What is the custom of carrying a big flag

Carrying a big flag is a traditional folk custom in the first month of every year in the Chaoshan area, in which two people or one person carries a rectangular flag, on which are usually embroidered some good wishes and patterns. The flag is usually embroidered with some good wishes and patterns. It is a symbol of praying for good weather conditions and peace of mind for the people.

The flag-carrying team is usually as few as 12 to 16, or as many as dozens of hundreds, depending on the size and population of each village, and the number of flags is usually in even numbers. The traditional flag is a 4-meter-wide, 1.2-meter-high rectangular colorful silk flag, the lower edge of the flag is decorated with colorful spaghetti straps.

The flagpole of the traditional standard flag is made of a five- to six-meter-long fresh bamboo pole with leaves, which means that life is as high as bamboo. Chinese knots and small flower baskets are hung at the ends of the flagpole for decoration. As the planting of bamboo is getting less and less nowadays, some places use stainless steel pipes instead of bamboo, which has less traditional flavor.