Hakka customs are the widely popular and often repeated behaviors of a nation in production, dress, food, housing, marriage, funeral, festivals, entertainment, etiquette, beliefs and other aspects of material and cultural life. This way of behavior is people's conscious preferences, customs, habits and taboos, which are popular among the people and consciously inherited by the public. Han culture has a long history, customs have a long history, has been up and down 5000 years of continuous history. This historical advantage, which is incomparable to any other nation in the world, makes Han customs, no matter which kind or category, extraordinarily rich and fascinating.
Hakka Water Dragon - Western Hakka Luodai Ancient Town
The customs of the Hakka are cohesive. How did the Hakka coalesce as a Han ethnic group? The reasons are certainly many, but Hakka customs have cohesion is undoubtedly an important reason. Although the Hakka customs are colorful, ever-changing, with obvious regionality, but the basic connotation of Hakka customs have consistency or homogeneity. For example, the Dragon Boat Festival to eat zongzi, Mid-Autumn Festival to eat moon cakes, Lantern Festival to eat dumplings, which is no matter which province, which region, whether in the mainland, or in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan Hakka people, and even overseas, Hakka people in the Western countries surrounded by descendants, are no exception.
Production customs
Laibin Liangjiang Hakka people, every year on the fifteenth day of the first month of the people to visit friends and relatives, will hold a grand family feast, the old and young family and the division of the stove of the brotherhood reunion, by the older, more experienced members of the family, according to the situation of the past year and the next year to analyze, estimate, and make the year's production arrangements, and younger members of the family to supplement the side. Then they concentrate on turning the ground, harrowing, and planting corn, and after these tasks are completed, the busy spring plowing season is ushered in. On the day of "February Zao" (the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar), when the sky turns white, people (mainly women) scramble to carry candles, incense, meat dishes and glutinous rice to pay homage to "Zao Wang," praying that the gods will bless the coming year with good weather and a good harvest. Afterwards, sugar cane is planted and rice seeds are sown. After the rice seedlings have grown to their full size, spring plowing is carried out as a matter of urgency. Since spring plowing is heavy and stressful, people mostly help each other to complete the planting of the rice fields. Management work is a matter for each individual. When the crops are about to mature, the elderly usually decide when to harvest, and children are not allowed to say anything. At the time of summer harvest, all kinds of livestock and poultry have grown up, and the ponds can be fished, so the Hakka people joyfully set up a table with the most sumptuous meals, and then they have to "wash their eyes once (meaning chewing and eating)". After the midwinter, people were busy with fall planting and harvesting, and then concentrated on selling some of the crops they planted and raising pigs, ducks, geese and fish for market.
Life customs
Guangxi's Hakka people in the life of the custom to maintain the thrift and frugality, living in a gathering. Hakka people in Laibin still have two thin and one dry, porridge in the morning and at noon, and dinner at night. The staple food, rice and rice porridge, is cooked by women in the morning, cooled and put into the cupboard, and the porridge is eaten during the day and the rice is eaten at night. Rice is made by pouring out the rice soup and then dry simmering it. They do not like to eat rotten rice, so they use this method of cooking rice. When eating porridge, they like to mix it with cooked salt. Their side dishes are pork and all kinds of vegetables, not regularly eat beef and other meats. Generally, pork is sliced, boiled in water, fried and dried, and put into the condiments to be ready. Vegetables are stir-fried in oil and then put into a bowl with ingredients. The Hakka people's condiments are nothing more than ginger, garlic, green onion, sauce, five-spice powder and monosodium glutamate. Their traditional famous dishes are buckled pork, white chopped chicken, vinegar spare ribs, vinegar sausage, and stir-fried duck with vinegar sauce. The flavorful food is winter rice candy, sour beans and chili peppers, which are sun-dried to a semi-dry degree, put into the sour altar, and can be opened and eaten with fresh yellow. On the second and fifteenth day of the first month, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Hakka people have to wrap the dumplings, there are meat dumplings, green bean flour dumplings, etc., for the dumplings with the stuffing are used beforehand with star anise powder, pepper, soy sauce, salt system. The leaves are used to wrap the dumplings. The second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, Ching Ming, are cooked glutinous rice, put sugar, and then use the leaves dyed into different colors, sweet and delicious. Winter Solstice. All have to eat boiled buns made of glutinous rice flour and meat filling. They do not have the habit of drinking boiled water, thirsty, more porridge water, rice soup instead of drinking tea is rare, drinking alcohol is mostly home brewed rice wine.
