Spring Festival in Huaiji Essay 500 Words

The Spring Festival is a traditional festival in China, and people call it the New Year. In my hometown, Chaozhou, there are some special customs for the New Year.

Before New Year's Eve, people are busy with four things: thanking the gods, preparing materials for making kueh, sweeping the house and buying New Year's goods. According to Chiu Chow custom, after the winter solstice every year, the family has to thank the gods. Preparing materials to make "red peach hair kuey teow". Rice and glutinous rice are soaked in water for a few hours to loosen the texture of the rice, then dried and beaten into fine powder in a stone mortar and dried in the sun. This is the main ingredient for making "Fajiao," which is made of red peaches. It is unusual to choose an auspicious day for sweeping the house. It is the busiest day for housewives to clean the house inside and out, and to wash things that have not been used for a long time.

December 24th is the date of the legendary "God's Journey to Heaven". On this day, every family will worship "sugar peach". A side of red paper, above the soft sugar arranged in the form of a peach, become "sugar peach". This object is dipped into the mouth of the "Master Du Wang", so that he can "speak good words in heaven and keep peace on the ground". On New Year's Day, we also have to worship the "Master", that is to say, offer sacrifices to the gods. There are three kinds of offerings for the gods: "cardinal hair kuey teow", "mouse shell kuey teow" and "vegetable head kuey teow". The "red peaches" are made by removing the shells of mung beans, grinding the beans into powder, and steaming them to make the filling for the kueh kueh. The "chai tau kuey teow" is a turnip cake.

The New Year's festival is held in the afternoon of New Year's Eve. New Year's Eve, the family has become an adult with income of the younger generation, to give elders to send "New Year's Eve money", the elders also want to give "New Year's Eve money" to underage juniors, households, reflecting the virtue of honoring the old and cherishing the young.