Guangzhou’s annual Spring Festival Flower Market Guangzhou is known as the Flower City and has a history of more than a thousand years as a flower grower. Nowadays, the annual Spring Festival Flower Market has attracted the attention of the world and has become a major folk custom in Guangzhou. Every year on the eve of the Spring Festival, the streets and alleys of Guangzhou are filled with flowers and bonsais, and major parks hold Spring Festival flower exhibitions. Especially three days before New Year's Eve, colorful buildings and flower stands are erected on the main streets in various districts. Flower farmers came one after another to set up flower markets, sell flowers and enjoy flowers, and the crowds of people surged. The ten-mile long street was filled with blooming flowers and a sea of ??people. It lasted until the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year and then dispersed. This is Guangzhou's unique Spring Festival Flower Market. Guangzhou distributes "riches" during the New Year. It is a custom in Guangzhou to distribute "riches" during the New Year. In interpersonal communication, "riches" are a must. Of course, the so-called "profit" refers to red envelopes. When relatives and friends meet, adults should give "profit" to their children. Among the citizens of Guangzhou, the citizen class is very particular about giving double envelopes, and it doesn't matter how many banknotes are included, but it is rude to not have "lushi". Therefore, when visiting Guangzhou people's homes during the Spring Festival, it is better to bring more red envelopes. Save yourself the trouble. Even at the entrance of shopping malls, kumquat trees will be hung with "profits" for anyone to pick for good luck.
Heng Chong said that as early as the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, Fuzhou people began to be busy preparing for the New Year. According to the tradition of Fuzhou people, they do not kill animals after the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, so the meat to be eaten in the first month must be prepared before then. Women at home hang the slaughtered chickens and pigs from the ceiling, wait for them to dry and then stew them, then put them in an urn and marinate them with wine and various ingredients.
Hou Hengchong said that such a jar of food is not only a delicacy on the reunion dinner table, but can often be eaten until the end of the first year.
On New Year’s Eve, before having the reunion dinner, Fuzhou people would worship their ancestors. Among the many sacrifices, Hou Hengchong was most impressed by the horseshoes and rice cakes. Horseshoes grow in the fields and have strong vitality. Using horseshoes to worship ancestors has the hope that the ancestors will bless the family and have successors.
Fuzhou people’s rice cakes are different from those commonly seen in local markets. They are about the size of a tray and have different tastes. Therefore, Fuzhou Guild Hall will order rice cakes for members every year so that fellow villagers can taste the unique ones. Fuzhou style rice cake.
When worshiping ancestors, rice cakes must be sliced ??and fried, and then placed on a plate and placed on the table. Fuzhou people attach great importance to rice cakes. In addition to worshiping their ancestors, rice cakes are also a dessert at the reunion dinner table. Even if they don’t eat them, they are indispensable at the dinner table. In addition, red fermented chicken, Fuzhou fish balls and meat swallows are also delicacies on the reunion dinner table of Fuzhou people.
Fuzhou people also have an interesting custom. After the reunion dinner, parents have to use toilet paper to wipe their children's mouths, which means that children's words are unbridled. If the children say something wrong, they hope that the gods will not blame them.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, before Fuzhou people go out to pay New Year greetings, they must first offer sacrifices to heaven, and bamboo strip rice is a necessary sacrifice. The rice is served in a container made of bamboo strips, with a paper red flower inserted in the middle and chopsticks inserted around it, which means praying to heaven.
According to tradition, Fuzhou people also eat a bowl of Taiping on this day. It is noodles soaked in red fermented chicken soup, and two eggs are added to the noodles. Now some people use quail eggs instead. As the name suggests, Taiping eats peace.
Hou Hengchong remembered that Fuzhou people’s Lantern Festival was also very lively. Wandering God is a major festival, with the sound of drums resounding in the sky, the crowds surrounding the place, and the sound of firecrackers rising and falling, pushing the festive atmosphere to the climax.
Hou Hengchong returned to Singapore in 1959 when he was 20 years old. Over the past few decades, due to various factors, the traditional customs of Fuzhou people during the New Year cannot be fully preserved.
Hou Hengchong said that for example, many Fuzhou families have non-Fuzhou members. In order to adapt to the eating habits and preferences of members with different origins, these families have to add some non-Fuzhou foods, making the food on the reunion dinner table more unique. It’s not just Fuzhou food anymore.
