Essay on Fuzhou Ethnic Customs Childhood Interesting Stories

Fuzhou Festivals and Folklore

The Spring Festival

The first three days of the first month of the lunar calendar, the ancient name of Cuiduan, New Year's Day, now known as the Spring Festival, the people of Fuzhou called "to do the New Year", is the most grand, the longest holiday folk festival of the year. At dawn, families open their doors, burn incense and fire cannons to welcome the New Year. This festival tradition has many taboos, say the first word, do the first thing, are concerned about good luck, in order to hope for a year of peace. At the beginning of the New Year, the first sentence to say "congratulations", "fortune", "peace" and other auspicious words, the other side also reported the corresponding good words. On that day, they do not sweep the floor, do not fetch water, do not carry burdens, do not chop firewood, do not wash clothes, do not take a bath, do not get a haircut, and do not say unlucky words. When the whole family woke up, they put on new clothes or wore clothes of the best texture. For breakfast, some eat tai ping ping (thread noodles, chicken and duck eggs) to wish for peace and longevity; some eat nian gao (brown sugar rice cake) to wish for a good year; some elderly people eat vegetarian to pray for a year of peace for the children and grandchildren of the family. On the first day of the year, the younger generation pays New Year's greetings to the elders, who give them New Year's money or candies and oranges.

The first day of the year do not go out, the second and third day of the year, people can visit friends and relatives, congratulate each other on the New Year. As the Qing Dynasty Wu Jijun said in "Fuzhou year bamboo stick lyrics": "Clan new clothes tend to people in front of the courtesy of modest joy; road meet **** bowed, fortune congratulations on the New Year." This is the landscape of Fuzhou Xinzheng in ancient times. People with married daughters should organize spring wine and invite their daughters, son-in-laws and grandchildren back to their mother's home for a feast and reunion. The women of the water boat family (? The women of the water boat family, wearing red flowers on their heads, blue shirts and green pants, and green shoes with cloth soles, boarded the shore in pairs and went from house to house, singing poems to celebrate the New Year in Fuzhou: "Auntie and sister-in-law celebrate the New Year with red umbrella lamps hanging in front of the hall; good? Good kuey teow sends the slaves to go, the golden character boards stand in front of the door." "After the old year, it's a new year, business is booming and you'll make a lot of money; congratulations and peace of mind, send the slave to the door. I'll send you a gift." This is called the "Chiu-mei Poem", which is also a congratulatory poem. It is also a New Year's greeting, which is a poem for good luck. It is also a New Year's greeting to show good luck. During the Spring Festival, Fuzhou streets and alleys, decorated with lanterns, fire trees and silver flowers, laughter, everywhere showing a festive atmosphere.

After the founding of the Chinese People's Republic of China, the party and government leaders at all levels before or during the festival, with gifts to the military martyrs, retired cadres and old labor models, such as the House of New Year's greetings. All relevant departments organize Spring Festival tours, carnivals and cultural evenings. Those old customs with superstitious colors gradually disappeared. In the early nineties, most homes were installed with telephones, and generally relatives and friends used the telephone to pay New Year's greetings to each other, reducing holiday traffic congestion.

Early in the morning on the fourth day, every household, burning incense "to receive the God", to meet the Zaojun back to see things. All walks of life on vacation, firecrackers, stores open for business, factories start work, the authorities began to work. After the nineties, the practice time for adjustment, is now the eighth day of work. Some service industries are still open for business on Chinese New Year.

The Lantern Festival

The 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar is the Lantern Festival, also known as the Shangyuan Festival. The Lantern Festival in Fuzhou began in the Han Dynasty, and in the Song Dynasty it was listed as the best of the Kyoto Lantern Festival. The Old Story of Wulin described the Fuzhou lanterns to the capital as "pure white jade, dazzling, such as clear ice and jade pots, clear mind." Fuzhou's orange lanterns, vegetable headlights, lotus lamps, etc., chic form, bright colors, unique Fuzhou local life, striking.

According to Wang Yingshan, "Min Daji", Fuzhou, "hanging lights along the door, all-night tour, called the light market." This custom also began in the Song Dynasty. At that time, every household, open lights hanging door, ten miles of light street, red light reflected. State and county officials, every Lantern Festival, advocating the great lanterns, "officials and the people of the same music". During the Yuanfeng period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1078-1085), Liu Jin was the governor of Fuzhou, and in order to view the lanterns, he ordered ten lanterns to be donated from house to house. Chen Lie, a poet from Langguan Lane, angrily hung a lantern in Gulou: "A lantern for a rich family, a grain of corn in Taicang; a lantern for a poor family, a father and a son weeping relative to each other. Do you know that the governor of the city knows about this? I hate that the pianoforte has no marvelous music." Since then, the government no longer forced the people to donate lights. Throughout the ages, there are changes in the time of the lanterns: Tang and Song Dynasty for the first month of the 14th to the 18th; Yuan Dynasty court does not advocate large-scale lanterns; Ming Dynasty for the 13th to the 22nd; Qing Dynasty for the 13th to the 17th. After the Republic of China, there is no fixed rules.

