What are the folk customs?

Question 1: What do folk customs include? Folklore:

Refers to people's preferences, fashions, habits, taboos, etc. Through the language and behavior in daily material and spiritual life. Folk custom is a social and cultural phenomenon. Generally speaking, due to the different natural environment and historical conditions, the customs and habits formed in material life and spiritual life are different. Folklore is a cultural phenomenon formed with the appearance of human society. Folk customs are characterized by collectivity, sociality, type, typicality, inheritance, dissemination and variability. In classification, it can be divided into material folk customs (including living, clothing, eating and drinking, production, transportation, trading, etc. ), social folklore (including family, clan, village, non-governmental organizations, age, life etiquette, etc. ) and spiritual folklore (including witchcraft, belief, religion, taboo, oral language folklore, folk entertainment, sports and so on. ).

Question 2: As a cultural phenomenon, what are the general characteristics of folk customs? Folk culture generally includes three aspects: material folk culture, with production, exchange, transportation, clothing, diet and residence as the main contents; Social folk culture pays attention to family, relatives, villages and towns, social structure and life etiquette. Spiritual folk culture includes belief, ethics, folk oral literature, folk art, entertainment and sports.

The folk culture in the Central Plains is distinctive and colorful, which is embodied in diet, clothing, daily life, production activities, etiquette, beliefs, festivals, * * and so on. The folk culture in the Central Plains has typical characteristics of root culture, which has a great influence on China folk culture and even national culture.

Question 3: What is folk culture? Folk culture is a series of material and spiritual cultural phenomena formed by ordinary people (relative to the government) in their production and life. It has universality, inheritance and variability. The reason why folk culture has the functions of strengthening national identity, strengthening national spirit and shaping national character is that its core element, folklore, has been observed, repeatedly demonstrated and constantly implemented. The concept of intangible cultural heritage is the most striking in the field of folk culture in modern society.

Question 4: What is the connotation of folklore? Folklore is a subject that studies beliefs, customs, oral literature, traditional culture and thinking patterns to clarify the ever-changing significance of these folk customs in time and space. Folk customs are closely related to all kinds of life phenomena around us. Although people may not realize the significance of their lives to the whole society, what they show in their daily communication has played a role in the spread and preservation of culture. However, all the details about human activities can be studied by folklore scholars. It also contains and conveys important cultural information.

Directory [hidden]

1 summary

2 the origin of folk customs

Three characteristics

Four key points

5 development and evolution

6 research methods

7 research object

[Editor] The word folklore first appeared in Britain, and it originated from British folklore. Its original meaning is "human knowledge" or "folk knowledge", which can be directly translated as "science about human knowledge" as a scientific name.

Folklore is a true reflection of Chang Min's life style. The basic necessities of life, the connotation and form of educational happiness, and the recording and formation of thoughts, behaviors, rituals and activities are the topics of folklore discussion. This established habit and custom is not only the promotion and satisfaction of people's lives, but also an indispensable spiritual pillar for national survival. Therefore, the cognition and elaboration of folklore.

Origin of Folklore [Editor] The early representatives of folklore are the Grimm brothers in Germany. But the word "folk custom" was first put forward by Thomas in 1846. Before that, folklore was called volkskunde in Germany and popular antiquities or popular literature in Britain and other European countries. 1846, in a letter to the magazine Athena Temple, Thomas, a British archaeologist, proposed to use the word folklore to summarize this new discipline. Since then, folklore has swept Europe.

Features [edit] 1. The culture of educated intellectuals, different from the ruling class in class society, is the culture of people who are regarded as "uneducated".

2. The customs of all ethnic groups have their own characteristics, such as the Spring Festival of the Han nationality, weddings and funerals, the Water-splashing Festival of the Bai nationality, bungee jumping of the Miao nationality and bear worship of the Oroqen nationality.

3. It is directly related to the life of the broad masses of working people, from spiritual life to material life, from working people's diet and daily life to inner activities, which has strong reality.

Many folk customs have a very long history, dating back to ancient times.

