The order of birthday congratulations to the elderly

Marriage, having children and birthday are the three great pleasures in life. It occupies a very important position in the traditional etiquette of Chinese nation. Hakka is a branch of Han nationality. They moved south from the Central Plains and settled in Guangdong, Jiangxi, Fujian and other places after several migrations. Although handed down from generation to generation, many Han folk customs, the festival zodiac, still remain in Hakka life, among which "birthday ceremony" is a very obvious folk etiquette. In places where Hakkas live in compact communities, the birthday of Hakkas still retains all kinds of grand etiquette in the ancient Central Plains.

Birthday, usually based on sixty years old, is also called sixty flowers. People under 60 cannot be called longevity. However, there are also people who celebrate their longevity before the age of 60, and it must be in two situations: first, a rich and influential family, in order to show off its family background, raise its social status and win people's hearts; Second, the plan is to make a fortune, bring good luck and prolong life.

The former are all dignitaries, while the latter are mostly ordinary people. Strictly speaking, you can't have a birthday before you are sixty. Birthdays before the age of 60 can only be said to be special' birthdays' under special circumstances.

Birthday celebrations are usually held on birthdays. But in the past, it was more important to ask Mr. Yin Yang Bagua to choose an auspicious day to feel at ease. After choosing an auspicious day, write a red sticker of "Tao Zhu" and distribute it to friends and relatives a few days in advance.

Ordinary relatives and friends prepare some gifts such as caviar, pork, cakes and firecrackers, and go to dinner on time; Seeing the' Shouxing Gong', I bowed to congratulate: I read: Longevity is better than Nanshan, and happiness is like the East China Sea; Auspicious words, such as evergreen pine and cypress, live long, and the older you get, the healthier you are. Children should prepare more presents to celebrate their birthdays. Those rich people should buy hats, clothes and shoes. As the Hakkas say: from head to toe.

In addition, there must be a thin chicken, a long plate of firecrackers and a pair of big red candles. Setting off firecrackers on your birthday means setting off firecrackers to congratulate you, and lighting candles means lighting candles at the sky. If the children are in financial difficulties, they can pay less tribute, but they must do what they can. Even ordinary people can't come to dinner empty-handed. At least they should bring a box or two of cakes wrapped in red paper to show their promotion and happiness.

Before his birthday, the birthday boy must prepare three kinds of sacrifices (pork, fish and chicken) to light red birthday candles and set off firecrackers in front of the ancestral shrine, and then bow down to express his gratitude to his ancestors for their blessing, so as to have a long life today. At the same time, I sincerely pray for a longer life in the future.

At the birthday party, the sitting posture is very researched. Mr Cai said to Xin Ming:

"Shouxinggong" sits on the top seat, and the children and grandchildren sit according to their size. Usually this seat is not occupied by outsiders. This is the real "family portrait"! The rest of the guests held another banquet. The scale of banquets is generally more than a dozen tables or dozens of tables. Firecrackers should be set off at the banquet and at the end of the banquet. Hakkas call it: noisy and lively. "These are birthdays made by ordinary people.

As for rich or prestigious families holding birthday celebrations, it is naturally different from ordinary people. Mainly in the warm atmosphere, rich materials, solemn ceremony and so on.

First of all, choose the auspicious day of the ecliptic, and issue the hot stamping "Peach Action" invitation. At that time, the hall will be red and green, decorated with lights and golden walls; Strings beat drums, and drum music reported to the sky, which was very lively.

On the day of the celebration, relatives and friends brought birthday screens, birthday couplets, birthday gifts and plaques to Huatang with great joy. Daughter, son-in-law, nephew, etc. A hat, shoes and socks, clothes, robes and peaches printed with the word "Shou" in red were sent, and piles of flowers were placed on the table.

Ordinary people have a "birthday" here, but the difference is that there are a variety of projects.

When it's birthday, the two pre-hired ceremony students (that is, the present master of ceremonies) solemnly stepped onto the Huatang and separated. At the same time, drums and firecrackers rang, and the lively crowd stood up and down, waiting for them. After a while, Li Shengjia, standing on the left, began to sing: "How many birthday celebrations have started for Mr. XX (or Mrs. XX)!"

The two ceremonial students immediately stepped forward to light the red wax and plug it in. At the same time, it was the first burst of drums and firecrackers.

Then on the right, Li Sheng B sings loudly: Congratulations to the birthday girl XX!

At this time, two men (or women) came to class slowly, holding the birthday girl in luxurious clothes.

Li Shengjia immediately moved the original "plush chair" from the middle position to a slightly inclined position on the left. Why does the "plush chair" where the "Shouxing Palace" sits move instead of sitting in the northeast and facing the southwest? There are three reasons: first, according to the feudal customs of China, only emperors can accept the worship of ministers since ancient times; Second, there are ancestors and gods behind them, and they dare not openly sit in the right place; The south of the Three Righteousness belongs to "fire", and the gas of "fire" is too strong, and it will be heavy, so I am afraid that I can't stand it for a while. Therefore, the "plush chair" where the "Shouxinggong" sits must be moved to an oblique angle of 30 degrees before sitting.

After the "Shouxinggong" was seated, the left and right helpers stepped down. Li Sheng B. Sang: Birthdays begin with a hundred blessings.

People who attend birthday celebrations also have strict rules: first descendants, second relatives; Friends first, family later. And do it in the order of seniority and age. Children and grandchildren are full, and relatives come forward to offer birthday greetings; Four kneeling and four worshipping. However, uncles, relatives and friends in the clan generally can't bow down and congratulate. If there is a birthday message, read it out loud.

After the descendants and relatives worship the "Shouxing Palace", they should stand in a row on the right side of the main hall in order, and the number can be arranged in two columns. After all the guests celebrated their birthdays, Li Shengjia sang: Happy Birthday! That is, "Shouxinggong" gives red envelopes to his descendants and relatives in the family. After the red envelopes were distributed, "Shouxinggong" returned to Huatang Center to pay New Year greetings to relatives, friends and guests.

At this time, the birthday party began, and Li Sheng B immediately sang: * * * * Go to the peach banquet! Immediately send people to distribute cakes, steamed buns, steamed buns, rice cakes and other foods sent by relatives and friends to the audience present to show that everyone is happy! At the same time as the announcement of "* * * going to the peach banquet", firecrackers rang and drums resounded through the sky, and everyone attended the birthday banquet together.

The birthday ceremony of Hakkas is so solemn, lively and peaceful that it has been passed down to this day.

Transfer from: International Online