What are the customs of Pu 'an Town?

The folk culture here is unique, such as marriage customs, which is of great research value. I. Wedding Etiquette of Miao Nationality in Wu Yang F.I. Wu Yang Village is monogamous. The four families of Zhang, Wu and Wang in this village can intermarry, but not the same clan. Before liberation, it was basically their own home. From liberation to reform and opening up, there are still many relatives in my hometown, and the scope of intermarriage has also expanded slightly, accompanied by a small amount of intermarriage (mainly with the Shui people). After the reform and opening up, from 65438 to 0986, (the most prestigious local elder, ghost teacher and cultural community leader) took the lead in the reform of marriage customs, abolishing the custom of "avoiding cooking pots and stoves" related to "not sitting at home" and different houses. The improvement of economic conditions accelerated inter-ethnic marriage, which gradually increased the number of married women of the Shui nationality in the village. At the same time, many young men and women in Wu Yang Village went out to work, which brought about wider intermarriage and cross-county and inter-provincial marriages. There are 6 marriages across provinces and 5 marriages across counties. (2) In the Fu system, in-laws and early marriages between uncles and uncles' close relatives are more serious. In the past, mothers and uncles had absolute priority to marry their aunts, commonly known as "returning the bride's head". During the Republic of China, changes began to appear. If a girl doesn't want to marry her uncle's house or choose another spouse because of her age disparity, the man gives her a bride price and another l-3 silver gift to her uncle as a substitute. With the popularization of scientific knowledge and the implementation of the family planning policy, "returning the bride's head" is now generally out of fashion, but the way of replacing it with money continues to be passed down. At present, the "gift money from my family" is generally 200-300 yuan, which is sent to the woman's home at the same time as the gift money. In the Republic of China, the age of marriage was generally 15. 16 years old. For a long time after liberation, 16.438+07 years old still accounted for a considerable proportion. In recent years, with the popularization of school education, the propaganda and practice of family planning policy and the influence of foreign ideas, the number of people studying abroad, joining the army and working has increased, and the average age of marriage has been extended, generally after 20 years old. 3) There are three main ways for young people in Wu Yang village to choose their spouses and make friends. First, through traditional festivals such as "September 9th" and Spring Festival, such as jumping on the moon and playing the New Year, second, singing and playing together in time, and third, studying, working and working outside. (4) In the history of Wu Yang Village, most marriages were free and independent. After the Republic of China, arranged marriage became the main form. In the past 20 years, free marriage has been the mainstay, and even if parents pull strings, they have to get the consent of their children. Free marriage Some people are free to fall in love and get married by themselves, commonly known as "stealing marriage"; Others are free to tell their parents after choosing and follow the traditional marriage procedure, which is the most common situation. (5) Imagine the procedure and etiquette of getting married. Generally, there are four procedures: matchmaking, engagement, marriage and "drinking again". Matchmaking: After young men and women find satisfactory objects through various social occasions, the man tells his parents to entrust the matchmaker to propose marriage, and the parents agree to propose marriage only after investigating the woman's personality and family situation. There are also young men and women who go to the woman's house to propose marriage. Generally speaking, when proposing marriage, you bring ten Jin of sugar, wine and meat, and the woman's family prepares wine and rice to entertain you, which is called "having a meal". Inviting a matchmaker to propose marriage to a woman's house is not a success at one time, and it usually takes a lot of twists and turns. When I go to matchmaking for the first time, even if the girl agrees in her heart, she will say no in her mouth and act reserved and conceited. It is too fall in price to agree from the beginning; The second time I went to be a matchmaker, the girl said that her tone had begun to ease with her parents' wishes, and she also showed respect for her parents. The third force can be said to be. 2. Engagement: On an auspicious day, the man asks the matchmaker to go with his parents, and asks one of them to choose