Folk custom of Lantern Festival in Chaoshan area of China.

The most lively festival in old Beijing is not the Spring Festival, but the Lantern Festival. From the 13th to 17th of the first month, Beijingers will entertain them for five days and five nights. In the Lantern Festival in old Beijing, the most important activity is to enjoy the lanterns. In Ming Dynasty, the lantern market in Beijing was located in dengshikou, Dongcheng, and there were midnight snacks on both sides of the street, ranging from jewelry and jade articles to daily necessities. All the shops hang lanterns made of silk thread, burnt beads, bright horns, wheat straw and medulla tetrapanacis for people to watch. By the Qing Dynasty, lantern markets were all over Beijing.

Hebei Province

Yongping House Lantern Festival, where sick women gather under the kiln, is called "pottery moxibustion". Children crossing the bridge are called "Du Bai Goose". Some people cut the paper into nine paper ropes and tied them with their hands to make up for their mistakes. This is called "knotting sheep intestines". Use twelve cups to store oil, put it in a pot and steam it. According to the amount of water in the cups, predict the sunny and rainy days this month. The Shangyuan Festival in Jinghai County takes big steamed bread as its diet. Qingyun County, Lantern Festival, the man asked five ancestors to teach boxing sticks, and the woman asked Zi Gubu to take the blame.

Anhui province

Near the Lantern Festival these days, various folk art performances have been held in the street communities and rural fields of Shangyao Town, datong district, Huainan City. Colorful performances such as Flower Drum Lantern, Dragon Lantern, Lion Rolling Hydrangea, Stilts, Lifting Pavilion, Hua Gun, Lantern, Umbrella Lantern, Dry Boat, Single Knife Bridge, etc. Not only pushed the atmosphere of the New Year to a climax, but also let the young and old in Shili Baxiang appreciate the unique Huaihe customs and culture. There is an old saying on both sides of the Huaihe River that the fifteenth day of the first month is as big as a year. On the third day of the new year, people are busy saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, visiting relatives and friends, eating or playing, and the Lantern Festival is the most interesting moment.

Fuyang people are industrious and intelligent, and in the long-term production and life practice, they have continuously developed and created and formed a unique mass culture. There are vivid and rich folk arts, national dances and dramas with unique regional characteristics. Every year on the 15th day of the first lunar month, these colorful mass cultures converge into a unique Fuyang Lantern Festival. Fuyang Lantern Festival began in Sui and Tang Dynasties and prevailed in Ming Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, Ouyang Xiu wrote when he was a satrap in Yingzhou: "Last year, the flower market was as bright as day. The moon rose to the willow tree, and he met me at dusk. On the first night of this year, the moon and lights were still there, the people of last year disappeared, and Man Chun's shirt sleeves were in tears. This poem shows that the Lantern Festival in Fuyang was very popular in the Song Dynasty. The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the traditional Lantern Festival every year. On this day, people will spontaneously hang lanterns of different shapes at their doorsteps, such as flowers, birds, insects, fish and animals, zodiac lanterns and so on. Lantern Festival Lantern Festival, there are also some big plays to sing. One or more plays are duets, also called "stage plays". At the same time, families also set off all kinds of fireworks to add fun.

Shanxi province

Lantern Festival is the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, also known as Shangyuan Festival. Lantern Festival is the oldest night festival in China. According to legend, the Western Han Dynasty pacified Zhu Lu, and Emperor China began to lay the foundation stone on 1 month 15, which was designated as the Lantern Festival. The whole country celebrates festivals with lanterns and colorful decorations. The royal family, ladies and gentlemen in the deep palace can also go to the streets to watch the lights.

On the Lantern Festival, every household makes its own Lantern Festival (now monopolized by professional households). Yuanxiao, known as "floating Zi Yuan" in ancient times, is a kind of folk snack that tastes both elegant and popular, sweet but not greasy, and is popular all over the country. The stars are in the dark clouds and the beads are floating in the turbid water. "Light circles are more delicious than chicken head meat, and crab eye soup is better when you are bored." No wonder ancient poets described the Lantern Festival so much that it has been popular for thousands of years.

Hanging lanterns is an essential form for Shanxi people to celebrate the Lantern Festival. Lantern Festival is coming, and all kinds of lanterns are hung in every household. 14 to 16 are on every night. Seen from a distance, the buildings are decorated with colorful lanterns, making the whole city brilliant. All units are also scrambling to make all kinds of lanterns and hang them on the street for people to enjoy. There are countless styles of lanterns, including animals, zodiac, riddles and palace lanterns. There are drum lights, cake-moistening lights, fish and shrimp, chicken, duck and goose lights, orange, banana and pineapple lights, palace lights, wishful lights, silk lights, glass lights and lantern lights ... all kinds of colors. .

Setting off fireworks is the most gratifying activity of Shanxi Lantern Festival. Fireworks will be set off in the square on the night of Lantern Festival. At that time, the whole family would go out to see the beautiful fireworks. Fireworks will become more and more beautiful, bigger and bigger, with higher and higher technology content and more and more beautiful colors.

Literature and art stepping on the street can be called a folk culture makeup parade. Dress up stories, adorn jewelry, bells and drums are loud, and a country is crazy. (Qiao Ming Yuan's Min Shu). From 14 to 16, for three consecutive days, all counties and districts organized various cultural performances to come to our city, including folk art, modern art exhibition, traditional literature and art, ancient music, concerts and costume dramas, with countless patterns. Hold a large-scale light show. All units want to hold a large-scale colorful light show in the street. Some represent auspiciousness, some represent happiness, some represent ancient legends, and some are of educational significance.

