Spring Festival Customs in Northern Shaanxi The Spring Festival in northern Shaanxi is hot and bustling everywhere. The people of the Yellow Land attach great importance to festivals. There are many festivals throughout the year, but the most important one is the Spring Festival. People who have worked hard for a year put all their joy and hope in the New Year. Every year when the twelfth lunar month comes, people get busy. They say they are busy, but in fact it is women who are busy. Busy eating, busy dressing, busy washing and rinsing, all the work must be done by the mother-in-law. Rolling rollers to press cake noodles, catching up with donkeys to grind tofu, steaming yellow steamed buns, making rice wine, rolling out mixed noodles, and frying fried cakes, all the New Year delicacies are prepared before the end of the year. During the Chinese New Year, the whole family, old and young, inside and out, all have to change into new clothes. No matter how poor a family is, everyone needs to make a new coat. In addition, all bedding and clothing must be washed cleanly. There is also a custom here that during the Chinese New Year, children should be given a "Jujube sign". "Zaopaipai" is made of red dates and corn straws tied with red thread, with a copper coin hanging on top and a firecracker hanging on the bottom. It is hung on the child's back. This is a mascot to ward off evil and bless. Here, I also saw[1] that some people used red thread to thread a "thimble" used for needlework and hung it around their children's necks. This is also a blessing mascot, called a "thimble to increase age." One more each year until the age of twelve. New Year's Eve is here, everything is ready, post couplets, make vinegar charcoal, hang red lanterns, and clean the courtyard. Making vinegar charcoal is a unique custom, which is to put a piece of red-hot coal on an iron spoon and then pour vinegar on it. "Vinegar charcoal" should be carried out in every corner of the home, which means to drive away evil spirits. In fact, it is a scientific method of sterilization and disinfection. As night falls, the elderly always devoutly light incense and burn paper, and lead their curious grandchildren to kowtow. The older children were busy setting off cannons and lighting towers. The careful mother-in-law put charcoal and ice cubes beside the door, and set up a rolling stick and an ax behind the door. It is said that this is to suppress evil spirits, and it is called "Shou Sui" here. People always sleep very late on New Year's Eve. Generally, lights are kept on at home all night long, which indicates peace and longevity in all seasons. Putting some food in the pot is called "zhaoguo", which means there will be no shortage of food throughout the year. Some old people couldn't sleep that night, so they climbed up to the top of the mountain quietly in the dark, facing the east and looking out. This is called "taste of heaven". According to the old man, the color of Xiaotian's color can indicate the success of this year's crops and the good or bad luck of the village. No one will delve into whether it works or not. On the first day of the first lunar month, people get up at dawn. The first thing they do is to fire the "opening cannon", which means it's time to open the door. Then, the old people were busy welcoming the gods and receiving the Stove King. The children have already run out to pay New Year greetings. New Year greetings here are called "asking about health". When younger people meet their elders, they always "ask about health", such as "Grandpa is strong!" "Grandma is strong!" The elders will reply "Baby, be good!" which means to praise the children's health and progress. This New Year's greeting custom is not limited to children, but also to men who are married and have adopted children. The same is true when meeting elders. Yangko New Year greetings is a unique custom in northern Shaanxi. During the Spring Festival, every village organizes a Yangko team to pay New Year greetings door to door, which is commonly known as "Yangmenzi" here. The first step in celebrating the New Year with Yangko is visiting temples, worshiping gods, and praying for good weather and good harvests, and then visiting every household to pay New Year greetings. Every time the yangko troupe visits a house, the umbrella head touches the scenery and improvises its own lyrics to bless the owner. For example, "When you look up after entering the gate, you can see that the six-hole stone kiln is in full display. The grain is abundant, people are prosperous, and peace is guaranteed all year round."

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