engagement gifts, that is, sugar, wine, 120 Jin of meat, 120 flowers of rice, and a set of clothes (or a piece of cloth) to the woman's house. The hostess served wine and rice, accompanied by her in-laws, gave sugar to her family and cooked meat for the guests. Before dinner, take some cooked meat and rice and put them in front of the shrine of the woman's house to worship her ancestors. The woman will give back shoes, sock pads, a glutinous rice ball of about two liters (a glutinous rice bag wrapped in pipa-shaped straw) or a small glutinous rice basket. If the future Sina goes with her, the woman will also give back a suit. The man took the glutinous rice back to the distribution family. Therefore, the marriage was declared successful and recognized by both families. 3. Marriage: It is mainly manifested in the interweaving of "welcoming the bride" and "seeing her off". Ask for a horoscope in advance, and the matchmaker will send the man's birthday to the woman to get her own birthday back, and then ask the fortune teller to choose a wedding date and submit it to the woman. If the woman thinks that the selected date is unfavorable to her, she has the right to ask for a change. When seeking eight characters, the matchmaker usually brings 4 Jin of wine and 5 Jin of pork. After the auspicious day is set, the two sides negotiate gifts and start preparations. Near the wedding day, red couplets are posted on the doors and windows of the man's house to prepare a new house. On the first day, the man's matchmaker (uncle) made a vow, uncle and sister (or cousin) as representatives of the wedding, and some people carrying gifts went to the woman's house to celebrate the wedding. The groom can also go with him. There is no special dress code for the groom. Generally, he can wear new clothes with any style. There are no auspicious figures in the gift money, and the amount depends on the times and family conditions. During the Republic of China, the gift money was generally three or two oceans; In the 1980s, it was generally 200-300 yuan. About the author: Zuming (1960 1), male, Han nationality, Anhui native, assistant to the director of the Institute of Culture and Art of Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, and vice chairman of Qiannan Folk Writers Association, whose research direction is national folk culture. 18L- Wan Fang data "Maosen Folk RMB", No.9, 2008; In the 1990s, it was generally from 500 yuan to 3,000 RMB; At present, Wu Yang Village is generally around 3,000 yuan, and those with poor families are also above 2,000 yuan. In addition to the gift money, there are about100kg of a pig or pork, each with only 30.50kg of sugar, wine and rice, 300 to 500 rice and a red rooster. The specific amount of sugar, wine and rice is generally determined according to the number of people in the woman's family, and the gift money is generally determined according to the number of people married by the woman. The bride's house is at the gate, and two tables of wine are prepared for the bride's guests. The sisters of the bride's family propose a toast, and the guests of the bride's family are not allowed to enter the house until they have drunk 20 cents (or two bowls) of wine. In the past, representatives of both parties had to hold a ceremony to pay the bride price. The woman's representative deliberately took money and said, pretend to say less first, then pretend to say more, and vowed to ask the man's representative to drink two bowls of wine. For the third time, it is said that both sides drank a bowl of wine to indicate the completion of the ceremony. At present, most people in Wu Yang Village have stopped drinking and giving gifts. Most gifts are given after the auspicious day is chosen and before the wedding. On the wedding day, the woman's family invited guests to drink. The next day, the bride wore a dress, silver ornaments and a skirt and went out in tears to express her gratitude and attachment to her parents. This custom of crying for marriage has a long history, but now it is rare to cry for marriage. There are cabinets, quilts, cushions, cloth and so on. For the bride's dowry. If conditions are good, send a TV set (with a pot cover), a rice thresher, etc. The person who marries the bride is responsible for carrying it. There are usually two red eggs before the wedding ceremony. At a dinner party before the wedding, the young women in the woman's village covered the wedding scene with a radish basket to "grab the eggs", commonly known as "cover the chicken to get the eggs", and the red eggs on him must be rolled off the two trouser legs to the ground. The process of "grabbing eggs" is very positive and enthusiastic. There are three farewell teams: uncle (the bride's brother), father and two fathers, commonly known as "grandpa four must be round"; There is a person to send her mother's milk (grandma), and another person to send her mother. Seeing the bride and groom off should be taken care of by the older generation, usually grandpa or uncle, grandma or aunt or aunt. There is no limit to the age of sending off parents. They can be married or unmarried, usually brothers and sisters at home. My uncle carried a two-liter "Mangdiao" (glutinous rice bag in a pipa-shaped straw bag) and put it in two round bamboo baskets, with a piece of meat tied to one end and two chickens tied to the other. The bride-to-be is responsible for opening the way in front with a knife or gun, and the bride-to-be holds a red paper umbrella for the bride. The procession to see off the bride and greet the bride is mostly mature men with knives, which contains the meaning of protection and prevention passed down from ancient times. The bride goes with the wedding procession. When leaving the house, the woman posted a draft on the door and entrusted several people to hold three bowls of wine and three bowls of fat. The maid of honor has come to pick up the draft. If she is caught pulling the "label", she has to finish three bowls of wine and three bowls of fat prepared by the woman before she is released. Pulling off the straw label means that the girl is married and the whole wedding ceremony is finally over. On the way to the forbidden wedding, the bride should avoid looking back and say that she will go to the man's house wholeheartedly; Don't step on the footprints of other brides. If two brides pass the same road on the same day, the latter bride should be supported or walked around. More importantly, don't take the road that carries the dead that day. If two brides meet unexpectedly on the road, they will exchange handkerchiefs and say some auspicious wishes to avoid being hurt. When the bride enters the man's house, she should also choose the time according to the girl's birthday. If the bride and the wedding procession arrive at the door of the man's house and the auspicious time has not yet arrived, they can only set up a shed at the door to let the bride and the wedding procession stay temporarily and wait for a beautiful day. When the bride enters the man's house, there are two ceremonies. First, a fire-crossing ceremony must be held when entering the door, commonly known as "stepping on fire". The villagers attach great importance to this. That is, before the wedding, the man should choose a blessed woman as his wedding milk. In the morning, before carrying water, people should fill a jar of fresh water from the well, put it by the door and prepare a handful of straw. When the bride arrives, the wet nurse to be married will take over from the village, tidy up the bride's clothes and open an umbrella to welcome her into the village. When the bride wants to enter the door, she will hand the light kettle to the bride, light the scarecrow and put it in the threshold. All the people and animals in the man's family should set off firecrackers outside the house, and then help the bride to start setting off fireworks with a pitcher in her left foot, which indicates that the future will be prosperous and marks that the man's family has officially accepted a new member. Some "step on fire", with bamboo and fish beside them. At the moment when the bride entered the door, she deliberately shook off two red eggs that she carried with her, indicating that she could have children in the future. Let all the children grab the red eggs and be proud of the people who grab them. At the same time, the farewell uncle will take a "mountain carving" and a piece of meat to the shrine of the man's house to worship his ancestors. After "stepping on fire", the in-laws sent the bride away with a silver bracelet and 30 to 50 yuan, and gave her a collar, watch and so on in good condition. Commonly known as "the gift of recognizing a wife." The second is the worship ceremony. That is, the bride enters the room, sits with her back to the shrine, and sits around with milk to bid farewell to the bride and milk to welcome the bride, indicating that the bride is the most important thing of the day. Then let the bride drop wine in front of the shrine, pinch the fish's neck, and take the glutinous rice underground to worship the ancestors. After paying homage to the ancestor's coffin, the guests who are going to see him off can eat and drink with chopsticks. Men and women also exchanged songs, drank several glasses of wine and set off firecrackers. On the day of "stepping on fire", after dinner, the bride returned to the door with the person who sent her. Before leaving, the man gave money to the person who sent the bride. Generally, 30-50 yuan will send his uncle, 65,438+00 yuan will send him off, 65,438+0 yuan will send his uncle and his mother off, and 6 yuan will send him off (generally, the lucky numbers of 65,438+0,6,8 are taken). The man also wrapped