What is the custom of Chaoshan people entering the house?

After the Mid-Autumn Festival every year, there are many people in the countryside. Every night, in a corner of the village, the sound of gongs and drums and firecrackers sounded from time to time, followed by the sound of ringing bells and reading classics. This is an exorcism ceremony in Chaoshan countryside, commonly known as lighting an oil fire. Burning oil and fire is the custom in Chaoshan. When the new house is built, the owner must invite Nishimiya (the mage) to come home once to drive away evil spirits, so that he can live safely with his family. Because you have to choose a day to light the fire, you usually have to choose a particularly good day. For example, the "mother" in the hall must choose a day. There is a saying in Chaoshan that "every three to five years, every five years" means that auspicious days are hard to find. Entering the new house to fight oil and fire is carried out at the same time. Some new houses were built in the countryside and moved in without oil or fire. This is called borrowing.

Entering the house (that is, entering the house) is a relatively grand thing in the countryside. The average family has three tables and five tables, inviting friends and relatives to get together for dinner, having fun and having a good time. According to local customs, the host can't accept heavy gifts from relatives and friends, as long as they come, and they don't need to bring anything or just a few eggs. Even if relatives and friends send heavy gifts, the host can't accept them. On the contrary, he has to add some money to the red envelope and give it back as a gift. Chaoshan custom, the host can't accept gifts, the more you don't accept, the better. Therefore, it is a loss to enter the Chaoshan area, and it will cost a lot of money to build a new house. People with financial difficulties can only live in new homes. Once you stay, there will be three years and five years, ten years and twenty years, and even thirty or forty years.

Fire fighting is usually carried out at night because passers-by can't see or hit it. When the West Palace (mage) exorcises ghosts, people from all households hide at home and stay indoors. I haven't seen it with my own eyes. When I entered the country, I drifted outside and never came back. According to my mother, the first thing to do is to make five sacrifices and send fruit (giant bread fermented in a ring vessel) to worship the land god. This is called thanking the land.

After Xigong thanked the land, it was easy to put up the charm of Kuixing kicking people inside and outside the hall to ward off evil spirits. Generally speaking, whether a family has lit an oil fire after entering the house can be seen from whether they have affixed spells, because the owners of these spells cannot be torn off and have to accompany new women for many years. In the evening, Xigong painted a painted face, wore a red scarf, red armor (vest), red underwear, holding a wine bottle and beating drums. Xi Gong tinkled the bell while reciting the scriptures, followed by two young students, one helping to roll oil pans and torches, and the other with firecrackers. He followed Xi Gong from the dragon side (east) to the tiger side (west) of the main hall. From the inside out, he was stabbed to exorcise evil spirits, then rushed out of the gate, set off firecrackers, sprayed salt into the oil pan, scratched and patted, and there was smoke everywhere. In this way, Xigong drove out the ominous things in the house, set off firecrackers while calming the fire, sent them outside the village, and threw the frying pan and others into the pond or Woods to turn around and return. At this time, they can't turn back. It is said that if they turn back, evil things will follow.

After the oil fire started, it was the entrance. Rural customs should choose a beautiful day. When you enter the village, you should find someone with "fame" to lead the way with lanterns until you reach Xincuo and shout to open the door, and the people in the house will open the door. As soon as I opened the door, the man with the lantern came in. There is an oil tripod in the room and a "soft cake" in each hand. He put it down and made a loud noise to show his kindness. The elder holding the lantern began to write four sentences, which were words with good meaning and good omen. ...