Pinyin: ǎo jiǔ jié
The Aojiu Festival is a traditional folk festival in the Shiyi area of ??Fuzhou, Fujian Province. The date is the twenty-ninth day of the first lunar month. On this day, every household will cook Aojiu porridge to worship their ancestors or give it to relatives and friends; married women will also send Aojiu porridge back to their natal homes to honor their parents.
It is said that in ancient times, there was a man named Mulian. His mother was evil during his lifetime and harmed others. After his death, he was imprisoned in a cell in the underworld. When he visited the prison, he often gave his mother food, but They were all eaten by the imp on guard. Later, he thought of a way to mix water chestnuts, peanuts, red dates, longan, brown sugar and other raw materials with glutinous rice to cook sweet porridge. After serving it in a bowl, he sprinkled a handful of black sesame seeds and gave it to his mother. When the guard saw the porridge, It was dark and he asked: "What is this?"
Mulian replied casually: "This is Aoguan". (The word "jiu" in Fuzhou dialect is homophonic to the word "dirty".) The guard believed it and thought the porridge was dirty, so he didn't dare to eat it. Therefore, "Aojiu Porridge" was delivered to Mulian's mother. This day happens to be the twenty-ninth day of the first lunar month, and Mulian's mother is also twenty-nine years old. According to Fujian customs, the first month is divided into "three nines", the ninth day of the first lunar month is called "the upper ninth month", and the nineteenth day is called the "zhongjiu" , the twenty-nine are called "the last nine", so this porridge is called the "the last nine porridge".
Afterwards, the porridge was called "Aojiu porridge" because of its dark color. It was also called "Xiaojiu porridge" because of Mulian's filial piety to his mother. No matter it is the twenty-ninth year of the first lunar month or the twenty-nine year old, it is the year when Mulian's mother was in trouble, so Fuzhou people have a taboo on the ninth day, thinking that "nine" is the year of misfortune, so anyone who is "nine" years old If you want to eat too much, your married daughter should also send "nine" to her parents to pray for their safety and health.
The 29th day of the first lunar month is a traditional folk festival unique to Fuzhou and Xiapu. "Aojiu Festival" is also known as "Later Nine Festival" and "Filial Piety Festival". In the traditional concept of Fuzhou people, "Nine" is a difficult time. Early this morning, every household uses glutinous rice, brown sugar, peanuts, red dates, water chestnuts, sesame, longan, ginkgo and other raw materials to cook sweet porridge, called "Aojiu porridge", which is used to worship ancestors or give gifts to relatives and friends.
Married daughters must also send a bowl of "Aojiu porridge", some with Taiping, eggs, pig's trotters, etc., back to their parents' home to honor their parents. In addition, any person whose age is nine (virtual age), such as nine, nineteen, twenty-nine... (called "Ming Jiu"), or a multiple of nine, such as eighteen, twenty-seven, When you are thirty-six years old... (called "Dark Nine"), you should also eat a bowl of "Taiping" as if it were your birthday, in order to seek peace and health.
In Fuzhou’s famous Three Lanes and Seven Alleys ancient district, the “Antailou Restaurant”, which is famous for its delicacies and traditional Fujian cuisine, has also set up an “Aojiu Festival” porridge delivery point at the entrance of the store to serve the people. Citizens are distributed free "Aojiu porridge" made with red dates, peanuts, longan, lotus seeds, brown sugar and glutinous rice.
Free delivery of "Aojiu Porridge" during the "Aojiu Festival" has become a traditional activity of the time-honored "An Tai Lou Restaurant". Before the "Aojiu Festival", it also specially invited Fuzhou folklore experts to explain the origin of the "Aojiu Festival" to diners. Its operators said they hope to pass on this traditional Fuzhou festival.
The "Aojiu Festival" is a unique traditional folk festival in Fuzhou, also known as the "Filial Piety Festival" and "The Poor Festival". Early this morning, Fuzhou people use glutinous rice, brown sugar, peanuts, red dates, water chestnuts, sesame, longan and other raw materials to cook sweet porridge, called "Aojiu porridge", which is used to worship ancestors or give gifts to relatives and friends; especially those who are married. Daughters must send a bowl of "Aojiu porridge" back to their parents' home to honor their parents and wish them peace and health.
This custom is still prevalent in Fuzhou. An old mother who drank "Aojiu porridge" said that "Aojiu porridge" contains not only brown sugar, peanuts, red dates, longan, etc., but also the filial piety of her children, which is sweet to the heart.
The "Aojiu Festival" has become a social custom of respecting the elderly and advocating filial piety, and has been carried forward in Fuzhou.
During the "Yujiu Festival", Lulei Village, Chengmen Town, Cangshan District, Fuzhou held a grand "filial piety banquet" for thousands of people in the Chen's ancestral hall: 195 tables were filled inside and outside the ancestral hall. Nearly two thousand elderly people over fifty were sitting at the table, chatting leisurely, eating delicious food, and enjoying the wonderful performances of Fujian opera on the stage; while the young people in the village were busy serving food and tea. This banquet custom of the Aojiu Respect for the Aged Day has been followed in the local area for more than 20 years.