New Year’s customs around the world

Food customs during the Spring Festival

In ancient agricultural societies, from about the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, housewives would be busy preparing food for the New Year. Because pickling cured meat takes a long time, it must be prepared as early as possible. Many provinces in my country have the custom of pickling cured meat, among which Guangdong Province’s cured meat is the most famous.

Steamed rice cake. Rice cake has become a must-have seasonal food for almost every household because of its homophonic pronunciation of "year high" and its varied tastes. The styles of rice cakes include square yellow and white rice cakes, which symbolize gold and silver, implying the meaning of getting rich in the new year, and also implying prosperity in the coming year.

The taste of rice cakes varies from place to place. Beijingers like to eat red date rice cake, mince rice cake and white rice cake made from glutinous rice or yellow rice. People in Hebei like to add jujube, red beans, mung beans, etc. to rice cakes and steam them together. In northern Shanxi and Inner Mongolia and other places, it is customary to eat fried rice cakes made with yellow rice flour during the Chinese New Year. Some are also filled with bean paste, date paste and other fillings. Shandong people steam rice cakes with yellow rice and red dates. Northern rice cakes are mainly sweet and can be steamed or fried. Some people even eat them dipped in sugar. The rice cakes in the south are both sweet and salty. For example, the rice cakes in Suzhou and Ningbo are made from japonica rice and have a light taste. In addition to steaming and frying, it can also be sliced ??and fried or cooked in soup. The sweet rice cake is made of glutinous rice flour with ingredients such as sugar, lard, rose, osmanthus, mint, and other ingredients. It is carefully made and can be steamed directly or dipped in egg white and fried.

The night before the real New Year's Eve is called Reunion Eve. People who are away from home have to travel thousands of miles to come home. The whole family will sit together to eat New Year's Eve dinner and make dumplings. How to make dumplings The dough is first made into dumpling wrappers, and then the wrappers are used to wrap the fillings. The fillings can be varied, including various meats, eggs, seafood, seasonal vegetables, etc. The orthodox way to eat dumplings is to boil them in water and scoop them out. Then eat it with soy sauce mixed with vinegar, minced garlic and sesame oil. There are also ways to eat fried dumplings and baked dumplings (pot stickers). Because the word "和" in noodles means "合"; the characters "dumpling" and "Jiao" in dumplings are homophones, and "合" and "Jiao" also mean getting together, so dumplings are used to symbolize reunion and joy; and they are also used to symbolize reunion. The meaning of Jiaozi is very auspicious; in addition, because dumplings resemble ingots in shape, eating dumplings during the Chinese New Year also has the auspicious meaning of "bringing in wealth and treasure". The whole family gathers together to make dumplings, talk about the New Year, and have fun.

There are many customs during the Spring Festival. Because it is said that the Nian beast is afraid of the color red, fire and noise, people have customs such as posting Spring Festival couplets, setting off firecrackers, and beating gongs and drums. The customs of different periods, different regions and different ethnic groups are different.

Red lanterns to hang on Laba Festival during the New Year: The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is the Laba Festival, a traditional festival of the Han people, as a signal that the "New Year" is coming. Traditionally, on this day, people eat Laba porridge and make Laba garlic.

Sacrificing sacrifices to the Stove means sending the Stove Lord to heaven in the New Year.

Worship the gods, send gifts to the gods, burn incense, burn candles, and hang lanterns.

Worship the ancestors and visit the graves.

Use pomelo leaves for bathing.

General cleaning. It is usually held on the 28th day of the new year, that is, 2 to 3 days before the new year. On this day, the home should be cleaned to welcome the Spring Festival. As the saying goes in Guangdong, "On the twenty-eighth year, wash away the sloppiness."

Paste Hui Chun, Spring Festival couplets, New Year pictures, and some rural areas even post window grilles.

Pasting the word "福" upside down: Children who have just learned to read will say "福 is down", adults will say "no", and children will stubbornly say "福! 福 is down". This means that The blessing has arrived, it is very auspicious.

It is said that if the children stay up until the end of the year, their parents will live longer.

In some places, there is a custom of selling laziness, that is, "selling laziness". For example, putting dough on a chair and asking children to sit on it and stick their buttocks to it symbolizes that they will not leave their seats while reading.

Set off firecrackers (crackers).

Set off fireworks.

Wish each other happy New Year. Some traditions in South China are that the younger generations go to their elders to pay New Year greetings, usually back to the groom's family. On the second day of the Lunar New Year, I go back to my daughter's house to pay New Year's greetings. On the third day of the Lunar New Year, I usually don't go out to pay New Year's greetings. Because my mouth is bare, I hope to avoid quarrels with others. If there are relatives and friends who have not yet visited each other, they will continue to visit each other on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year.