Fuzhou Lantern Festival is not only a brilliant lantern market, there are also set up aoshan, for people to enjoy. "The spring lanterns are better than all the flowers, and the Lantern Festival is full of splendor in Fu-Tang; the silver candles are burnt to make a beautiful scene, and the Ao-Shan towers over the place to show auspicious light." This poem depicts the grand scenery of the lantern market and Ao Mountain in Min Du in the past. The city gates were open at the Lantern Festival, and Ao Mountain was outwardly facing, and people from the outskirts of the city came in to enjoy the festival, which was very crowded and bustling.

From the Spring Festival to the eve of the Lantern Festival, there is a custom of sending lamps to the people of Fuzhou. For married women, the mother's family routinely must send lights, "lights" and "Ding" harmonized, to take the meaning of Ding. The first year to send "Guanyin send son" lamp, the second year, such as not having children, then send "heavenly gift Liner" lamp, "child sitting basin" lamp, the third and fourth years, such as not having children, will send If the child is not born in the third or fourth year, then the "orange" lamp will be sent to symbolize the meaning of "anxiety". After the birth of a child can be sent to the "Scholar riding a horse" lamp, "heavenly gift unicorn" lamps, etc., until the nephew 16 years old. There is a folk rhyme: "Lantern in the first month of the Lantern Festival, Grandma loves her nephews (grandchildren), send red tangerine lamps, good luck and add a child." It reflects the social custom that grandmothers love their grandchildren. Yang Qingshen's Bamboo Branch Lyrics on the Eve of Rongcheng: "The sky gives the linnet colorful fabrics, and the bride's house has a brighter glow; I want to remove the golden hairpin in the middle of the night and report that my mother's family has come to send me lanterns." This poem depicts the pomp and circumstance of the delivery of lights at that time.

The Lantern Festival Lanterns since the beginning of the seventh, the former Fuzhou South Back Street and Nantai Taijiang flood specializing in the sale of paper lanterns. Picked octagonal lights, ball lights, watermelon lights; carrying the lights about the knife, dragon rob bead lights, and later there are airplane lights, battleship lights; the ground walking monkeys riding sheep lamps, cowboys riding cattle lamps, Scholar riding a horse lamp; hanging on the hall of the palace lanterns, lanterns, and so on. At that time, there was a poem: "Lanterns into the city will be the New Year's Eve, color craftsmanship fee cutting, several send for the new year to play, clear light four walls shine cup." It depicts the grandeur of the lantern market in Fuzhou.

On the night of the Lantern Festival, some townships and streets touring the streets, combined with welcoming the gods. Welcome God team, more with the dragon dance, stilts, lion dance, underground ping, land rowing and other folk cultural activities. Some people at home see the welcome god crossing, they will raise lamps and firecrackers, praying for the safety of the family. Today, the custom of sending lanterns is still popular among some elderly people.

Au Jiu Festival

The 29th day of the first month is a traditional folk festival unique to Fuzhou. "It is also known as the "Back Nine Festival" and the "Festival of Filial Piety". Early in the morning on this day, every family uses glutinous rice, brown sugar, plus peanuts, jujubes, water chestnuts, sesame seeds, cinnamon and other raw materials, boiled into a sweet porridge called "au jiu congee", which is used to offer sacrifices to the ancestors or gifts to friends and relatives. Married daughters, but also be sure to send a bowl of "au jiu congee", some also add too plane, eggs, pig's feet, etc., sent back to her mother's home, filial piety and honor their parents. In addition, anyone who is nine years old, such as nine years old, nineteen years old, twenty-nine years old ...... (called "bright nine"), or a multiple of nine, such as eighteen years old, twenty-seven years old, thirty-six years old ...... ( Called "dark nine"), should also be like a birthday, eat a bowl of "too flat", in order to peace, health.

"Au Jiu Festival" comes from "Meilian save mother" legend. According to legend, in ancient times, there was a man named Meilian, his mother was born evil, after death was locked in the netherworld cell, he visited the prison, often send food to his mother to eat, but they were guards of the prison guards to eat. Later, he thought of a way, with water chestnuts, peanuts, red dates, cinnamon, brown sugar and other ingredients mixed with glutinous rice, cooked into a sweet porridge, served in a bowl, and then sprinkled with a handful of black sesame seeds sent to the mother, the guards jailer saw this thin rice black, asked: "What is this?" Meilian answered casually, "This is the porridge." (Fuzhou language "nine" and "dirt" resonance) guards believe that this porridge is very dirty, do not dare to eat. Therefore, "au jiu congee" can be sent to the hands of the mother of Meilian. This day is exactly the twenty-ninth day of the first month, Meilian's mother this year is exactly twenty-nine years old, Min custom, the first month is divided into "three nine", the first nine of the first month is called "on the nine", nineteen is called "in the nine", twenty-nine is called "after the nine", twenty-nine is called "after the nine. Twenty-nine is called "after nine", so this porridge is called "after nine porridge". Later, the color of the congee to black, called "au nine congee", with the eye of filial piety to his mother, also known as "filial piety nine congee". Whether it is the twenty-ninth day of the first month, or twenty-nine years old, are the days of Meilian's mother's fall, so the Fuzhou people are nine on the taboo, that "nine" is the years of doom, so, all the people who meet the "nine" years of age to eat too flat, married daughters, but also to give their parents! "nine", in order to seek peace and health of parents.