5. Rich in content and vivid in form. The research scope of folklore is mainly the material culture and spiritual culture of traditional people, including folk customs, folk beliefs, folk culture, folk crafts, folk languages, folk entertainment and folk organizations.

6. Have a deep understanding of cultural traditions and expressions, such as songs, stories, dances, ceremonies, handicrafts, arts, eating habits, costumes, customs, religions, architecture and skills, their formation process and the meaning behind them [1].

Key [Edit] 1. Worldview of working people. Many things in folk beliefs are almost absurd, superstitious and bizarre, which actually reflect the world outlook of ancient working people under specific historical conditions.

2. It is the achievement created by working people in spiritual and material culture, especially the brilliant achievements of folk literature and art, folk literature, folk dance, folk language and folk craft, which vividly reflects the wisdom, mood, thought and style of working people, especially their rich imagination and outstanding talents in the spiritual field.

Development and Evolution [Editor] With the progress of social civilization and the development of folklore, international academic circles generally tend to study folklore in a broad sense. It studies human life and culture as well as spiritual and material things. At the same time, the research object even extends to the life and culture of barbaric peoples. In this way, folklore has got rid of the narrowness and persistence of the past and become an independent conceptual science that keeps pace with other social sciences.

Research methods [Editor] Research methods of folklore and other humanities research ... >>

Question 5: List which folk customs have typological characteristics? There are obvious differences between nationalities and regions.

China is a unified multi-ethnic country, and all ethnic groups living in this land are unified with the whole Chinese nation. The colorful folk customs of all ethnic groups constitute the folk customs of China as a whole. All ethnic groups have experienced long-term cultural exchanges and integration in history. During the Xia and Shang Dynasties, the Yellow River valley in the Central Plains was Xia nationality, the Huaihe River valley in the east was Dongyi, the Yangtze River valley in the south was Sanmiao, the Huang Huang region in the northwest was Qiang nationality, and the meat porridge was in the north and south of the desert. By the Spring and Autumn Period, the Shang and Zhou nationalities in the Yellow River valley had influenced and assimilated with other nationalities, forming the Chinese nation. In the Qin Dynasty, Dongyi, Nanman, Baiyue, Zhu Rong, Yan, @ ⑤, Yelang and other nationalities were unified in the Qin Dynasty. Later, the Huns, Wusun, Donghu, Sushen, Fuyu and other ethnic groups gradually unified in the Han Dynasty. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, many ethnic minorities entered the Central Plains and lived together with the Han nationality, resulting in large-scale integration and assimilation. By the Tang Dynasty, the relationship between Han nationality and ethnic minorities had been strengthened and consolidated, and cultural exchanges had also developed greatly. During the Five Dynasties, Ten Kingdoms and Two Song Dynasties, although there was a situation of multi-separatism, the unification of the Yuan Dynasty not only ended the confrontation between the Song Dynasty and the Liao and Jin Dynasties, but also unified the regimes of Daxia, Uighur and Dali, and further integrated and exchanged the cultures of all ethnic groups. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it developed further. Today, China is a unified country with 56 nationalities. Of course, affirming the exchange, integration and unity of all ethnic groups does not mean that the folk customs of all ethnic groups are the same. In fact, diversity, richness and ethnic differences are important features of China folk customs.

The differences of folk customs among ethnic groups are caused by different natural environments, economic models, social conditions and cultural characteristics. Judging from the geographical environment of all ethnic groups, there are plains, deep mountains, dense forests, water towns, deserts and islands, and the climatic conditions are also very different from east to west, north and south. There are bound to be great differences between the ethnic groups in the mountainous areas in the northeast and the ethnic groups in the islands in the South China Sea, the ethnic groups in the Gobi in the northwest and the ethnic groups in the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River. From the perspective of historical development, all ethnic groups are also unbalanced. The ancestors of the Han nationality invented agriculture as early as 8 thousand years ago. Agriculture and mulberry have been the main economic models since Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties. At the same time, many ethnic minorities practice different economic models, such as Xiongnu, Xianbei, Qidan, Rouran, Tangut and Mongolia in the north, and have been engaged in nomadic economy for a long time, while some ethnic minorities in the northeast and southwest have long taken primitive fishing, hunting and gathering as their main economic models. Different economic models will inevitably form different customs of material production and material life. The social development of all ethnic groups is also different. The Han nationality entered the feudal society very early, but many ethnic minorities lived in the primitive clan society for a long time. Since modern times, many ethnic groups are still in slavery, semi-slavery, feudal serfdom and even clan society, and different social conditions have formed different social customs. From the above, it can be seen that the different historical processes of various ethnic groups are reflected in folk customs, which constitutes the characteristics of the coexistence of folk customs in different historical periods.

