"Customs of Wuchuan" composition

Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, Wuchuan County had always followed the feudal marriage system.

"Wuchuan County Chronicles" in the 29th year of the Republic of China (1940) recorded: "Civil marriages are entirely a transaction method. They are all arranged by the marriage partner and the parents preside over the marriage. As for children, only the orders of their parents are obeyed and the flattery of the matchmaker is followed.

The man is still attractive, but the woman has no choice. Generally, men and women get engaged at the age of thirteen or four, and the daughter of a poor family who is seven or eight years old is often engaged as a child bride.

The calculations are consistent with each other, and the marriage cards are written on them, and the matchmakers exchange them, which is commonly known as "exchange of cards". An auspicious day is chosen to hold the wedding card exchange ceremony. At that time, the groom's family will send betrothal gifts and gifts.

"The poor are given priority, and the betrothal gift ranges from one to two hundred yuan."

"The wedding ceremony still uses the old style, with carriages and horses. After paying homage to heaven and earth, they salute to relatives and friends near and far in order, saying: 'Bow down'. The next morning, the bridegroom and bride return to Ning's parents together, saying 'return to the door'. At this point, the marriage

The ceremony came to an end. "After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the new Marriage Law was widely publicized, breaking the feudal shackles of marriage that had been bound to women for thousands of years. Women were liberated physically and mentally, and men and women began to love freely.

Before marriage, the man and woman have time to get to know each other and become familiar with each other.

Marriage ceremonies are also greatly simplified.

In the 1960s and 1970s, women generally needed three major items for marriage, namely a bicycle, a watch, and a sewing machine, and free lovers were no exception.

In the 1980s, travel marriages became popular again. Some went to Beijing as far away as Hohhot, which was called "Visiting to Beijing" or "Visiting to Hohhot". Therefore, in addition to betrothal gifts and money for clothes, "Visiting to Beijing" or "Visiting to Hohhot" were also added.

The "hu" money item ranged from 300 to 500 yuan at that time.

The majority of urban cadres and workers are engaged in civilized love and marriage.

At the same time, when a woman gets married, she is required to buy a radio recorder, a washing machine, a color TV, and multi-purpose furniture, etc.; when a woman gets married in a rural area, she asks for a bride price from the man, which can range from five to six hundred yuan to more than a thousand yuan.

The furnishings at home are gradually becoming more similar to those in cities and towns.

In today's marriage, parents are more democratic in their marriage, while their children are more liberal, and the main tone is based on the independence and voluntariness of both men and women.

However, with the development of the economy, both in urban and rural areas, those who are able to afford it are equipped with buildings, cars, and betrothal gifts. Individuals from poor families often buy women from Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan. Therefore, there are many people who escape from marriage or cheat on marriage, resulting in more single-parent families.

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Before the Spring Festival, pigs and sheep are slaughtered, vermicelli is pressed, steamed cakes are made, radish stuffing is baked, pork is roasted, and fresh and dried fruits, seasonal vegetables and other new year products are purchased.

On New Year's Eve, families gather together and stay up late.

Firecrackers are set off, dumplings are made, lanterns are decorated, and people celebrate the new year, which is called "staying up for the New Year."

In the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, at the turn of the year in recent years, every household lights a "big fire", firecrackers explode, and fireworks are everywhere. The whole family eats New Year dumplings and turning cakes to show their membership, happiness, and good luck.

Farmers also put coins in the dumpling stuffing. If the family members eat it, it indicates good luck in the year.

On the first day of the first lunar month, relatives pay New Year greetings to each other, friends visit to congratulate each other, and entertain guests with delicious food.

It lasts until the fifth day of the lunar month.

People commonly call it "Worship the New Year".

Lantern Festival The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is a more solemn festival, commonly known as "the fifteenth day of the Lantern Festival".

The most common activity in the county is from the 13th to the 16th, when a performance team consisting of Yangko, stilts, boat lanterns, and lion dances will play different roles in the opera. The festival will take place in the streets and alleys using the hot spots as the activity points.

, in rural areas, people go from village to house, singing and dancing to ward off disasters and pray for blessings.

The troupe also performed two-person short plays for the masses that were loved by the masses.

In the past, Miaogou, Dongtucheng, Halaheshao and other places in Wuchuan were popular in making "nine-curved lanterns" with the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. In the 1970s, Ke Town began to organize lanterns and lantern riddle guessing activities, and this is still the case today.

Spring Dragon Festival The second day of the second month of the lunar calendar is the Spring Dragon Festival, and local residents call it the "dragon raises its head" day.

On this day, farmers get up at dawn, put coins in a bucket, go to the village well to fetch water, sprinkle it on the way home, and pour the remaining water and coins into the weng at home, which is called the "money-drawing dragon."

Legend has it that this can bring the dragon into the house and attract wealth.

This reflects the farmers' good wishes to pray for rain to avoid disasters and hope for good weather.

At the same time, farmers also have the habit of eating "gao nian gao" (waist-supporting cake) and getting haircuts.

Eating "back-supporting cake" means that you will not have back pain all year round and can do heavy physical work. It means strengthening your body and getting ready for spring work.

Adults and children are called "shaving the dragon's head".

Qingming Festival On the day of "Qingming", every family holds tomb sacrifice activities.

Farmers make worms, fish, birds and other animal shapes for children, commonly known as "Han Yan'er", and give them to relatives and friends to entertain children.

Some farmers also cut colorful cloth into finger-sized pieces, string them together to make "Qingming Chuan Chuan" with blue sky and white ground, and decorate it on children's clothes to drive away diseases and evil spirits, and promote health and longevity.

The Dragon Boat Festival is the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. It commemorates Qu Yuan and is commonly known as "Dragon Boat Festival".

Every household makes cold cakes and rice dumplings.

In the past, farmers would plant mugwort in their courtyards, and women would bathe in boiled mugwort water.

Some also use colored paper to cut "five poison charms" such as snakes, scorpions, tigers, chickens, and centipedes and paste them on the door. They also make five-color silk ropes and tie them around children's wrists, ankles, and necks to remove dirt, poison, and prevent diseases.

Evil suppresses evil.

Ghost Festival The fifteenth day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar is the Ghost Festival, commonly known as "the fifteenth day of the seventh month".

On this day, every family goes to the ancestral graves to pay homage to their ancestors to show their filial piety.

The grave can be moved and filled with soil.

Farmers also use white flour to steam dough figures in the shapes of Arhats and girls, similar to the "Han Yan'er" on Qingming Festival, for children to enjoy and eat.

Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.