Ching Ming Festival

Ching Ming is an important festival for the people of Fuzhou. Every year, 15 days after the spring equinox, is the Qingming Festival. On or around the day of Qingming, families go to the countryside for trekking and go to the mountains to pay homage to their ancestors and sweep their graves. Tomb-sweeping is also known as paper-pressing, i.e., hoeing the graveyard and pressing money and paper on the graves to show that the graves have been visited by descendants. If you bring offerings are also very simple, light cakes, tofu, pastry and spinach kuey teow, also known as Qingming kuey teow, is unique to the Qingming Festival offerings in Fuzhou, is a spinach (a kind of wild vegetables grown in the south, edible, sweet, cool, mashed and pressed into the juice of lime green) pressed into juice, infiltrated into the rice paste into the kuey teow skin, date paste, bean paste, shredded radish and so on, as a filling kneading into the. Around the Ching Ming Festival, Fuzhou food stores are selling it. Rich and powerful families have their own manufacturing, but they do not use manual modeling, but with a wooden mold, engraved with the clan number, printed spinach kuey teow extraordinarily beautiful, and as a gift to friends and relatives.

Tomb-sweeping returns, to fold a pine branch or willow, inserted in front of the house, indicating that the family has been for the ancestors of the tomb.

Duanwu Festival

Duanwu, commonly known as Wuzhi Festival and May Festival in Fuzhou. It is called the Dragon Boat Festival because the family feast of the festival is at noon. It is said to be a festival in honor of the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.

Duanwu Festival began on the first day of the festival, families cleaned, hanging bushes inserted in front of the door, to drive away evil disinfection. Dragon Boat Festival to eat zongzi, purse, drink xionghuang wine, burning xionghuang cannon. Children wearing new clothes, hanging incense bags, binding red bibs, mouth and nose coated with andrographis, is said to be free of sores and rashes, expulsion of snakes and scorpions.

After the festival meal, families with children to Fuzhou West Lake, Nantai Wanshou Bridge, Minjiang River to watch the dragon boat race. Boat some painted fish, some painted shrimp, are aquatic symbols. The first to the first five are rowing dragon boat, but the first five afternoon to carry out the race, competing for the championship, the viewers like a tide.

Today, the Dragon Boat Festival's excellent traditional customs are still inherited, such as cleaning, summer sanitation campaign. Dragon boat racing is included in the water sports, organized activities every year. Fuzhou dragon boats also participate in international dragon boat competitions and win awards.

Begging Qiao Festival

The seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar is called Begging Qiao Festival in Fuzhou, which is also known as Knotting Festival. The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is the time when the mythical Cowherd and Weaving Maiden meet at the Magpie Bridge.

Seven eve, women to seven characters as a symbol of coincidence, to the heavenly Milky Way Weaving Maiden begging for coincidence, display fruits and vegetables seven plates, tea cups seven mouths, burning incense seven columns, seven needles, silk threads of seven colors, the first to the Weaving Maiden star to perform the seven worship salute, and then sit on his knees, through the hazy moonlight, the race to wear a needle, than the lead, who wore the lead to the fastest and more, who got the most coquettish. Song Liang Kejia "three mountains" recorded: "colorful building begging know how much? Until the end of the night." This custom is the government, the rich and powerful family of the lady for. Folk are engaged in split beans and tie the knot activities. Families cook beans to give each other, nibbling beans to talk about the day, eliminating the previous offense, prompting family and smooth, deep friendship, neighborly harmony. Children learn to split the beans to make a tie, hand over the finger and good, children are full of fun.

Midwinter Festival

Midwinter Festival

The 15th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar, commonly known as the "half of the 7th month", to do the half section. The festival, every day of the month of July can be active. Legend has it that in order to alleviate the sins of his mother, Meilian invited monks from all directions to do the Bon Festival on this day in order to celebrate his mother's life.

On the Day of the Chinese New Year, families hold family rituals. In addition to the usual offerings, paper clothes must be burned to provide for the ghosts of the ancestors to enjoy in the underworld.

