Nankang New Year's Customs

First, before the year

In Nankang, near the time of the Spring Festival, the people who go out, even if they are far away (some of them are working or studying abroad) try to rush back home to have a reunion with their families for the New Year.

After the winter, every family began to wax sausage (half-fat, half-lean pork, cut into pieces, plus salt, pepper, dashi, star anise, etc., add the right amount of white wine, mix well and leave it for one night. Take pork sausage, salted, cleaned, put the meat in, pressed, with a needle to poke the place where there are bubbles to let off the air. Sausage wrapped, hung up with bamboo poles, put into the sun, this is the Gannan people wax sausage tradition), in addition to the production of plate duck.

Steaming glutinous rice wine (Gannan people commonly known as "water wine", brewing glutinous rice wine process is roughly like this: the first glutinous rice with rice steam, and then spread it to be cold, and then scattered on a certain amount of wine cake, it is loaded into a small tank, and then in the tank surface and around the straw and quilts and so on, covered tightly to keep warm. After a few days, the glutinous rice in the jar fermented into dregs and was permeated with a lot of liquid. At this time, a small basket made of bamboo and gabion was put into the tank to allow the liquid to enter the "liquor," and then the liquid was scooped into the wine jar with a bowl. This liquid is called "jujuniang," and the degree of jujuniang is so high that it must be infiltrated with a certain amount of boiling water. This is brewed into a mellow Hakka glutinous rice wine)

Fried 馃zi from mid-December of the lunar calendar, do sugar pops, fried peanuts, melon seeds, yellow yuan rice 馃馃zizizi(It is a unique food of the Hakka people of Gannan, with a long history, as early as the Ming Dynasty, the Zhengde years have been classified as a tribute. Glutinous rice is used as the raw material. Playing Huang Yuan Mi馃 is an important folklore activity of Gannan Hakka, in which a number of young and strong men with red cloths tied around their waists and holding Huang Yuan sticks made of wooden sticks take turns to play Huang Yuan Mi馃 around the stone mortar, with the old people and women busy in the outer circle, and the children watching the fun from the sidelines. When this one is finished, the group carries the stone mortar to the next one and goes from house to house. Freshly beaten yellow Yuanmidu馃, hand grasped into a ball dipped in soy sauce or sugar, can be eaten. When visiting friends and relatives, a few pieces of golden yellow yellow Yuanmidu馃 are presented, meaning good luck and prosperity. Guests at home, the yellow yuan rice馃 cut into strips, fried and steamed are suitable, the flavor is very good)

Late December, people open the New Year's goods, go to the store to buy the items needed for New Year's Eve and food. Nankang County Records: "late December, every day on the pike, the pike on the sea of people, selling native products, shopping for New Year's Eve". Can reflect the Nankang people year before going to the market to buy new year's busy scene.

Small year

Lunar month 24, commonly known as the "small year". This day is the Gannan Hakka people in the small year, is to send the God of the stove. In Gannan Hakka people, Zao Shen is also called Zao Shen Maiden, because she can go back and forth between heaven and earth, and can manipulate people's peace and prosperity, in a way, she is the goddess of Hakka. On the day of the New Year, the men of almost every Hakka family in Gannan will offer three animals, sugar and wine to worship this "Emperor of Fire Virtue in the South", praying that she can put in a good word in front of the Emperor of Heaven, so that she can bring us well-being. Nankang County Records: "Before liberation, the night also light candles, incense and firecrackers to send the God of the stove to heaven, begging for its 'good deeds in heaven, back to the Palace of descending good luck'". It can reflect the people of Nankang's prayers for an auspicious life.

Nankang local government departments from the folk to the people are on the small year of special attention. Shangyu County Records: "The official seal, the students scattered museums, far from home; return accounts, send gifts, wipe the goods, steamed pastries; the treatment of offerings, set up contributions. Hall hanging high in the ancestor's legacy, set up offerings". On the day of the New Year, Nankang local county administration at all levels to take a day off, people working in distant places also rushed home one after another. If someone owes an account, it will also be paid off before the New Year.

If anyone's family hasn't purchased New Year's cakes and goods, they will be busy doing so on the day of the New Year. Some families hang the statue of the first ancestor in the hall and light joss sticks and candles on the altar to honor the ancestors. On this day, every household is busy cleaning, removing dust from the roof, draining the ditches, and scrubbing all living utensils such as pots and pans, tables, chairs, and benches, etc., which is commonly known to the Hakka people as "sweeping home".

After the New Year is more busy, buy New Year's paintings, write Chinese New Year couplets, hair (our custom is from the Spring Festival to the Lantern Festival during the period is not allowed to haircut, nail clipping, so it is best to deal with it before the year), make tofu, make rice 馃, rush to the new clothes, and so on, presenting a joyful, busy atmosphere.

Three, New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve, commonly known as New Year's Eve. Chongyi County, near Nankang, the local custom of sweeping graves (to go to the ancestral gravesite, remove weeds from the gravesite, clean the tombstones, organize the graveyard, light incense and candles, kowtow and bow three times, kill chickens to chicken blood showered on the gravesite, three firecrackers, and finally lighted to put a firecracker to pray for the old ancestor to bless his descendants to the coming year of health and well-being and happiness).

After noon, candles are lit, incense is burned, firecrackers are fired, and sacrifices are made to honor the gods. Home posting Spring Festival couplets (commonly known as "on the red", New Year's Eve at noon, every household began to post couplets, in the door, stove, and even in the barn, cattle pen, pig pen, chicken nests should be posted on the large and small red paper auspicious words.

