New Customs of Spring Festival

An ancient traditional festival in China and one of the most important festivals of the year, the Spring Festival has a variety of customs. Because of the legend that the New Year beasts are afraid of red color, fire and loud noise, people have the custom of putting up Spring Festival couplets, setting off firecrackers, banging gongs and beating drums and so on. Customs vary from time to time, from region to region, and from ethnic group to ethnic group.

Sacrificing the stove People believe that Master Zaowang went to heaven in front of the Jade Emperor to say a few words, will bring happiness to the family, can bless the next year a family peace. Therefore, every year on the 23rd day of the Lunar New Year, every family will worship the god of the stove and ask him to say more good and favorable words when he goes to heaven. This ceremony of sending the god of the stove is called "sending the stove" or "resigning from the stove".　It is said that every year on the 23rd day of the Lunar New Year, the Zaoshendi will go up to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor on the good and bad deeds of the family, so that the Jade Emperor can reward or punish them. Therefore, when sending off Zao, people put candies, water, beans and grass on the table in front of Zao Wang's statue, of which the latter three are for the preparation of Zao Wang's ride to heaven. Folklore, the Zaowang master went to heaven to tell the good and evil on earth, once the family accused of evil deeds, the major crimes will be reduced life 300 days, the minor crimes will be reduced life 100 days. This saying is widely spread.　

Sending the stove, in order to let the Zaowang master "on the sky to say good things, back to the Palace of good luck", people use a variety of ways to deal with him. Some use gum teeth sugar to honor it, so that the Zao Wang's teeth stick, so that it can not talk nonsense; some with wine lees smeared Zao door, which is called "drunken commander", drunken Zao Shen can not talk nonsense. Zaoshen by the people's special hospitality, "ate people's mouth soft", of course, it is not good to say bad words, this is actually a folk ethical self-discipline.　Seven days later, that is, on New Year's Eve, the "Zao Shen" will be brought back. Because, on the night of the New Year's Eve, Zao Wang Wang will also come to the earth with the gods to celebrate the New Year, that day, there is a "receiving stove" "receiving God" ceremony. According to the general local custom, send and receive Zaowang master are hosted by the male host, the female family members do not participate in the ancient times, there are "men do not worship the moon, women do not sacrifice zaos," the saying.　Sent away "stove god" later, it will be the turn to worship the ancestors, folk said "hanging shadow". Tianjin folklore expert Lin Xi said that on the day of the New Year, we should hang the portraits or photos of our ancestors on the wall, prepare wine and tribute, and accept the worship of the clan until the 30th day of the New Year.　Eating Zao sugar Zao sugar is a kind of malt sugar, sticky, it is drawn into a long sugar stick called "Guandong sugar", pulled into a flat round type is called "sugar melon". In winter, put it outside the house, because of the cold weather, the sugar melon solidified solid and some tiny bubbles inside, eat up the crunchy, sweet and crispy, a unique flavor.

The 24th day of the Lunar New Year

Sweeping the Dust A folk proverb says, "On the 24th day of the Lunar New Year, dust and sweep the house". After the Zaosi festival, preparations for the New Year begin in earnest.

Sweeping the dust is the end of the year cleaning, the north called "sweeping room", the south called "dusting". Sweeping dust before the Spring Festival is a traditional habit of our people. Whenever the Spring Festival comes, every household has to clean up the environment, cleaning all kinds of appliances, unwashing bedding curtains, sweeping the courtyard, dusting dust cobwebs, dredge the nullahs and ditches. North and south of the Yangtze River, everywhere overflowing with joyful health, clean and welcome the atmosphere of the New Year.　According to the canonical records, in ancient times, there is the habit of year-end sweeping. According to "Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals", China in the era of Yao and Shun had the custom of sweeping dust in the Spring Festival. According to folklore: because the "dust" and "Chen" homophonic, dust sweeping in the New Year has the meaning of "in addition to the Chen Bu Xin", the intention is to put all the "poor fortune The intention is to sweep all the "poor luck" and "bad luck" out of the door. Qing Jia Record" Volume XII records: "wax will be residual, choose the constitutional book should be swept house Yu day, to go to the court house dust and filth. Or in the twenty-third, twenty-fourth and twenty-seventh day, commonly known as 'playing dust'". Lunar New Year's Eve "sweep the room", inside and outside the courtyard for a thorough cleanup. It can be seen, this custom is entrusted with people's desire to break the old and new and the old to welcome the new prayers, but also the Chinese people in the long history of the accumulation of hygiene in the winter, the traditional virtues of disease prevention.

