The origin of carrying watermelon

The origin of carrying watermelon is folklore.

The sixth day of June every year is the traditional "Bridge Festival" in Chaoshan, and the story of carrying watermelon also originated here. Emperor Taizong accused King Jinghe of being confronted with the underworld by Yan Luowang, and Prime Minister Wei Zhi wrote to Judge Cui Jue to extend Li Shimin's birthday for 20 years. Li Shimin promised to repay Yan Luowang with melons and fruits, while Yan Luowang said that he had eaten melons and pumpkins, but never watermelon. Taizong promised to send someone to deliver watermelons as soon as he got back.

After Emperor Taizong came back from the dead, he recruited a man named Liu Quan to give his life to send watermelons to the nether world so that he could meet his dead wife in the underworld. I was very happy after receiving the watermelon, and gave Mr. and Mrs. Liu Quan to Yang. However, Liu's wife died for many years and her body was gone. The prince also arranged a "rebirthing" to make the girl in the neighboring village become the soul of Liu's wife.

Since then, the story that Yin Si and Rebecca like watermelons has been passed down from generation to generation. When Chaoshan people arranged a bridging ceremony for their deceased relatives, watermelon became the protagonist.

Related customs on June 6th.

From the first day of the sixth lunar month, buying watermelon belongs to the patent of bereavement. In addition to watermelon, peaches, plums, lychees, grapes and wampee are also forbidden to buy when crossing the bridge to worship. At this time, it is forbidden to go back to your mother's house to marry your daughter. From the first day of June to the sixth day of June, going back to her mother's house means mourning, so it is unlucky for a married woman without a family to go back to her mother's house.

It is forbidden to visit relatives and friends. Similarly, if there is no worship mission at home during this time, there will be no relatives and friends to visit. Cooking is forbidden. Those who have the task of worshipping should make bridge slabs and "five feasts", that is, long bowls, round bowls, bean bowls, turrets and group bowls, for worship before the spirit.