Culturally, there are also great differences among ethnic groups. Most ethnic groups in China use their own languages, belonging to different languages such as Sino-Tibetan, Altai, South Asian, Indo-European and austronesian family. In Sino-Tibetan language family, there are Tibetan-Burmese language family, Zhuang-Dong language family and Miao-Yao language family, in Altai language family, there are Mongolian language family, Tungusic language family and Turkic language family, and there are different languages under the language family. Religious beliefs are also diverse, such as the Mongolian and Tibetan people believe in Lamaism, the Dai, Bulang and De 'ang people believe in Hinayana Buddhism, and the Hui, * * * * Er, Kirgiz, tatar people, Uzbek, Tajik, Dongxiang, Salar and Baoan people believe in * * * religion. Some ethnic groups have retained their original nature worship and polytheism, including ancestor worship and totem. In addition, there are differences among different nationalities in national character, social psychology, aesthetic taste and traditional habits. Cultural differences make all ethnic groups form their own unique folk customs in food, clothing, housing, social communication, life etiquette, games and entertainment.

In addition to the differences between ethnic groups, the same ethnic group often has obvious differences in folk customs because of the differences in geographical environment, climatic conditions and cultural communication. Taking the Han nationality as an example, due to its large population and vast territory, different regions have formed their own local folk customs. In fact, this point has been more and more clearly recognized by people in the increasingly rising study of regional culture. For example, ancient Central Plains, Jingchu, wuyue and other places have different folk customs. Ban Gu in Hanshu? Geographical records not only record the mountains and rivers around ... >>

Question 6: What are the main features of folk customs? The main characteristics of China folk culture

Folk culture is people's life culture, which is closely related to the specific natural and humanistic environment in which people live. The traditional society in China is a society with agricultural production as its main business, so the folk customs in China accumulated around agricultural life have the characteristics of big agriculture. China is still a multi-ethnic country, and China folk customs have a unique national temperament. The characteristics of China folk culture are as follows:

Pluralism and Compound: China folk customs are characterized by pluralism and compound because of national culture. At the beginning of its independence, China was a multi-ethnic country, forming a country where 56 ethnic groups meet today. With the continuous integration of various ethnic groups in China, national customs have been accepted into the cultural system of China, but their respective folk characteristics have been preserved to varying degrees, thus enriching the folk culture of China.

The pluralistic characteristics of China folk customs are not only reflected in the different customs of all ethnic groups, but also in the existence of folk customs in different historical stages. There are both prosperous urban folk customs and simple rural folk customs, and some areas have maintained the original folk life forms to varying degrees. In the unified regional space of China, there are different folk cultures, which reflect the pluralistic characteristics of China folk customs.

When we discuss the multiple characteristics of China folk customs, we can't forget another characteristic of China folk customs, namely complexity. Diversity is closely related to complexity. China culture is famous for its tolerant atmosphere, in which folk customs have made great contributions. The integration of national culture from ancient times to the present is first accepted at the folk level, and folk customs are subtle but far-reaching. There are many national customs in China. It can be said that there has never been a pure China custom, only when folk customs are combined. Similarly, the existing ethnic minorities are influenced by China customs to varying degrees.

