The cultural differences between the north and the south are huge, and the customs of the Spring Festival are also different. The Spring Festival customs of the north and the south are as follows:

1. South

1.1. Food

1.1.1. Eating rice cakes

Time: January 22, 2023 (the first day of the first lunar month).

In some places in the south, rice cakes are eaten during the Spring Festival. Nian Gao, also known as "Nian Nian Gao", is homophonic with "Nian Nian Gao", which means that people's work and life are improving year by year. As a kind of food, rice cake has a long history in our country. The ancients also had a development process in the production of rice cakes from rice cakes to powder cakes.

The recipe "Shici" in the sixth century AD records the method of making rice cake "white cocoon sugar", "cook the cooked rice and heat it with a pestle and mortar, pound it into rice cake, It must be cooked very well without any grains of rice." After the glutinous rice is steamed, pound it into rice while it is hot, then cut it into pieces the size of peach cores, dry them and fry them, then roll them with sugar and eat them.

1.1.2. Eating hot pot

Time: January 21, 2023 (New Year’s Eve), January 22 (the first day of the first lunar month), etc.

New Year’s Eve dinner in the South usually includes hot pot and fish. The hot pot is boiling, steaming, warm and sultry, and booming.

Many people like to eat hot pot during the Spring Festival. Firstly, all kinds of delicacies, whether meat or vegetable, can be eaten in hot pot; secondly, eating hot pot during the Spring Festival means prosperity and good luck. Many hot pot restaurants specially launch Spring Festival set meals during the Spring Festival. The whole family can gather together to have a special hot pot, which is warm and cozy, and the atmosphere is good.

1.1.3. Eat fish

Time: January 21, 2023 (New Year’s Eve), January 22 (the first day of the first lunar month), etc.

The custom of eating fish during the Spring Festival is mainly found in many areas south of the river. Fish is the last dish at the banquet. It is basically left uneaten when it is brought to the table. As a mascot, it means "more than enough every year". In some places, when eating fish during the New Year's dinner, the head and tail should be left until next year (i.e. the beginning of the year) to express the wish for a "complete beginning and end" in the New Year.

There are also specialties when placing fish: the fish head should be facing the distinguished guests or elders to show respect; if the visitor is a scholar, the fish belly should be faced to him to praise him for having ink in his belly and full of articles; if the visitor is a military general, the fish should be placed Point your spine towards him, praising him for being brave and bold, and can be used as your backbone.

There is also the placement of the fish when it is served on the table. Who should the fish's head face and who should its tail face? Do not move it after it is placed. The person facing the fish head "cuts the ribbon", and the person facing the fish tail "sponsores"; first the two drink a glass of wine, and then the person with the fish head picks up the fish with chopsticks and eats it (the so-called "ribbon cutting"), and then everyone Only then can you move your chopsticks, and the atmosphere is lively and full of joyful chatter.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Dong people catch several fresh fish from the fish pond, fry, fry, roast, and stew them all over the table. The aroma is overflowing, and they wish for good luck in the new year.

The Miao people eat spiced fish during the Chinese New Year. They remove the intestines and cut the fish into small pieces, soak it in soy sauce and salt, dry it and fry it in a pan; while it is still hot, soak it in sugar, rice wine and ginger juice. In the soup, let it dry and put it in the pot without adding water, then add sugar, mustard, and fire to burn the pot to make the fish look charred, and the fish will have a charred aroma, and you will feel salivated after eating it. This fish dish has all five flavors including sweet, salty, burnt and fragrant.

1.1.4. Eating glutinous rice balls

Time: January 22, 2023 (the first day of the first lunar month).

The Lantern Festival is called "tangyuan" in the south. In Jiangsu, Shanghai and other places, there is a custom of eating glutinous rice balls on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year. The Lantern Festival is called the "Shangyuan Festival" by Taoism.

According to Yi Tuzhen's "(Girl) Huanhuan Ji" of the Yuan Dynasty quoted from "Sanyu Tie": After Chang'e flew to the moon, Yi became ill with longing for her. On the night of the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, a boy suddenly came to see him and claimed to be Chang'e's envoy. He said: "Madam, I know that you are thinking about me, and there is no way to come down. Tomorrow is the full moon. You should make pills with rice flour, and they will be like the moon. Place them in the northwest of your room. Calling my wife's name, she will come on three eves."

Yi acted according to the law, and Chang'e did come. It can be seen that eating Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival has the auspicious meaning of "the whole group is like the moon".

1.2. Activities

1.2.1. Dust removal

Time: Starting on January 16, 2023 (the 25th day of the lunar calendar).

Generally starting from the 25th day of the lunar calendar, every household begins to carry out a very thorough cleaning inside and outside the house. Every household must do a big job, make it new inside and out, and welcome the new year with the latest look. , don’t have a special New Year atmosphere.

