Tangyuan is an ancient food, which appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period. Cocoon, fruit powder and glutinous rice balls in the Tang Dynasty are all kinds of glutinous rice balls. There are various kinds of glutinous rice balls in the night market, such as floating dumplings, glutinous rice balls and lactose glutinous rice balls. In the old days, Wenzhou dumplings were beautifully made. First, grind the dumplings and soak the high-quality glutinous rice in water for a few days. After washing, put it into a stone mill and grind it into slurry, then put it into a cloth bag and soak it in firewood ash to dry, and then it can be used to make dumplings. There are many varieties of glutinous rice balls, which are divided into two categories: no stuffing and stuffing. Jiaozi with stuffing and sweet and salty ones have different tastes. Water-milled glutinous rice flour sliced and dried, commonly known as "glutinous rice flour", can be preserved for a long time and eaten at any time.
Sesame paste is made in a different way from glutinous rice balls. It is made by steaming glutinous rice soaked for several days in a steamer and then mashing it in a stone mortar. Take a small piece, put it in the sugar-coated bean paste powder, turn it over a few times, and the bean paste powder sticks all over the body, commonly known as "hard-ramming sesame paste" and "beating sesame paste", which is soft and tough, sweet and delicious. Yandang has a kind of "sugar soup mash", which is soaked in brown sugar and ginger juice to taste. It tastes soft, waxy, sweet and spicy, and has a unique flavor. In the rural areas around Yandang and Dajing in Yueqing, the old clans also had to smash music and Qingming wine. Now building a house and moving, children are one year old, old people celebrate birthdays, and old people celebrate holidays. They often pound sesame seeds to entertain relatives and friends.
In the old society, Wenzhou people wanted to eat winter meals and generally paid attention to peace and prosperity. There are fish, meat, chicken, duck, northern and southern goods and seasonal vegetables on the table, as well as glutinous rice balls and sesame seeds. First, offer sacrifices to ancestors and wish them a bumper harvest in the coming year, and then have a family dinner, which is called "winter solstice enjoyment" and "reunion dinner". In some places in the past, there was also the custom of offering sacrifices to graves and ancestral temples in the mountains. This custom has gradually disappeared now, but eating dumplings is still very popular.
On the solstice of winter, the Han Dynasty has established it as the "Winter Festival". When officials have a holiday, the emperor will lead officials from the three cities to hold a grand celebration to welcome the arrival of the New Year. "Han Shu" cloud: "The sun shines on the winter solstice, and you are long, so congratulations." The Book of the Later Han Dynasty said: "Before and after the Winter Solstice, a gentleman is quiet, a hundred officials do nothing, don't listen to politics, choose an auspicious day and then save trouble." In the Southern Song Dynasty, people celebrated the Lunar New Year, just like celebrating the Spring Festival. Everyone has to put on new clothes, the streets are crowded with horses and chariots, the market will go on strike for three days, and drinking is called "celebrating the festival". Ma Su's poem "It's the First Festival" in the Yuan Dynasty said: "The sky is high, the clouds are light and the smoke is thick, and famous articles are told to celebrate winter. The embroidered curtain does not roll, and Lu Xiao smiles calmly. " It can be seen that the Yuan Dynasty also had the custom of giving each other "Hedong films". In the past, civil and military officials in Wu Wen wore fur robes and holsters on the solstice in winter and went to the Confucius Temple to worship cards, which was called "Winter Worship Ceremony". Gan Long's "Wenzhou County Records": "It's a day when officials celebrate for a long time, just like New Year's Day, and people don't interact."
From the solstice of winter to the eve of beginning of spring in the coming year, Wenzhou folk have had the traditional custom of "noisy" at night since ancient times. Every night after 10, in the dead of night, there will be a clear knock on the door from far and near. The handyman knocked and shouted, "Be careful with candles in winter. Look at the front door, look at the back door! " It sounded the alarm of fire prevention and theft for residents. Whether it's windy, rainy, freezing or snowing, the banging at night never stops. In the Qing Dynasty, Guo Zhongyue Oujiang Zhi Zhu wrote a poem "Gong Knocking": "It's midnight, with bright lights and noise in the city. There is no need to apply for a night ban on the street, and some people have not returned to their parents' homes. " Ping-pong is an ancient and fine traditional folk custom of public security joint defense, which still continues in some rural areas.
In some mountain villages in Wenzhou, there is a custom of "gathering people in winter festival" passed down from generation to generation. "Winter Festival Congregation" is a spontaneous folk forest protection organization. All farmers who own forest land voluntarily join the "congregation", and each person elects a "housekeeper" to take turns to handle the affairs of forest management and forest protection. Every winter festival, the rotating "steward" of that year should prepare a "winter festival wine" according to the regulations, entertain all the congregation, discuss the matter of mountain management and forest protection, and amend the ban on closing hillsides to facilitate afforestation. After drinking the winter festival wine, everyone went up the mountain to inspect the forest, pruning and weeding, mending the soil and refreshing the forbidden cards. These activities usually last for three to five days.