The 25th day of the Lunar New Year

Pushing the mill to make tofu

Making tofu A folk proverb says: "On the 25th day of the Lunar New Year, push the mill to make tofu." According to evidence, tofu was invented by Liu An, King of Huainan in the Western Han Dynasty. Zhu Xi of the Southern Song Dynasty wrote in his poem "Bean Curd", "Bean seedling scarcity, exhaustion of the heart has been corroded, early to know the Huainan technique, An sitting to get the spring cloth." Interestingly, some places have the custom of eating tofu dregs before New Year's Eve. The reason for this is the local legend that after the king of the stove reported to the sky, the jade emperor will visit the world to see whether the families as the king of the stove, so the families will eat tofu dregs to show that the suffering, hidden from the jade emperor's punishment. Legend has it that eating tofu dregs was a sign of low productivity in ancient times, when there was not so much to eat, and also a reflection of the virtue of thrift and frugality of the first people.　Receiving the Jade Emperor The old custom is that after the God of Stove goes to heaven, the Jade Emperor will come down to the world in person on December 25 of the lunar calendar to investigate the good and evil on earth, and to decide on the coming year's misfortunes and misfortunes, so every family sacrifices to pray for blessings, which is called "Receiving the Jade Emperor". On this day, people should be careful in their living and speaking, and strive to perform well in order to win the Jade Emperor's favor and bring good fortune in the coming year.　Catching up with the chaotic year After sending the God of the Stove to heaven, the God of the Stove is not welcomed back until New Year's Eve, during which time there is no god on earth to govern, there are no taboos, and many marriages are made, which is called "catching up with the chaotic year". It is known as the "Catch up with the Year of Chaos". The Year of Chaos is a specific period of time designed by the people for themselves to regulate their social life. At the end of the year, people have leisure and savings, for people who usually have the energy to organize big events, this is a good time. Therefore, people invented this special time folklore according to the needs of real life. It can be seen that in traditional societies, the order of people's lives is regulated by folklore.　Shao Tian Silkworms Shao Tian Silkworms, also known as "Shao Tian Silkworms" and "Shao Tian Cai", is a folk custom of praying for the New Year that is popular in the south of the Yangtze River. On the 25th day of the Lunar New Year, a long pole tied with a torch is set up in the field, and the flame is used to divine the New Year, and a strong flame is an omen of a good harvest in the coming year. In some places, this event is held on the 30th day of the Lunar New Year.　Thousand Lanterns Festival The Thousand Lanterns Festival is a religious festival of the Mongolian and Daur ethnic groups. In Mongolian, it is called "Ming Gan Zhuo La", which means "Thousand Lanterns Festival". On the 25th day of the Lunar New Year, do "Ming Gan Zhuo La" to the temple to light, that the more points the more auspicious. This holiday custom, the most prevalent in the Xinjiang Virat Mongolian. Local people in this day to eat roast beef and mutton, held traditional sports and recreational activities.

Lunar New Year's Eve 26

Killing Pigs and Cutting New Year's Meat

Cutting New Year's Meat As the saying goes, "Lunar New Year's Eve 26, Killing Pigs and Cutting New Year's Meat" or "26, Cutting Knife Heads," it is said that this is the main day to prepare for New Year's Eve meat. The reason for putting "cutting new year's meat" into the New Year's rhyme is that the economy of farming societies is not well developed, and people often can only eat meat during the New Year's festivals, which is why it is called "new year's meat".

Lunar New Year's Eve

Baths, Chicken Slaughtering and Catch-up

Traditional folklore in these two days to focus on bathing, laundry, remove the bad luck of the year, in preparation for the coming year's new year, the capital has a "twenty-seven wash guilt, twenty-eight wash scruffy," the proverbs. Lunar New Year's Eve bath for "wash the blessing of Lu".

Twenty-eighth day of the Lunar New Year

Paste Peach Symbol

Pasted Flowers The annual ballad says: "Twenty-eighth day of the Lunar New Year, steamed buns with cake and pasted flowers" or "Twenty-eighth day of the Lunar New Year, put the noodle hair". The so-called sticker flowers, is to post New Year's paintings, Spring Festival couplets, window and a variety of God code.　The custom of posting Spring Festival couplets originated from the ancient "Peach Symbol". Ancient people to peach wood as the wood of the evil, "canonical art" said: "peach, the essence of the five wood, so the pressure of the evil also." To the Five Dynasties, after the Shu monarch Meng Chang elegant literature, he ordered every year to write the peach, become the later generations of spring couplets of the goblet, and written in the peach on the "New Year's Day, Jiajie No. Changchun", will become the first recorded Chinese history of the "Spring Festival couplets". Later, with the introduction of papermaking, the custom of posting spring scrolls on red paper instead of mahogany emerged.

