Spring Festival Customs in Zhoushan

1, full of cupboards and jars

New Year's Eve, every family should be water tanks, rice tanks are full, meaning "full of cupboards and jars", praying for a more satisfying life in the coming year, eat with surplus.

2, the preparation of rice cakes, "rice rich"

Dinghai old custom, during the Spring Festival, to the fifth day of the first day of the rice tank; and, during the Spring Festival can not move the knife. Therefore, on the 30th day of the New Year, enough rice to eat three to five days of steaming, commonly known as "rice rich"; hostesses should cut a lot of rice cakes, jellyfish, ready for the New Year to use the food.

3, close the door and light the lamp

Olden times, on the 30th day of the New Year, the door was closed after the day's work, and could not be opened again before dawn. Then, candles or oil lamps were lit in every room. People kept vigil all night to symbolize the driving away of all evil plagues and diseases, and the auspiciousness of the new year.

4, New Year's Eve dinner

New Year's Eve night, the whole family reunion, the elders sit in the upper seat, *** to eat a reunion dinner. On the table are big dishes, cold pots, hot fried, snacks. Fish is indispensable, because "fish" and "Yu" resonance, symbolizing "auspicious", but also a metaphor for "year after year". Fish" is a symbol of "lucky celebration" and "year-round surplus". In the past, Dinghai people used to have many kinds of fish on their table, but at least one whole yellowtail was used. The last sweet dish is a blessing for sweet days to come. After the New Year's Eve dinner, the elders began to give the younger generation "new year's money".

5, welcome the god of the stove

Dinghai people on the night of New Year's Eve, but also welcome the god of the stove. Zaoshen reported back from heaven, Zaoshen shrine posted on the new Zaoshen statue, for the rice cake, New Year's soup (New Year's soup is a rice cake cut into slices, plus taro and radish pulp), for the end of the rice cake on the rice bowl, so-called "full of rice bowl". Thereafter, the rice jar is sealed, to be opened on the fifth day of the month.

6. Hanging New Year's Cake

The steamed rice cakes are cut into small pieces and hung on various places: chopsticks, brooms, mops, weighing hooks, plows, medieval temples, rakes, and woks. The meaning is to comfort these instruments that have worked hard for a year, and to look forward to "a smooth flow, a good year, and peace in everything" in the coming year. On this day, the rats can come out to eat these rice cakes in the open.

7, year-end

Year-end, in the old fixed sea also known as "according to the wastage", also known as "keep parents perfect", because legend has it that if three years in a row on the 30th night of the year does not sleep, can repair the next life "parents perfect". Perfection" in the next life. In addition to the New Year's Eve vigil at home, there are a lot of good men and women to temples and nunneries to sit night vigil, praying to the Bodhisattva to bless the New Year's peace and good luck.

8, playing the fruit tree

Playing the fruit tree, is very regional characteristics of the custom, is now rare. After the New Year's Eve dinner, the family will go to the place where the fruit trees are planted to "hit the fruit tree", praying that their fruit trees will have a good harvest in the coming year. Because Zipao is the main pear-producing area of Omotesando, the income from the orchard is the main source of income for the residents.

Reference:Zhoushan-Baidu Encyclopedia