Dehua Customs! Urgent ~ materials to be used tomorrow = =

The Spring Festival is the first of all festivals in a year, and it is also the happiest festival in a year. People call celebrating the Spring Festival "celebrating the New Year". Year is not only a time unit, but also a festival name, which is a big festival between years. Nowadays, many people always feel that the taste of the year is getting weaker and weaker. In fact, the Spring Festival custom in Quanzhou in the old days was very grand and wonderful.

Spring custom holds that "New Year's Eve"-that is, New Year's Eve is an important festival to sacrifice ancestors. At noon that day, every family should try their best to prepare rich dishes to pay homage to their ancestors, even poor families should do their best. The table is full of cakes, fruits, chicken, duck and fish, with a pile of "Chinese New Year's rice" in the middle, several bowls of rice (symbolizing ample food and clothing), and several bowls of cakes (because several bowls of cakes are commonly known as cakes, symbolizing wealth), oranges (symbolizing auspicious happiness), red eggs (symbolizing auspicious happiness), Redmi pills (symbolizing complete reunion) and steamed rice noodles, gold and silver ingots (. Therefore, in the past, many farmers had to put a word "Spring" on rice vats and warehouses during the Spring Festival, which not only implied that the Spring Festival was coming, but also meant that there was "Spring". In front of the table, they will put a stove (symbolizing the prosperity of the family) until the evening, then set off firecrackers and let their descendants bow to their ancestors, and the ceremony will be completed.

Nowadays, it is not so complicated for many people to worship their ancestors on New Year's Eve. Generally, they just prepare some rich dishes, burn incense and candles, burn "golden paper" and set off firecrackers for their ancestors. Ancestors in mountain cities such as An (Anxi), Yong (Yongchun) and De (Dehua) generally had rice, "rice fruit" (steamed rice flour into rice paste, that is, rice tofu), fried meatballs, pig's trotters, chickens (or ducks) and fruits; In Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Shishi and Hui 'an coastal areas, rice, fish balls, chicken rolls, taro horns (cut into pieces), fried ribs, fried oysters (a snack, fried with fresh oysters mixed with sweet potato powder) and various fruits are usually used for ancestor worship. -Taro is on the table, too? Many people may have questions. If you have seen the taro just dug out, you will understand. The taro just dug out has many small taro connected to a big taro, which symbolizes many children and grandchildren, so the ancients who firmly believe that many children and grandchildren will also put it on the altar, hoping to have many children and grandchildren and have a strong incense. (In addition, some people will put some small taro in front of Tomb-Sweeping Day's tomb in southern Fujian. Its moral is also hope to have many children and grandchildren, and many children are blessed. Minnan people love to worship their ancestors with meat dishes such as chicken and fish, because the homonym of "chicken" symbolizes auspiciousness, and the homonym of "fish" symbolizes surplus, which means that there is more than one year. Generally, oranges are used as fruits, big oranges (oranges as big as quail eggs) and kumquat (a variety of oranges, only half as big as peanuts, can't be eaten raw, so the seeds should be soaked in salt water to remove the sour taste, and then salted and boiled with white sugar to make candied fruit, which is unique to Yongchun, a mountain city in Quanzhou, and Youxi, Sanming is also the main producing area). This is because "orange" is homophonic for "Ji", and "orange" and "Ji" are homonyms in Fujian dialect, symbolizing good luck and all the best.

There is a saying in Quanzhou: "If you don't go home in Qingming (or winter solstice), you will have no ancestors, and if you don't go home in the next year, you will have no wife." This shows that people have always attached great importance to having a reunion dinner on New Year's Eve. In the past, many men in Quanzhou went out to make a living, but no matter how far they went, they had to go home for reunion on New Year's Eve and enjoy family happiness. There is a saying in the countryside that "even a three-foot stool should be moved home during the New Year". Most ancestor worship is at noon, but it can't be ignored on New Year's Eve. Jiaozi is eaten on New Year's Eve in the north, but there is no such custom in the south, but the New Year's Eve dinner is also very rich. The family sat together, eating and chatting, and the atmosphere was very strong.

Ann (Anxi), Yong (Yongchun), Dehua and other mountain cities still eat sugar cane on New Year's Eve. Speaking of sugar cane, Minnan people usually buy sugar cane during the Spring Festival, ranging from two to three, from seven to eight to more than a dozen. Because I bought too much, I usually keep the rattan tail with leaves and don't peel the roots, so it can be stored for a long time. After you buy it, you usually put it behind the door, especially the front door-in the old society, the front door was a double door, and a sugarcane with roots and leaves should be placed behind the left and right doors. Because they are two years old on New Year's Eve, Minnan people eat sugar cane on New Year's Eve, which means "sweet taste and sweet tail" and live a sweet and happy life all year round. The finished bagasse is like a brazier. -"Xuan" means "burn" in Min dialect. Usually at night, things like straw and dead branches in the field are piled into pots (that is, circles) at home, and then put on the fire, which means that life will be prosperous in the coming year, and it also means to ward off evil spirits and avoid disasters. At night, when the brazier is about to burn out, put bagasse in it.