The 29th day of the Lunar New Year

Ancestor Sacrifice

Ancestor Sacrifice According to the annual rhyme, "On the 29th day of the Lunar New Year, we go to the graves of our ancestors to make a big offering". Ancestor worship has a long history in China. Death is not only an important symbol of filial piety, but also a virtue of respect for the elderly. The Spring Festival is a big festival, and the ceremony of inviting ancestors to the graves is particularly solemn. In most areas, the ceremony is held on the morning of the 29th day of the Lunar New Year. According to Han Dynasty Cui Shi's Four People's Monthly Orders, "The first month of the first month of the first month is the first month of the first month of the first month of the first month of the first month of the first month of the first month of the first month of the first month. On the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, they would bring their wives and offspring to worship their ancestors. On the first day of the festival, they would bring wine to the gods, and then they would list their ancestors in order of precedence, and then their children and great-grandchildren would drink wine in their parents' homes, and then they would goblet their lives, and then they would rejoice in their lives. This shows that, as early as the Han Dynasty, China's ancestor worship has been a very important activity in the Spring Festival.　Small New Year's Eve The day before New Year's Eve, called "small New Year's Eve", the family set up a banquet, people visit called "Farewell". The day before New Year's Eve is called Tianxiang, in which incense is burned outdoors, usually for three days.

.　The New Year's money is sent by the elders to the younger generation, some families are after the New Year's Eve dinner, everyone sitting at the table is not allowed to go, and when everyone is finished eating, the elders sent to the younger generation, and encourage their children and grandchildren in the new year to learn to grow up and do well. Some people are parents in the night when their children are asleep, put them under the pillow, more people are small children gathered in the main hall, shouting grandparents, mom and dad Happy New Year, kneeling in line; and then reach out for red envelopes. Even to the grandparents' bedroom, all ran to the edge of the bed, yelling: "New Year's money, New Year's money!" The old man is still not lively enough, pretending to be petty, from bargaining to the siege of groping, and finally the old ancestor's red envelopes to dig out, we looted, only to whistling and scattered. The old man in this scenario but happy, think this is a good omen of the New Year everything goes well. Giving New Year's money on New Year's Day reflects the care of elders for their juniors and the respect of juniors for their elders, and is a folk activity that integrates ethical family relations.