The Mid-Yuan Festival falls shortly after the harvesting of early rice in the countryside, and people utilize their free time to offer sacrifices to the fields and celebrate a good harvest. Therefore, Fuzhou suburban counties still retains the "half of July" to do "half section" of the custom (meaning that the year has passed the half), but the time on the village is not the same, often the village to do the village to do, the villages take turns to carry out. Do "half" when the family to invite many friends and relatives. Some villages invite theater troupes to perform or speak pinyin and jingxiang to show the joy of the harvest.

Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month and is commonly known as the Festival of Reunion.

The origin of eating mooncakes at the Mid-Autumn Festival, there is a theory that: the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongol aristocratic rulers in order to consolidate their rule, forbidding the folk to use iron knives, the provisions of the ten families to share a chopper, the rulers do no harm, the people hate to the bone. Gaoyou Zhang Shicheng secretly conspired, in the mooncake folder a small note of uprising, to the Mid-Autumn Festival night, families break open the mooncake, saw the flyer, have seized the kitchen knife, held against the Yuan Dynasty rulers of the uprising. Since then, people have been eating mooncakes every Mid-Autumn Festival to commemorate this festival of struggle for the people.

Mid-Autumn Festival custom, Fuzhou people prepare offerings, burn paper clothes, in order to sacrifice ancestors. Night set up a family feast, the family gathered, drinking and enjoying the moon. This festival, the folk have the custom of respecting the old and loving the young, the younger generation gift big moon cake (i.e. gift cake) to the elders, the elders will gift small moon cake to the elders, in the festival of each other's good wishes. Mid-Autumn Festival customs, according to "Fujian Tongzhi? Customs" records, Min all over the slightly different. Fuzhou City, "the Mid-Autumn Festival women climbed Mount Wushishan incense, night light tower lamps, is the night of the women's arm tour, said 'walk a hundred diseases'"; Yongtai County, "Mid-Autumn Festival looking at the moon, the gentleman wished the Kuixing"; Minqing County, "Mid-Autumn Moon Cake, set up wine to enjoy the moon, food chestnuts and taro, children prepared? Kuey Teow, with a tile tower to worship and wish"; "Changle County Records," said "Mid-Autumn Festival from the abbreviated, but the family has to drink only."

Mid-Autumn "tower", is a festival of fun. Farmer's children pick up the tile, tile tower, to the night to firewood lit, firelight four light, disk poetry to enjoy the moon, and each other's entertainment. People in the city to buy clay or ceramic figures, "Journey to the West", "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", "Water Margin" and other historical figures, and candlesticks, vases, incense burners and other displays for viewing. The rich and noble families have in the hall frame "tower", less than three tables, more than ten tables, the highest layer of clay tower or tower, the lower level of a pair of rice pots on display, green onion spit green, to show a good harvest. In the middle of the layers are arranged throughout the generations of celebrities and opera characters, the whole courtyard lights and candles, adding festive atmosphere.

The Chongyang Festival

The Chongyang Festival is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar, because nine is the number of yang, and the sun and the moon weigh heavily on each other, so it is called the "Chongyang", also known as the ninth day of the ninth month. Chrysanthemum Festival comes from the later Han Huanjing ascent to avoid disaster story, according to the "three mountains": Fuzhou Jiu Xianshan (Yu Shan), is the Han Min Yue Wang Wuju Chrysanthemum ascension of the place, Wuju and Han Gaozuzu Liu Bang is contemporaneous with the people, than the Huanjing 200 years earlier. The Eight Min Tongzhi: "Chrysanthemum, county people rate to this day to climb high, drink chrysanthemum wine to prolong life, insert cornelian cherry to avoid evil spirits." (Cornus officinalis is a traditional Chinese medicine with bitter flavor and warm nature, which has medicinal effects such as dispersing cold, warming the middle, relieving pain and dispelling evil.) It is said that the big stone bottle which King Min Yue used to hold chrysanthemum wine in those years was still on the mountain during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, but it disappeared later on, but there are still remains of the "Nine Days' Terrace" to be found. Fuzhou's September 9, in addition to climbing high, drinking chrysanthemum wine, insert dogwood, etc., there is also the custom of flying paper harriers ([tsai ieu] kites). It is said that the flying of paper harriers also comes from the story of Huanjing and Fei Changfang. Once, Huanjing begged Fei Changfang to take medicine for removing evil spirits and the plague, but he got lost on the mountain road and was guided by a pigeon to find Fei. The descendants to commemorate this incident, will be papier-maché pigeons to the mountains to fly, passed down for a long time, there is the custom of releasing the paper harrier.

In the old days, Fuzhou, climbing high, the location of the paper harrier is mainly in the mountain, Wu Shan, Daimiao Mountain, etc. At that time, there was a piece of land to climb the mountain. At that time, there was a climbing stone on Damiao Mountain, which was said to have fallen from the sky, and was called "Star of Heaven". September 9, adults with children to Damiao Mountain, in the climbing stone mountain, will grow taller, therefore, attracted the four city gates of Fuzhou people are running here, every Chung Yeung Festival, the two stone steps leading to the Damiao Mountain are crowded.