On New Year's Eve in Jinjiang (especially in Anhai), it is popular to jump into the brazier. The so-called brazier (or "fire ball") is to make a fire at the door with dried potato vines, straw and dust sweeper, and then all the male members of the family jump out of the blazing fire one by one. The baby boy is held by an adult, and the man who has not returned home is replaced by his brother.

In Quanzhou, Jinjiang and Shishi coastal areas, bowls and cakes are steamed during the New Year, and some even call them "sesame cakes". The word "fat" in Min dialect means rich and developed. Because steamed bowls and cakes must be "fermented" first, bowls and cakes mean rich and rich. After rice noodles are fermented and steamed by fire, the top of the cake will crack, which means "smiles are always open", symbolizing the happiness of the whole family and smiling all day long; Bowls and cakes are mostly made sweet, which means that life is sweet and auspicious.

Generally, there is no custom of steaming bowls and cakes in mountain cities such as An (Anxi), Yong (Yongchun) and Dehua, but steamed "rice fruit", that is, rice tofu, is required, because there must be "rice fruit" at noon on New Year's Eve to worship ancestors. This kind of "rice fruit" is made of ordinary "rice" (that is, rice used for cooking dry rice) and ground into rice slurry. An (Anxi), Yong (Yongchun), Dehua and other mountain cities, whenever the Spring Festival comes, they should make a white rice fruit made of steamed winter rice. Some people also call it "winter rice fruit", or simply white rice fruit, which is generally made into a round cake. After steaming, it can be wrapped with white sugar and peanut powder, kneaded into jiaozi shape and eaten directly, or sliced with diced mushrooms and shredded winter bamboo shoots. In addition, in mountain cities such as An (Anxi), Yong (Yongchun) and Dehua, "taro rice fruit" and "cauliflower rice fruit" are often steamed during the Spring Festival. As the name implies, "Taro Rice Fruit" is rice fruit mixed with taro, that is, taro is peeled, steamed and mashed, then put into the rice slurry ground by "rice rice", add salt and oil to fry chopped green onion, mix well and steam. When you eat it, you should cut it into large pieces first, and then dip it in soy sauce, vinegar and other seasonings after frying. It tastes delicious. -According to personal preference, there are also foods without seasoning. As for the "vegetable head rice fruit", it is made of shredded radish instead of taro (the "vegetable head" in Minnan dialect is "radish", and Minnan people like to eat radish, because the "vegetable head" is homophonic "color head", which means good luck, so there are usually dishes with fried pork slices with radish on the dinner table on New Year's Eve and the first day of the first year.

After New Year's Eve 12, there is another custom in southern Fujian, that is, every household should set off firecrackers, which means to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. The new year has begun again, with new hope and a good start. Many people prepared fruits early and started to light "magic lanterns"-that is, red lanterns in front of the door. Lanterns in suites are usually hung on the balcony, while those in the building are usually hung on the balcony on the top floor to put fruit, incense and worship the gods. At the same time, we should worship our ancestors. There are Buddha statues at home, as well as believers who burn incense and light candles, praying for the Buddha to bless the whole family's good health, safe entry and exit and all the best. There used to be a custom of keeping age, but now few people keep age-when children and grandchildren can't go to bed early, they have to sit together and talk and laugh all night. It is said that the later the younger generation goes to bed, the longer the life span of the elderly at home will be. "Shounian" is actually a way for children and grandchildren to show filial piety to their elders. On the contrary, some tireless teenagers are full of energy and play all night. They may have forgotten the true meaning of keeping old. Most people were busy for many days before last year. After the morning, they all went to rest because they had to get up early the next day.

On the first day of the first month, the whole family should get up early. In southern Fujian, there is a custom of drinking "kumquat tea" early on the first day of the first month. That is, when you get up in the morning, you should drink a cup of green tea and eat a "big orange" or "kumquat" at the same time, which means that the new year is very prosperous and smooth. Breakfast on the first day of the first month in southern Fujian must be dry food-it is said that if you eat dry food on this day, you will not get caught in the rain when you go out. There must also be a "longevity dish" and a pot of radish-based dishes in this morning's dish. The so-called "longevity dish" is actually mustard. Usually the mustard is peeled off one by one the night before. Wash the leaves and stems, boil them in boiling water until they are soft, then pick them up and put them in cold water, and then tear them into strips by hand-remember, never cut them with a knife! Cook with oil and salt until the next day to become a "longevity dish" on the table. Because mustard plants are tall and the torn stems and leaves grow into strips, this dish symbolizes longevity. A picky family will have "longevity dishes" at the first bite. This "longevity dish" is called "long dish" in Fujian. As for Chinese New Year, radish is still used for cooking, because in southern Fujian, radish is called "vegetable head", and "vegetable head" is homophonic with "color head", which means that the New Year has a good color head and everything goes well.

