What is the custom of Guangdong Dragon Boat Festival?

Do you know any special customs of Guangdong Dragon Boat Festival? Steak, eating moxa, horse-drawn skating, what are these things? As a Cantonese, today I will show you the customs of Guangdong Dragon Boat Festival:

? One of the customs of Guangdong Dragon Boat Festival: roasting royal boats?

People in Shenzhen call the dragon boat "the imperial boat". It is said that there are umbrellas on dragon boat races in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, which may have originated from the custom of To Kwa Wan in Kowloon. Later, dragon boat rowing evolved from an entertainment to a competitive sport, and the headwind resistance of umbrellas gradually disappeared.

Shenzhen people call dragon boat rowing "dragon boat rowing", and there was a legend of "rowing a royal boat" in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. It is reported that the tradition of "scraping the royal ship" originated more than 700 years ago. According to legend, in April of the second year of Jingyan in the Southern Song Dynasty (1277), Zhao Gang and Zhao Gang, then emperors of the Song Dynasty, were stopped by the Yuan Army and fled from Lin 'an (now Hangzhou), the capital lost in the Song Dynasty, to To Kwa Wan (now Hong Kong) in Jiulong, Xin 'an County, where they stayed for more than two months, which coincided with the Dragon Boat Festival. Since then, every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, villagers have been given umbrellas by the royal government and put them in dragon boats, which are honored as "royal boats".

? The second custom of Guangdong Dragon Boat Festival: hanging kudzu vine?

Hanging kudzu vine on Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional custom in Hakka area. On the Dragon Boat Festival, Hakka people in Meizhou, Guangdong Province will hang kudzu vine in front of their homes, which has been a folk custom in Hakka areas for thousands of years. In the eyes of Hakkas, kudzu vine is an exorcism. Different from other places, kudzu vine is compared to a "chain" or a "fairy rope" that binds ghosts. Hakka folklore is closely related to Huang Chao, the leader of the peasant uprising in the late Tang Dynasty.

? The third custom of Guangdong Dragon Boat Festival: soaking in dragon boat water?

Because the dragon boat symbolizes good luck, it is placed in the ancestral hall on weekdays. The villagers all think that the water that the dragon boat glides through is "Daji water", so another custom-soaking in dragon boat water has come into being. This custom is called "soaking in dragon boat water", which means to ward off evil spirits and avoid filth. Not only Liantan, but also many places in Guangdong have the custom of "soaking in dragon boat water".

When the heavy precipitation comes during the Dragon Boat Festival, the water level of the river rises rapidly, providing a good venue for dragon boat fishing. Soaking in dragon boat water is a popular traditional custom in Guangdong. In Guangdong, Guangzhou people who are interested in everything will go to the river to wash dragon boat water at this time. Families with children will let their children's hands and feet "soak" in the dragon boat water, praying that their children will be healthy, grow up quickly and stay away from evil.

? The fourth custom of Guangdong Dragon Boat Festival: Mala Liu?

There is also a strange custom related to zongzi in Shawei. Their dialect is called "Mala Tang". What is "horse-drawn slip"? "In the past, when we were young, we probably started from the second day of the first day of May. In the morning, my mother put an alkaline zongzi on a rope and hung it around our child's neck, telling us never to take it off. We just hang it to play in class. When the first day arrived, we peeled it and ate it directly after getting up. "

This custom sounds a little similar to the "duck egg roll" in some cities. It is said to be used to ward off evil spirits. This kind of zongzi wrapped in vanilla leaves is easy to remind people of Qu Yuan. The poet wears ornaments made of Ficus pumila, Jingui, Hu Sheng and other herbs. "Malakava" can also be regarded as a memorial to the incorruptible Dr. San Lv. Unfortunately, this unique custom lasted only a few years, and then it was interrupted silently.

? The fifth custom of Guangdong Dragon Boat Festival: Grab the green boat?

Before the dragon boat race, each team should burn incense, light candles, set off firecrackers and worship the river god with a roast pig. After the worship ceremony, people who take part in the dragon boat race eat roast pigs, and then put the dragon boat into the water after eating. After that, there will be a very unique link-"grabbing the green".

The so-called "grabbing the green" means putting a bamboo pole with a bunch of leaves in the middle of the river, and each team sends one person to grab it. This is an auspicious ceremony.

? Guangdong Dragon Boat Festival custom six: afternoon water?

The Dragon Boat Festival also has local characteristics in Huizhou, such as "drinking water at noon" and "washing dragon boat water". "Noon water" means drawing water from the well at 12 at noon on the day of Dragon Boat Festival.

In Huizhou people's minds, water at this time can ward off evil spirits best. Children bathing with "afternoon water" can get rid of prickly heat and bring good health, while adults bathing with such water will bring good luck.

? The seventh custom of Guangdong Dragon Boat Festival: Going back to your mother's house?

The old custom in Guangzhou is to celebrate from the second day of the fifth lunar month to the fourth of May. Young "new hugs" (daughters-in-law) use a "full box" of 64, which contains zongzi, pork, raw chicken, eggs, fruit, wine and so on. Go back to your parents' house to congratulate your elders.

Girls and children hang sachets made of colorful silk thread, which are usually given by their newlyweds. On the one hand, it reflects the goodness of newly married wives, on the other hand, it also reflects their skills, commonly known as "new hug skills." The sachet contains sandalwood, star anise, pepper and Huang Liu.

? The eighth custom of Guangdong Dragon Boat Festival: burning moxa sticks.

Moxibustion is a traditional reservation of many families in Huizhou during the Dragon Boat Festival. In Huizhou, moxa sticks are also called "afternoon fragrance". According to Huizhou custom, at noon on the day of Dragon Boat Festival, almost every household will put moxa sticks on the front door, kitchen, balcony and other places to light them to ward off evil spirits and repel insects. The moxa stick contains sawdust, sulfur, mugwort leaves and spices.

No matter what kind of custom it is, the Dragon Boat Festival has pinned people's desire to welcome auspicious blessings, ward off evil spirits and eliminate disasters. Dragon Boat Festival is a beautiful festival. People can feel the nourishment of culture and the true meaning of life in this colorful but not strong atmosphere of folk festivals.