He said: "This is the result of changing times. Older Fuzhou people should not be stubborn. Under the principle of peace as the most important, we should make appropriate adjustments in line with the times."
New Year customs in old Shanghai
The Spring Festival has been in China for thousands of years. But for a long time, the name "Spring Festival" refers to the "beginning of spring" among the twenty-four solar terms in a year. It was not until the Revolution of 1911 that overthrew the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China was established. Sun Yat-sen ordered the country to switch to the Gregorian calendar. Subsequently, the New Year should also be changed to the Gregorian calendar New Year's Day.
However, the Lunar New Year has become a traditional festival celebrated by all the people, and the solid and profound customs and national culture are difficult to change. The celebration of the Lunar New Year is still going strong every year. Due to the emergence of a new Gregorian New Year's Day, to show the difference, since the Republic of China, the Lunar New Year has been called the "Spring Festival" in solar terms.
In the old days, the "New Year" began on December 23 of the lunar calendar, and lasted until the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, and a fixed routine was formed. Let’s take a look at how Shanghai used to “celebrate the New Year” in the old days.
The twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, that is, the twenty-fourth day of December, is the day when the "Kitchen God" goes to heaven to perform tasks. Therefore, on the night of the twenty-third day, every household will "give away the stove" and "sacrifice the stove" to celebrate the New Year. This kicks off. On that night, every household would worship the Kitchen God in the hall, and more often than not they would offer wine, fruit, water chestnuts, wild rice, good fish, and good meat on the kitchen stove next to the statue of the Kitchen God. There is a poem on a bamboo branch that says: "Fame and fortune" Prosperity and less trouble, all the gods are silently dependent on each other. There is nothing else to offer now, fish to buy fresh meat and fat."
The Kitchen God went to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor the good and bad things in the world during the year. In order to prevent him from speaking too much, people also offered sugar ingots made from caramel to him when he "sent him to the stove". It is said that his teeth were sticky after eating them, and he could not speak clearly, so he could speak less or not at all. Bad words in the world. When "giving away the stove", each family lights up incense candles. It's night, the house is filled with incense and various offerings are dazzling. The atmosphere of celebrating the New Year has suddenly arrived.
The twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month is the day when the gods descend to the lower realm. According to tradition, every household dusts and sweeps the inside and outside to remove a year's accumulation of dust and clear away the clutter that is usually piled up. This move was quite serious. In today's terms, it can be called a positive and large-scale mass health campaign. After this day's work, every household is clean and tidy, its supplies are in better order than before, and it looks fresh inside and out, like a new year.
From this day on, every household began to be busy with all aspects of the New Year celebrations. The first thing is to buy and prepare all kinds of food for the New Year. Every household must grind flour to make glutinous rice balls, and some families also knead flour to make homemade rice cakes. The former means "reunion and reunion", while the latter means "happy" and "higher every year" after eating it. The second step is to prepare new clothes, new hats, and new shoes. People generally wear old things throughout the year, but they must look through their "outfits" during the New Year; they start buying Spring Festival couplets, New Year pictures, and "door gods" to post on their doors, upstairs and downstairs. . During this period, in order to supply the needs of the public, a wide variety of these things were sold on the market. Each family also chooses what they need. For example, when buying Spring Festival couplets, stores usually choose "Business is booming all over the world, and wealth is abundant reaching Sanjiang", while ordinary households usually choose "The sky increases years and people live longer, spring brings happiness to the universe, and the garden fills the garden" and so on.
This period is also the busiest time for stores in the middle of the year. On the one hand, it is the season when business is booming and sales are at their peak. On the other hand, the end of the year is when each store cleans up their accounts for the year and prepares for the next year. The period within which the debtor can claim the accumulated debt. So each family sent a special person to handle the matter, and a large-scale "debt collection" team appeared in the city: "Carrying the accounts in cloth bags, they walked across the street from east to west of the alley. Stepping into the heavy door, they hurriedly called out, sir, I owe you something." There are people who are happy to pay their debts, but there are also many who cannot pay their debts on time for various reasons. Debt collectors have heavy responsibilities and pursue them relentlessly. They often operate day and night, regardless of the cold weather at night.