Hand out red envelopes (lucky money).

Walking on stilts.

Buy New Year flowers.

Play gongs and drums.

Family reunion. People who study and work away from home have to go home to reunite with their parents and celebrate the New Year together. See also Spring Festival travel, fear of returning home

It is a Hong Kong custom not to pay New Year greetings on the third day of the Lunar New Year. The third day of the Lunar New Year is also known as the red mouth. Traditionally, people try not to visit other people's homes to pay New Year greetings to avoid quarrels. In Hong Kong, many believers go to the Che Kung Temple in Shatin to pray for blessings and spin the windmill, which symbolizes good luck and wishes for good luck in the new year and safety for all ages.

Don’t buy shoes. A folk custom in Guangdong states that you should not buy shoes in the first month of the lunar calendar (because the sound of "shoes" is similar to the Cantonese word "ai"). Blessings. During the Spring Festival, people always say congratulations when they meet. For example: Congratulations on getting rich, having more than enough every year, being safe every year, getting promoted step by step, and having good luck.

Don’t use the knife. In some rural areas and cities in mainland China, there is a custom of not using a knife or scissors from the first to the third day of the Lunar New Year.

No bathing, no cleaning. According to some traditions, you are not allowed to bathe or wash your hair or clean your hair on the first day of the new year to avoid washing away or sweeping away luck. Get rid of the old and welcome the new. Buy some new clothes.

We welcome the God of Wealth on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. Legend has it that the God of Wealth will come down to earth to bring blessings on this day.

This activity is very popular in southern China. Since the 1990s, the fireworks and firecrackers set off in some big cities in the early morning of the fifth day of the lunar month have become as large as those on New Year's Eve.

Mainland China

In the northern region, it is traditional to make good dumpling noodles and cut the dumpling fillings on New Year’s Eve in preparation for making dumplings on the first day of the new year, because it is not allowed to use the knife on the first day of the new year. Since the 1980s, watching China Central Television’s Spring Festival Gala on New Year’s Eve has become a tradition for many families. Due to the decline in the quality of its programs and the increase in other entertainment programs, many families now go to restaurants to celebrate the New Year.

First grade of junior high school: Make dumplings in the morning. Traditionally in Beijing (basically a tradition in the northern region), the elderly do not go out on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Relatives, friends, and colleagues pay New Year greetings to each other. In the Yangtze River Basin, there is a custom of eating glutinous rice balls for breakfast on the first day of the new year, which means reunion and sweetness.

On the second day of the lunar month: To worship the God of Wealth, drink "Yuanbao Soup" (wontons). It is a common custom in the north to go back to your parents’ home for New Year’s greetings and reunions.

The third day of the lunar month: Ancestor worship. Generally, married women whose parents have passed away will go back to their parents’ home to worship their ancestors and pay New Year greetings on this day. Different from "going to the graves" during the Qingming Festival, ancestor worship only involves worshiping the ancestral tablets. But in rural areas such as Hebei, it is also necessary to visit graves on this day. Generally, snacks, wine and other sacrifices are brought to the deceased ancestors for sacrifice, and firecrackers are set off to let the ancestors "celebrate the New Year". Generally, only children are allowed to visit the graves, and people with foreign surnames who marry into the family are not allowed to participate in ancestor worship.

The fourth day of the lunar month: Generally, newly married women or married women whose parents are still alive will return to their parents’ homes to pay New Year greetings on this day.

The fifth day of the lunar month: A poor day. In northern China, there is usually no one on this day. Go out to pay New Year greetings, because this day is the "Gangster Day". Generally, from the Spring Festival until this day, you can sweep out the garbage at home, and then set off firecrackers to celebrate; there is a couplet that "kicks out the poor ghosts with one kick, and welcomes the God of Wealth with both hands." This is a description of this custom. Generally only some young people will hold gatherings of friends or classmates on this day. Also known as "Po Wu", it means making dumplings to eat at home.

The sixth day of the lunar month: the market opens

The seventh day of the lunar month: The Festival of Extraordinary People

The eighth day of the lunar month: Sacrifice to the stars. Nowadays, various temple fair activities in Beijing usually start on the first day of the lunar month and end on the seventh or eighth day of the lunar month.

Hong Kong

There is a "color floating" activity in rural areas.

Before the first day of the Lunar New Year: Go to flower markets and New Year markets in various districts to buy New Year flowers or New Year items.

The twenty-eighth year: general cleaning.

New Year’s Eve: Have a reunion dinner and go to the temple to burn incense.

