Introduction to recruitment day

Conscription Day is a religious festival for the She nationality to commemorate their ancestors, which is only popular in the She nationality areas in eastern Guangdong and northeastern Guangdong. According to legend, in ancient times, when Pan Hu went to Fanbang to take Wang Fan's head, he was chased by Fan Bing. When he got to the seaside, he got the help of magic soldiers and returned home safely. In order to commemorate our ancestors and thank the magic soldiers, people hold a "recruiting" activity every three to five years to offer sacrifices to them. However, according to the field investigation, the time of holding the "recruitment ceremony" of the She nationality in eastern Guangdong is not the same. She nationality in Feng Ping village of Fengshun county is held on the auspicious day before February 24th of the lunar calendar/kloc-0 every year. She nationality in Shiguping, Chaozhou is held twice a year: the first time (Lunar New Year's Eve) is called "Soldiers' Day". The second time (the fourth day of the first month), "inviting God, rewarding soldiers, offering sacrifices and deserting troops" is called "Sending Soldiers Festival". At present, the She nationality in Fenghuangshan area has combined the five-year festivals of "recruiting soldiers" and "sending soldiers" into one, which are collectively called "Recruitment Day". The event is scheduled to be held on the auspicious day between the "heavy snow" and the "winter solstice" in the lunar calendar, and the holiday period is generally three days and three nights. The "Zhao 'an" ceremony was held in the public hall, and the mage was invited to preside over it, praying for a bumper harvest and people living and working in peace and contentment. The whole village, men, women and children, came to join in the fun. The "Recruitment Festival" in Jiulianshan She nationality area in northeast Guangdong is generally decided by the people in the years when the years are not good and the wind and rain are uneven. The activity is divided into two parts: sacrifice and prayer. The content of the sacrifice is basically the same as the "Recruitment Festival" of the She nationality in Fenghuangshan, eastern Guangdong. Only the prayer part is the creation of the She nationality in Jiulianshan, which makes the totem religious ceremony of the original "Recruitment Day" develop into a traditional folk activity of seeking happiness.