Shandong Province

People in Zichuan District of Zibo will put more river lanterns on the water during the Lantern Festival. Ningyang County, Tai 'an City sends lanterns to ancestral graves during the Lantern Festival. Boxing County, Binzhou City, has the custom of having some lights. Boys carry lanterns, walk around the jujube tree six times and say "Du Lao Du Lao, blossom and bear jujube" six times, which can make the jujube tree harvest. Men, women and children in Ju (j incarnation) County of Rizhao City go for an outing in the wild on the 16th day of the first month, which is called "walking the old face". It is said that walking once a year can keep them young forever.

Henan Province

Eating wonton at the Lantern Festival in Xiangcheng County is called "reunion tea". The bride's family took her married daughter home for the holidays. During the Lantern Festival in the county, the old, the weak, the sick and the disabled all use fire to moxibustion stone turtles. If there is a river bridge in the area, cross it at the same speed. If there is no bridge, build an "overpass" with wooden boards several feet high, which is called "walking all diseases"

Shanxi(Province)

Fengxiang county fetes his daughter and son-in-law at the Lantern Festival, which is called "Eating Fifteen". And sending lights to send oil is called "adding oil".

Jiangsu Province

In Wujin County, people tied reeds into a wishing torch on the first day of the Yuan Dynasty and put it in the ground, which is called "Zhao Tian Cai" to predict the morning and evening. White fire is water, and Rise of the Legend is drought. On the Lantern Festival in Yixing, children wear ghost masks, bend their feet and jump around with their shoulders shaking, which is called "jumping ghosts".

Zhejiang Province

It is said in Hangzhou that the 15th day of the first month is the day when God blessed the people of Shangyuan. They went to Wu Shan to worship. The most famous Lantern Festival in Haining is the exquisite chrysanthemum lantern. Shangyu County will compete in martial arts on the platform before the Lantern Festival. In Jiande County, if someone has a new wife, a wine sacrifice bed will be set on the Lantern Festival.

Jiangxi province

People in Xinjian county sweep graves and use bamboo as lanterns during the Lantern Festival. Every town in wanan county worships Shenzhou on the Lantern Festival.

Hubei province

The old farmer in Yunmeng County (now Jianghan) took a torch to Pu Tian at midnight snack, which was called "taking a photo of a Jedi silkworm". Children greet God with drums and fields and predict the future. Wuchang's "dragon making" will last for three days. All the men, women and children in the village follow the dragon lantern to the neighboring village for dinner, which is called "Dragon for Wine".

Hunan province

In Shangyuan, Changde, families use peppers to make soup and add leeks and fruits to entertain guests, which is called "time soup". After swimming in the dragon lantern in Xintian County, the dragon lantern was lit, which is called "sending disaster".

Sichuan Province

Sichuan Lantern Festival has the custom of "four steals": "one steals jiaozi, the other steals green, the third steals eaves lamps and the fourth steals red." Except for stealing youth and strengthening the body, the rest are customs of seeking children. There is a custom of "cursing" in Kaixian County. On the Lantern Festival, people move the benches outdoors and scold all the grievances at ordinary times. Those who are scolded are not allowed to scold them back.

Fujian Province

Quanzhou lanterns are unique, including incense lanterns, origami lotus lanterns, silk palace lanterns and eight knots lanterns. Temples in Shaowu County welcome incense around the border at midnight snack, which is called "Clean Street". In southern Fujian, there is a custom that children in two villages throw stones at each other for fun during the Lantern Festival. It is said that there will be a plague in that village if stones are not thrown.

Guangdong Province

Last year, boys were born in Xin 'an County, and they all celebrated with lanterns at midnight. When Nanxiong lit the lamp, parents took down the dragon beard thread from the dragon lantern and tied it for the children. It is said that children can be protected from diseases. He still took the candle left in the dragon lantern and shone it under the bed. It is said that he can give birth to your son. When people steal midnight snacks in Wenchang county, it is a good omen for the thief to be scolded, and for those who can't steal, it is a good omen not to be scolded.

Yunnan Province

Yunlong county greeted the three gods before the Lantern Festival and set up a shed along the street to offer sacrifices. Burning incense on the bridge on the second day of the Maitreya Lantern Festival, throwing stones into the water, and then washing your eyes with water, it is said that you can get rid of the disease. Eating Lantern Festival is the same custom all over the country. This kind of food first appeared in the Song Dynasty. The poet Jiang Baishi wrote in the poem Ode to the Lantern Festival: "Guests look at the Imperial Street with a hook curtain, and the treasures in the city come at once." This "city treasure" refers to the Lantern Festival. Zhou Bida, a poet in the Song Dynasty, once wrote a poem "Boiling and Floating Zi Yuan in the Lantern Festival": What is the evening? So is reunion. Tang officials patrol the old flavor, and the kitchen service makes new contributions. Stars in dark clouds, beads floating in turbid water. 18-year-old miscellaneous poems, there is this sentence about family style.

Taiwan Province Province

In Taiwan Province Province, there is also a traditional custom that unmarried women who steal onions or vegetables at midnight will marry a good husband, commonly known as "stealing onions and marrying a good wife" and "stealing vegetables and marrying a good husband". I hope that a girl with a happy marriage will steal onions or vegetables in the garden at midnight snack, hoping to have a happy family in the future. There are hundreds of dances and performances in the Lantern Festival in the Tang Dynasty, and there are thousands of maids.