Firecrackers (before dinner must burn three firecrackers, and set off a firecracker. At 12 o'clock in the evening must be three firecrackers, and set off a firecracker to remind people of the arrival of the new year). New Year's Eve that day must be bathed in new clothes (to the evening of the New Year's Eve, Gannan Hakka people will fry a pot of hot water synthesized by the camphor, silk thatch and other kinds of "happy grass" to bathe and purify the body. It is said to wash away a year of dust and hardship, drive away a year of evil, washed, it is safe and sound, smooth), burn incense and candles, God worship ancestors, after the night to eat a reunion dinner, feast sumptuous (a rich dinner table, a year of reward, usually did not eat good food, at this time as much as you can let go of the belly to eat.

This time, the table will inevitably be placed on a small cup of wine, which is a sacrifice to the ancestors, can not drink. Gannan Hakka people will also add a set of bowls and chopsticks on the table, one said to be for the ancestors to enjoy and prepare, another said to be praying for the next year can "add Ding", so that people prosper), the atmosphere of joy. The whole house is brightly lit, called "Shining the New Year's Light", and the elders give children New Year's money (in the hope that the younger generation will grow up smoothly and be educated about the business and ethics of their ancestors, while the younger generation expresses its filial piety to their elders), and some people "keep watch over the New Year", banging gongs and drums, and staying up all night. Some people "observe the New Year" by beating gongs and drums and staying up all night.

Four, the first day of the first month to fifteen

The first day of the first month of the New Year is the beginning of the new year, it is best to get up early to catch others before they get up, firecrackers to meet the new year, it is said that whoever sets off the earliest firecrackers, whose family's luck is the best.

The whole family gathers to eat fruit wine and drink. This day to eat fasting (because New Year's Eve ate too much of the rich cuisine, the first day of the year to eat "old rice", eat vegetarian dishes, which helps digestion, but also means that year after year), not sweeping (Gannan Hakka New Year's Eve there is a custom, the New Year's Eve to the front and back of the house clean, no matter how dirty on the first day of the first two can not be sweeping the ground, it is said that it "hoarding wealth" means, the door piled up red firecracker paper, the higher the better, that your family has money), not Bo Shui, not far away, do not sleep in the daytime, talk about taboos, seniors to elders to pay tribute to the New Year, the generation of the same to each other to say hello. Neighbors meet and congratulate each other! People who usually harbor opinions also greet each other with a smile at this moment as a sign of good fortune.

The first day of the New Year begins with the New Year's greetings in the family, first of all to the elders, and then to the neighbors, who come to the door to pay their respects, drink tea and wine, invite to eat sweets, and wish to add wealth and good fortune, good luck and good fortune, and also give each other to give the children money for the New Year's Eve.

Early in the morning on the second day of the year, every household slaughter chicken, boiled eggs, people eat soup, and then eat a hearty breakfast, for the beginning of a year of tooth festival, commonly known as "starting teeth" (Lunar New Year's Eve 16th also ate sumptuous food and wine for the end of the year of the tooth festival, commonly known as the "circle of teeth").

From the second day of the month, people began to go to relatives, young couples with their children, buy meat and wine to the in-laws to pay tribute to the New Year. Newlyweds first to the in-laws to pay their respects, commonly known as "door to door", rich gifts, see the relatives of children to give "like money". The first two began to sprinkle sweeping, garbage inward, meaning that the wealth is not outside the sweep.

The third cleaning, the hidden garbage swept away, sent to the field, burning incense and candles firecrackers burned, commonly known as "send the poor".

After the fourth, the dragon lanterns, lions, some also play the role of historical figures and mythological characters, gongs knocking the sky, firecrackers roar, strung villages, each other to welcome each other, has been haunted to the Lantern Festival, known as the "spring". Nankang County Records: "Since the first day of the first month to the Lantern Festival, commonly known as the wish year. In the past, each village purchase dragon lamp 5 or 9 sections, in the clear night and fog moon parade in the market, people with whip burst to meet, lights burning candles for the dragon dance, gongs and drums, suona sound, whip burst sound, sound pleasing to the ear, people enjoy the entertainment".

Fifth, Lantern Festival

The first month of the 15th lunar month for the Lantern Festival, commonly known as "on the Lantern Festival", "Lantern Festival". On this day, dragon lanterns, lion lamps gathered together, the Lantern Festival. Nankang County Records: "at night, in the town, decorated with lights and colors, firecrackers, drums and music to declare the sky, a sea of people, all night long, dancing dragon lanterns, playing lion, rocking the flower boat? Luckily lanterns, in the countryside, in addition to the lanterns, there are 'pulling the green', dance 'green vegetables dragon' custom, that is, in the celery in the heart of the insertion of candles in the wild wild dance, intended to remove the disaster, pray for the safety of animals and people, a bumper harvest". Reflects the people of Nankang Lantern Festival festive scene.

On the day of the Lantern Festival, every family has plenty of meat and wine, and the Hakka people generally eat the Lantern Festival to symbolize family harmony, reunion and happiness. In addition, there is the custom of burning lanterns (burning lanterns, of course, the weather is too dry to burn, otherwise there is a risk of fire), watching lanterns and guessing lantern riddles. This night, the families gathered to drink, "drink the Lantern Festival wine, all walks of life fast hands". This means that the New Year has passed, and everyone has to go back to their posts to study and work.