from their pockets during the Chinese New Year, which means that

money will be taken from others throughout the year.

4. Don't ask for debts: During the Chinese New Year, no matter who is asked for debts or who asks for debts from others, it will be

unlucky throughout the year, so it is forbidden to ask for debts from others.

Spring Festival is an ancient festival in our country, and it is also the most important festival in the whole year. How to celebrate this festival has formed some relatively fixed customs and habits in thousands of years of historical development, and many of them are still passed down to this day.

Sweep the dust

"Sweep the dust and sweep the house on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month". According to Lu Chunqiu, China had the custom of sweeping the dust in the Spring Festival in the Yao and Shun era. According to the folk saying: Because of the homonym of "dust" and "Chen", sweeping dust in the Spring Festival has the meaning of "except Chen Buxin", and its intention is to sweep away all bad luck and bad luck. This custom is entrusted with people's desire to break through the old and establish the new and their prayer to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. Whenever the Spring Festival comes, every household should clean the environment, clean all kinds of appliances, tear down and wash bedding curtains, sweep the six yards, dust cobwebs and dredge open channels and culverts. Everywhere is filled with the joyful atmosphere of engaging in sanitation and welcoming the Spring Festival cleanly.

posting Spring Festival couplets

Spring Festival couplets are also called door couplets, spring stickers, couplets, couplets, peach symbols, etc. They depict the background of the times and express good wishes with neat, dual, concise and exquisite words, which is a unique literary form in China. Every Spring Festival, no matter in urban or rural areas, every household should select a red Spring Festival couplets and stick them on the door to add festive atmosphere to the festival. This custom began in the Song Dynasty and became popular in the Ming Dynasty. By the Qing Dynasty, the ideology and artistry of Spring Festival couplets had been greatly improved. Liang Zhangju's monograph "Poems on Spring Festival couplets" discussed the origin of couplets and the characteristics of various works.

There are many kinds of Spring Festival couplets, which can be divided into door hearts, frame pairs, horizontal stripes, spring strips and square fights according to their usage places. The "door core" is attached to the center of the upper end of the door panel; The "frame pair" is attached to the left and right door frames; "Cross-dressing" is attached to the crossbar of the door; "Spring strips" are posted in corresponding places according to different contents; "Dou Jin", also called "door leaf", is a square diamond, which is often attached to furniture and screen walls.

stick grilles and the word "Fu" upside down

In the folk, people also like to stick various paper-cuts on the windows-window grilles. Window grilles not only set off the festive atmosphere, but also integrate decoration, appreciation and practicality. Paper-cutting is a very popular folk art in China, which has been loved by people for thousands of years. Because it is mostly stuck on the window, it is also called "window flower". With its unique generalization and exaggeration, window grilles show auspicious things and good wishes incisively and vividly, and decorate the festival with splendor.

At the same time of putting up Spring Festival couplets, some families should put large and small "Fu" characters on the doors, walls and lintels. Sticking the word "Fu" in the Spring Festival is a long-standing folk custom in China. The word "Fu" refers to good fortune and good fortune, which places people's longing for a happy life and wishes for a bright future. In order to fully reflect this yearning and wish, some people simply paste the word "fu" upside down, indicating that "happiness has arrived" and "blessing has arrived". There are also people who elaborate the word "Fu" into various patterns, such as longevity, longevity peach, carp jumping over the dragon gate, abundant grains, dragons and phoenixes, and so on.

New Year pictures

Hanging New Year pictures during the Spring Festival is also very common in urban and rural areas. The thick black and colorful New Year pictures add a lot of prosperous and happy festive atmosphere to thousands of families. New Year pictures are an ancient folk art in China, reflecting people's simple customs and beliefs and pinning their hopes for the future. New Year pictures, like Spring Festival couplets, originated from "door gods". With the rise of woodblock printing, the content of New Year pictures is not limited to monotonous themes such as door gods, but has become rich and colorful. In some New Year pictures workshops, classic color New Year pictures such as Three Stars of Fu Lushou, heavenly god blesses the people, Harvest of Five Grains, Prosperity of Six Livestock, and Greeting the Spring with Happiness have been produced to meet people's good wishes of celebrating and praying for the New Year. There are three important producing areas of New Year pictures in China: Taohuawu in Suzhou, Yangliuqing in Tianjin and Weifang in Shandong; Three schools of Chinese New Year pictures have been formed, each with its own characteristics.

China's earliest collection of New Year pictures in China today is the woodcut New Year pictures of the Southern Song Dynasty, which show four ancient beauties: Wang Zhaojun, Zhao Feiyan, Ban Ji and Lvzhu. The most popular among the people is a New Year picture of Marrying a Mouse. It depicts an interesting scene in which a mouse marries a bride according to human customs. In the early years of the Republic of China, Zheng Mantuo of Shanghai combined the calendar with the New Year pictures. This is a new form of New Year pictures. This new year's picture, which combines two into one, later developed into a calendar and has been popular all over the country.

observing new year's eve

observing new year's eve is one of the most important annual customs, and the custom of observing new year's eve has a long history. The earliest record was found in the "Local Records" in the Western Jin Dynasty: on New Year's Eve, all parties gave gifts, which was called "giving the year back"; Wine and food are invited, which is called "don't be old"; It is called "dividing the age" when the young and the old gather to drink and wish a complete song; Everyone stays up all night, waiting for the morning, which is called "keeping the old age".

"One night is even two years old, and the evening shift is divided into two days". On New Year's Eve, the whole family get together, eat New Year's Eve, light candles or oil lamps, sit around the stove and chat, wait for the time to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new year, and keep vigil all night, which symbolizes driving away all evil diseases and epidemics and looking forward to good luck and good luck in the new year. This custom gradually became popular. At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong, wrote a poem "Shounian": "Cold resigns from winter snow, and warmth brings spring breeze". To this day, people are used to keeping the new year's eve and welcoming the new year.

In ancient times, observing the old age had two meanings: the old people's observing the old age means "resigning from the old age", which means cherishing time; Young people keep their age to prolong the life of their parents. Since the Han dynasty, the time when the old and the new years alternate is generally at midnight.

Firecrackers

There is a folk saying in China that "open the door to firecrackers". That is, at the arrival of the new year, the first thing for every household to open the door is to set off firecrackers to eliminate the old and welcome the new with the sound of firecrackers. Firecrackers are a specialty of China, also known as "firecrackers", "firecrackers" and "firecrackers". Its origin is very early, and it has a history of more than two thousand years. Setting off firecrackers can create a festive and lively atmosphere, which is a kind of entertainment in festivals and can bring happiness and good luck to people. With the passage of time, firecrackers are more and more widely used.