The first day of the first month of the lunar year

Opening the door to the firecrackers On the morning of the Chinese New Year, when the door opens for good luck, firecrackers are set off first, which is called "opening the door to the firecrackers". After the sound of firecrackers, broken red all over the ground, brilliant as a cloud of brocade, known as "full red". At this time, the street is full of auspicious gas, joyful.　New Year's visit An important activity in the Spring Festival, is to congratulate friends and neighbors on the New Year, the old term for New Year's visit. Han Chinese New Year worship style, the Han Dynasty has. After the Tang and Song dynasties are very prevalent, some inconvenience to go in person, can be used to throw congratulations on the post. The Eastern Han Dynasty called "thorns", so the business card is also known as "name thorns". After the Ming Dynasty, many people stick a red paper bag at the door, specializing in name badges, called "door book".　Folk visit each other in the form of New Year's Eve, according to each other's social relations, can be roughly divided into four categories: First, go to relatives. The first day must go to the father-in-law's home, must bring gifts. After entering the door first to the Buddha, ancestor images, pagodas each line three kowtow salute, and then to the elders in turn kneeling. You may stay to eat and play.　The second is a courtesy visit. Such as to colleagues, friends to pay tribute to the New Year, a door into the house, only to the Buddha three kowtow, such as with the master of the Department of the same generation is only required to arch a bow, such as older than themselves, should still take the initiative to kneel down, the host should walk off the seat to do to help the shape of the even said no gifts to show humility. This situation is generally not appropriate to sit for a long time, pleasantries two polite words to say goodbye. After the host is worshiped, should choose a day to return to worship.　Third, thank you for the visit. Where a year to people owe love (such as lawyers, doctors, etc.) to buy some gifts to send, take the opportunity to pay a New Year's visit, to express their gratitude.　Fourth, the door-to-door visit. For the left and right neighbors of the neighborhood, never had much to do, but meet can say, to the Jubilee, just to the yard, meet each other with a clasped fist and said: "Congratulations to Fortune", "a smooth hundred smooth", in the house to sit for a while only, not very much etiquette.　In ancient times, there are New Year's Eve and New Year's Day: New Year's Eve is to the elders kowtow; New Year's Day is to congratulate each other. Nowadays, some organizations, groups, enterprises and schools gather together to congratulate each other, which is called "reunion worship".　With the development of the times, the custom of New Year's greetings also continue to add new content and form. Now people in addition to the inheritance of the previous way of New Year's Eve, and the rise of ritual telegram New Year's Eve and telephone New Year's Eve and so on.　The old folk custom was to take the weather of the first few days of the new year as a guide to the success of the current year. It began with the Han Dongfang Shuo's "Yearly Occupation", which said that eight days after the year, one day for the chicken day, the second day for the dog, the third day for the pig, the fourth day for the sheep, the fifth day for the cow, the sixth day for the horse, the seventh day for the people, the eighth day for the valley. If the day is sunny, then the main thing is prosperous, when the day is cloudy, the main day is not prosperous. Later generations followed their custom, that the first day to the tenth, the weather is clear, no wind and no snow for good luck. Later generations from the occupation of the year developed into a series of rituals, celebrations. There is the custom of not killing chickens on the first day of the year, not killing dogs on the second day of the year, not killing pigs on the third day of the year ...... , not carrying out punishments on the seventh day of the year, and not hitting the grain on the eighth day of the year Zhu Xianzhen woodblock New Year's Eve paintings of "sticker-painted chickens.　The ancient Chinese New Year in the doors and windows painted chickens to drive away the ghosts and monsters evil. In the book "Xuanzhongji" written by the Jin Dynasty, the sky chicken on Dushuo Mountain mentioned earlier is said to have crowed when the sun had just risen and the first ray of sunlight shone on this big tree. When it crowed, all the chickens in the world crowed. So the chicken cut out for the Chinese New Year actually symbolizes the Heavenly Rooster. However, there is also an ancient myth that the chicken is a metamorphosis of the Chongming bird. It is said that during the time of Emperor Yao, the friends from the other side paid tribute to a kind of heavy bright bird that could ward off evil spirits, and everyone welcomed the arrival of the heavy bright bird, but the tribute envoys didn't come every year, so the people carved a wooden heavy bright bird, or casted a heavy bright bird in bronze and put it on the gateway, or painted a heavy bright bird on the windows and doors, to scare off the evil spirits and demons, and make them not dare to come back again. Because of the heavy Ming bird similar to chicken, and then gradually changed to painting chicken or cut window flowers pasted on the windows and doors, that is, become the source of the art of paper-cutting later generations. China's ancient especially valued the chicken, called it "five virtues of the bird". Han Shi Wai Zhuan" said, it has a crown on the head, is Wen De; feet after the distance can fight, is Wude; enemy in front of the dare to fight, is courageous; food to greet the same kind of benevolence; vigil does not lose time, dawn dawn, is the virtue of faith. So people not only in the New Year cut chicken, but also the first day of the New Year as chicken day.　Gathering of wealth It is said that the first day of the first month of the broom for the birthday, this day can not move the broom, otherwise it will sweep away the luck, broke the fortune, and the "broom star" attracted, incurring bad luck. If you have to sweep the floor can not be, must be swept from the outside to the inside. This day also can not pour water out of the garbage, for fear that it will break the wealth. Today, many places are still preserved a custom, the New Year's Eve clean sweep, the first day of the year not out of the broom, do not pour the garbage, prepare a large bucket to Sheng wastewater, the day is not outside the splash.

The second day of the first month

Sacrificing God of Wealth In the north on the second day of the first month of the God of Wealth, this day, whether it is a trade store, or ordinary families, will be held to sacrifice the God of Wealth activities. Each family sacrifices the god of wealth that they received on New Year's Eve. In fact, they incinerate the rough prints they bought. On this day, wontons are eaten at noon, commonly known as "Yuanbao soup". Fish and mutton were used as offerings. Old Beijing's big business firms, this day are large-scale sacrificial activities, offerings to be "five big for", that is, the whole pig, the whole sheep, the whole chicken, the whole duck, red live carp, etc., and hope that this year to make a fortune.

The third day of the first month of the lunar calendar

Sheep Day The third day of the first month of the lunar calendar is the day when Nuwa created sheep, so it is called "Sheep Day". On this day, people can't kill sheep, and if the weather is good, it means that the sheep will be raised well during the year, and the people who raise them will have a good harvest.　Burning the door god paper In the old days, the third day and night of the New Year's Day and Festival of the pine and cypress branches and festivals hung door god door paper and other incineration, to show that the year has been over, and to start camping. The proverb says, "If you burn the door god's paper, you'll be able to find a way to make a living."　Valley Birthday Folk think the third day of the first month for the Valley Birthday, this day to pray for the year, and forbidden to eat rice.　The day of the festival is the day of the celebration. Song dynasty court festival, Song Zhenzong Dazhong Xiangfu first year, due to rumors of heavenly books down to earth, Zhenzong issued an imperial edict, the first three days of the first month of the day for the Tianqing Festival, officials and other leave for five days. Later, it was called the Small New Year's Day, and it was the same as the Annual Day without sweeping the ground, begging for fire, or drawing water.

