Who knows the habits of the Hakka people?

Hakka, is a distinctive feature of the Han Chinese folk, but also the Han Chinese in the world's most extensive distribution, the most far-reaching impact of one of the folk. Gathered in Guangdong Meixian, Xingning, Tai Po, Wuhua, Huiyang and other counties in Jiangxi, Sichuan, Guangxi, Hunan, Taiwan, Hainan, Fujian part of the region, the distribution of about 120 counties. They lived in the Yellow River basin in the early 4th century of the Western Jin Dynasty and the late 9th century of the Tang Dynasty, and moved southward in large numbers due to wars, and then moved to Gan, Fujian and Guangdong after the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty in the 1270s. They call themselves "Hakka" or "Lairen" to distinguish themselves from the locals. Hakka is one of the Chinese dialects, and retains many of the sounds and rhythms of ancient Chinese. Hakka songs have a distinctive style. The Hakka people maintain their own customs and traditions in the areas where they live, and women are not bound by feudal customs and are enterprising, as they participate in labor and production. In modern times, after the failure of the Taiping Rebellion, many Hakka people were forced to disperse in a wider area, some migrated to Taiwan, Hong Kong, or overseas Chinese living in the Nanyang area.

Hakka Customs

The customs of the Hakka people broadly include national traditional yearly festivals and customs, local worship and rituals.

Major Festivals

☆The Spring Festival: The grandest of all festivals with New Year's greetings and fun activities.

☆The Spring Festival: The first day of spring.

☆Metal Lantern Festival: The 15th day of the first month is the traditional Chinese folk Lantern Festival. At the Lantern Festival, we eat Lantern Festival, play with lanterns, enjoy lanterns, and guess lantern riddles.

☆☆February 2: Kaizheng Festival.

☆Ching Ming: Hakka grave-sweeping custom mostly starts from the vernal equinox and reaches its climax at Qingming.

☆Duanwu: commonly known as the May Festival in Hakka. The main elements of the festival are eating zongzi (rice dumplings), xionghuang wine, and dragon boat races.

☆July Festival: Also known as the Ghost Festival.

☆Mid-Autumn Festival: commonly known as the August Festival. Customs such as eating mooncakes and enjoying the moon are generally the same everywhere.

☆Chongyang Festival: Hakka people call it the "September Festival".

☆Winter Solstice: The Hakka people say that winter is the most important time of the year.

Marriage Rites and Customs

Matchmaking

In the past, Hakka young men and women who were sixteen years old or older could ask a matchmaker to introduce them to each other. Generally, the parents of the man's family entrusted the matchmaker to go to the woman's family to talk about it, but there were also women's families who invited the matchmaker to visit the man's family first.

Looking at the girl

The two families, male and female, are matched through the centralized matchmaking, and if both sides are interested, they will agree on a time to "look at the girl".

Writing a post

The two sides agreed to tell each other the birthdate of the man and woman. Go back, each asked the fortune-teller to "eight characters". If the eight characters are compatible, will not collide with each other, write out the Geng sticker (commonly known as wedding single), each placed on top of the incense, such as three days without ominous signs, the marriage will be set down (such as eight characters do not fit, the male party to the female Geng sticker sent back to the female family).

Make up a red list

Also known as the "open red wedding invitation", or speaking of wealth. By the male parents, relatives and matchmakers to the woman's home, the man will be sent to the woman's home to the financial gifts issued. Some of the red list should also be written back to the son-in-law gifts, such as hats, silver flowers, clothes, shoes, socks and so on. Open red list process, the two sides will bargain, and finally negotiated finalized. After the opening of the red list, men and women have to exchange tokens such as rings, handkerchiefs and so on. Finally, the man came to the woman's home to eat after lunch to go back.

The betrothal

It is also known as "performing the rite of passage", that is to say, once again to formalize the marriage. Young men and their parents go to the girl's home, sending pig heads, fish, meat, etc. The girl's parents, brothers and sisters-in-law, uncles, grandparents, etc. must appear. After lunch, the girls have to come out to meet and call the parents of the male family as mom and dad, and the parents of the two families call each other in-laws and in-laws.