September 9 to climb high, "high" and "cake" is a harmonic, therefore, during the festival, Fuzhou, there is a special pastry, called "nine heavy kuey teow", that is, kuey teow has nine layers, seven layers of sugar coloring sandwiched in the middle, which is the most important part of the festival, and the most important part of the festival is to make the cake. The center has seven layers of sugar coloring, which symbolizes the meaning of being high and climbing high to eliminate disasters.

The festival is also a time to think of family. On the Chongyang Festival in Fuzhou, there is also the activity of sweeping and sacrificing ancestors' graves, which, together with the Qingming graves, is known as the Spring and Autumn Sacrifices. Now Fuzhou's suburbs or suburban counties, still retains the custom of sweeping graves on September 9th.

The Chongyang Festival has developed to today, people have given it a richer cultural connotation, to climb the high and national fitness campaign combined with the traditional virtues of respect for the elderly and love for the elderly, and some of it with overseas compatriots matchmaking, investment, the National People's Congress has also adopted the annual Chongyang Festival for the elderly decision. During the festival, the units, organizations also held various forms of mountaineering, fitness and other sports activities

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice, one of the twenty-four solar terms of the lunar calendar. In the old days, people in this festival on the eve of the old and young gathered in the hall, sitting around the table when rubbing rice. Glutinous rice grinding pressure to half-dry rolled into balls, into the pot to cook, fish up and stick on the sugar bean powder is "?". The balls are cooked in a pot and then picked up and glued with sugar-soybean powder. On the table are placed several red oranges, a bunch of red chopsticks, a pair of paper flowers, a pair of clay figurines of male and female children (children's bovine), and red chrysanthemums in a bottle. When rubbing incense and candles are burned, children sing nursery rhymes in Fuzhou dialect: "Rub? The children sang a rhyme in Fuzhou dialect: "Rub it with your mother's milk, your brother's milk, your brother's milk, your brother's milk, your brother's milk, your brother's milk, and your sister-in-law. When his sister-in-law got pregnant, his parents rejoiced. When the child falls under the bucket, Yee Goh will become a father immediately." The winter solstice is a time to pray for the birth of a new child. The winter solstice rubbing contains the meaning of praying for more children and more happiness. The night's rubbing was done on the same day. The next morning on the winter solstice as breakfast.

Sacrifice of the stove

Sacrifice of the stove, the 24th day of the 12th lunar month. According to the custom of Fuzhou, the 23rd day of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar is the day when the official family sacrifices meat stoves, and the 24th day is the day when the ordinary people sacrifice vegetarian stoves, while the water dwellers (?) sacrifice meat stoves on the 20th day of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar. The people on the water (the people) on the twenty-fifth day of the sacrificial stove.

Sacrificing the stove, originally an ancient summer fire ritual. The emergence of fire, so that mankind from the age of blood, is worthy of great remembrance. But the later generations of the sacrificial stove into the "stove god" worship, said stove god can be "heavenly blessings, down to bless the people" of the "God of the Division". This process of change began around the Han Dynasty. According to the "Book of the Later Han Dynasty? Yin ugly biography ", there is a filial son called Yin Zixing, waxing (December 23) morning drink, see the god of the stove appeared, hastened to worship, and slaughtered the home of the yellow goat sacrifices, "since then, riot to the rich ...... so often after the waxing of the sacrifice of the stove, and recommend the yellow goat Yan." This legend over time, the more said the more God, said the God of the stove is the Jade Emperor sent to the earth's "ambassador to the household". Once a year, on the 24th day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar, the god of the stove goes up to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor on the good and bad situation of the head of the household, and goes up to heaven for ten days, and then descends to the mortal world on the 4th day of the first month of the following year. Before the Zaoshen leaves, every household has to give him a farewell party. Offerings to the meat stove are chicken, duck, fish, meat, stove sugar, stove cake, wine, etc.; offerings to the vegetarian stove are sugar cane, water chestnuts, jujubes, peanuts, golden needles, fungus, etc., in addition to stove sugar and stove cake. In the offering, the children sing the rhyme: "Sacrificing Stove Sacrificing Muddle (satirizing the God of Stove Muddle), a copper incense burner in front of the stove, the Yuanbao is Nongxie, the golden pants are Nongxie, the Stove King speaks good words to the sky, the Stove Mother blesses Nongxie on the ground, blesses Nongxie's father with money to earn, blesses Nongxie's mother with money to grow, blesses Nongxie's brother to discuss the brother and sister-in-law, and blesses Nongxie to study to become smart." At the end of the festival, the old Zaoshen map is torn down and cremated, and a new Zaoshen map is pasted on it to signify that the old is being sent off and the new is being welcomed. Before the festival, grandparents to give men and women grandchildren Zao sugar Zao cake, there are a few men and women grandchildren, you have to send a few packets, each packet is also attached to a "flower face shell" (mask) with the Tang Monk, Sha Harmonious Monk, the Monkey King, Porky Pig, and so on, the children have eaten and played a good time.