The fifth day of the first month

The fifth day of the first month is commonly known as the fifth. Folklore said that many taboos before the fifth day can be broken on this day. According to the old custom to eat "dumplings" five days, the north called "cooking meat and potatoes". Nowadays, some people only eat three or two days, some every other day, however, no not eat. From the princely mansion to the streets and alleys of small households are so, even for guests. Women are also no longer jealous of the door, began to visit each other to pay tribute to the New Year, congratulations. Newly married women in this day to return to peace. A said broken five this day should not do things, otherwise the year meets with failure. Broken five customs in addition to the above taboos, mainly to send poor, welcome the God of Fortune, open trade.　Offerings to the God of Fortune Southern people in the first five days of the first month of sacrifice to the God of Fortune. Folklore, the God of Fortune that is, five-way God. The so-called five roads, referring to the east and west, north and south, meaning that out of the five roads, all can get wealth.　Qing Dynasty Gu Lu "Qing Jia Lu" cloud: "the fifth day of the first month, for the road head god birthday. Golden gongs and firecrackers, livestock sweet Bi Chen, in order to compete for the first for the market, will get up early to meet, called the head of the road." Also said: "Today, the road head, is the five rituals in the line of God. The so-called five roads, when it is east-west, south-north ear." Shanghai has the custom of grabbing the head of the road in the old calendar year. On the fourth day of the first month of the night, ready to sacrifice animals, cakes and fruits, incense and candles and other things, and sounding gongs and drums burning incense worship, piety and respect for the God of Wealth. The fifth is rumored to be the God of Fortune's birthday, in order to compete for the market, so the first four in the first to pick up, called "grab the head of the road", also known as "pick up the God of Fortune".　Five sacrifices that is sacrificed to the God of the household, the God of the stove, the God of the soil, the God of the door, the God of the line, the so-called "head of the road", that is, the five sacrifices in the God. Where to receive the God of Fortune shall be for the sheep's head and carp, for the sheep's head has "auspicious" meaning, for the carp is the figure of "fish" and "Yu" resonance, poetry a lucky. People are convinced that as long as you can get the God of Wealth manifestation, you can get rich.　Therefore, every New Year's Eve, people are in the first five zero hours zero minutes, open the door and windows, burning incense and firecrackers, fireworks, to the God of Fortune to welcome. Received the God of Fortune, we also have to eat road head wine, often eat until dawn. Everyone is full of hope for wealth, wishing that the God of Wealth will bring gold and silver treasures to their homes and make them rich in the new year

Painting of the God of Wealth

The God of Wealth is the God of Wealth in Wuhan, the capital of Wuhan.　Lu Tou Shen Lu Tou Shen is a god of wealth worshipped in Wu Di. It is believed that this day is his birthday, and it is a spectacular event to welcome him.　Commonly thought to receive the road head, the earlier the better, the earliest to receive is the real god, especially spiritual, so called "grab road head". Some places, really in the first four days of the first day of the "rush to grab the head of the road", and has become a custom. Since the road god is no longer the traveler's protector, people will no longer in the travel to worship it.　As for people in the first five days of the first month to worship the head of the road god, and this day for its birthday, is the five road god in the "five" and the first five of the "five" implicated in the reason. In the north on this day to sacrifice "five poor" is the same. In the first month rather than other months, is to take the new year new weather, figure a year of good luck, prosperity, east and west, south and north, wealth, five roads and progress.　Send poor on the fifth day of the first month "to send poor", is a very distinctive ancient Chinese folk custom of the year. On this day, each family made of paper woman, known as "sweeping clear mother", "five poor women", "five poor mother", carrying a paper bag, the house will be swept to the bag of dirt, sent to the door outside the firecracker bombing. This custom is also known as "send poor soil", "send poor daughter-in-law out".　The old custom of the Spring Festival during the size of the store from the first day of the year closed, and in the first five days of the market. Commonly known as the fifth day of the first month for the sacred day of wealth, that the choice of this day to open the market will attract wealth into the treasure.

