Shaanxi Spring Festival custom

Shaanxi has simple old customs, and the Spring Festival has local characteristics and local flavor. In ancient times, Nian was not on the 29th or 30th of the twelfth lunar month, but on the twelfth lunar month and later Laba. It was after the Northern and Southern Dynasties that La Worship was moved to the end of the year. In the Republic of China, it was changed to the solar calendar, so this year of the lunar calendar is called the Spring Festival.

Shaanxi people call the Spring Festival "Chinese New Year", and there is a story about Chinese New Year. It is said that in ancient times, there was a fierce beast called Nian, whenever the Spring Festival came. Will come out and eat people, making people panic. In the confrontation with Nian, people found that Nian was particularly afraid of noise and fire, so people thought of a way, that is, once Nian appeared, people lit a fire and put bamboo joints in the fire. The fierce beast saw the raging fire and heard the sound of firecrackers, and fled without a trace. So it gradually evolved into a Chinese New Year reunion. Posting couplets, setting off firecrackers, celebrating the New Year, eating New Year's Eve and other customs and habits.

In rural Shaanxi, the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is called "Chinese New Year". In some places in the countryside, it is called "kitchen sacrifice", that is, offering sacrifices to the "kitchen god" who dominates good and bad luck and praying for food and clothing in the new year. After the Spring Festival, people will prepare for it. Ordinary farmers kill pigs and sheep, make tofu, buy vegetables and other ingredients needed for the New Year. When people eat Guanzhong steamed buns between the 27th and 29th of the twelfth lunar month. Every household has to steam a few cages of steamed buns, that is, eat them after the fifteenth day of the first month, so there is a folk custom of "not rolling noodles before the fifteenth day of the first month". Women should go to the streets to buy some new clothes, shoes and other items for the elderly and children, and the old people should buy some etiquette supplies needed for the New Year, such as New Year pictures, Ming coins, scarlet letters, white linen paper and so on.

Two days before New Year's Eve, Shaanxi, whether it is Guanzhong, northern Shaanxi, southern Shaanxi or urban and rural areas, must "sweep the streets", and people in the city call it general cleaning. Before and after the house, the kiln and even the corner should be cleaned. Wash the doors and windows and paste white paper and big red window grilles. On the morning of New Year's Eve, every household will put up door gods and couplets and hang New Year pictures in the house.

From the first day of the first month to the tenth day of the first month, Ankang people also have the custom of predicting the prosperity of grain and livestock according to the weather. According to legend, the weather is predicted every day. That is, the first day we observe chickens, the second day we observe dogs, the third day we observe sheep, the fourth day we observe pigs, the fifth day we observe cows, the sixth day we observe horses, the seventh day we observe people, the eighth day we observe crops, the ninth day we observe fruit trees and the tenth day we observe vegetables in the fields. Commonly known as "the tenth day of the Spring Festival is sunny, the harvest year is happy and peaceful, the tenth day of the Spring Festival is cloudy, and rice is as expensive as gold".

Seven strange customs:

1, not at home for the New Year.

The water spilled by the married daughter is already in her husband's house, and of course she has to spend the New Year there unless she is divorced.

It is extremely unlucky to spend the New Year at parents' home, which will bring misfortune to the children's uncle.

2. Sit at night.

On New Year's Eve, a man from a big family will go to a family with a birthday boy after 8 pm. Everyone will serve a dish from their own home, and as many people have as many dishes. These men will start eating and drinking, talking about the changes and gains and losses of a year. This scene will last until after midnight, at least after twelve o'clock, and no women will participate in the whole process.

3. New Year greetings from different genders.

On the morning of the first day of junior high school, the men of the extended family formed a team, went to every small family at home to pay New Year greetings and kowtowed and bowed down in the yard. At noon 12, the women of the extended family formed a team, went to every small family at home to pay New Year greetings and kowtowed in the yard.

I don't work on the first day.

On the first day of the first year, the more carefree the family, the better. If they work hard, it indicates that everyone will be particularly tired this year. Therefore, on the first day of New Year's Day, we should spend it easily, and the food we ate was also prepared a few days ago.

5. The fifth day of poverty.

On the fifth day, firecrackers will be set off early in the morning to beat out all the poor in the family. Shoot early or late, and others will go to their own homes if they are poor. In addition, on this day, you can't wander around other people's homes, lest you bring your poverty to others.

Six, seven eighths.

Old people should pay attention to traveling according to old almanac. On the seventh day of the first month, you can only stay in your own home, which is not suitable for going far away. It is unlucky and unsafe. You can't go back to your hometown from other places on the eighth day.

7. Do not bake or burn.

In the first month, pay attention to eating steamed buns instead of steamed bread, which means that life will not be rich. Can't bake, can't burn, because all use fire, dry and fire, family members are easy to get angry.

8, don't comb your hair, don't move the knife, don't move the needle.

In the first month, it is unlucky not to comb your hair and move your knife early in the morning. You can't do these things until after twelve noon. Fixed needle mainly means that women don't do needlework, especially at night. If they use needles, their children are prone to strange diseases.

With the changes of the times, civilized thinking and information exchange, many customs are gradually fading, but in the hearts of the older generation, they are still very particular. In these exquisite things, there are people's beautiful expectations and longings for the New Year, and there is nostalgia and nostalgia for the old tradition, which has been passed down from generation to generation. In this new era of openness and freedom, whoever is willing to abide by it will abide by it, and it doesn't hurt to be unwilling. Happy New Year!