The custom of face lamp

In the evening, before the sunset star came out, families began to send lights. The order of sending lights is to send ancestor board, ceiling board and kitchen lining board first; Then send it to the cowshed, cowshed, well platform, mill and so on; Then send it to roads and intersections. When all these places were delivered, the eldest son of each family took a basket of lamps and went to the ancestral grave to send them to his ancestors. "Golden lanterns" and "silver lanterns" must appear on the graves of ancestors.

After the "golden lamp" and "silver lamp" in front of the ancestral grave are lit, the ancestral grave is surrounded by bran mixed with oil, and there is a gap in the southwest corner, which is called the door, and an iron lamp is placed at the door. Ignite the chaff mixed with oil in the wind, commonly known as "Dragon Lantern". At the same time, light the "iron lamp" and read the congratulatory message while lighting it. After reading it, the lantern bearer quietly came back. The lantern ceremony is not over yet.

When sending lanterns, you can't say hello when you see acquaintances. When lighting a lamp, you can't borrow other people's matches, otherwise you won't see the light in your home; Send lanterns to ancestral graves, not white candles. The locals call them "big white bars" and say that if you send them, the men in this family will be single in the next life.

The night of the sixteenth day of the first month is the last night of lighting. In some places, there is a custom of keeping warm. The fire is not made of firewood, but the foundation of a broken shoe. The shoes worn in the countryside are thousands of layers, which are very durable. This is the last day to light a noodle lamp and bake it on a red background. The fragrance of the lamp and the smell of the soles are filled in the air, which has a unique flavor. The custom is to bake seven fires, and children often bake a face lamp on the seven fires before eating.