Chinese New Year Customs in Longyan, Fujian

Customs of the Spring Festival in Longyan, Fujian

On the first day of the first month of the year

Each family chooses an auspicious time to open the door, set off firecrackers, burn incense and candles, pay homage to ancestors, men and women of all ages, all new dress, and say good luck to each other. In buildings where families live together, the most fortunate person is first invited to open the door, saying "open the door for good luck"; out of the door and say "feet in all directions, square profits", and set off long firecrackers; and then, every family opens the kitchen door, sets off firecrackers, and says good things. Breakfast is generally vegetarian, with dumplings in reunion soup, red dates, peanuts and glutinous rice. People do not clean, wash or carry water. Children set off firecrackers for fun and adults go from house to house to celebrate. In order to entertain friends and relatives who come to pay New Year's visits, most families put out candies, peanuts, sugar cane, kumquats, sweet dates, plums, raisins, etc. Hakka families put out meatballs, chicken dumplings and glutinous rice. The Hakka family has meatballs, chicken, lean meat, tea eggs, yellow wine pay guests, known as "food soup grits", to persuade drunkenness as enthusiasm.

The second day of the month

Return to the mother's home to visit relatives, the in-laws hospitality. Longyan, Zhangping began to lotus eggs, dried flour for snacks, and then feast. If it is the new relatives, it is more grand.

The third day of the month

Longyan towns and villages to perform tea lights, lion dance. The Hakka people practiced lion dances, boat lanterns, dragon lanterns, drums, gongs and drums, and folk artists' "New Year's drums". On this day, the Hakka people cook and eat the "New Year's rice" to honor the gods and ancestors. This day is also known as "Send the Poor Day", which means that the garbage in the house is regarded as "poor ghosts" and cleaned out. Families are reluctant to go out and do not welcome guests.

The fifth day of the month

Longyan, Zhangping said "the fifth day of the month", the Hakka said "open small positive". Begin to "pray to the gods", pray for peace and prosperity throughout the year, burn the curtain paper hanging in the door, Shanghang City Hall from the fifth to the tenth, choose a day for the whole family to get together and drink, each eating a plate of red eggs, to encourage each other with auspicious words. On this day, you can pick the urine poke, do small farm work. In some places, the traditional activities of welcoming the gods have begun. Liancheng folk proverbs have been passed down that "the first ancestor, the first two Lang, the first three, the first four wild son-in-law Lang (refers to the first three, the first four late to pay homage to the New Year), the first five, the first six, there is no meat (refers to the time for the later)" said. In fact, people often play until the middle of the first month. Hakka proverb: "have to eat without eating, chat (play) to the first month of the twentieth".