Looking at the family

That is, the female side to the male side to see the family, some time before the "big ceremony", some in the "big ceremony" after the female side to go in addition to the girls and their parents, aunts, sisters, etc. to go, large and small dozens of people! The first thing you need to do is to take a look at the actual gift, and you'll be able to see what you're getting, and then you'll see what you're getting.

Send the day

After the wedding is set, the man should ask the fortune-teller to choose the day of the door, including the bride out of the day, the hour, to the male home to return to the door of the hour, in addition to the woman cut red clothes, the man made the bed of the day should also be chosen at the same time.

Delivering food and carrying dowry

One or two days before the bride's passing, the male family will ask his relatives to send the bride price and fish, meat, poultry, noodles, etc., specified in the red list, to the female family by a dozen people, and then bring the trousseau, furniture, etc., back to the male family when they return.

Welcoming the bride

It is also called receiving the bride or passing the door. The day before the wedding, the male family to go to more than ten people to the female family to receive the bride, there are drummers band, firecrackers, sedan chair, there are burning incense (to the female ancestral hall, temples, the community to burn incense), a picket, one head to pick the road chicken (a male and a female), the other end of the wine and pine Ming, a woman to bring the bride to wear the clothes, and carry wooden suitcase two people to carry to the fish, meat, wine, cakes, cigarettes, firecrackers, candles, etc., matchmakers also have to go to the matchmaker, and to bring back the trousseau. etc., the matchmaker should also go, the groom, some go, some do not go, such as the groom with the groom, the groom should also do sedan chair, firecrackers is the male plenipotentiary, accompanied by red packets of one or two dozen.

Receiving the bride to the woman's home, the first to eat snacks, and then by the woman's family two people led to the ancestral shrine to burn incense to honor the ancestors. At noon or in the evening, the woman's family hosts a banquet.

The bride is usually moved in the middle of the night at dawn or dawn, the more you go, the brighter the sky, a symbol of light, and then go out at night, will not come across lifting the coffin and other unlucky things. Meet the bride team in front of the lantern, followed by drummers, sedan chair in the middle, behind the bride people.

The bride arrives at the man's home, such as not yet the required entry hour, we must wait at the gate on the ping or outside the door next to the house. Entry is generally seven or eight o'clock in the morning or eight or nine o'clock, and some even wait until noon. To the hour of entry, the bride to kick the sedan chair door, by the male bridesmaids will be the bride out of the sedan chair, and then in front of the gate, "over the fire", the bride from the cedar branches burned on the fire across, before entering the door.

Worship

The bride enters the hall to the sound of drums and music, and then begins to worship. The hall is set up with incense burners, and parents and elders stand on the east side, relatives on the west side, house relatives on the north side, and juniors on the south side. Before paying homage to the bridegroom, the outer family will hang a red, five-foot-long red cloth draped over the bridegroom.

Oral recitation: "hand holding streamer red five feet long, a heart to play the groom, play the groom to give birth to a noble son, early birth to a noble son in a scholar." Worship, the groom stood left, the bride stood right, by the ceremony called: a worship of heaven and earth, two worship ancestors, three worship high hall, four couples worship.

Finally, relatives meet and give the bride a red envelope. After worship, the bridesmaids with red roses will lead the bride into the new room, the bride and groom in the sound of firecrackers from the door of the room to the hall to sprinkle candy. Then the bride and groom eat the cup of wine. The bridesmaids hold a chicken on a tray, and while serving the wine, they say: "Reunion, Bijie Zhulian", "Guanyin sends a son, give birth to a son"; "Husband and wife and good, old age". (This etiquette in the Meizhou region has been uncommon, replaced by modern wedding mode)

Noon hosted a banquet, a wedding banquet, with loud artillery to invite guests, every half an hour to put once, the banquet began to seat when the release of three. Then by the ceremony student registration list, a table of two on the table, according to seniority and affinity, first arranged for the seat on the seat, and then other people casually into the seat. Male and female guests are seated separately, the bride and groom should go to the table to toast.

