What are the unique Spring Festival customs in Taiyuan?

The unique custom of Taiyuan New Year;

On New Year's Eve, every household stays up all night, commonly known as "gnawing at the old". As soon as the rooster crows, they start burning incense, lighting lamps, offering offerings, setting off fireworks, offering sacrifices to their ancestors, and then the whole family pays New Year greetings to each other. Children kowtow to their elders to pay New Year greetings, and elders give them lucky money for good luck. According to the traditional custom, we should have breakfast before the sun comes out.

During the New Year in China, businessmen's families are the most pious to offer sacrifices to the God of Wealth. Before the end of the Qing Dynasty, March 15 and July 22nd were the days of offering sacrifices to the god of wealth. After the Republic of China, only during the Chinese New Year did sacrifices be offered in money piles, cash cabinets or special shrines to burn incense and guns for chickens, ducks, pigs and sheep. Sacrifice to the god of wealth first, and then go to the homes of businessmen who have business dealings to pay New Year greetings.

Spring Festival custom in Shanxi;

1, Zuo Quan-bean curd and flour tea

During the Spring Festival, we should observe the Lunar New Year, eat jiaozi and set off firecrackers. My hometown is at the junction of Shanxi and Hebei, and the custom of Spring Festival is almost the same as that of most northern areas. But there are two habits that are rarely seen elsewhere.

2. Yuxian-light the grass to welcome the New Year God.

On the morning of New Year's Day, every household will hold a ceremony to greet God, which is about five o'clock in the morning. Before dawn, people light the grass prepared in the yard one day in advance. This is actually the straw of some crops, which is different from many places in Shanxi.

Yuxian is also a big coal-producing county, but it burns grass instead of coal. I hope that through this ceremony, I can drive away the troubles and misfortunes of the past, pray for a bumper harvest in the coming year, and at the same time pin all people's good hopes for the new year.