Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Traditional customs - Seeking the unique customs of Shaoxing. Only in Shaoxing has a custom that is not found in other places.

Seeking the unique customs of Shaoxing. Only in Shaoxing has a custom that is not found in other places.

Shaoxing customhouse

Customs of winter solstice in Shaoxing: Winter solstice is a major festival in Shaoxing, and the proverb says that "winter solstice is as big as a year". In ancient times, people always regarded it as another New Year. Jia Tai Hui Ji Zhi said that its festivals were "roughly as simple as Yi Dan", and many things started from the solstice of winter. The lunar calendar is clear, that is, from winter to the future 106 days, which means "from winter to the sun 160% clear". "99 Songs" also takes the winter solstice as the first nine songs, 29 to 99 songs, to record the changes of seasons. There are even folk sayings, such as "the early winter solstice, the slate crisp, the midwinter solstice, you spend the winter naked, and the late winter solstice, you sell cattle to buy quilts", "there is no ice before winter, and people are frozen after winter", "the sunny winter solstice is a bad year, and the rainy winter solstice is sunny for the New Year". On this day, people will get together and have a big meal, just like the custom of eating New Year's Eve. Every family in Shaoxing worships their ancestors on the winter solstice, and some even go to the ancestral temple to worship their ancestors, which is called "making the winter solstice". Generally, paper-cut clothes are made for men and women before the winter solstice, and sent to the graves of ancestors for incineration during the winter solstice, commonly known as "sending cold clothes." After the sacrifice, relatives and friends get together to drink wine, commonly known as "winter solstice wine", which not only misses the dead, but also connects feelings. It is the custom in Shaoxing, Xinchang and other counties to go to the grave every day to add mud, weed and repair the foundation to break ground for this day, otherwise it may be a disaster. The winter solstice, also known as the "long solstice", is the longest night in a year. Therefore, there is a folk proverb, "Sleeping is sleepy from winter to day and night", which means that a night's sleep on the winter solstice can save a good dream every day. In the past, rice was cooked with slate and mortar. Shaoxing people like to cook rice in advance from winter to around, which is called "winter cooking rice". On the one hand, after the solstice of winter, there is still one month to "spring", and family affairs will be very busy, so everyone will be busy preparing for farming and have no time to cook. Secondly, because of the air in spring, rice buds float, and rice grains are not as solid as in winter. Rice grains in winter can avoid being fragile and bruised, and reduce food loss. When Shaoxing people make wine, they generally like to put it in the jar from winter to the day before, which is called "winter brewing". After brewing, the aroma is tangy and particularly attractive. In addition, the water at this time is still winter water, so the brewed wine is easy to preserve and will not deteriorate. At this time, you can also make "dimple wine" and "honey hospitality wine" with special techniques, and give them to the elderly or as gifts for relatives and friends. On the night of winter solstice, Shaoxing people also have the custom of "making a fire". The fire will be lit overnight and wrapped in a quilt, which means that the charcoal fire in Rosty Yi will not go out, which can indicate the prosperity of family affairs in the coming year. In old Vietnam, every man and woman cooked a bowl of wonton on the solstice of winter. On the solstice in summer, you have to eat noodles door to door, which is called "winter solstice wonton and summer solstice noodles". This custom has been circulating for a long time. But in the end, there are different opinions about why it is popular. Or the shortest day, with a wonton-shaped ball; Eat noodles from summer to day, noodles (strips) are long, and summer to day is long. Although the latter can be proved by the custom of eating noodles to live longer, it is not recorded after all. Fan Yin, a Shaoxing scholar in the late Qing Dynasty, said in "Yue Yan Diet" that wonton was "wrapped in flour with sesame sugar or fermented meat and eaten at the solstice in winter", which shows that there were sweet wonton in ancient Shaoxing. On that day, Shaoxing people had many taboos, such as quarreling and swearing, and breaking dishes and bowls. If a woman doesn't go back to her mother's house, she must go back to her husband's house that day and can't spend the night at her mother's house. It is not allowed to beat and scold children, even the most naughty students can be exempted from punishment on the solstice of winter. Mr. Wang Can just held up a ruler and warned, "I will remember this bill for you until tomorrow!" " " .