Haunting

Haunting a room in the hall, a kind of haunting in the new room, but also first in the hall, after the new room haunting. During the haunted house, firecrackers every few minutes once, until the midnight party stops.

Back to the door

Also known as "turn the door". Generally the third or fifth day after the wedding, by the female party to send the bride's sisters and other female relatives to invite the bride and groom to go together as guests, matchmakers and the groom's sisters also go, ****7-14 people, eat the luncheon, back on the same day.

Send the full moon One month after the wedding, the bride's mother's family to send the full moon, and at the same time to send chickens, vegetables, seeds, cereal seeds, beans, etc., to show that the grains are plentiful, prosperous.

Traditional Celebration Customs

1. Birth Ceremony

Marking the celebration and blessing of a person's birth, it is the ritual of the beginning of life.

Prompting the birth

When a married daughter is pregnant and about to give birth, usually one to twenty days before the baby is born, the mother's family will bring chickens, eggs, noodles, dried flour and so on to the daughter's home to "prompt the birth", and there is a wish for a safe birth. If the mother is no longer there, then the sister-in-law to urge birth, at noon to host a banquet.

After the birth of a child, the son-in-law should bring chickens, eggs, rice wine (some with dozens of pounds) to the in-laws to report the good news, the grandmother's family to invite guests to the family of relatives and friends will come to participate in order to express congratulations. Grandpa and Grandma will return the chickens and red eggs.

Three Days

Three days after the birth of a child, three days are required to do the "three days". First, the child is bathed and the midwife is invited to dinner. Grandmothers will bring a large rooster, eggs, noodles, and glutinous rice flour. The "Sanchao wine" is made and the grandmothers and relatives are invited. In some places, they also send red eggs to their closest relatives and friends, who return the chickens, eggs and noodles before the full moon.

Full moon

Babies born a month, to do the "full moon", the grandmother will send a large rooster (many places to send a large castrated chicken), eggs, will also send the baby to wear clothes, small quilt, hats, collars, windbreakers, skirts, silver bracelets and backpacks, etc., aunts, uncles, female relatives, are generally sent! small hens, eggs, clothes, fabrics, etc., aunts, uncles and other male relatives will also come to celebrate.

Hundred years old

The 100th day of a child's birth is also celebrated. On this day, grandfathers and uncles from the woman's family will bring roosters to celebrate, and other relatives usually give red envelopes to the infant.

To celebrate a child's first birthday

The child's first birthday is celebrated by making a "Chou" to celebrate the child's "getting a Chou". It is more solemn than a full moon, and more guests come to celebrate.

2. Coming-of-Age Ceremonies

The coming-of-age ceremonies of the Hakka are divided into two types: one for men and another for women. (There seems to be no such rite of passage now, at least not where I am (the Hakka capital of the world - Meizhou)).

3. Birthday Ceremonies

Birthday

The Hakka people have the same custom as everywhere else, to do a small birthday once a year, ten years to do a big birthday, but to do a big birthday is more common. From the age of ten years old "Kai ten", until the age of forty or fifty, to sixty or more, can be called birthday. To celebrate a birthday, one has to eat longevity noodles and eggs to symbolize longevity and longevity. (This custom has also been simplified, only to do the big birthday: sixty years old and above)

Blessing of life

Blessing of life, married daughters to send a large rooster, but also to send a birthday suit, birthday hat, birthday cakes, birthday shoes, birthday socks, from head to toe a complete set, the father's birthday, at the same time, should also be a complete set of the mother, and in addition to send the birthday axis, happy guns, birthday candles, roosters, as well as birthday peaches, birthday noodles, birthday cake, birthday wine, birthday meat, and so on. The other people come to celebrate the birthday, usually relatives and friends. Other people come to wish life, generally friends and relatives to send birthday hanging scrolls, birthday couplets, or coupled with the gift of money.