The seventh day of the first month of the year

People's Day, also known as the "People's Sheng Festival", "People's Celebration Festival", "Population Day", "People's Seven Days

Human Day is also known as "Human Victory Day", "Human Celebration Day", "Population Day" and "Human Seventh Day". Legend has it that the female snail first created the world, in the creation of chickens, dogs, pigs, cows, horses and other animals, in the seventh day of the creation of people, so this day is the birthday of mankind. Han Dynasty began to human day festival custom, Wei Jin began to pay attention to. Ancient human day has to wear "people win" custom, people win is a kind of headdress, also known as color wins, Huasheng, from the Jin Dynasty began to cut color for the flowers, cut color for the people, or openwork gold foil for people to paste the screen, but also to wear in the hair. In addition, there is also the custom of climbing high and writing poems. After the Tang Dynasty, more attention to this festival. Every day, the emperor gave the qunchen colorful wisps people win, and high feast qunchen. If the weather is clear on the seventh day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the main year's population will be safe, and access will be smooth.　Eat Seven Treasures Soup People Day Festival, people with seven kinds of fresh seasonal vegetables and rice flour made into a soup to eat, called "Seven Treasures Soup", eaten on the occasion of the People Day, in order to take the auspicious omen, and said that this thing can remove the evil spirit, cure all diseases. Different places have different products and use different fruits and vegetables, and the meaning is also different. Guangdong Chaoshan with mustard, kale, leeks, spring vegetables, celery, garlic, thick petals; Hakka people with celery, garlic, green onions, coriander, leeks with fish, meat, etc.; Taiwan, Fujian with spinach, celery, green onions and garlic, leeks, mustard, capers, cabbages and so on. Among them, celery and green onion signs of intelligence, garlic signs of calculating, mustard greens make long life, and so on and so forth.　Fish life in some areas of the South, people have a day in the festival "fish life" custom, fish life, often many people around a full, the fish, ingredients and sauce poured in a large plate, everyone stood up, waving chopsticks, the fish material fishing, the mouth but also constantly shouted to: "Fishing ah! Fish! Fatten it!" The fish should be scooped up higher and higher to signify that they are rising higher and higher in the world.　Pancake Folk this day to eat spring pancakes rolled "box vegetables" (cooked meat food), and pancakes in the courtyard, "smoked day".　The festival is also a day for ladies to go out and for literati to climb up to the top of the mountain to write poems. Tang Gao Shi's poem, "Sending Poems to Du Er Leafmen on the Day of Man," reads, "Sending poems to the Cao Tang on the Day of Man, I feel sorry for the old people and miss my hometown. I can't bear to look at the color of the willow, and the plum blossom is full of broken hearts. Being in Nanfan, I can't find anything, but I have a lot of worries and anxieties in my heart. This year's day is empty of memories, next year's day where do I know?"

The eighth day of the first month

The Day of the Valley Legend has it that the eighth day of the first month is the birthday of the Valley. If the weather is sunny on this day, then the Lord will have a good harvest on this day, and if the weather is cloudy, then the year will be poor.　Shunxing Folks take the eighth day of the first month as the day when the stars come down to the world, and make small lamps to burn and sacrifice, known as the Shunxing, also known as the "sacrificial star", "catching the star". Sacrifice with two god code, the first printed with the star section, jujiao, xuanwu, etc., the second is "the life of the life of the star". The two sheets are put together before and after, clamped on a paper clip, and placed in the center of the back of the table in the courtyard. In front of the god code, there are yellow and white paper twisted with incense oil, put into the bowl of "lamps" with a diameter of about an inch, or 49 lamps, or 108 lamps, and light them up. Cooked Lanterns and tea are then served. After dusk, the Big Dipper is used as the target for worship. After the sacrifice, when the lamps will be extinguished, the sacred code and incense root will be incinerated together with sesame stalks and pine and cypress branches, and the ritual will be completed.

The Ninth Day of the First Month

The Day The ninth day of the first month of the first month of the year is the Day of the Sky, which is said to be the birthday of the Jade Emperor. The main customs are sacrifices to the Jade Emperor, Taoist temples, etc. In some places, the day of the day, women prepared incense and candles, fasting bowls, set up in the open air at the mouth of the Tianjing alley to worship the heavens, and ask for blessings from the God of Heaven.