Among those who cannot repay their debts on time, many are actually completely unable to repay their debts. In addition to the debts owed to the store, these people probably also owed personal debts. The end of the year is also the time when most debts are repaid, so these people face heavy pressure from two aspects to ask for money. However, according to the usual practice, debt collection and debt collection can only be done until New Year's Eve, and cannot be done during the New Year. Otherwise, it will be unlucky to ask for "bad luck". Therefore, for those who are hiding from debts and debts, New Year's Eve is the last hurdle. If you escape this hurdle, it will be a different matter next year. So they have been dealing with debt collectors and debt collectors, trying every possible means to get through this New Year's Eve: "The creditors are full of holes, and they have no plan and it is difficult to get back. I have no choice but to go up on the stage to avoid them. I will get rid of them at dawn."
However, except for the poor people mentioned above, generally speaking, everyone is extremely happy and cheerful when the New Year comes. After all the preparations mentioned above, the New Year's Eve that we have been looking forward to every day has finally arrived, and the New Year's celebration has reached its climax.
The beauty of New Year’s Eve lies in the sunset. It's late, and parents and children gather indoors. Even those who are away from home should try their best to return home beforehand to celebrate the New Year with their families.
Everyone sat together under the lights and had the "New Year's Eve dinner" together, eating and drinking, talking and laughing. This meal lasted for a long time. This is the end of a year of hard work to enjoy family happiness, hence the name "Family Fun".
This night follows the New Year, so the elders of many families do not go to bed after the New Year's Eve dinner, but stay up late by the fire. Also talking, laughing, and eating omnivores. No one will feel that the night is deeper and longer. At midnight, some people will go to the temple in the city to burn "first incense".
Waiting until the rooster first crows and the sky is twilight, every household, men, women, old and young, puts on new clothes, hats and shoes, and worships heaven and earth and ancestors in the hall where offerings have been placed. Then the young and the young pay New Year greetings to their parents, and the parents give their children the New Year's money that they had prepared years ago. This is what the children have longed for, and they finally get it in their pockets happily. Then the doors are opened and explosions are made to welcome the new year, and neighbors meet and wish each other a happy new year.
The days after the first day of the Lunar New Year are the time for relatives and friends to visit each other and pay New Year greetings. When guests come, they often bring gifts. When entertaining guests, they must drink "Yuanbao Tea", which is made by placing a green fruit in the tea or placing a green fruit on top of the tea lid. They also put fruits on gold lacquer plates to offer to guests, saying "Congratulations on your wishes." You will also be invited to wine and dinner. At that time, elders had to give lucky money to their younger ones whenever they saw them, which was a big burden for those with financial constraints. However, this type of New Year greetings had been simplified in Shanghai by the end of the Qing Dynasty. People who have a lot of contacts go out to pay New Year greetings, often without entering the door. They just throw in a thorn, and Quan Zuo has come to celebrate the New Year, so that they can save entertainment and expenses: "In exchange for peach charms, new colors, short robes are put in front of the door. Who is most afraid of waist?" In the New Year, apart from walking around each other to express New Year greetings, the rest of the time is spent "celebrating" with various parades and entertainment activities. For those who go out for outings, the most visited places are the City God's Temple and the connected West Garden (i.e. Yu Garden): "On the New Year, I have nothing to do and am happy. I walk across the Jiuqu Bridge in the garden. Suddenly I hear children clapping their hands together, and someone's kite shakes for a long time." However, Since the establishment of the foreign concession in modern times, the colorful Shili Foreign Market has endless charm and has become a good place for recreation during the New Year, especially for people living outside the foreign market: "People in the city love to go to the foreign market, while people outside the city compete to enter the temple garden. At the same time, generally "Looking at it happily, everyone is talking to each other without saying anything." There are also people who go out to watch theater, listen to books, and drink tea. After the opening of the port, prostitution was very popular inside and outside the Shanghai Ocean Park. Some people took advantage of this period to go on erotic tours, so they busy the fireworks fields everywhere: "New Year's weather mirrors are newly polished, and money is thrown as fast as a shuttle. Chu Guan Qin "There are thousands of buildings, and there is a lot of laughter when the fruit plate is open." Of course, more people stay at home, and indoor fun can be found on their own, such as inviting relatives and friends to build a "square city", playing drums and piano, and playing music by themselves. Sing, etc.: "Food, fresh clothes, and joy at the end of the year. Beautiful people lend their names to each other. Each house closes its doors for three days (referring to businesses). It is either the sound of cards or the sound of drums."