Anchang twelfth lunar month wind plot: Anchang Town, Shaoxing County is a provincial-level historical and cultural town in the east, with Ke Qiao in the south and Ji 'er Expressway in the north. It is a typical ancient water town in the south of the Yangtze River with a history of thousands of years. There are Neolithic sites of Yue ancestors in Baiyang. According to legend, Dayu once got married and started a family in Dongtu Mountain. In 896, Qian Miao was ordered by the Tang Dynasty to station troops in Dongchang to put down the rebellion, and named his hometown Anchang. The existing old street was built in the Ming Chenghua and Hongzhi years. For hundreds of years, cotton, cloth and rice have been vigorously transported and sold, becoming an important town in North Vietnam. On the eve of the Anti-Japanese War, there were 965 firms, which was the largest market outside the city. Anchang Ming and Qing old street was built by the river, with a total length of 174.7 meters, and it has been well preserved so far. The sparkling rivers, stone street roads, patchwork arcades, traditional shops and workshops, Liang Shi arch bridges with different postures, quaint and dignified platform doors, and secluded alleys are quaint and elegant, with the characteristics of a water town, and are known as "clear water permeates the streets for thousands of people, and the rainbow crosses the river for seventeen bridges". Thousands of years of folk customs in Shaoxing have been preserved and continued in the ancient town. Walking through Anchang Old Street in the dead of winter, you can appreciate the festive, peaceful and quaint customs of the water town.

Black felt hat autumn hat: Shaoxing farmers and fishermen often wear black felt hats, which almost became the symbol of Shaoxing people in Lu Xun's works. This kind of hat has a sharp round edge and a "bucket" shape in front, which has the special function of "sheltering from the wind, snow and sun in winter". City residents like to wear autumn hats. It is mainly made of silk thread, and the elegant inner layer is lined with fine rattan shed. The autumn hats worn by boys and children are "red drops".

Shirts, jackets, trousers and skirts: men wear shirts and jackets from childhood, while adults use shirts as uniforms. When you put on a jacket, it becomes "clothes". The material of jacket is mostly Jin Ge and Guan Sha, and the color is black, commonly known as "dark black jacket", which is a semi-short blouse outside a big shirt. Cage pants are unique costumes for fishermen and boat people in Shaoxing. Pant legs are particularly large, like lanterns; The waist and body of trousers are made of blue earth cloth, which is thick and wear-resistant. Women often wear a "hundred skirts" under their bodies, and the cloth is mainly blue homespun; The "hundred skirts" worn by official wives and concubines are mainly made of silk and satin, with exquisite workmanship and embroidered piping.

Wu Peng Boat and Bai Peng Boat: Shaoxing Plain is full of rivers and lakes. "You have to lift your feet with a boat when you go out." Like the felt hat, Wu Pengchuan is also a symbol of Shaoxing people. Wu Peng rowing boat is a kind of small boat, which is mainly used for carrying passengers. You can take up to six people, four people in the middle cabin, one at the bow and one at the stern. A white covered boat is relative to a black covered boat. Some ships have to sail at night, so it is not suitable to sail under the awning. The white awning is more conspicuous. Such as night boats, sandalwood boats and troupe boats. Night ships are long-distance transport ships sailing at night.

Repairing bridges, paving roads and building museums: Repairing bridges, paving roads and building museums has always been a public welfare activity in Shaoxing. Once launched, there will be a "rich and powerful" scene. On country roads, there are also many pavilions for pedestrians to rest. Thousands of stone bridges were also built by private funds or donations. Roads between villages are often maintained. These are the embodiment of traditional advantages.