Class and place look at class first, which is in terms of the vertical distribution of social folklore. In the traditional society of China, the broad masses of the middle and lower classes are the main creators and carriers of folk culture, so folk culture mainly reflects their understanding and ideological requirements, and has strong folk characteristics. Not only are the horizons of the middle and lower classes different from those of the upper class, but also the folk customs within the middle and lower classes are different. Farmers and craftsmen are the direct creators of material wealth, thus forming a simple, thrifty and hardworking folk custom. Businessmen and urban civilians belong to the middle class, and they have their own folk customs and behavior characteristics. In the competition and reward of the industry, they gradually developed the fashion of extravagance, extravagance and innovation. The leading dignitaries in society, their lifestyles are obviously different from those of the middle and lower classes of society, so their living customs are also different. Of course, in traditional society, there are still some customs with the same meaning between different classes.

Secondly, it is local, which is in terms of the regional characteristics of folk customs. In addition to the great cultural tradition of the Chinese nation, each place has formed a small cultural tradition serving the local area according to its own special habitat. The villagers' living culture is obviously local. The so-called "different winds in a hundred miles, different customs in a hundred miles" and another saying is "different habits in a hundred miles, different customs in a thousand miles", which is a rough distinction. In a word, the occurrence, development and evolution of folk culture are carried out in a certain geographical space, influenced and restricted by geographical environment, people's way of making a living and historical traditions, so folk culture shows strong local characteristics.

Mystery and practicality: Mystery and practicality are a major feature of traditional folk customs in China, which is in terms of the nature of folk customs. In traditional China society, people's practical purposes are mostly driven by mysterious folk behaviors. No matter how mysterious things are, there is only one purpose, that is, to serve people's life needs.

First, look at the mystery of China folk customs. There are a large number of ancient customs among the people, and the original concept of "animism" is still strong, and most folk customs are shrouded in mystery. The spread and popularity of Buddhism and Taoism, especially the involvement of Taoism in folk life, make the traditional folk customs in China more mysterious.

Second, practicality. Practicality is the most essential feature of China folk customs. Folk customs serve people's production and life, and people rely on folk customs to produce, reproduce and seek spiritual happiness. People create folk customs, and folk customs serve the people. The direct utility of folk belief is one of the fundamental characteristics that distinguish it from general religious belief. Of course, the practicality of China folk customs is not only manifested in the psychological aspects of belief, but more importantly, many folk activities play a role in people's real life.

Stability and variability > >

Question 7: What folk literature is worth paying attention to around us? Farmers are the main carriers of folk customs. However, with the great changes in rural areas and the development of secondary and tertiary industries, farmers' social identity began to divide. However, for the convenience of research, this paper still regards farmers as traditional agricultural laborers when introducing rural folklore. Mr. Qiao Runling believes that folk customs have the following styles and characteristics: folk customs are owned by the vast majority of people; Folklore is learned through social interaction such as imitation, suggestion, communication and group pressure. An important function of folk custom is to encourage people to play a certain social role; For society, folk customs can integrate it, and folk customs have the function of maintaining social integration. According to different standards, folklore can be divided into different types. The Chinese Folklore Society divides it into eight categories: productive labor folklore, daily life folklore, social organization folklore, New Year's festivals, life etiquette, entertainment folklore, folklore concepts and folklore literature. Each category is further subdivided into various subclasses, including costume folklore, diet folklore, residence folklore, four seasons folklore, marriage folklore, birthday folklore, funeral folklore, competitive folklore, folk beliefs, folk gods and so on. This paper will take rural architecture, diet, marriage and folk literature, which are quite distinctive and widely circulated in Chengdu, as the research object.

Question 8: What are the main folk customs in China? Hunan people believe that the Spring Festival is the most important traditional festival, commonly known as the Spring Festival, which lasts the longest. That is, from the 24th of the twelfth lunar month to the 15th of the first month of the following year.