Now, some people still have the old custom of sacrificing stove. Zao sugar Zao cake was renamed as New Year's Sugar New Year's Cake, and became one of the New Year's commodities in the Spring Festival market in Fuzhou.

New Year's Eve

Legend has it that "Nian" is a devil who comes out to play tricks on people on New Year's Eve every year. Therefore, on New Year's Eve, every family puts up new charms (spring scrolls) and sets off firecrackers to drive away the "year". Fuzhou is also modeled after the old Zhengtang burning firecrackers to drive away the "year" in addition to the disaster of the festival.

Entering December, people are busy brewing and preparing for the New Year. After the 15th, they began to clean their houses, which is known as sweeping and brushing. People who have been away from home return in droves to reunite with their families. After the 25th, they begin to steam New Year's cakes, prepare chickens, ducks, fish, meat, wine, etc., and offer sacrifices to their ancestors and to the gods of heaven and earth, which is called the New Year's share. The son-in-law sends a New Year's gift to his parents-in-law, which is called the New Year's gift. New Year's Eve, red candles burning high, the family happy, *** drink dinner, said to do the year. It is the night and then sweep the hall, set off firecrackers, cooking New Year's Eve rice. The next year's rice with a wooden rice steamer containers, around the insertion of red chopsticks ten pairs of red paper, tie red rope, and sprinkled with "five" (jujube, peanuts, melon seeds, cinnamon seeds, chestnuts), placed in the hall on the table. The main gateway, curtains, boxes, furniture, valuable utensils and objects pressed on the "gold and silver paper foil", meaning that the family's gold and silver treasures to overflow from the doorway, symbolizing the next year's great wealth.

On New Year's Eve, the elders also give children the custom of "New Year's money", from the first to the fifteenth can pay homage to the New Year. The song "Worship the New Year, no orange also want money." It's a great way to get a lot of money out of the Spring Festival.

Old times, thirty blind asr (thirty night) is the debtor to collect debts, the debtor to avoid the most nervous days. In the old days, when you were in debt, you couldn't celebrate the New Year, you couldn't celebrate the 30th night. Households living outside the city debtor ran to the back of the Island Shangshu Temple, live in the city ran to the City God Temple theater to avoid the debt. 50 years later, the people's living standards have improved significantly, forcing the matter of the debt has long since disappeared. Now the supply of New Year's goods, colors and varieties, everything. Institutions, factories, stores, decorated with lanterns, both sides of the street, colorful lanterns, fire trees and silver flowers, we are happy to meet the arrival of the new year.

Life Customs

Clothing

Clothing

From the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, men in Fuzhou wore long robes and long shirts. The robes were worn from the shoulders and down to the hocks. It was opened on the right, and the front and back panels were decorated with buttons. There is a small width of cloth inside the front, and a small pocket is sewn in the center, called a hidden pocket, which can hide a small amount of items. The tunic, which is used as outerwear, is a casual garment for middle-aged and elderly men, often changed and washed, and is mostly made of cotton. Common colors are blue, gray and moon white. In the summer, people of high status often wear hemp or silk kaftans. Short shirts are women's outerwear, and those worn over a jacket are called zori. The long shirt is simple and generous, while the short shirt is new and splendid.

The waistcoat is a short coat for men, which is worn over a long robe or a long shirt and has a collar, a lapel and a waist, and is adorned with five buttons. The waistcoat does not use fabrics, but more to the group of flowers and green embellishment of the surface. Later, a small bag was sewn on the left side of the lapel to hide and hang the table, called the table bag. Another can replace the waistcoat "armor", also known as back corset, undershirt. It is a short sleeveless garment, set in a long robe or long shirt outside, so there is the name of the vest. After the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, wearing robes and long shirts is decreasing, and there are even fewer long shirts and waistcoats. Dr. Sun Yat-sen created the Zhongshan clothes instead, and widely popular.

