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Spring Festival customs in various regions
The Spring Festival is a day to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, and it is also the most important traditional festival of the Chinese nation. During the Spring Festival, Han people and many ethnic minorities in China will hold various activities to celebrate. The main contents of these activities are offering sacrifices to the gods and buddhas, paying homage to ancestors, getting rid of the old and spreading the new, welcoming the new year, and praying for a good harvest.

North China

In addition to the indispensable temple fairs, there are many unique customs in the Spring Festival in the north.

Pinch oil lamps: In kelan county, Shanxi and Northwest Shanxi, people light oil lamps on several nights from the 10th day of the first month to the 2nd day of February. People in Lanxian pinch lamps with flour, including buckwheat noodles and cake noodles. Pinch buckwheat noodles and lamps, and put them in a steamer after kneading; Cake noodles, that is, soft yellow wheat lamps, are made into steamed vegetarian cakes before being pinched into lamp shapes. Some people also use corn flour and buckwheat flour as lamps. Those made of white flour are called "silver lamps", those made of corn flour are called "golden lamps" and those made of wheat flour are called "iron lamps".

Cut the spring banners: In the area of Zhenping, Nanyang, rural women are used to cutting "Spring Chicken", "Chun Yan", "Spring Flower" and "Spring Willow" from beginning of spring's daily colored silk cloth, and adorning them on children's arms, with men on the left and women on the right, as a symbol of beginning of spring.

Running on the Bamboo Horse: This kind of folk art performance is popular in all parts of Shanxi Province. The content of this activity, confirmed by relevant data, has a history of at least 600 years. It is a popular form of folk activities in rural and urban areas of Shanxi, and is usually held in squares or streets and lanes when the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is in full swing.

northwest area

The Spring Festival tradition in northwest China has a heroic spirit of river of no return.

The social fire in Longxian county: it is a variety show played by the festival to meet the gods. The origin of "social fire" is that in the activities of offering sacrifices to the God of the Earth Valley, the entertainment activities of "Hundred Plays" square with other acrobatics are gradually added. At first, it was one of the ways of social worship as a folk way to seek good fortune and avoid evil, and later it gradually evolved into an entertainment activity to welcome the Spring Festival and celebrate the New Year.

Sending lanterns to children: referred to as "sending lanterns" for short, also known as "sending lanterns", etc., that is, before the Lantern Festival, the bride's family sends lanterns to her newly married daughter's home, or ordinary relatives and friends give them to her newly married infertile home, in order to add good luck, because "lamp" is homophonic with "Ding". This custom is found in many places. In Xi 'an, Shaanxi Province, lanterns are given during the eighth to fifteenth day of the first month. In the first year, a pair of palace lanterns and a pair of glass lamps with colorful paintings are given. I hope that my daughter will be lucky and have children early after marriage. If the daughter is pregnant, in addition to the big palace lantern, one or two pairs of small lanterns should be sent to wish her a safe pregnancy.

Breaking Five: It means that after today's Chinese New Year, all taboos have been broken, production has started to be normal, and guns are fired in the morning to celebrate, but this day is also the most taboo day, and you can't go out without doing anything at home. Today is also the last day of offering incense to the gods during the Chinese New Year. Guns are fired every morning, noon and evening.

Central China

As the birthplace of the Chinese nation, the Central Plains has preserved a large number of traditional folk customs.

Plumbing cypress branches: In western Henan, the first thing for people who get up on the first day of the first lunar month is to light the cypress branches piled up in the yard on New Year's Eve with wheat bran or cereal grass, commonly known as "plumping cypress branches". When retting cypress branches, some families, adults and children have to cross the cypress fire, which is called cross-fire. Some still hang a lantern in the courtyard, called. Hang sky lanterns. It is said that hanging sky lanterns, retting cypress branches, and crossing the prosperous fire can be. Eliminating evil spirits can especially prevent evil spirits.