By the fifth day of the first lunar month Today is the birthday of the God of Wealth (commonly known as the "Lutou God"). There are activities in various places to "receive the God of Wealth", "receive the Five-Road God of Wealth (which means the five roads of east, west, south, north, middle)" and "receive the Road God". The God of Wealth governs "wealth" and is related to everyone, especially businesses that make money when they open their business, so they celebrate with the greatest enthusiasm. Shanghai has long been a prosperous commercial city in the southeast, and shops can be seen everywhere. It is understandable that the celebration of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year is particularly noisy. Merchants often offer three animals to the God of Wealth: pig heads, carps, and roosters. Carp, homophonic to "profit", is particularly popular. As early as a few days ago, people from the countryside were selling fresh carp to every house in the streets and alleys. Carp was also called "Yuanbao fish", so it was called "giving Yuanbao as a gift."
On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year , a new portrait of Marshal Zhao Gong was hung in the middle of the merchant hall. Except for the three animals, the other offerings were extremely rich. The incense candles were lit, filling the hall with light. Then firecrackers were set off indoors and outdoors, one after another, the whole city roared, and the sound shook hundreds of miles. And it goes on and on, and its sound and momentum are even louder than the dawn of the first day of the Lunar New Year: "The firecrackers can't keep up the sound, and the God of Wealth is busy fighting to welcome them. I just hope that business will be good this year, so why not wait until the fifth watch for pick-up and drop-off."
Finally it’s the fifteenth day of the Lantern Festival. The fifteenth month is full, which means reunion and good fortune. On this day, every family must eat "Yuanxiao", which is glutinous rice balls, which also means reunion and good luck. But the prosperity of the Lantern Festival lies in the "lanterns", so it is also called the "Lantern Festival". In Japan, lanterns are hung in front of every house and shop, and public places such as temples, gardens, and squares are decorated with lanterns. After sunset, thousands of lights are put on, connecting the city and the sky with red light. There are various lantern shapes, including lanterns of various colors, plant lanterns, animal lanterns, character lanterns, story lanterns, etc. The most common ones in Shanghai are rabbit lanterns, ingot lanterns, and revolving lanterns. The largest and most exciting one is the "dragon lantern": the dragon body has It has a head and a tail, with flashing scales, and a 9-section long penis, which is supported by a long handle and is held by a dragon dancer.
Special personnel hold big bead-like "rolling lanterns" to circle, chase, and even fight with the dragons. They dance wildly in the streets and alleys of Shanghai.
At that time, men, women and children will come out in groups to watch the lights. The Chenghuang Temple and the West Garden are another center of activity. The pavilions and pavilions here are decorated with lights, and the inside and outside are bright. Fireworks are also set off on the high rocks of the large rockery in the garden, which is the most attractive. The audience came here in droves, and everyone was smiling. In addition to watching the lanterns, this Lantern Festival also appreciates a special kind of "popularity": the so-called "ten miles of bead curtains are not rolled up, the lantern watchers look at the lantern people", this is that unique artistic conception. The excitement of the Lantern Festival night lasted until late at night, and when the lights were gone, everyone began to slowly go home. There is a saying that this day happens to be the day when the Kitchen God returns, so he will be picked up by the Kitchen God when he returns home.
In the coming dawn, this year’s Spring Festival celebration has come to an end. (Text/Zheng Zuan)
Chongming Spring Festival Customs
The Spring Festival is an important traditional folk festival in my country. It is the first festival among the four seasons of the year, so it is particularly valued by people. As the saying goes: "The winds vary within a hundred miles, and the customs vary across a thousand miles." Due to the unique geographical location of this county, the Spring Festival customs in different places are slightly different. Now we have collected some scenes and shots from the past years before and after the Spring Festival, so that readers can immerse themselves in the deep nostalgia together.