Many places, seventy years of age, more than seventy years of age, children and grandchildren, the family better old man birthday, to hold a ceremony to worship life.

The Hakka birthday and birthday wishes, is to know their own gifts, door-to-door congratulations, first congratulations after the invitation; in addition to internal relatives, close friends have sent invitations, not congratulations, not please.

4. building a new home

The Hakka people to build a house and move to a new home is also regarded as one of the major celebrations, to be celebrated.

When building a house, the positioning of the house, the door to the direction of Mr. Geomancy to determine the erection of columns and beams, to be decorated with lanterns and red couplets. After the completion of the new house, the night before the house, "drive away the evil spirits", "in addition to the brake", before moving into the residence.

When moving into a new home, with lanterns (or oil lamps), fire lanterns, scales, etc. into the house, but also to bring a nest of chickens, steam a pot of rice cupped into the new house, in order to show that the new ding thriving, the joy of the court. Moving to a new home to do "into the house wine", banquets for friends and relatives and building craftsmen and helpers and so on. The dishes should have leeks, tofu, pig intestines, pig's blood and rice cakes, etc., to show that the long and long, rich and high.

Hakka wine customs

The Hakka people are very hospitable, whenever friends and relatives come, they like to be treated with home brewed rice wine, which is also known as "water wine", such as the first altar to extract the wine, called "Wine Maiden". This kind of "Jiu Niang" is good to drink, although the degree is not high, but it has a strong aftertaste and is easy to get drunk. When they drink, they pay close attention to etiquette.

The Hakka people like to use a four-square table, commonly known as the "Eight Immortals Table", a wooden table where eight people can sit together. When seated, they attach great importance to the arrangement of seats, generally according to the inferiority and superiority of relatives and friends into the seat. Between the size of the banquet, is arranged in this way, such as the main hall only a table, then face the door to the left for the first, the right side for the second. Then from left to right, interspersed with the order, facing the main hall on the right side of the smallest. If the arrangement of two tables, this time to the left side of the table for the big, the right side for the small, the size of the seat is also interspersed. If the arrangement of three tables, called the "first-class seat", this case, to the chief as the honor. If the arrangement of five tables, generally to row into the "plum blossom seat".

Banquet between the first back to pour wine (also known as sieve wine), according to the order of seniority and seniority of the order of pouring wine, and then finally pour their own wine. After the wine is poured, the spout of the wine pot should not be directed at the guests, but at themselves, otherwise it is rude. When making a toast, the person making the toast should stand up, hold down the chest with his left hand (to show respect and sincerity), raise the cup with his right hand and say a few words of good luck, and drink first to show respect. If someone is late, depending on the situation, he or she will be punished with 1-3 cups of wine, and half a cup for women. If you leave the table in the middle of the meal, you have to drink 1-3 cups before you can leave the table.

When the Hakka people drink, in order to add excitement and lively atmosphere, in a variety of banquet occasions, or vulgar, or elegant, or simple, or complicated, there are guessing the custom of cheering. Guessing there are some rules, such as out of three, can not thumb, middle finger, index finger together. Out of one, the thumb should be sideways, not upward. Out of two, such as the use of the thumb, forefinger that, out of the hand to the side, can not be like a light barge as forefinger pointing to the other side, in order to show politeness.

The Hakka drinking orders are rich in knowledge. Guessing the number from zero to pick up, such as guessing the total number of fingers out of both sides, that is, the winning party. If both sides at the same time guessed or not guessed, there are also take "four words" called, such as guessing "one" when called "a product high rise"; guessing "two "when called" two and good "; guess" three "when called" three stars high light "; guess" four When guessing "four", it's called "four seasons of wealth"; when guessing "five", it's called "five children"; when guessing "six When guessing "eight", it is called "Eight Immortals Celebrate Their Longevity"; when guessing "nine", it is called "Nine Long Days"; when guessing "ten", it is called "Nine Long Days"; and when guessing "ten", it is called "Nine Long Days". When guessing "nine", it is called "nine long long long"; when guessing "ten", it is called "ten perfect ten beautiful". So what you're shouting is a good-luck phrase.