First grade of junior high school: Burning incense at the temple, float parade, Lunar New Year Cup football preliminary round, fireworks show

Second grade of junior high school: New Year fireworks display in Victoria Harbor

< p>The third day of the lunar month: Lunar New Year horse racing, praying at Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin

The fourth day of the lunar month: Lunar New Year Cup football match (final)

The fifteenth day of the lunar month: Lantern Festival, many parks will have hangings Lanterns, lantern riddles and other activities attracted many people to visit. They also eat soup balls to symbolize reunion.

Other activities: Visit and pray for blessings at the Wishing Tree in Lam Tsuen, Tai Po; pray for blessings at Che Kung Temple; pray for blessings at Wong Tai Sin Temple; pray to the Tai Sui and see New Year flowers at Yuen Yuen College. (Usually on the third day of the lunar month)

As for New Year greetings, except for the fact that the third day of the lunar month is "red-mouthed" and traditionally means that quarrels are prone to quarrels, it is usually done between the first to the fifth day of the lunar month. In addition, if the Lunar New Year holiday On Sunday, Christian and Catholic churches will hold religious activities in the auditorium.

Regarding the Spring Festival, there is still such a folk custom in mainland China (north): starting from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, sugar melons are sticky on the 23rd day; the house is cleaned on the 24th day; and tofu is grinded on the 25th day. ; Twenty-six to cut the meat; twenty-seven to kill a chicken; twenty-eight to make the noodles; twenty-nine to steam the steamed buns; and stay up all night on New Year's Eve.

New Year

Revolutionary Spring Festival

During the Cultural Revolution, the Beijing government asked the masses to "change their customs" and "live a revolutionary and militant Spring Festival." During the Spring Festival, we must grasp the revolution and promote production. We will work hard until the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, and we will not rest on New Year's Eve. We will eat a meal to remember hardships on New Year's Eve and go to work on the morning of the first day of the lunar month.

Customs of ethnic minorities

When friends of the Bai ethnic group in Yunnan celebrate the New Year, they will hold a celebration called "Gaosheng", which is to put gunpowder into the joints of the whole big bamboo tree and light it. In the future, the entire bamboo can be collapsed dozens of feet into the air. In some areas, "Hydrangea throwing" activities are also carried out. The Oroqen people in the Northeast, on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, pour wine to each other in the family according to their seniority, the younger ones kowtow to the elders, and the older generations greet each other. Horse racing activities are held on the second and third grade of junior high school. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the whole family enjoys delicious food together. On the morning of the 16th day of the first lunar month, Oroqen people will engage in activities to discredit each other. The younger generation must kowtow before putting their elders in a bad light.

Taiwan

Winter Solstice: An old custom in Taiwan. The winter solstice has begun to have a festive atmosphere. Worshiping ancestors on that day is called winter worship. Some clan organizations will also gather for dinner on that day. On that day, ancestral tablets can be opened and cleaned, so many families also use this day to inspect the gods and copy the information as the basis for their genealogy. Weihuan: commonly written as "Weiya", it is held to worship the Earth God on the 16th day of the twelfth lunar month. Companies and businesses use this occasion to gather for dinner to reward their employees for their hard work. In the early days of Weiya dinner parties, it was customary to avoid chicken heads to avoid any hint of expulsion. In recent years, major Taiwanese companies have hired film and television singers to perform at their last-minute dinner parties, as well as offering high bonuses and stock lottery draws, which have become the focus of Taiwanese media.

Farewell to the gods: On the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, sacrifices are made to the gods early in the morning. Paper clouds and horses are burned to serve as the gods’ mounts. They return to heaven to celebrate the New Year. Sweet fruit soup is prepared as usual.

After sending off the gods, you can clean the hall of gods, clean up the gods' tables, statues, ancestral tablets, incense burners, remove the old door gods, and prepare to replace them with new ones. The incense ashes in the incense burner must be filtered again on the same day, and the door gods will burn them when the gods burn the gold paper. There is an old legend in Taiwan that after sending off the gods, the gods will come down to earth on the 25th to take over the duties of the gods, so you should not expose your naked clothes on that day.