Middle-aged officials and gentry, winter out wearing robes, but also draped in a coat, the length of its shoulders and knees, no collar, no sleeves, with a belt tied to the neck, this is the "cloak", also known as the "cloak". From the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, urban and rural laborers of both sexes wore short shirts and short jackets with lapels and knees. The shirt was a single garment, while the jacket was sewn in two or more layers, including a jacket, a cotton jacket and a leather jacket, which were changed according to the season. The material used for men's jackets is mostly cotton, while women's jackets are mostly made of silk. In the old days, women's dress was a jacket and a skirt, collectively known as the skirt and jacket. When a woman got married, she had to wear a big red python skirt and python jacket, and a set of underwear called a tight-fitting jacket and pants had to be run in the dowry. In the past, women used to wear green dresses for casual wear, red dresses for gowns, and white dresses for funeral wear. On New Year's holidays, or family celebrations, or to participate in banquets of friends and relatives, all have to wear red dresses, old age is still. After the death of her husband, she will never wear a red dress again, and women who remarry are not allowed to wear red dresses. Widows can wear green or light green embroidered skirts until their children grow up and become independent. The general skirt, the length of the shin, mostly made of silk, or embroidered with colorful patterns. The so-called pleated skirts were worn with many folds. Rural women wore red cloth skirts when they worked in the fields to show that they were blessed. After the Republic of China, fewer people wore skirts. However, when men and women engaged in labor, the cloth as a scarf, around the front of the lapel, to prevent staining of clothes and pants, called the body skirt. In the Qing Dynasty, the middle and upper class women wore cheongsam, wearing clothes that were attached to the top and bottom of the body, like a long robe. To the Republic of China, cheongsam styles change from time to time, there is a high collar, there is a short collar, there is a hard collar; long trailing in the ground, there is to the shin, there is a short only over the knee, and even there is less than the knee; there is a long-sleeved, half-sleeved, sleeveless, such as undershirts. 50 ~ 70 years, cheongsam almost extinct. 80 years after the popularity of the style tends to be westernized.

Men's and women's underwear called pants. There are pants, shorts, pants, underwear. Old-style pants, there is no bag. The upper end collectively known as pants, also known as pants, more than about half a foot high white cloth sewing pants. When pants with another band to tie the pants head at the waist, called pants headband. Foot tube, no front and back of the width of the points, left and right can also be universal. Pants skirt is commonly called pants bucket, generally sewn together, the two trouser tube into one, called the dense bucket child.

Republic of China in the mid-1990s, civil servants and senior intellectuals, the prevalence of wear Zhongshan clothes and suits; secondary school boys wear yellow and black student uniforms, girls wear blue shirts and green skirts; young peasants fashionable lapel dress, the color of green, gray, white-based. In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhongshan suits were popular among men and Lenin suits were popular among women. In winter, they wore Lenin-style short cotton jacket, the color is mostly gray or light blue. 1954 advocated the study of the Soviet Union, pay attention to the dress, young women wear flower dress (called "Braj"), young farmers in the countryside is still in the lapel plain clothes, go out and do business when the party to wear the Zhongshan suit; women are fashionable to use the " The women were popular with the " 19 blue ", " foreign flower cloth " made of large lapel short clothes.

During the Cultural Revolution, military uniforms were popular among young people of both sexes, and the colors of the middle-aged and old people were still mainly black, gray, and blue, and the styles were still mostly Zhongshan suits.

After the 80's, there were more changes in clothing, young men and women dressed well, new styles, the quality also improved with the dress, no certain norms, or long, or short, or wide, or narrow, or plain, or colorful, varying; pants, narrow, wide, long, or short, depending on the person. Young women's seasonal dresses are colorful and change from time to time, sometimes wearing long skirts, sometimes wearing short skirts, sometimes wearing ultra-short skirts, sometimes wearing fitness pants. Clothing materials from chemical fiber class development for tweed, feather, leather, beep and other high-grade products. Middle-aged and elderly men from Zhongshan suit into jackets and suits, clothing materials also gradually tend to upscale.

Shoes and socks

Before and after the Republic of China, men, women and children wore shoes. Men's shoes were black with rounded or pointed mouths, double noses or no noses, and round toes with low tops. Clogs and slippers were often worn at home in summer. Women's shoes are made of red cloth, pointed nose, embroidered upper, heel plus inch thick, similar to a high heel. After the ban on foot-binding in the Republic of China, women's shoes were similar to men's shoes, with a horizontal strap on the upper. After the second and thirties, wearing leather-soled cloth shoes, rubber shoes, leather shoes are increasing, most women wear high-heeled leather shoes. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the 50s were dominated by rubber-soled cloth shoes, military shoes and leather shoes. 60s, with the development of the plastics industry, a variety of plastic shoes, plastic slippers into the market, summer and fall people to wear plastic slippers, clogs were gradually eliminated. 80s, young men and women, and cadres, workers, most of them wore novel styles, a variety of colors of the leather shoes.

In the old days, both men and women wore cloth socks, and women with footbinding feet were wrapped in ramie armature knitted into footbinding cloths (commonly known as "footbands") that were five or six centimeters wide and about two meters long. After the forties and fifties, knitted socks, stockings, nylon socks instead of cloth socks.