Drinking guessing, generally three cups of wine for a group, the loser drink, three cups of wine to drink even after the pass. If the afterglow is not over, you can come back to a group or several groups. If you need to ask someone to take the place of the fist, on behalf of the wine, should be negotiated with the other party, to obtain the consent of the other party before doing so. There is also the "Spoon Spinning", in which a spoon is placed in the table, and one person spins the spoon, and when the spoon stops spinning, whoever the spoon handle is pointing to gets a drink. In addition, there is also the "Guess the Single or Double" drinking game, in which one or two coins are placed in one's hand and one or two coins are placed in one's hand for others to guess the single or double, and the loser drinks.

The Hakka people have many different ways of drinking, and those who are educated also like to play "word orders" (including local specialty orders and agricultural proverbs) and "poetry orders", in addition to "general orders" (which are mostly original, but also have a lot of fun). (Most of them are original and interesting, making people laugh.) In addition, there are also "Tongling" (which are often unique and funny), including riddles and so on. Hakka people like to drink through the rules of the wine, this popular entertainment games, add to the wine, eliminate loneliness and tiredness, until all the fun and drunk.

Traditional Yearly Customs

New Year's Eve

The Hakka people, like most of the rest of the country, regard New Year's Eve as the most solemn and joyous festival of the year. People start preparing for the New Year very early. In September and October, began to dry sweet potato chips, rice cakes for New Year's Eve fried and stir-fried food. Once the "winter solstice" arrives, they start to steam wine. Near the 30th day of the year, every family will steam sugar cake, make rice crackers, kill pigs, make bean curd, slaughter chickens, etc., to welcome the New Year with joy.

Sacrifice of the stove

December 23rd sacrifice of the stove, 23rd night after the stove should be brushed clean, the old Zaojun removed and burned, 30th morning to put the new image on the paste, a send a welcome, are to be set up wine, meat, candy, sugar cane, rice and fruit, etc., in front of the stove to burn incense, candles, paper cannons.

In the New Year boundary

December 25 of the Lunar Calendar, into the "New Year boundary", to step up preparations for the New Year, out of the people have to rush home for the New Year. After entering the Nian Boundary, children should be taught not to scold each other and not to speak unlucky words. Before and after the New Year's boundary, to choose an auspicious day in the house dust sweeping, cleaning. To clean kitchen tables and benches, wash and dry bedding and mosquito nets, clean New Year's Eve.

The New Year

The 30th day of the New Year, also known as New Year's Eve, is the day when the atmosphere of the New Year is the most enthusiastic and joyful. On the morning of this day, every family worships the Bodhisattva and honors the gods. On New Year's Day, the halls of each house to hang up the ancestral portraits, in front of the door posted on the bright red spring couplets, barn door, livestock pen in front of the furniture beds and water tanks should be pasted on the side of the red paper strips, known as "sealing the year", also known as "on the red". Adults and children should take a bath, put on new clothes, clean for the New Year. The halls of each family should also be furnished with tables of offerings, incense, chicken, fish, meat, fruit, etc., in honor of the ancestors.

New Year's Eve night, eat a reunion dinner, dishes. Several extra pairs of chopsticks and bowls are placed on the table to show that the ancestors are invited back to spend the New Year together. Before the meal, the ancestors should be sifted wine and spilled on the floor, and then begin to eat. During the meal, old people and children eat chicken legs to show respect for the old and the young.

Watch the New Year

After the reunion meal, the stove should be washed clean for the morning or all day vegetarianism on the first day of the first month. At night to keep the New Year's Eve, resignation of the old year, to welcome the new year, each room should be brightly lit throughout the night, called "point New Year's Eve fire", some places cattle pens, pigsties also have to point on the lamp. Parents have to give their children new year's money, and in some places they also have to give old people new year's money.