Twenty-fourth Night
Starting from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, people who have worked hard for a year start to get busy to celebrate the Spring Festival. The night of the 13th or 24th day of the twelfth lunar month is collectively referred to as "Twenty-four Nights". According to legend, this day is the day when the Kitchen God ascends to heaven, and there is a common folk custom of sending the Kitchen God to heaven. On this night, the people use "rolled silver packets" (stuffed with green vegetables, arrowhead mushrooms, tofu, etc., cooked and then wrapped in louver leaves), "24 sugar", and red bean rice as sacrificial food, and they light incense and candles to offer sacrifices. Offer to the Kitchen Lord, prepare paper money, tie a colorful bridge, kowtow, and then set off firecrackers. Before burning the statue of the Kitchen Lord and the front curtain (commonly known as "Xixuan"), the head of the household says something to himself to the statue of the Lord. Pray with auspicious words such as "God will bring you good things, and the lower world will be safe". This custom has now been eliminated, but the ancient custom of eating red bean rice and rolling silver envelopes still exists. After the twenty-fourth night, every household became busier and busier, cleaning inside and outside, commonly known as dusting the eaves. Each household was busy washing bedding and tents, making wine, frying peanuts and broad beans, and purchasing food. People in urban and rural areas on the island generally grind flour and steam cakes, and this custom continues to this day. Because "cake" and "gao" are homophonic, people are looking for good luck every year. The methods of making cakes vary from place to place in the county. In Shangsha, steamed sponge cakes are the main ingredients, in the central region, sticky cakes are steamed, and in Xiasha, the main ingredients are steamed shoe sole cakes; while poor families use sorghum flour and white corn as the main ingredients for steamed cakes. raw material. In addition, people should prepare some tin foil, paper money, incense candles, ingots, tea, food and fruits as sacrifices to worship the gods. A few days before New Year's Eve, people also put up New Year's couplets, hang their ancestors' portraits on the main wall of the nave, arrange sacrifices, and when New Year's Eve arrives, they light incense and candles for future generations to pay their respects. Before New Year's Eve, people also carry out hoarding, that is, putting lime in sacks and printing on the ground, hoping for a full warehouse of grain in the coming year. These events are now gone. Some farmers also pile up garbage, useless chores and weeds in the city outside and set them on fire to pray for good luck and safety in the coming year.
New Year’s Eve
The 30th day of the twelfth lunar month is New Year’s Eve, commonly known as New Year’s Eve. On this day, all the New Year decorations are arranged, such as writing Spring Festival couplets, posting door gods, etc. In the evening, the whole family gathers together to eat New Year's Eve dinner. The dishes are much richer than usual. The main dish is made of cabbage sum, tofu, etc. and then wrapped in a louver roll. It is called a money bundle to show that the wealth will come in the coming year. This night is the happiest day for children because their parents and elders send them lucky money. In the old society, people without money had a hard time on this day. According to the old rules, the debts of the year had to be paid off that year. If the debts could not be collected at the end of the year, they could not be collected by force on the first day of the new year. The debts could not be collected until the lights went out in early February. Therefore, creditors send people everywhere to collect debts on New Year's Eve, and those who cannot repay their debts have to hide and cannot return home until the first day of the Lunar New Year. Therefore, there used to be a saying in the past: "It is easy for farmers to have food during the year, but it is sad to have no money."
Spring Festival
The first day of the first lunar month is the Spring Festival, commonly known as the Chinese New Year. The first thing every family does in the early morning is to set off firecrackers, which is called "opening firecrackers". Its original meaning is to drive away evil spirits, but later it means opening the door to good luck, promotion and fortune.
It’s the New Year, adults and children put on new clothes and neatly dress, the whole family sits around the table, and eats a sumptuous breakfast, which is mainly vegetarian, plus glutinous rice balls (yuanzi), sugar rice cakes, to show family reunion, every year Gao, and mixed a bowl of red bean rice from the 24th night of last year into breakfast, commonly known as "old rice", which means good food for the next year. After breakfast, the children greeted their neighbors, relatives, friends and elders one by one with respectful greetings. There are many taboos on the first day of the first lunar month. You cannot use knives, splash water, go to the water bridge to wash rice, sweep the floor, open the back door, move firewood, speak dirty words, hit people, and sleep too late. etc. Even the firewood used for cooking rice and vegetables must be placed in the furnace hall with sesame stalks, soybean stalks, etc. to make a crackling sound. The stronger the fire, the more auspicious it is, which predicts that everything will be prosperous and prosperous this year. In addition, on the third day of the lunar month and the beginning of the year On Friday morning, every family would cook breakfast and light incense candles before the meal to pray for the prosperity and safety of the whole family.
