What are the Chinese New Year customs in Hunan?

There are many Chinese New Year customs in Xiangtan, Hunan, which are old and simple. From the first day to the fifteenth day of the first month, dragon lanterns can be seen everywhere in rural areas and towns.

The dragon lantern must be connected first. That is to say, invitations are sent from door to door, and those who receive the invitations enter the house in turn to dance dragon lanterns to congratulate them. After receiving the dragon, the dragon dance began. The dragon bulges, churns and jumps, and has the potential of walking on clouds. When you are happy, the lights are Youlong, which makes people dizzying.

Dragon-dancing lanterns are popular in central Hunan, and they inherit many witchcraft and Chu customs, such as "catching dragons", "collecting water" and "hanging red", which all express people's good wishes for happiness and well-being in the coming year.

2. New Year greetings

There is such a stress in Changsha during the Spring Festival: the first son, Jiro, and the third four.

It is said that on New Year's Day, my son will go to his parents' home to pay New Year's greetings. On the second day, my son-in-law will take his cousins to his parents' home to pay New Year's greetings. On the third day, relatives and friends will pay New Year's greetings to each other.

Step 3 send betel nuts

When guests come to Changsha to pay New Year greetings, they should set off firecrackers to welcome them. After the guests are seated, they will also send two betel nuts. This kind of betel nut is called Yuanbao, which means blessing and making a fortune.

4. Get out of the sky

On New Year's Day, every household in Changsha gets up at dawn, men, women and children put on new clothes, and the male owner with the highest seniority burns incense to open the door and set off firecrackers. This is called "paying sky-high prices" or making money.

Then enter the main hall, worship ancestors by candlelight, and then worship the gods of heaven and earth to pray for the benefits of the new year.

5. Sit for a few years

Hengyang area has its unique customs in the Spring Festival, and the 30th is called "New Year's Eve". Today's lunch is extremely rich. After retrieving the kitchen god's life at night, close the door, which is called "closing the financial door".

Then the whole family sat around the fire, eating and chatting until they fell asleep late at night, and some stayed up all night, named "Sit for the New Year's Dinner".