a liter of glutinous rice in paper, put a piece of meat weighing several kilograms, sent it to his uncle and carried it home. After my uncle came back, he sprinkled the glutinous rice with the children at home. 4. "Re-drinking" to recognize relatives: On the second day after returning to the room, the bride only wears casual clothes, and together with dozens of people in the family, men, women and children come to the man's house to eat wine. Villagers usually call it "censorship". Men prepare 3 to 6 tables for guests, and no grand ceremony will be held. At the same time, the relatives of the man's family came to accompany him, commonly known as "recognizing relatives", which is convenient for visiting each other next time. On the second day of the first year after marriage, the married aunt returns to f-IN, and the newlyweds need to pay special attention to etiquette and bring some sugar and glutinous rice cakes to the woman's in-laws. Relatives of the woman's family take turns to invite them to dinner, commonly known as "recognizing relatives." After staying for a day or two, my in-laws sent a "mango carving" and a glutinous rice cake to my new uncle. Second, the analysis of cultural characteristics (1) Although the marriage etiquette of Miao people in Wu Yang village tends to be simplified. However, it still follows the traditional wedding elements and maintains the' core' part of the wedding custom culture in this area, which is mainly manifested in: l. ancestor worship. The marriage between men and women is an important event of reproduction, family and blood relationship, especially in agricultural society. Therefore, it is necessary to sacrifice the ancestors of both sides in order to gain the recognition and protection of the ancestors. 2. Seek good luck to exorcise evil spirits. In the wedding, almost all the ceremonies run through this article. In fact, this is a common mentality of villagers in traditional society. Whenever something big happens, they all hope to use supernatural power to protect their safety and smoothness. Marriage is not only a matter for both men and women, but also an important event for all clan members to whom both men and women belong. During the wedding, the gifts that men and women give to each other-sugar and "carved carvings"-are only accepted by their parents on behalf of their clans and shared among their families. At the same time, the wedding has the function of close communication between the two in-laws groups, so it is inevitable to "recognize relatives" and feast and entertain. 4. The bride's role as a member of the A clan changes to that of the B clan. The rights, responsibilities and obligations of both men and women's families to the bride are linked by "pulling weeds" and "stepping on fire". 5. The bride must wear the traditional costume "big flowered clothes" (also called "nest clothes"). When the bride enters the man's house, she must "step on fire" and wear "big flowered clothes", which not only has the need to exorcise evil spirits and seek happiness, but also reflects the deep-rooted traditional folk culture. (2) With the development and change of politics, economy and culture and the expansion of opening up. As well as the penetration of foreign marriage etiquette, the marriage etiquette in Wu Yang Village not only keeps the traditional elements. Significant changes have taken place in material and spiritual aspects to varying degrees. 1, abolish "Uncle menstruation's Marriage". Although it is still reflected in the form of deformation through "wedding ceremony", it has actually lost its function and is undoubtedly a major reform in marriage customs. 2. The disappearance of "not sitting at home". Thirty years ago, the custom of "not sitting at home" was still popular in Wu Yang village. Now that this custom has disappeared, we "reviewed" and lived together. This custom is closely related to early marriage. With the delay of marriage age of young men and women and the establishment of entity families becoming the mainstream, the etiquette related to "not sitting at home" has changed accordingly. This is another major reform of marriage customs in Wu Yang village. 3. Remove barriers to intermarriage. Traditionally, the Miao people in Wu Yang Village do not intermarry with the Shui people or other ethnic groups. Zhang Guizhi, the leader of the cultural community to which Wu Yang Village belongs, took the lead in abolishing the etiquette of "avoid the pot and avoid the stove", which hindered the progress of marriage customs, and gained a certain degree of recognition from the neighboring Shui people. Now, the intermarriage with other counties and provinces and other ethnic groups is gradually increasing. This is the third major reform of marriage customs in Wu Yang village. 4. The growth of bride price. 5. Simplification of some etiquette. etc ......