In the old days, there were more beggars during the Spring Festival. There was a kind of beggar who went begging not because of poverty at home. , but to practice filial piety. It is said that when the elderly live to the age of ninety-nine or eighty-one, there will be a gate of death. Only by eating "hundred families' food" can they pass through this gate unharmed. So filial men and women who have elderly people in their families are here. On the first day of the New Year, I go out to beg for food for my parents. There is also a kind of beggar commonly known as "beggar". Their way of begging is funny. Some beggars wrap vegetable heads in red paper and hang them on bamboo poles. Saying that the vegetables have arrived in front of the door, business is good, and begging for alms, this is called "giving vegetables". Some people use paper and bamboo silk to make a cow shape, and go to the door of each house and say all kinds of good and auspicious words in order to ask for alms. This is It is called "giving spring cows"; some people hold a holly or cypress branch and hang some small bells and ancient coins on the branch, which means that in the new year, the family will be like a money tree, with financial resources rolling in. This is called a "money tree" ; Some beggars wear Buddhist robes and masks of gods, disguised as the God of Wealth and Bodhisattva, and run wildly in various houses to show that the God of Wealth and Bodhisattva is coming. This is called "jumping on the God of Wealth". In the old society, Chongming people Although they live in poverty, they are still kind to these beggars and give them some dry food and other food. After liberation, these ways of doing business have long since disappeared.
In the eyes of Hainanese, all folk customs They are all done artificially according to people's will and wishes. Therefore, in Hainan dialect, all folk behaviors are preceded by the word "do", such as doing Qingming Festival, doing in-laws (that is, getting married), and People in the north "celebrate the new year", while Hainan dialect calls it "making the new year". It should be noted that "making the new year" refers to "making the old year", that is, celebrating the Spring Festival. While in the north, celebrating New Year’s Day is called “making New Year’s Day” in Hainan. However, in rural areas of Hainan, "New Year" is not "done" in previous years.
As the saying goes in Hainan, "The year is afraid of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the moon is afraid of the fifteenth day." As soon as the Mid-Autumn Festival is over, preparations are made for the New Year in the countryside: roosters, stuffed ducks, pigs are penned, and New Year money is prepared. As soon as we enter late December of the lunar calendar, the "New Year" atmosphere becomes more and more intense!
The first is to send "Zao Gong" on December 24th. According to legend, "Zo Gong" is the god sent by the Jade Emperor to supervise good and evil in the world. He must report to the Jade Emperor on this day every year. To this end, every household uses bamboo handles or branches to clean the front and back of the house, inside and outside the house, and above and below the house. The incense burner must also be cleaned and replaced with new ashes. At night, wine and fruits are prepared as sacrifices to the "Zog Gong". "Send off.
As soon as the "Zao Gong" was delivered, the head of the family was busy "promoting the market". In the past, the "cities" in various towns and villages had 365 days a year. Only in the past few days did the "cities" have "issues"! Those who sell three birds, those who sell gold and silver incense candles, those who sell Beijing fruit candy cakes, those who sell "doll paintings" (New Year pictures), those who sell "Wang Le plaster" (that is, travel around the world), those who sell bowls, chopsticks and pottery basins, those who sell "New Year Festival" "oranges", those selling all kinds of clothes... buy whatever is available, those who buy pork, dry vegetables, wet vegetables (i.e. seasonal vegetables), "gong worship" offerings, and clothes to wear during the New Year , those who buy New Year paintings and couplets... Throughout the morning, at each "market", people came to carry burdens, carry baskets, push carts, carry children, old, young, men, women... People come and go, and the flow never stops. Farmers use burdens to pick up new year's goods and carts to push them.
They spent all their savings from a year of hard work! A year's worth of consumption energy has been unleashed in just a few days!
