What are the customs of the Lantern Festival in Tianjin?

The Lantern Festival will be celebrated in a few days, and there will be many wonderful activities every year. In everyone's impression, it is a common custom to eat Yuanxiao and watch lanterns on the Lantern Festival. In Tianjin, in fact, in addition to these two customs, there are many customs of the Lantern Festival that are worth knowing.

Of course, we should eat Yuanxiao on the Lantern Festival. This custom was first seen in the Song Dynasty. People in the north call it Yuanxiao, and people in the south call it "Tangyuan", all for the sake of reunion, hoping that the whole family will be reunited and harmonious. The traditional practice of Yuanxiao is to make stuffing such as bean paste, sesame and hawthorn into a circle with glutinous rice flour, and wrap it in the north and south. It is sweet and delicious after cooking, and in recent years, it has innovated many new flavors such as calcium milk and fresh fruit. In the early morning of the Lantern Festival, Da Qiao Road Yuanxiao and Xihu Road Calcium Milk Tangyuan in Tianjin began to line up, giving gifts and tasting, which was very popular.

On the fifteenth day of the first month, lanterns are enjoyed, which is also commonly known as the "Lantern Festival". As the name implies, there is a custom of putting lanterns and enjoying lanterns on this day, which originated from Buddhist activities in the Han Dynasty and gradually became a traditional folk celebration after the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Children run around with lanterns, and the roadside lantern show is bright and beautiful. Many people will choose to set off Kongming lanterns to pray.

The lantern festival in Yangliuqing ancient town of Tianjin is grand in scale and attracts many citizens to watch it every year. During the day, you can visit Shi Jia Siheyuan and experience the folk customs of New Year pictures. At night, when the bright moon is in the sky, the streets are full of colorful lights. Each group of lanterns has a variety of shapes, or matches the theme of the zodiac, or shows the charm of old customs. The towering palace lanterns, the aura of big goldfish and the blooming cornucopia are used to set off fireworks and decorate the whole ancient town.

In the early years, there was a custom in Tianjin to send lanterns to my nephew on the fifteenth day of the first month. This is the meaning of the two-part allegorical saying "My nephew plays lanterns-take care of my uncle (old)". The shape of the lamp pays attention to sending "duck lamp" and homophonic "pawn" to express my uncle's good wishes to my nephew.

Solve riddles on the lanterns solve riddles on the lanterns is another important activity of the Lantern Festival. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were boxing guessing activities in China. Later, people wrote riddles on lanterns, which became "lantern riddles". Because it is entertaining and suitable for all ages, all regions will hold solve riddles on the lanterns activities on the Lantern Festival. Lantern riddles are all-encompassing, and people enthusiastically participate, adding joy and wisdom to this festival.

Steaming steamed buns for hedgehogs and mice In addition, the old Tianjin Wei people will steam hedgehogs and mice on the fifteenth day of the first month, and they will also skillfully make the pattern of "Hedgehog Carrying Yuanbao". The hedgehog's head will be moved to the house, which means that it will bring the ingot into the house, symbolizing the prosperity of wealth.

From the 16th day of the first month to the 16th day of the first month, everyone has to go out to "walk away from all diseases", which means walking to get rid of "all diseases". In the old society, it mainly means that women who don't go out often wear red cosmetics and fancy clothes to go shopping on this day, and some even touch their nails for their children. Later, with the liberation of women, this custom became a new concept and new way for everyone to keep fit.