Winter rice: the custom of Han people at the age of 20. Popular in Anhui, Hexian and Hanshan. The third day after the winter solstice every year happens to be the sixth or seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, which is called "Lami Work Day" by the people. On this day, I took water and poured rice into the warehouse, so I called it. Winter rice is stored again on the basis of yellow rice.

Letting off people's guns: the old custom of Han nationality at the age of 18. Popular in Shexian county, Anhui province. On the second day of the first lunar month, all men of all clans gather in their ancestral halls and are given firecrackers by the president or representative, usually three for each person. Every man who has a son will be given ten small firecrackers, one hanging a hundred, to show the luck of the ancient philosophers. Childless men burn incense and beg for children under the ancestral tablet of the ancestral temple. Folk believe that this day is the best day to ask for children.

southwest

In the gathering places of ethnic minorities, the custom of Spring Festival also has many ethnic characteristics.

Sacrificing trees on New Year's Eve: spread in Yuechi County, Sichuan Province. Every year on New Year's Eve, after each meal is served on the table, first of all, you should worship God for your ancestors. Then, you should take a little of each meal, cut it carefully and evenly, and then parents will bring it to the biggest and best tree with a plate or a dustpan to offer sacrifices to it. It is said that in this way, the fruit trees will be fruitful in the coming year and bring in rolling financial resources. After the tree was sacrificed, the whole family gathered around the table to have a reunion dinner.

Vegetable Stealing Festival: It is a popular custom of Miao people's vegetable stealing festival in Ping Huang, Guizhou Province. It is held every year on the 15th day of the first lunar month. On the festival day, girls will steal other people's food in droves. It is forbidden to steal from their own family or friends of the opposite sex, because stealing food is related to their marriage. The stolen vegetables are limited to cabbage, and the quantity is enough for everyone to eat. Stealing vegetables is not afraid of being discovered, and people who are stolen don't blame it. Everyone gathered the stolen dishes together and made a cabbage feast. It is said that whoever eats the most can get the right person early, and at the same time, the silkworms they raise are the strongest and they spit out the best silk.

Draw new water: also known as picking smart water, picking new water and picking good water. Spread in western Guangxi. In the early morning of New Year's Day, the new wives or big girls of each household took buckets, held three sticks of incense and sang songs. They went to the river or the spring, inserted the incense, put coins wrapped in red paper into the water as a profit, and picked up the first load of new water in the New Year.

Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces

Whether rowing or dancing with lights, there is a sweet smell of Jiangnan water town.

Lighting lanterns for the new year: an old custom of Han festivals, which is popular in some areas in the south of the Yangtze River. It is held on New Year's Eve or from the first day to the fifth day of the first month. During this period, the bedroom lights up all night at night, which is called "New Year's Lamp". Generally, lights are lit at the foot of the house column, under the bed, under the table and under the stove. More carrots are cut into pieces to make plates, and small candles are inserted. Some pottery is also used to hold oil and light lamps. It is an activity of keeping New Year's Eve, and it is also necessary to put up Spring Festival couplets, set off firecrackers, sing farewell songs, drink new year's wine and eat new year's rice.

Connecting Qinglong: the old custom of Han people at the age of 20. Popular in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Every year on the 12th day of the first lunar month, all kinds of dragon lanterns are gathered in Wu Shan Longwang Temple, which is called "Dragon Lantern Opening".

South China region

The warm south makes the Spring Festival in winter have many summer characteristics.

New Year wine: the festival custom of Yao nationality in the old days. Popular in Guanyang County, Guangxi. In December of the lunar calendar, each household pays two Jin of rice to make wine for the first person. On the first day of the first month, a man is sent to a reception with half a catty of pork, two pieces of tofu and a garlic sprout, which is called "eating New Year's wine". Presided over by the head. In the old year, families with a population increase brought a pot of wine, two pieces of tofu and a piece of pork with their children in their arms to pay New Year greetings to everyone. In the future, children will get a share of things in the village.