In the south, especially in Guangdong and Hainan, during the Chinese New Year, people will put oranges at home, which is called "Orange Offering", because "Orange" and "Auspicious" are homophonic.

Therefore, every household will buy a pot of oranges, or bundles of tied oranges. The pots of oranges are usually placed in the living room, and some families will also paste the word "吉" in black letters on red paper on the pots.

1.2.2. Pasting Spring Festival couplets

Time: Starting from January 21, 2023 (New Year’s Eve).

On New Year's Eve, every household takes out the Spring Festival couplets they have bought a long time ago, or if they are in the mood, they bring their own paper and ink, write down their own or chosen couplets on the spot, and stick them up as soon as the ink is dry. . The content of Spring Festival couplets is often about making a fortune and being auspicious and festive.

In addition, people will also post various New Year pictures, and their homes will be decorated with these Spring Festival couplets and New Year pictures. Of course, door gods are an indispensable treasure for country people. Their purpose is to drive away evil spirits, suppress evil spirits, and bless peace. The door gods often invited are Qin Shubao and Yuchi Jingde.

1.2.3. Lion Dance

Time: January 22, 2023 (the first day of the first lunar month).

During the Spring Festival, lion dance is also one of the ways people celebrate. The southern lion dance is generally popular in Guangdong, so it is also called the Guangdong lion. Guangdong lion dance consists of one person dancing the lion's head, one person dancing the lion's tail, and one person wearing a big-headed Buddha mask to lead the lion, play with the lion, perform solo dance, etc. Lion dancers wear colorful trousers and Tang lantern-sleeved shirts or vests with dense buttons.

On New Year's Eve, the water tank in the farmhouse must be filled with water, and the rice tank must be filled with rice. For example, in Hainan and Chaoshan areas, farmers’ water jars must be filled with water, rice jars must be filled with rice, and lights must not be extinguished to symbolize the good omen of “more than enough every year” and “constant cooking every year.”

1.2.4. Ancestor worship

Time: January 21, 2023 (New Year’s Eve), January 22 (the first day of the first lunar month), January 23 ( Worship is required on January 24th (the second day of the first lunar month) and January 24th (the third day of the first lunar month).

In many areas in the south, before having the New Year’s Eve dinner, people have to worship their ancestors first. People will first go to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors, or they will light lamps, burn incense and place them in their own homes. The head of the family takes the lead in making sumptuous dishes, and kneels down and burns incense to the ancestors. I sincerely invite my ancestors to come and enjoy it, and pray that the whole family will be safe and prosperous.

In some places, gold foil paper money is burned to ancestors. Afterwards, the firecrackers that had been prepared were fired and the New Year's Eve dinner began.

2. North

1.1. Food

1.1.1. Eating dumplings

Time: January 21, 2023 (Daily New Year's Eve), January 22 (the first day of the first lunar month), January 24 (the third day of the first lunar month), etc.

According to ancient customs, dumplings are a food eaten after New Year sacrifices. During the Chinese New Year, people pay attention to keeping the New Year's Bun, and eating it when they say goodbye, that is, eating it at Zi time. This is the turn of two years, the time to welcome the new year and say goodbye to the old. It has special significance and takes the meaning of "Jiao Zi", "Zi" It is "Zi Shi", "Jiao" and "dumpling" are homophonic, which means festive reunion and good luck, indicating good luck in the new year.

Dumplings are eaten during the Chinese New Year. The dumplings are filled with fillings, so that people can wrap various auspicious and festive things in the fillings to express people's good expectations for the new year.

1.1.2. Grinding tofu

Time: January 16, 2023 (the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month).

On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, it is said that the Jade Emperor will visit the lower realms and eat tofu dregs to express his poverty. Tofu is an important raw material for Spring Festival processed dishes. Tofu is required for dishes such as fried tofu, tofu boxes, and making tofu cocoons. "Twenty-five, grind tofu", "tofu" is the homophonic pronunciation of "Dufu", and also expresses people's prayers for the New Year.

Guyue Tofu has a long history and is a classic delicacy in Pingshan County, Hebei Province. Guyue Town, Pingshan County, has had the custom of making tofu since ancient times. The art of making tofu has a history of more than 2,000 years in Pingshan. The plump soybeans and high-quality water sources, coupled with the tofu making skills passed down by generations, have made Guyue tofu is smooth, tender, delicate and fragrant. At this time of year, people in Pingshan County start grinding tofu in preparation for the New Year.

1.1.3. Hair the noodles

Time: January 19, 2023 (the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month).

On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, cakes and steamed buns are made with decals. The ancients used peach wood as a wood to ward off evil spirits, but it was later replaced by red paper. Northerners eat mainly steamed buns, so they make noodles and steam steamed buns every three to five days. But that’s not the case during the Chinese New Year. You have to steam buns, steamed buns, and candies for more than ten days at a time, so this time the dough is particularly critical.