The words that acquaintances in "Fa Nian Market" ask each other when they meet are: "Brother! Is the chicken capon (that is, the castrated rooster) fat?" "Third sister-in-law! Is there a chicken?" "Third wife! Is your child (who is working outside) coming back to celebrate the New Year?" Will you send back the New Year letters sent by relatives from overseas? ”
People are filled with the joy of “making the New Year” and put the New Year pictures they bought in the living room and the couplets on the door lintels. Red paper "profitable" was also posted on furniture and fruit trees. A few days ago, every household was busy soaking glutinous rice, grinding rice milk, and making rice cakes. Wenchang and other places were busy making rice krispie treats and peanut candies (these rice cakes are made in large quantities, both for home consumption and as gifts). , usually until the end of the first year).
Every time at this time, whether it is dignitaries and literati working in large, medium or small cities, whether they are peddlers and lackeys, whether they are driving cars and selling pulp, whether they are honoring their ancestors, their pockets are dry. No matter how big or small they are, they bring their wives and children back to their hometown where they were born and raised...
There is a saying in Hainan that goes, "Thirty nights - the knife and anvil are not idle." Because in Hainan, no matter how poor a family is, on the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, if they want to borrow money or rice, they will kill chickens and ducks. Seven large plates and eight large bowls of braised pork, pig's trotters, meat dishes, and vegetarian dishes are placed on the Eight Immortals table in front of the incense burner, waiting for sacrifices. After the ancestral ceremony is over, firecrackers are set off, and the food is taken down after it has cooled down. The whole family eats the New Year dinner around the stove (commonly known as "circling the stove"). On New Year's Eve, after taking a bath, men, women, and children all put on new clothes, which means saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new. Even in the era of coupons, kerosene was usually saved. Starting from the 30th night, lights were lit in every room, and there were lights in the house, day and night, for several days in a row until dawn on the fourth day of the lunar month. Commonly known as "Fa Leng", it means "adding children and making a fortune". On the thirtieth night, many people "stay up all night" and stay up all night until the first day of the Lunar New Year arrives. At this time, according to the time, every household competes to set off New Year's Eve firecrackers, which means "welcoming the spring and bringing blessings", and then each younger generation kowtows and salutes to their elders. , wishing "good luck and longevity", and the elders give "New Year's money" to the younger ones.
In the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, both young and old have to get up and eat "vegetarian rice" (that is, to be clean and white in memory of their ancestors). "Zhai rice" is not only similar to Islamic halal food, but also just like northerners must eat fish during the Chinese New Year (every year has more than enough), the food must also have auspicious meanings, among which must be stir-fried eggplant (eggplant, which means a year in Hainanese) better than last year), stir-fried water celery ("celery" and "qin" are homophones, and hope that the whole family will work hard in the new year), long vermicelli (meaning a smooth and flowing life), yellow tofu shaped like a gold ingot Do (meaning to attract wealth)...
On New Year's Day, there are many taboos: you cannot carry water (you have to fill the water tank on New Year's Eve), you cannot sweep the floor (even firecracker paper and nut shell paper Even if the crumbs are scattered all over the floor, you can’t sweep them away (it’s said that the “God of Wealth” has been swept away), you can’t curse, fight, or break utensils (meaning “harmony”), and you must say auspicious New Year greetings when you meet... < /p>
The customs of New Year greetings are different in different parts of Hainan. In some places, people come to visit people on the first or second day of the Lunar New Year, but it is boring to come on the third or fourth day of the Lunar New Year. In some places, they are not allowed to visit other people’s homes on the first day of the Lunar New Year. New Year gifts usually include citrus fruits or orange leaves sandwiched in the gifts to express the blessing that "this year will be good and prosperous".
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, a married daughter takes her husband and children back to her natal home to pay New Year greetings. If it is the first year of marriage, she will bring her own firecrackers and set off a string of firecrackers before entering the door to express her notice. The most solemn New Year greetings for daughters and sons-in-law to their father-in-law and mother-in-law. On this day, everyone else in the family (especially the elders) must be at home to accept the New Year greetings. The father-in-law and mother-in-law have to prepare a sumptuous feast, and when the daughter and son-in-law leave in the afternoon, they have to give the daughter candies, rice cakes, etc. wrapped in red paper to "greet the way."
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, some places in Hainan call it "Chaokao", which means that the dry rice, chicken, and duck heads and feet specially cooked for the New Year's Eve are stir-fried in a pan with oil before eating to express this. If something is leftover from last year to this year, it also means that the year has passed.