The tenth day of the first month

Stone Birthday This day, where the mill, milling and other stone tools can not be moved, and even set up sacrifices to enjoy the stone, for fear of injury to crops. Also known as the "stone does not move" "ten does not move". Henan custom this day, the family to the stone incense to pay tribute. Lunch must eat bun cake, that eating cake within a year will be prosperous. In Shandong Yuncheng and other places to lift the stone God's move. The first nine nights, people will be a jar frozen in a smooth stone, the morning of the tenth, the rope tied jar nose, by ten young men to take turns carrying the jar away. The stone does not fall to the ground is a sign of a good harvest that year.　He rat married daughter old folk beliefs. In the first month of the ritual rat activities, also known as the "rat married daughter" "rat married". Specific date varies from place to place, some in the first month of the seventh, some in the first month of the twenty-fifth, many areas is the first ten. Pingyao County, Shanxi, the tenth day of the cake will be placed at the root of the wall, the name is "congratulations on the rat marriage". Ningyuan, Hunan Province, the seventeenth for the "mouse wedding" this day to avoid opening the cabinet, for fear of alarming the rats. The night before, children will be candy, peanuts, etc. placed in a dark place, and will be pots and pans and other big things knocking and beating, for the rat Cui makeup, the next morning, will be closed to the rat's hole, that from now on, rats can be forever extinct. There are still areas in the rat to marry a woman day very early to go to bed, but also not to disturb the rats, it is said that you disturb it a day, it disturbed you a year.

New Year's Eve

Lantern Festival Lantern Festival is China's main traditional festival, also known as the Lantern Festival, also known as the night, also known as the Festival of the New Year, because it is the first New Year's full moon night. Because of this festival through the ages there is the custom of watching lamps, so it is also known as the Festival of Lights. The formation of the Lantern Festival has a long process, according to general information and folklore, the fifteenth day of the first month in the Western Han Dynasty has been attached importance to the first month of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty on the night of the Sin in the Ganquan Palace to sacrifice "too one" activities, by later generations as the first day of the first month of the fifteenth day of the gods of the precursor. However, the fifteenth day of the first month of the year was really a folk festival after the Han Dynasty and Wei Dynasty. The introduction of Buddhist culture in the Eastern Han Dynasty was an important impetus to the formation of the Lantern Festival.　During the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty (58-75 A.D.), when Emperor Ming advocated Buddhism, Cai Chuan, who had returned from India with the Buddhist teachings, said that on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the country of Magadha, monks gathered to venerate the Buddha's relics, which was an auspicious time to visit the Buddha. Han Mingdi in order to promote Buddhism, ordered the night of the 15th of the first month in the palace and the temple "lighted table Buddha". Therefore, the custom of burning lanterns on the night of the 15th day of the first lunar month gradually expanded in China with the expansion of the influence of Buddhist culture and the addition of Taoist culture. The real impetus of the Lantern Festival is that it is at a new point in time, and people make full use of this special time to express their wishes for life.　Lantern Fairs The custom of releasing lanterns at the Lantern Festival developed into an unprecedented lantern market during the Tang Dynasty, and after the Middle Tang Dynasty, it has developed into a national carnival. Tang Xuanzong (A.D. 685-762) when the beginning of the heyday,, Chang'an lamp market is very large, burning lamps 50,000, lanterns and lanterns in a variety of styles, the emperor ordered to make a giant lamp building, as wide as 20 rooms, 150 feet high, bright gold, extremely spectacular.　Later generations of Lantern Festival continues to develop, the festival of lights is also longer and longer. Tang Dynasty Lantern Festival is "one day before and after the New Year", the Song Dynasty and in the sixteen after the addition of two days, the Ming Dynasty was extended to eight to eighteen by the whole ten days.　To the Qing Dynasty, the Manchu dominated the Central Plains, the court no longer run the Lantern Festival, but the folk lanterns are still spectacular. The date was shortened to five days.　Eat Yuanxiao on the 15th day of the first month to eat Yuanxiao, "Yuanxiao" as a food, in our country also has a long history. In the Song Dynasty, a kind of novelty food for Lantern Festival was popular among the people. This food, the earliest called "floating yuanzi" later called "Lantern", the businessman also beautifully called "Yuanbao". Lantern that is "dumplings" to sugar, rose, sesame, bean paste, yellow cinnamon, walnuts, nuts, jujube paste, etc. for the filling, wrapped in glutinous rice flour into a round, meat can be vegetarian, different flavors. It can be boiled in soup, deep-fried or steamed, and has the meaning of reunion. Shaanxi dumplings are not wrapped, but "rolled" in glutinous rice flour, or boiled or deep-fried, hot and fiery, reunion.　In some places in the north, several villages gather on the 15th day of the first lunar month to perform social fires. In some places in the north, several villages gather on the 15th day of the first month to perform social fires, which include stilt walkers, Zhong Kui jumpers, floats and so on.　Spring Festival is an ancient festival in China, is also the most important festival of the year, how to celebrate this festival, in the development of thousands of years of history, the formation of a number of more fixed customs and habits, many of which have been passed down to the present day.　Spring Festival customs change New Year's Day, people get up early on the first day of the New Year, put on the most beautiful clothes, dressed neatly, go out to visit friends and relatives, pay respects to each other, wishing good luck in the coming year. Worship a variety of ways, some of them are the same patriarch led a number of people to go door to door to pay tribute to the New Year; some colleagues invited a few people to pay tribute to the New Year; there are also get together to congratulate each other, known as the "group worship". Because of the time-consuming and labor-intensive door-to-door New Year's greetings, some upper-class people and scholars later used the posters to congratulate each other, which led to the development of the later "New Year's greeting tablets".