Hats

Recently, modern popular in the folk hat is a small cap, also known as melon hat, bowl hat, the Department of men's cap. With six braids sewn together, ringed into a circle, with a flat top, pointed top of the difference. Cap material, spring and winter with satin, summer and fall with yarn, all black. The top of the hat is decorated with silk braid into a knot, such as the tip of the flower and fruit, round and short. The rich to coral or agate instead of knot, some in front of the brim of the front of the center adorned with a small square of jade as a decoration, to the War of Resistance against Japan period has faded. High hat, two or three decades with the suit imported from abroad. In public officials and intellectuals wearing a suit more high hat, some wear long shirt, robe also wear high hat. People's Republic of China **** and the establishment of the country, the 1950s, the prevalence of gray military cap. "Cultural Revolution" in the prevalence of wearing yellow military cap, some young women also wear this cap. 80s, the elderly, children wear all kinds of cold tweed, yarn or wool knitted hats, a small number of people traveling to wear a duck-tongued cap.

Jewelry

Hairpins, hairpins, earrings, rings and bracelets were the main jewelry for women in the old days. Hairpins, hairpins, earrings, gold for the rich, generally silver, poor copper. Rings are generally gold, bracelets are mostly jade, but also silver, copper. Unmarried women do not have much jewelry, generally only earrings, bracelets. Reading students generally do not wear jewelry. People's Republic of China **** and after the establishment of the country, in addition to certain areas in rural areas, generally do not wear jewelry. 80's, women began to wear rings, necklaces and earrings, etc., styles are not strange.

Hair

In the Qing Dynasty, men wore long braids, married women wore buns, and child brides wore "grasshopper buns" on both sides. It was popular for women to wear flowers in both urban and rural areas. It is said that wearing flowers can reflect the beauty of the face, but also reflects the "wear flowers benefit son", as a symbol of good luck. The flowers worn, mainly fresh flowers, two kinds of flowers. Tongcao flowers made of traditional Chinese medicine Tongcao as the main raw material, referred to as grass flowers, commonly known as the elephant flower. The flowers worn are mostly inserted in the hair bun, or clamped between the forehead, or tied in the back of the hair plait. Flowers throughout the year, where common flowers, or take its color, or take its fragrance, at any time appropriate and optional. On New Year's holidays or family celebrations, to wear "red smile" (colorful) flowers, not wear plain flowers.

Fuzhou jasmine flowers, long flowering season, strong aroma, loved by women. Magnolia flowers, too, are often picked and worn. Some flowers are generally taboo not to wear, such as peach blossoms, oleander, although beautiful, but is regarded as frivolous and seductive, customary along, from no one to wear. Women in mourning, can not wear flowers. Young widows are more taboo, but when the children grow up, you can wear plain flowers. During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, Zhou Lianggong, the Fujian Minister of Justice, mentioned about the wearing of flowers in his book "Min Xiaoji" (The Women of Min). Min women" mentioned the custom of wearing flowers. This shows that 300 years ago, women in Fuzhou wore flowers and still retained the ancient folk customs.

Tongcao flowers, one of the arts and crafts of Fuzhou, are made of Tongcao and colorful silk, velvet and cloth. Middle-aged and old-aged women wear "Four Seasons Flowers" or "Children's Everlasting Spring Flowers" during festivals and celebrations. Four seasons flower is the different seasons of the flowers in a whole, take the four seasons always spring meaning; child spring flower is made of paper baby boy sitting on top of the flowers, meaning that the children and grandchildren. In some villages in the suburbs of Fuzhou, women insert three sword-shaped hairpins in the middle of their hair buns, which are called Sanjiao Hairpins or Bianzan Hairpins. Most of the three hairpins were made of silver or white copper, each weighing about seven or eight dollars to one or two, while the poor women in the mountainous areas made them out of grass. The shape of the hairpin is flat like a sword, with a pointy top and a pattern engraved on the body. The center hairpin has the blade upward, and the two side hairpins cross from side to side, with the blades facing outward, and are inserted between the hair buns. A woman who has not yet married has her hair hanging down below her forehead, which is called "shawl"; if she is married, she wears her hair in a bun and inserts three hairpins. In 1930, Fang Shengtao, the Acting Chairman of Fujian Provincial Government, regarded the three hairpins as a "barbaric custom" and ordered that it be strictly prohibited and enforced, and then it ceased to exist. It is one of the most peculiar headdresses of rural women in Fuzhou, which has been passed down for the longest time in history.

After the 1911 Revolution, there were fewer women wearing buns, more young girls cutting their hair short, and the custom of wearing flowers was out of fashion. Men began to cut braids, some short hair, some shaved head. Staying short hair parting of the head for more than half open, there are also four six, three seven open, generally less left and more right. "After the May Fourth Movement, women in intellectual circles also began to cut short hair. People's Republic of China *** and the early days of the founding of the country, most of the men stay split hair, women more than shoulder-length double braid. "During the Cultural Revolution, young and middle-aged men were fashionable to keep their hair short and flat, while women were fashionable to wear a goat-horn pigtail; after the 1980s, women basically kept their hair long, and young and middle-aged women mostly waved their hair permed. Later on, young women gradually popularized the pony-tailed updo, either draped over the back of the head, or crooked around. A few young men also have shoulder-length hair and moustache.