What are the customs of Rao Ping, Guangdong?

Customs in Rao Ping, Guangdong:

Lion dances are more popular during the Spring Festival. There are two kinds of Chaoshan lion dances: one is the "literary lion" and the other is the "martial lion". The "cultural lion" by two people wearing masks dressed as a smiling "landlord", "landlady", holding a sunflower fan, leading the lion to dance while walking, the lion is also constantly shaking mane, rolling. Whenever someone sets off firecrackers in front of the door, the lion dance team must stop marching and pay tribute to the owner. The object of the "martial lion" New Year's greeting is the local prestigious family and big business firms. As soon as the team arrives, the owner will light the firecrackers, at which time the gongs and drums will sound, and the team will perform tumbling, prancing, falling and pouncing maneuvers. The best part of the dance is when the master gives the lion a red packet. Dance to the climax, the master will be suspended from the two or three floors of the building hanging down the red envelope. The lion dance team, assisted by the master, uses big and small stools to stack up to the bottom of the red packet. In the sound of gongs and drums, the lion calmly climbed up a table, climbed up to the highest level, and then opened its mouth to take down the red envelopes. The onlookers finally burst into applause and applause. The lion's head and waist hung down in a four-way bow to people's blessings.

Square lion dance performance program is by the lion dancers to raise the lion head for the head swinging posture, fast pace around the circle walking, walking and dancing, like a tiger down the mountain. When the dance to the center of the field immediately sit down on the ground, sometimes scratching the back of the abdomen with the feet, sometimes turn the head to bite the tail, known as "scratching the itch and bite lice". Suddenly, it rolls on the ground, known as the "turn over against the belly"; and then doze off on the ground. This is the performance of the lion in the sitting to raise its spirit, the action is exquisite. At this time there is a masked lion to the arbitrary teasing, adding a lot of fun to the people. After the lion dance performance is a martial arts show. Boxing has Zhu Jiajiao, Li Jiajiao and Nan Zhi Hands and other boxing, but its performance program is generally the same. At the end of the show, the lion dance is performed again, and after the show, the lion dance is rewarded with a "red packet" from the people.

During the Spring Festival, there is also a Teochew gong and drum team that plays Teochew music and goes on a parade through the streets, which is known as the "tour of the big gongs and drums" in Teochew custom. Teochew big drums and gongs are percussion-based, with the drum as the center and suona as the leader of the large ensemble. The drummer is both the lead player and the conductor of the band. The drummer strikes the heart of the drum, the edge of the drum, the drum edge, the drummer takes the ringing strike, the muffled strike, the heavy strike, the light strike, and the rhythm change, the mallet adds the flower and so on, directs the band's performance.

Chaosu big drums and gongs of the parade team often to flag to open the way, carrying the flag on the shoulder called "standard", with the tail of the green bamboo as a flagpole, the pole head hung with a good-luck charm, carrying the standard of the most for young women. The girl carrying the flag is dressed up and graceful. Followed by carefully dressed golden girls, shoulder firecrackers, eight treasure auspicious burden, to bring people auspicious. There are also dolls dressed as opera singers, performing some traditional Teochew opera pieces. After the huge prelude, there is a continuous band of gongs and drums. The performance form of Chaozhou big gongs and drums is very flexible, and the one played during the marching is called "long line set", and the repertoire is mostly marching songs. If they are played in a fixed venue, they are called "license plate sets". Large-scale performances, the band is often thousands of people, magnificent.

The prestigious families and merchants would set off firecrackers to welcome the gongs and drums when they arrived. At this time, the troupe stops and performs to celebrate the New Year. After the performance, they are rewarded with a red packet from the host.

This lion dance and the tour of the big gongs and drums of the performance activities, although vaguely contain exorcism dance to drive away the ghosts of the legacy of its purpose is to win the reward money, but they do bring the Spring Festival vitality, joy, festivity, adding festive atmosphere.

Six, family gambling

Gambling originated in the game. The historical record? Yin Benji" contained: "Xin Yi for the even, called the sky God, and the Bo." Visible as early as in the Yin and Shang period there is a game. By the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, there were bets with money.

During the Spring Festival, the Boers, who have labored for a year and rarely have this leisure and joyful time, gather in alleys, ancestral halls and other places to gamble in order to divine this year's luck. But this is only a small number of people, more people are gambling in the family. In this kind of family gambling activities, the parents are often the bookmakers and other people place bets. Even in families with strict discipline, children can easily gamble with their elders at this time. It does not have the tension and worry of real gambling, there is a relaxed and joyful, anyway, win or lose money are from the family, commonly known as "fat water does not flow outside the field" also.

In recent years, as the government advocates a new style of civilization, this Spring Festival gambling habits have been cold.

Seven, churn slop tank

Slop tank is the Teochew people to put slop (rice-washing water), to feed pigs with the pottery tank of the common name. During the Spring Festival, in the rural areas of Chaoshan, the housewife has to use her hands or hold a bamboo pole to reach into the slop tank, stirring the slop while reciting: "Stirring the slop tank is floating and floating, and this year the pigs will be bigger than the cows" or "Stirring the slop tank is round and round, and the pigs will be sold for more money". I hope the pigs will grow fast and earn more money in the New Year.