Editing the Spring Festival customary songs

Beijing; "twenty-three, sugar gourd sticky; twenty-four, sweeping day; twenty-five, push corn; twenty-six, go hang meat; twenty-seven, slaughter a chicken; twenty-eight, the surface hair; twenty-nine, steamed buns; thirty night guard a night, the first day of the year twisted a twist." Shaanxi: twenty-three, sacrificing Zao official, twenty-four, sweeping the house, twenty-five, grinding tofu, twenty-six, to cut meat, twenty-seven, kill a chicken, twenty-eight, steam jujube flower, twenty-nine, go to play wine, the New Year's Day thirty pinch dumplings, the first day of the first pouting buttocks chaotic bowing!

Editing Regional Customs

The Northeast

The Spring Festival in the Northeast retains some ancient customs of its own. On New Year's Eve, the whole family makes offerings to the ancestors, burns incense and candles, makes offerings, and kowtows to three generations of gods and goddesses, according to the seniority of the elders, to say goodbye to the year. Afterwards, a family feast is held, with the elders sitting at the top and the juniors sitting in a group, taking the meaning of "reunion of the whole family". It is necessary to have a rich meal to give people a sense of fulfillment, and it is a sign that the coming year will be full of food and clothing and that business will be prosperous. This meal is the first taste of the New Year dishes, usually must be braised pork, stewed lamb, rice flour meat, stewed elbow strips, Yuanbao meat, south fried meatballs, four happy balls, jelly, soy sauce, edamame bean curd, mustard pierre, spicy mustard greens, fried soy sauce melon children, such as the Jubilee set of dishes. During the meal, young and old wish each other good luck, exchange cups between brothers, and enjoy the joy of family. After the meal, the children will be sesame stalks all over the courtyard, people walking on it, crunching, called "stepping on the age"; and then hung indoors and outdoors of the spring lamps lit up, shining on the four walls of the New Year's Eve paintings and spring strips, indoors and outdoors, a brilliant light. On the "Heaven and Earth Table", there are large yellow paper colorful prints of "18 Buddhas in the three places and three worlds" or "Hundred copies" (the image books of the gods of heaven and earth), big cakes, honey offerings, fresh noodles, fruits, vegetarian dishes, New Year's cakes, New Year's rice offerings, high rice cakes, and so on. In order to welcome the gods and goddesses down to the world for blessings, offerings are made in the form of big cakes, honey offerings, noodles, fruits, vegetarian dishes, rice cakes, and New Year's rice, and red candles and incense are lit on high. In order to cherish the passing years, men, women, and children stay up all night and engage in different recreational activities, which is called "keeping the New Year's Eve". Children traditionally play at will, shaking the firecracker, pulling the gyro, twisting the ascending figure, rolling the dice, playing cow cards, playing the glazed trumpet, the harmonica, playing the shadow puppeteer, pointing the lanterns, playing the "dripping gold child", "rat shit", "yellow smoke with guns "...... old women sit together to fight cards, play mahjong, play ten hu. Entertainment with fresh fruits, candies, dried fruits, mixed children, Wen Park, fried red fruits, candied begonias, etc., eat and play, until the "reception of God". At midnight, the sound of firecrackers shakes the night sky. Families gather at the Heaven and Earth table to burn incense and offer vegetarian dumplings to welcome the gods to the world. After the ceremony is completed, it is announced that the old year is over and the new year has come, which is the solemn moment of "the second year of the fifth night". The whole family says "New Year's Eve" to each other, and the younger generation bows to the elders in the hall to pay respect to them, and the elders must introduce "New Year's money" to the underage children one by one.　Finally, the whole family eats a meal of vegetarian dumplings, called "Wujing Dumplings" and "Reunion Dumplings". In a hundred and ten dumplings, only one put a coin, said the person who ate this dumpling, the Lord of the year all things go well.