Let's talk about the 24th of the previous year, the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, commonly known as "off-year" or "children celebrate the New Year". On this day, wealthy families will give their children gifts other than lucky money. No wonder "Xiyazi" is looking forward to the New Year. It is said that the kitchen god, who is "the eyes and ears of heaven and the fireworks of the world", will return to heaven to report his work and ask him to resign from the kitchen. In order to make him "speak well in heaven and bring good luck on earth" and "don't talk nonsense, play the jade emperor with good words", housewives light candles around the stove at night to "see him off" People should do a general cleaning on the day before the Lunar New Year, which is called "dust removal". This kind of cleaning is generally not done, but when the Spring Festival comes, the room should be thoroughly cleaned, which is called "dust removal" in Hunan dialect. "Dust" now not only refers to cleaning cobwebs, walls or roofs, but also becomes synonymous with cleanliness. In the past, firewood was burned in the countryside, and the roof was covered with dark dust. With the improvement of domestic water, firewood is rarely burned in rural areas and cities, but a general cleaning is still necessary.

The last day of the Lunar New Year is New Year's Eve, or New Year's Eve in China. Every household cuts ribbons and sticks Spring Festival couplets, and the whole family gets together to drink. If there are too many dishes left, it's called having a reunion dinner. The time of eating is uncertain, from 12 am to 8 pm. During this time, firecrackers will be heard everywhere, indicating which family has started to have a reunion dinner. Speaking of firecrackers, setting off firecrackers in the Spring Festival is an ancient folk custom with a history of 1000 years. In the old society, flogging has two meanings: one is to drive away ghosts to meet God and pray for a bumper harvest; The other is to increase the festive atmosphere. Now more is to increase the festive atmosphere. However, the ban on flogging in many cities has virtually weakened the atmosphere of the New Year, but flogging has never been banned in many places in Hunan. As we all know, Liuyang firecrackers are one of Hunan specialties, which are well-known all over the country and at home and abroad. At the founding ceremony of New China, firecrackers exploded in Liuyang. (Hehe, selling advertisements) For this reason, during the Spring Festival in Hunan, the whole city is full of noise and smog. There are also many stresses on setting off firecrackers. When firecrackers are set off at different times, they have different meanings. On New Year's Eve, firecrackers will be set off three times: once, when having a reunion dinner, it means telling people to have a reunion dinner; Thirdly, when the New Year bell rings, it means to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new; The other time is when the door opens in the morning, which means a brand-new and beautiful year. The size and time of setting off firecrackers are decided by each family, but one thing is that firecrackers cannot be interrupted. If there is an interruption, something may happen in the coming year, which everyone does not want to see. So when setting off firecrackers, people are very careful and try to avoid disturbing them.

Let's get down to business. Hunan people will definitely eat chicken, meat, fish and pork elbows on New Year's Eve, and it must be big fish and big meat. Stew the whole chicken, choose the rooster, and put the head of the chicken on it after stewing; Sprinkle red pepper on the steamed fish. Don't finish the fish for 30 nights until the first day of the month. This symbolizes that there is enough food every year, and pepper certainly represents prosperity. Pig elbow is called "Tuannian elbow". In some homes, chicken feet will appear on the dining table, which is called "grasping money feet", which means that there will be money and vegetables in the coming year, which means that the whole family will be harmonious and prosperous in the new year. Generally speaking, the longer the dinner, the better. I don't remember the specific meaning. There are many taboos on this day. At that time, grandma always told us not to talk nonsense like "dead", "rotten" and "broken". In case of a slip of the tongue, adults will immediately explain: "If the child says something, nothing is possible.". If you accidentally break something, say "send it away"; If the glass drops, say "the wine is red." Avoid the unlucky things caused by this. The first day also has these taboos. After dinner, everyone will start to clean up again, ready to retire at night or go out for a walk. After dinner, a tree burns on every stove in the countryside, and men, women and children surround the stove. As for the city, it is naturally surrounded by electric ovens. Why do you have to be around this thing? Because it's very cold in Hunan during the Spring Festival! The family played chess, cards and watched CCTV Spring Festival Gala. The elders gave the children lucky money, and the family ate it and sat together happily waiting for the arrival of the New Year. When the New Year bell rings, >>