What are the customs and habits in Macao?

Macao is adjacent to Guangdong, and Guangdong people living in Macao account for the vast majority. Therefore, the living habits and customs of Cantonese people have the most far-reaching influence in Macao. With the historical changes and cultural exchanges between China and the West, the traditional customs of Macao residents are also changing.

The wedding ceremonies of Macao people are mainly divided into two categories: those used by Portuguese in Australia, Europeans and Americans, and China people who believe in Catholicism or Christianity. Weddings are usually held in churches, according to Catholic or Christian wedding procedures, accounting for only a small part of Macao's total population. Most Macao residents are Cantonese, so the wedding of Guangdong children is the mainstream. After welcoming the newlyweds, a couple worships heaven and earth, and their parents respect each other. Then a big banquet is held for many relatives and friends and guests from all sides, and then the bride brings tea to pay tribute to relatives and friends. When relatives and friends receive tea and send teacups, they need to pay "red envelopes" to congratulate them. In modern times, influenced by the Qing Dynasty, the groom wore a hat, and the bride wore a phoenix crown, a red coat and skirt. However, after World War II, these traditional wedding dresses were gradually replaced by men wearing suits and women wearing wedding dresses. The banquet has also changed from home decoration to restaurant.

When they were born, they held a soup cake party. Cantonese distribute ginger vinegar to neighbors or visit relatives and friends for tasting, while mainlanders distribute red eggs. When the baby is over one year old, people who have the conditions will go to the restaurant and hold a small banquet to celebrate. Older relatives and friends will also give the baby a thread, which means longevity and wealth. Birthdays for the elderly are a tradition of respecting the elderly in China. The scale of birthday celebration depends on the family situation. The birthday hall is decorated with colorful red candles, and the birthday ceremony is filled with tables. Children and grandchildren bow down to the elderly, and prestigious people will be congratulated by local officials or celebrities. Funeral ceremonies can also be divided into simple and complex ceremonies. Generally speaking, in China, people pay more attention to filial piety and their practices are more complicated. Portuguese who believe in Catholicism and Christianity, other Europeans and Americans, and China people all go to church to mourn and pray, so that the souls of the deceased can go to heaven.

Sacrificing ancestors is the virtue of the Chinese nation. Macao residents come down in one continuous line with China, and there is not much difference in the form of sacrifice. The most representative one is Tomb-Sweeping Day. Many people also set up three sacrifices on birthdays or anniversaries to worship their deceased relatives and comfort their ancestors' spirits in heaven.

Before the Spring Festival, Macao residents took to the streets to prepare for the Spring Festival. Macao people also pay attention to good intentions to make the Spring Festival prosperous and safe all year round. Such as rice cakes, which represent good annual income; Green melon seeds, auspicious pictures, are shaped like small silver dollars. Peeling melon seeds is also called "catching silver". On New Year's Eve, the family get together to have a "reunion dinner" and then kowtow to the elders at home to pay New Year's greetings. On New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, firecrackers broke out one after another, which was very lively. Dragon and lion dances also add festive atmosphere to the Spring Festival, especially the drunken dragon performance, which is a traditional Chinese New Year program with local characteristics in Macao. On the Lantern Festival, after eating dumplings, people are happy to enjoy lanterns on the Lantern Festival. There are also many good men and women in Macao who go to temples to burn incense and sacrifice. Macau Dragon Boat Festival is like the mainland. People like to eat zongzi and race dragon boats. Macao residents also attach great importance to the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it has become a tradition to give mooncakes to each other.

In terms of diet, there is little difference between Macao people and residents of the Pearl River Delta, because Macao has a long history of mixing Chinese and foreign cultures, and its living customs are also mixed in some ways. The food culture of Macao people is also "extensive and profound". The basic expenditure of Macao people on food every day accounts for about 1/4 of their income. At present, there are more than 600 restaurants in Macao. Among them, there are many high-end luxury hotels, and more are restaurants specializing in catering. Due to traditional habits and time-saving considerations, Macao people often use "drinking tea" at breakfast and lunch. However, this is called drinking tea. In fact, drinking tea in Macao always requires all kinds of snacks, porridge and noodles. In Macao, there are also many favorite foods of Portuguese people who are born and raised, such as "shrimp sauce", "zhazha" and "butter cake".

There are also many water residents in Macau, about 65,438+00,000 people, belonging to the "egg clan" group in the south of China. They have a unique lifestyle. Every ship is a mobile home, even a family. Water residents are generally engaged in fishing, and their living habits are completely different from those of land residents. In the past, these residents were looked down upon by the land residents, so they generally chose their spouses internally and rarely married the land. Sacrificing to the gods and ancestors is also a tradition in the houseboat, but each has its own characteristics. Their oral literature handed down from generation to generation, such as "salty water songs", constitutes the unique social culture of the water people. After World War II, many water residents moved to live on land and worked in factories. Their life is not much different from that of land residents, and their descendants are easy to receive education.