New Year’s Eve: According to the size of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, it is called the 29th or 30th day in Taiwanese. A few days before the New Year, every family begins to steam rice cakes. The rice cakes can be divided into sweet and salty, called sweet cakes and salty cakes. Sweet rice cakes are made from glutinous rice, and red beans are also added. As the saying goes, "Eating sweet cakes makes it easier to celebrate the New Year." Salty rice cakes are made from rice cakes. If there was a funeral in the family in the previous year, the rice cakes will not be made, but will be made by relatives and friends. Gifts from neighbors and friends. Usually Taiwanese people change the Spring Festival couplets and door gods on New Year's Eve or the day or two before. With the evolution of the times, there are also people who do not post Spring Festival couplets but only post congratulations such as "Congratulations on the New Year", "Congratulations on getting rich", "Congratulations on the Spring Festival" and so on. Paper person. On New Year's Eve, it is necessary to worship the foundation master, also known as "worshiping the door", and then worship the gods and ancestors. After worshiping the gods, spring flowers will be affixed to the statues of the gods; after worshiping the ancestors, a steamed cake and rice will be placed, and red flowers made of paper will be inserted, which is called "rice spring boy". That night, we gathered around the fire and ate perennial vegetables. The so-called perennial vegetables are usually spinach with roots, and mustard greens are also used. It is still customary that a year's debt in an agricultural society must be paid off before New Year's Eve. Therefore, in Taiwanese proverbs, people who are often in trouble are called "twenty-nine dims every day."

The first day of the Lunar New Year: Going out to pay New Year greetings is called "going to spring". Generally speaking, the direction of travel and the opening and closing times are determined according to the farmer's calendar. On that day, Taiwanese people usually go to temples and Buddhist temples to burn incense and pray for good luck in the new year.

The second day of the Lunar New Year: It is the day to return to her natal family. It is still customary. Before the second day of the Lunar New Year, a married woman is not allowed to return to her natal family. It is said that she will share the blessings of her natal family. However, with the progress of the times, Taiwanese women's groups have worked hard in recent years to promote the new concept of daughters going home to celebrate the New Year.

The third day of the lunar month: The day when a mouse marries a wife. It is customary to go to bed early that day.

The fourth day of the Lunar New Year: The day to receive the gods is usually chosen near the evening. There is a saying that "it is early to send the gods off and it is late to receive the gods". After receiving the gods, if the zodiac sign of that year conflicts with Tai Sui, a Tai Sui talisman will be installed. Nowadays, many temples in Taiwan also have Tai Sui halls to enshrine the yearly stars for believers to register and offer sacrifices.

The fifth day of the Lunar New Year: The market opens and all walks of life are open for business.

The ninth day of the lunar month: Legend has it that it is the Taoist Jade Emperor's Christmas, known as "Tiangongsheng". In the early morning or after midnight on the eighth day of the lunar month, each family begins to offer sacrifices, and throughout the night, firecrackers sound continuously from all over the country.

Fifteenth: Lantern Festival. It has become a fashion for Taiwan to hold a tourist lantern show during the Lantern Festival. Every year, giant main lanterns are made according to the zodiac, which becomes the focus. There are also activities in various places such as Taipei County's Pingxi sky lantern release, Yehliu Prince's Harbor Washing Ceremony, Miaoli City's Miaoli Dragon Jump, Taitung City's Explosion of Xuan Tan Ye (explosion of Han Shan Ye), Tainan County's Saltwater Bee Cannon, and other activities.

Taiwanese New Year's Day Rhyme:

"The first day of the lunar month is early, the second day of the lunar month is early, the third day of the lunar month is sleepy and full, the fourth day of the lunar month is connected to the gods, the fifth day of the lunar month is separated, the sixth day of the lunar month is full of fat, and the first day of the lunar month is full. Seventy-seven yuan, the eighth day is complete, the ninth day is the day when the public is born, the tenth day is full of food, the eleventh day invites a son-in-law, the twelfth day a certain person comes to worship, the thirteenth day is rice with mustard greens, the fourteenth day is a lampshade, the fifteenth day "Shangyuan Ming"

Malaysia, Singapore

Before the first day of the Lunar New Year: Buy New Year items, commonly known as "New Year shopping".

New Year’s Eve: Have a reunion dinner.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year: Go to the temple to burn incense and go out to pay New Year greetings.

The second day of the Lunar New Year: the day when you go out to pay New Year greetings and return to your parents’ home.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year: Usually we don’t go out to pay New Year greetings, because we are “red-mouthed”, so we hope to avoid quarrels with others. If there are relatives and friends who have not yet visited each other, they will continue to visit each other on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year.

The ninth day of the lunar month: Tiangong is born. In the early morning of that day or after midnight on the eighth day of the lunar month, each family begins to offer sacrifices.

Fifteenth day: Lantern Festival. The Lantern Festival in Singapore and Malaysia is also known as the "Chinese Valentine's Day" like the Chinese Valentine's Day, and the celebration methods are also different: unmarried women will go to the river to throw oranges to pray for marriage (men will throw bananas), and generally there is no lantern or reward. Lamps and other customs.