On the Spring Festival customs and customs of Minnan people

The custom of Spring Festival in southern Fujian completely retains the tradition of celebrating Spring Festival in China, among which "respecting heaven", "worshiping god" and "offering sacrifices to ancestors" are the strongest customs. In the past, the three major events for overseas Chinese in southern Fujian to worship their ancestors were "marrying", "having children" and "building a big house". In the traditional Spring Festival, Minnan people at home and abroad, without exception, regard the three customs of "respecting heaven", "respecting god" and "offering sacrifices to ancestors" as the three most solemn customs.

Collecting dust, jumping into the fire and burning the "New Year Cup" is a good sign.

The fire at the door of every house looks like a fire from a distance. Everyone poured the "New Year's Cup" into the fire and burned it to bid farewell to last year's disappointment and wish the new year a smooth life.

From the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month to New Year's Eve, people call it "Spring Festival". During this period, every household should be prepared for the arrival of the Lunar New Year.

Rice noodles and meat made a good start for the New Year's Eve dinner.

To keep a bowl for the New Year, you need to put eggs, taro, cakes, oranges, dried persimmons, red dates, red envelopes and a "spring flower" folded in red paper.

"On the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, kill pigs and cut meat to celebrate the New Year" is a proverb circulating among the people in southern Fujian since ancient times, which means that at the end of the twelfth lunar month, it is time to prepare some meat for the New Year.

Sugarcane at the top of the door, watch debt-avoiding dramas, and do good deeds to promote the custom of the New Year.

On New Year's Eve, take two sugar cane wrapped in red paper and put it behind Gu Men. It's rare for a family to go to the streets to watch a big play.

Kumquat candy and peanut candy desserts are placed in the hall, which enhances the taste of the year.

In the first month, Minnan people always put a "coriander" in the hall to entertain guests, so as to wish them a "sweet start" in the new year.

During the Spring Festival, kumquat sugar is always seen in beets of Minnan people. This is because "orange" and "auspicious" in Minnan dialect are homophonic, symbolizing good luck. Because kumquat is mostly wild in the mountains, its fruit trees blossom and bear fruit every year. Because of its sour taste, it can't be eaten raw directly. Locals sow it, soak it in salt water to remove the sour taste, and then pickle it with white sugar to make kumquat sugar. This not only retains the original orange-yellow and unique fragrance of kumquat, but also makes it as sweet as honey, no longer bitter and unpalatable. Kumquat candy is not only a good tea for Chinese New Year, but also a sweet soup made of peanuts to entertain guests. It can also be used as an auxiliary material for steamed rice cakes to add some fruit flavor to them.

Peanut candy, winter melon candy, red dates, inch dates, etc. They all belong to the Spring Festival dessert in ancient morning tea.

The Spring Festival customs in southern Fujian are as follows:

1, Dust Day of Minnan Spring Festival

This is the year-end cleaning. In order to welcome the new year, people use tender bamboo branches and leaves, banyan branches and leaves, or long dusters tied with straw and sugarcane leaves to clean the dust cobwebs on the corner beams, and also use "tablecloths" to wipe all kinds of farm tools and articles. The main purpose of "dust removal" is, of course, to clean up and let us spend the coming year in high spirits, but also to drive away the epidemic, sweep away the plague and pray for peace in the coming year. The tender bamboo branches and leaves, straw and sugarcane leaves on the broom are generally not discarded after sweeping the dust, but collected and taken out as fuel on New Year's Eve to "jump into the fire".

2. Steamed bowls and cakes in Minnan Spring Festival

After the Dust Festival, in many places in southern Fujian, such as Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Shishi and other coastal areas, in order to have a good Spring Festival, it is necessary to steam "bowls of cakes", also called "scones". In Minnan language, the fatter the rice cake, the better, because "fat" means getting rich and developed. Steaming "bowl cakes" must be "fermented" first, so "bowl cakes" means being able to develop and make a fortune. Moreover, after rice noodles are fermented and steamed with strong fire, the top of the cake will crack, which means "smiles are always open" and symbolizes the happiness of the whole family. "Bowl cakes" are mostly steamed with sugar, which is sweet and delicious, meaning that life is sweet and auspicious.

3. Worship God in Minnan Spring Festival

This is the most solemn ceremony on the first day of the first month of each year. On the first day of the new year, we worship and pray to heaven that this year will be a bumper harvest. A couple of children (zero), firecrackers everywhere, people set up a case in the hall at home, put three sacrifices, fruits, green tea, gold and other offerings, burn three pots of incense, light candles, worship "God" and worship their ancestors. This sacrifice lasted until the fourth day.

4. Minnan Spring Festival opened.

The bell on New Year's Eve rings at midnight 12, ushering in the dawn of the new year. While "honoring God", every household sets off firecrackers and opens the door to welcome the spring, commonly known as "opening the door".

5. Congratulations on the Spring Festival in southern Fujian

In the morning, men, women and children get up to wash their hands and put on new clothes that have already been prepared. For breakfast, the family eats noodles with eggs, and the eggs are shelled, which is intended to remove mold and welcome good luck. Noodles symbolize longevity. After breakfast, I went out to visit my neighbors and relatives and greeted them with a smile. When you meet for the first time, you should say "congratulations" to each other, commonly known as "He Zheng", which also means to pay a New Year call to the Lantern Festival. When guests come to the door, they should provide candy, candied fruit, or drink sweet tea and coffee to make them "sweet" to show a sweet start.

6, Minnan Spring Festival group worship

The so-called "group worship", even if the villagers go to the largest ancestral temple in the village to worship God, it starts at eight or nine in the morning. The origin of group worship is closely related to the production of villagers. When offering sacrifices to the gods in the ancestral temple, there is a most important ceremony called "Cup". "Cup" is popular in southern Fujian and Taiwan Province, also known as "Bo Cup" and "Tossing".

7, Minnan Spring Festival lucky money

The minor mistress pays New Year greetings to the elders, and the elders give a "red envelope" as lucky money.