The process of making dough is roughly like this: first soak the "noodles" in water, mix them with flour, and then put them in a large basin to slowly ferment. Because the quantity is large, it usually takes overnight. After it rises to a certain level, add an appropriate amount of soda ash, mix in some flour, knead until it is soft and hard, and then continue to ferment for a period of time.

Making noodles is a technical job, and housewives from all families pay special attention to it, because relatives come to eat during the New Year. Anyone who steams steamed buns that are sour or poor will inevitably become the butt of ridicule.

1.1.4. Steamed buns

Time: January 19, 2023 (the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month), January 20 (the twenty-ninth lunar month), etc.

The staple food during the Chinese New Year is white flour steamed buns, and it is also a delicacy that everyone looks forward to eating. If making dough is a technical job, then steaming steamed buns is a physical job. The steamed buns need to be kneaded repeatedly to make them strong and delicious. Therefore, when the steamed buns are steamed, the men in the family often come to help.

The prepared steamed buns should be uniform in size before being steamed. Some people will also make some patterns on the steamed buns, or stuff red dates on top of the steamed buns.

1.1.5. Killing the New Year Pig

Time: January 17, 2023 (the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month).

The killing of New Year pigs in the Northeast is a customary folk custom in rural areas before the New Year. It is a reward for farmers who have worked hard for a year before the Spring Festival, and it is also a great dish for entertaining relatives and friends during the Spring Festival.

On the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, the New Year pig was killed, and except for the salty bacon, the rest was hung in the warehouse. When the Chinese New Year is approaching, I take it back to the house and "relax" for a night. When frying the meat, use a large pot, burn firewood at the bottom, and cook it over slow fire for half a day. The meat cooked in this way will be tasty and delicious.

But children often can't wait and urge adults to fish out a piece to try from time to time. Therefore, we often don’t eat any staple food on this day. We just eat meat and gnaw bones to feel full. Of course, some raw meat should be set aside for cooking, and some lean meat should be minced into fillings for making dumplings and croquettes.

1.2. Activities

1.2.1. Cleaning the house

Time: January 14, 2023 (the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month).

The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month in the north is a cleaning day for every household. Keeping your home clean inside and out means welcoming the New Year and getting rid of bad luck. Through general cleaning, people express their thoughts on getting rid of the old and welcoming the new in the new year. While cleaning, some people will throw away some old things, such as clothes, shoes, etc., and buy more things, which also means getting rid of the old and welcoming the new.

1.2.2. Send a gift to the Kitchen God

Time: January 14, 2023 (the twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month).

On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, people in the north celebrate the New Year. People place candies, water, beans and mosses on the table in front of the Stove King Elephant. In order to make the Stove Lord "go to heaven to say good things and return to the palace to bring good luck", people used various methods to deal with him.

Some people use gum gum candy to worship it, so as to stick the teeth of the Kitchen God so that he can't talk nonsense; some use wine lees to smear the kitchen door, this "drunk commander", the Kitchen God can't be drunk. say. The Kitchen God receives special treatment from people and "eats others' soft mouths", so of course it is difficult for him to say bad things.

1.2.3. New Year’s Eve Fair

Time: January 18, 2023 (the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month).

On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, the New Year chicken is slaughtered to entertain relatives during the New Year. Go to the market to buy things needed for the Spring Festival, especially in rural areas in the north. As the New Year is approaching, if you don’t go to the market in person, walk around, take a look, talk, and listen, Even if the family prepares big fish, meat and delicacies, the Chinese New Year will not feel like a New Year.

1.2.4. Post Spring Festival couplets and stay up late

Time: January 21, 2023 (New Year’s Eve).

On New Year's Eve, two years pass in one night, and the fifth watch is divided into two days. The cold leaves the winter snow and the warmth brings the spring breeze. During the Spring Festival in the north, every household will post auspicious Spring Festival couplets on both sides of their doors to bring a festive atmosphere to the festival. Northerners have the custom of staying up late on New Year's Eve, that is, the family stays up to wait for the arrival of the New Year, and then has a New Year's Eve dinner as a family, which means saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new.

1.2.5. Set off firecrackers, pay New Year greetings, and wear new clothes

Time: January 22, 2023 (the first day of the first lunar month).

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the golden rooster croaks, the younger generation pays New Year greetings to the elders, and the elders give lucky money to suppress evil spirits. Setting off firecrackers during the New Year is an ancient custom with festive connotations.

During the Chinese New Year, adults and children in every household have to wear new clothes to celebrate the occasion, which means shabby.

1.2.6. Return to natal home

Time: January 23, 2023 (the second day of the first lunar month).

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the golden bark heralds spring, relatives and relatives go to celebrate the new year, the host family stays for dinner, and the west family arranges a wine banquet. The uncle accompanies his daughter-in-law to go back to her parents' home. On the third day of the Lunar New Year, they usually go back to their parents' home, but the meaning is different. On this day, most of them are visiting relatives who have lost their father and mother.