Opening the door

On the first day of the first month, according to the "Tongshu" stipulates the auspicious time to open the door, and then the sound of firecrackers, loud and clear.

Welcoming the New Year

The first day of the first month of the morning vegetarian. After the meal, people pay tribute to each other with auspicious words. Children dressed in new clothes, happy and playful, some scrambling to the elderly to pay tribute to the New Year: "Gong Gong uncle family fortune, sugar cakes and fruits to take to the end (I)."

On the second day of the first month of the lunar calendar, relatives pay their respects. In particular, the newly married son-in-law (the in-laws will be invited with a book sticker) to go to the home of his parents-in-law to pay homage to the New Year. Generally the two go together, there are only son-in-law one person to go; some come back the same day, there are also live five or six days. To go with a small hen, rice fruit, candy and incense, firecrackers, etc., to burn incense, candles, firecrackers, etc., in front of the ancestors in the house of Yue burn incense, light candles, firecrackers. At noon the in-laws treat, the son-in-law to get drunk, not drunk and not enthusiastic.

Eating rice

The morning of the third day of the year to eat "rice" (some years ago on the evening of the twenty-ninth day of steaming, some of the first two nights of the first month of steaming), the rice inserted chopsticks, a few people at home on the insertion of several pairs of, and then inserted into a leafy tree branches, and in some cases, also put on the orange, pomelo and other fruits. Before eating the rice, the rice is first placed on the "day of the gods" to offer it to the gods and ancestors. Eat rice to prepare a lot of food, chicken and meat, and the New Year's Eve to eat a reunion dinner is almost the same. On the third day of the New Year, you can't kill, and the chickens have to be killed on the second day of the New Year or left behind on the New Year's Eve.

Out of the New Year boundary

On the fifth day of the first month, out of the New Year boundary. The ancestral portraits in the hall should be put away, the paper door curtains should be taken down and burned, and those who go out to do labor work can depart.

Lunar New Year's Eve

On the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the Lantern Festival, also known as the "Festival of the New Year", families should prepare dishes and drink to celebrate the New Year. The Lantern Festival is the culmination of the New Year's festivities.

From the beginning of the New Year to the first month of the fifteenth, around the amusement activities, to the dragon lanterns, lion dance for more, some from the first day of the first month of the first, second from the beginning of the activities. Before the dragon lanterns and lion teams come, they will be posted in advance, and when they come, they have to give them red packets and snacks. In addition to performing at each household, the dragon lanterns and lion teams also pay homage to the gods and ancestors at the temples and ancestral halls in the village. On the first market day after the Spring Festival, all dragon lanterns, boat lanterns and lion lanterns go to the market to perform, which is called the "opening of the market". During the period from the Spring Festival to the Lantern Festival, there are also some fun activities in various places as follows:

Sending Spring Bulls

Generally on the first day of the New Year, a small team of three or five people sends spring bulls to each household, with suona players, drummers, and cymbal players, blowing and beating at the entrance of each house, and sends red stickers with the words "Congratulations on the New Year", and the host will give red envelopes.

It's a good thing that the Chinese people are so happy to see you.

The straw dragon

A section of a section, full of incense, carried by the children to the front of the stove and the pigsty cattle pen to dance, congratulations on the peace of the family, the prosperity of six animals, each household to give red envelopes, children get happy, the master for good luck.

Bat Lantern

Also by the children to dance door-to-door, "fire dragon into the house, want your candle", "congratulations on wealth, to buy land and build a house", bat lanterns do not receive red envelopes, as long as the candle.

Boat Lanterns

The lanterns look like boats, and are performed on land. Rehearsals before the Spring Festival, gongs and drums team, play ten times with. To the village, after eating snacks, in the open field performance, by the boatman, shipwoman singing "October pregnancy", "December Ancient", "melon seeds", The boatman and the boatwoman sing tunes such as "October Childbirth", "December Ancient", "Melon Seed Nuts", "One Flower" and so on, while the boatman just rows the boat without singing. In the evening in the ancestral hall "open heavenly officials", singing "heavenly officials blessing" and so on, and finally drink and eat.