On the first day of the first month, there is a custom of not sweeping the floor, using knives and scissors, and not taking well water in southern Fujian. Because sweeping the floor means sweeping away all the wealth, even if you want to sweep the floor, you should sweep it from the door, that is, sweep the wealth at home. Garbage can only be piled up in one place and cannot be dumped. Knives and scissors are sharp things, which often bring ominous associations of injury and bleeding. Don't move the knife and scissors, lest there be a bloody disaster in the new year. Therefore, Minnan people also stipulate that nails of hands and feet should be trimmed on New Year's Eve. Besides, they can only wait until the sixteenth lunar month before pruning. Now most people use tap water, so the custom of not taking well water is gradually fading. I don't take well water because it is said that there is a well god in the well. Getting well water on the first day of the first month will touch the well god, make him angry, and bring disaster to my family.

On the second day of the first month, it is commonly known as "son-in-law's day" in southern Fujian, that is, on this day, the married daughter will go back to her family with her husband.

The fourth day of the first month is the day to meet God, also known as the day to accept God. On the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, every household sends kitchen gods and other gods to speak well. The gods have had enough fun in the Heavenly Palace, and they will come to earth today. Therefore, on the fourth day of the first month, we will respectfully take them home for sacrifice, and pray for the gods and buddhas to bless the whole family's peace and good luck in the new year.

On the fifth day of the first month, most shops opened and farmers began to work in the fields.

The seventh day of the first month is called "Man-Moon Festival". You should usually eat egg noodles.

On the ninth day of the first month, it is called "born in heaven", which is as grand as the New Year. The ancients thought that heaven was the boss, so how could they not respect God?

The fifteenth day of the first month is the Lantern Festival. We should eat dumplings and enjoy lanterns.

In addition, regarding the customs of the Spring Festival, there are jingles in Quanzhou, Jinjiang and Shishi coastal areas: the first day (when the casino opened, entertainment activities began), the second day (entertainment continued yesterday), the third day, there was no posture mother (Minnan language called women "posture mothers", and women didn't go to the streets on this day), the fourth day, the kitchen god came back from the sky, and the fifth day, farmers began to report. At the beginning of July in the lunar calendar (seven kinds of vegetables and fruits should be made into "Qibao soup"), at the end of August in the lunar calendar (all good things such as rice cakes are eaten up on this day), at the end of September in the lunar calendar, "God" is born (it is God's birthday, so you should worship God), and at the end of October in the lunar calendar, you should eat well (it is still cold, so you should drink and have fun at home), and at the end of November in the lunar calendar, you should "look for it". ), twelve please son-in-law (on this day, the mother-in-law will cook dinner for her son-in-law). Thirteen, eat glutinous rice paste (porridge) with mustard (in the past, the days were poor, and at this time all the delicious food was eaten up, so it was time to start a simple day of tea and light rice) Fourteen, set up a light shed (set up a light shed to prepare for the activities of Shangyuan Festival) Fifteen, Shangyuan Festival (that is, Lantern Festival) Sixteen, there is a mother (there is God, of course, there is Mother Earth, and this day is Mother Earth.

The mountain cities of An (Anxi), Yong (Yongchun) and De (Dehua), both of which belong to Quanzhou, also have a mantra about the custom of the Spring Festival, which is similar to the above: the first day (the casino opened on this day and began entertainment activities), the second day (the entertainment continued yesterday), and the third and fourth days (the third and fourth days), butchers have already started to kill pigs and sell sheep. On the fifth day, farmers began to dig out manure and fertilize the fields, and farming began. On the sixth day, the women arranged the looms and began to weave. On the seventh day, the seventh birthday (Nu Wa was born on this day, which is the birthday of everyone in the world. This day is the same as the usual birthday. Everyone wants to eat birthday noodles at noon and add a pair of boiled eggs-one egg and one duck egg). On the eighth day of the eighth lunar month, the five grains were created by the God of Grains, which nurtured the spiritual leader of all things-human beings. So in order to repay the kindness of raising them, we should also give them a birthday. In the ninth month of the lunar calendar, it is God's birthday, so we should worship God. Rural people attach great importance to this day and have a lively time, no less than the Chinese New Year! Generally, on that day, people get up early to "light up"-that is, hang red lanterns, and then prepare whole chickens, whole fish and other foods and fruits to sacrifice to the gods, among which rice turtles and sweet fruits are essential! The skin of rice turtle is made of glutinous rice flour, which is very elastic. People who pay attention to it will also go to the fields to collect weeds from rats, and add the weed juice from rats to glutinous rice flour to knead it into dough. Rat grass has the effects of reducing fire, clearing liver and improving eyesight. During the festival, fried food and sweet and greasy food are the majority. Therefore, eating the grass juice of rats can clear away heat and toxic materials, benefit the liver and be more beneficial to health. There are two kinds of fillings: salty and sweet. On the 10th day of the 10th lunar month, "Mother Earth" was born (this day is Mother Earth's birthday, and richer dishes should be prepared to repay Mother Earth's kindness to mankind). On the eleventh day, she invited her son-in-law (mother-in-law invited her daughter-in-law to visit her parents' house and cooked her a sumptuous dinner), on the twelfth day, she didn't come (meaning that she didn't come), and on the thirteenth day, she went to see her (again, she invited her daughter-in-law to her parents' house) 14 greeting lanterns (this day began to dance dragons and lions)

After the fifteenth day of the first month, the year is over! Everything is back to normal daily life.