Eight, open well

Before the liberation, in addition to Shantou City in 1914 after the completion of the tap water supply, other towns and villages residents, edible water from the well or ditch river to draw. There must be wells in the townships, both public wells outside the courtyard and wells for personal use inside the courtyard.

The Boomers worship the wells, and there are myths and legends about the wells. On New Year's Eve, the mouth of the well should be sealed, and on the Spring Festival, the well should be opened only after paying homage to the well master and the well mistress. Usually communal wells in the countryside, the first and second to be disabled, the third to start using, some places from the second will be available. When the well is opened, an old woman from the village will lead the ceremony, offering gifts such as tangerines, tea, brown sugar and fruit to the well platform. After that, the old woman who officiates at the ceremony will remove the cover of the well and pour half of the brown sugar and 3 cups of clear tea into the well. Finally, 12 buckets of water are pumped from the well and poured on the ground. For each bucket of water, four auspicious poems are recited. This ritual is known as the "opening of the well". For wells used by the family, the opening of the well is also performed by the mother-in-law of the family, in a ceremony similar to that for public wells.

Nowadays, the villages in Chaoshan are basically supplied with tap water, and the rituals are gradually disappearing.

9. Returning to the Mother's House

On the first and second days of the first month (especially the second day of the first month, which is more popular), married daughters take their husbands and children back to the mother's house to pay tribute to their parents. This is a married daughter filial piety and respect for foster parents a performance. Folk proverb: "filial piety 'go child' (daughter) on the first day, two, filial piety 'go child' God fell days (the fourth), no posting no to the Lantern Festival over", that is, this is the truth. Daughter back to her mother's home, to prepare a large bag of cookies, candies, distributed by their mothers to neighboring villagers, to express the girl does not forget the townspeople's feelings of nostalgia. When there are nephews in the family, but also distributed red envelopes to nephews. After the daughter ate the noon meal, with her parents to talk a little, before dinner will have to rush back to the in-laws. Therefore, it is commonly known as the "eclipse day".

Ten, "send poor ghosts"

In the old days, the Chao people on the third day of the first month called "poor ghosts day" (Qing Guangxu "Rao Ping County," Rao Ping, the first five days of the first month of the poor ghosts day). On this day, people clean up the dirt and debris in their houses and send them to the fields to be burned, at the same time, they light incense as offerings, bow and make obeisance, and say "the poor ghosts go away, and the star of good fortune comes". This activity is commonly known as "sending poor ghosts". On that day, it is taboo to visit friends and relatives.

This custom has a legend. Zhuanxu Emperor, the palace gave birth to a son, good to wear rags, to give him new clothes on the tear, and burned with fire before he was willing to wear. Palace people called him "poor son". "Poor son" died in the first month of the obscure day, for his funeral, people said: "today to send poor son also". The saying of "sending the poor man to the poor" has been passed down since then. Later, send poor by the obscure day into the first five, most of Guangdong Province, the third day of the first month as the poor ghost day.

With the development of the society, the activity of sending the poor to the Teochew people has disappeared. The Chaoshan people with their wisdom and intelligence, hard work and courage to really send poor, ushered in the rich. Poor people also go out to visit friends and relatives on the day of the poor, to congratulate each other, not as the ancients said is prohibited to go out on the day.

Eleven, welcome the gods to receive the blessing

The fourth day of the first month is "God fall day", families to worship at home, to meet the gods on earth. Offerings have red peach kuey teow, take the "open door" good omen; a plate of brown sugar, implying sweet life; a plate of rice, meaning that the five grains, in addition to the big tangerines, beans, wicks, paper horses and so on. In addition to worship at home, but also to the countryside in the temple burning incense blessing, some people also put the whole family's birth date, year geng eight, written on the red stickers, tied to the palanquin, to God's wish to thank God "heaven say good things, landing to keep the peace".

Twelve, holiday taboos

The first day of the first month is a holy day, Chao custom taboos, everyone has to say auspicious words. On this day, adults avoid scolding children, so that he does not cry. Otherwise, crying means "no color", is the New Year's disease, the signs of evil and so on. If a child accidentally breaks a plate, bowl and other utensils, adults should immediately say something: "Fou open mouth, great wealth" or "Do not be over Do not be, great auspicious city" and other auspicious words to make up for the fault. If it is burned lanterns, fabrics, adults have to say sound "fire prosperous Ding Wang" or "prosperity" and other auspicious words. On this day, it is forbidden for debtors to come to the door to collect debts. If this happens, the owner will say, "Shun Shun says good things, and in the future, you will not have to say much to make a fortune". Once the debtor hears this, he knows that the master will pay it back later, and he will get up and leave.

This day can not sweep the floor, to hide the broom, to let the firecrackers all over the paper pile, meaning that "snow is a sign of good fortune"; must sweep the floor can not be, only with a fan of the stove from the outside of the chicken feather fan swept in, meaning that the prevention of outflow of family wealth. This day also do not wash clothes, for fear of losing money. Also avoid getting a haircut, because people always like to get a haircut on this day with the funeral associated. Also avoid killing livestock, that killed no wealth, raising livestock that year is not good luck.

Diet, this day do not use long and short chopsticks in the meal, or the transition will not be able to take the boat; do not eat congee or rice soup, or go out and meet the sky rain; do not take medicines, or it will be considered a year-round disease, medication constantly. If the patient has to eat, the family must say "break the wealth against the luck" and other auspicious words to comfort the patient, so that the patient get well soon.