What are the folk customs and traditions of the Spring Festival in Chaoshan?

Regional differences lead to cultural differences, and when it comes to Chinese New Year, every place will follow the local traditions to go to the Spring Festival . The new year is coming soon, let's go ahead and Old Yellow Calendar together to see what is different about the Spring Festival folk customs in Chaoshan!

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"Worshiping the Master"

In the Chaoshan region, the god that resides permanently in the home and blesses the whole family with peace and health is known as the "Master", and the 24th day of the Lunar New Year is the day when the gods go to heaven to report their duties. Therefore, on this day, the Chaoshan people will "pay homage to the master" and pray for all the best in the coming year. After that, they will do a big cleaning, and then cut their hair, take a bath, etc., which means to get rid of the old and welcome the new, and get rid of disasters and illnesses.

"Around the stove" New Year's Eve dinner

Chaoshan has the custom of eating New Year's Eve with the whole family around the stove, which represents the reunion of the whole family. On the table, there will not only be a variety of sumptuous fish and meat dishes, but also a plate of fried garlic with pig's blood and intestines, and a plate of sea cockles, which symbolize the good omen of "longevity" and "wealth".

"Pressing the waist"

When observing the New Year's Eve, the younger generation sends New Year's blessings to the elders, who return the auspicious words and give the children New Year's money. The younger generation will also give the elderly elders red packets, this custom is called "pressure waist", meaning that the year from beginning to end, the waist bag will be bulging, full.

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Paste the door god, spring scrolls

Whenever the New Year's Eve is 30 days old, families will go out to the street to buy spring scrolls. When the Chaoshan people put up spring scrolls, sometimes they put the word "spring" on them, which not only indicates that spring has returned to the earth and everything is renewed, but also means "save" by the harmonic sound, hoping to have more money every year.

To pay New Year's call, give "Daji"

The Chaoshan people pay New Year's call, there must be a big tangerine (Chiu Chow mandarin) in the gift, which means "Daji", and be careful not to have an odd number of them. The host will treat the guests with Teochew work tea and leave two tangerines when the guests leave, and exchange them with their own tangerines, which is meant to give each other good luck, so this custom is also called the "Tangerine Exchange Campaign".

Guandan Chun (Pick a Gift Box)

In the Spring Festival in Chaoshan, the bride's family gives gifts to her married daughter on the first day of the Lunar New Year. These gifts are placed in pairs, usually in three or four tiers, in bamboo hampers with lids, also called "tandanchun". The daughters' families receive these gifts and distribute them to their neighbors and relatives, which is a special feature of Chaoshan Spring Festival customs.

Eating Day

In the Chaoshan area, daughters married off have to go back to their parents' home on the second or third day of the first month to pay homage to the New Year with gifts and to give their nieces and nephews at home another red envelope. This is also known as the "day of the eclipse" because it is only for the midday meal and you have to get back to your in-laws' house before dinner.

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Welcome the gods to receive blessings

On the fourth day of the first month of the first month of the first year of the year, Chaoshan people will usually prepare chickens, fish, pig's head, or a plate of rice, a plate of brown sugar to welcome the gods, and pray for a year of grain harvests, and a smooth and profitable.

Eating Seven Treasures Soup

Seven Treasures Soup is a soup made of seven kinds of vegetables, among which celery and green onion stand for cleverness, garlic stands for being good at counting, and mustard greens symbolize longevity. The Chaoshan people will eat "Seven Treasures Soup" on the seventh day of the lunar month to remove the evil spirit and bless the health of the body.

Worshipping God at Lantern Festival

"Once a year, the Lantern Festival is bright", and on the 15th day of the first month, the Chaoshan people often set up altars to worship God. Various kinds of sacrificial offerings, such as chickens, geese, ducks, candies, kuey teow, flower candles and daiji (Chiu Chow mandarin orange), are set up in the clubhouse. At the same time, the Chaoshan people will also honor the sugar lions in front of the god, praying for all the best and great luck in the New Year.