Lion lamp

There are Nuo people out, a lion head, a lion tail, a Sun monkey, a sand monk, and the drums and gongs team. After the lion, monkey, sand monk singing, to perform martial arts, boxing, dancing knife, playing stick, jumping table. The lion team has to hire a master coach for martial arts before the New Year.

Spring Equinox

February equinox, the beginning of the tomb sweeping and ancestor worship, also known as the "Spring Festival". Tomb-sweeping is preceded by a grand ceremony of ancestor worship at the ancestral hall, in which pigs are killed, sheep are slaughtered, drummers are invited to play, ritualists read the ritual text, and three offerings are made by the band leader. When tomb-sweeping starts at the spring equinox, the first thing to do is to sweep the graves of the founding ancestors and the distant ancestors, and the whole clan and the whole village will be mobilized on a very large scale, with the team often amounting to several hundred or even thousands of people. After the graves of the founding ancestors and distant ancestors are swept, then the ancestors' graves are swept in different houses, and finally the private graves of each family are swept. In most Hakka areas, spring ancestor sweeping starts at the spring equinox or earlier, and is completed by Qingming at the latest. There is a saying that the door to the tomb will be closed after the Qingming Festival, and the spirits of the ancestors will not be used.

Ching Ming

Ching Ming in March, worship ancestors. In addition to most of the Hakka areas where tomb-sweeping and ancestor worship is practiced on the vernal equinox, there are some places where tomb-sweeping is practiced on Qingming. There are also some places that offer sacrifices to the gods and goddesses on the day of Qingming.

Duanwu Festival

The fifth day of the fifth month is the Dragon Boat Festival, and families buy meat, kill ducks, wrap zongzi, and make rice fruits for the festival. The Dragon Boat Festival is a big festival, and people who work outside the home in many places come home for the festival.

Midwinter Festival

The Hakka region celebrates the 15th of July as the "Ghost Festival". In some places, the festival is celebrated one day earlier, which is called "July 14th is for people, July 15th is for ghosts". In some places, the Hakka also worship their ancestors on the half of July.

Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15, commonly known as the "August Festival", is also a big festival. It is a great festival to celebrate the reunion by eating mooncakes and enjoying the moon. Families will buy pork, slaughter chickens and ducks, and make rice and fruit for the festival. On the evening of Mid-Autumn Festival, families get together to celebrate the festival, and after the meal, they eat mooncakes and enjoy the moon.

The Chongyang Festival

The 9th day of the 9th month of September is the Chongyang Festival, also known as the 9th Festival of the 9th month, commonly known as the "September Festival", which is a big festival at the end of the year, and there is a saying that "there is no big festival after the Chongyang Festival", and a lot of people out of the house are rushing back home to celebrate the festival. On this day, people in many places have to take their children to climb mountains, some flying kites on the mountains, which is said to be able to avoid evil spirits and epidemics. Many old people say that this custom was brought by their ancestors from the central plains in the north and has been passed down from generation to generation. On this day, some old men and women go up to the mountains to burn incense and worship Buddha.

The winter solstice

The winter solstice is celebrated in the eleventh month of the lunar calendar and is also known as the "winter year". The winter solstice should be eaten pork, beef, make rice crackers, cook soup balls, and the rich should eat deer antler and ginseng to make up for the winter.

Folk Entertainment

The Hakka folk entertainment is very rich in content, the main festivals are rice-planting songs, dragon boat races, stepping on boat lanterns, dragon lanterns, lion dances, high-footed divisions, welcoming lanterns, stepping on the lanterns, playing flower drums, musical instruments, plays, fireworks, and usually sing songs, singing songs, play the zither, zheng, play erhu, play flute, play chess, play six chess, playing cards, throw the sign of the top dollar, play mahjong , raising flowers, fishing, etc.