The houses of the Hakka people in Laibin are all tiled, and the traditional houses are bungalows. The halls are divided into the upper hall and the lower hall, with a patio in the center, and behind the upper hall is a storeroom, where the Baxian table is set up in the upper hall, and the mirrors are hung, and above the mirrors are the ancestors' tablets. Eating in the lower hall, winter fire in the lower hall. On both sides of the upper hall is a large bedroom for the elderly and married couples, the lower hall side of the small bedroom for unmarried young people to use, the other side of the kitchen, pig and cattle pens are on the left and right sides of the house. According to traditional rules, the old house is mostly reserved for the eldest son.
Family customs
Since the Hakka people live in clusters, there are some activities according to the clan house, and there are often a number of clan houses in a family name. The entire family name, traditionally have unwritten family rules. Where there is damage to the reputation of the family name of the major events, by the whole family name out of people to discuss the solution. If there is a fight with a foreign family name, each family out of people to go to solve the problem, the purpose is to prevent the loss. Generally speaking, Hakka people do not take action without authorization; if there is any reason, they will argue with each other according to reason; if there is no reason, they will solve the problem in harmony; if anyone dares to offend the rules of the clan, he or she is bound to be isolated by the clansmen. Whenever a pig is slaughtered, the Hakka people have to hold a banquet to entertain the clan members. Small villages invite one person from each family, while large villages invite the prestigious old men and brothers of the clan houses. Once someone in the family goes to a junior college or university, or joins the army or goes out to work, the Hakka people will host a banquet for the clan brothers who come to congratulate them. In order to maintain the unity of the clan house, after the woman passes the house, usually the third and fourth generations are in the same family, if there are younger siblings below the man. The bride and groom must live with the old man for a period of time before they can be separated. Even if they do not live in the same house with the old man, they must assume the obligation to support the old man and raise their younger siblings. Otherwise, they are regarded as rebellious sons. After the separation of the stove, whenever there is a good wine and good food, you have to call the old man to eat with the old man or hold a dish to the old man.
Because of the importance of the family, so the old man is highly respected. The Hakka people's customary rules, when eating, the old man seat facing the door, to show respect, the adults next, sitting on both sides, the children can only sit on the side of the old man's seat. If there are too many people in the family, the men sit at one table and the women sit at another. When eating, children should take the initiative to help the elderly to hold the food, children to help the elderly to add food, to receive the bowl, handing the bowl must be served with both hands. When the old man is talking, the children can't just interrupt or clamor around. The first thing that you need to do is to get your hands dirty.
In family customs, the birth of a child is extremely important. When a child is born to a Hakka family in Laibin, the grandmother, sister-in-law, brother-in-law and married women will bring eggs in a bamboo container to the new mother's home for the "three days". Half a month later, Grandma invited more women to bring sweet wine, eggs, rice, hens, and backpacks to her nephew's house for the "half-moon," commonly known as "ginger wine," which was the most festive banquet. After the child is one month old, the grandmother invited women to give nephews (or nieces) to do "full moon". Hakka people generally do not do the weekly.
Marriage customs
Lai Bin Hakka people choose their spouses, most of the parents, the matchmaker pull the strings, the wedding generally have a matchmaking, sit down to talk, the eight characters, betrothal, marriage, three Chao several links.
Matchmakers look at the two age, talent matching young men and women have not yet married, take the initiative to go to the door to matchmaking, or home to be married or to be married to the young people, their parents will also be seeking matchmakers for a good thing. Men and women meet, pouring out their hearts to each other, in the old man agreed that appropriate, open the "Eight Characteristics", by the man to the fortune-teller according to the heavenly stem and earthly branches and other pinch counting, if the man's life is gold or water, the woman is water or gold, it is considered to be more appropriate to get married. Once the "eight" suitable, both the elderly agreed, men and women agreed, the marriage is hopeful. Then the man put down the bride price, commonly known as "foreign money", how much agreed by both sides. Under the bride price is considered to be engaged, and then go to the government to do the marriage license. When the man is ready, tell the woman the time of the wedding, and the woman will have to start preparing the dowry. The night before the wedding, the bridegroom, accompanied by his chaperone, delivers meat, wine, water and sugar to the woman, and the bridegroom returns to his home. The next day, the groom, accompanied by the groom to marry the bride, and bring a large number of packets, to the bride's parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, and even the kitchen cooking, chopping meat also have a share. The bride's brother and sister-in-law also have to give the groom a package and new shoes. Two more girls are selected from the male family to take rice ears, scissors, mirrors and roosters to the female family, who will entertain them. Like the local Zhuang people, the woman's family has to hang the colors for the accompanying groom and the girl from the man's family and carry out the dowry. The morning of the wedding day, the bride stood under the rice bucket to the ancestors resignation, and then, wearing black clothes, black pants, black shoes, bundled red head rope, black umbrella, covered with a white towel, back by the sister-in-law out of the door, to the groom's home on foot or by car. After going to the man's house to pay homage, the bride has to go back to her mother's house that night, and only on the third day, accompanied by her mother, aunt, uncle, sister-in-law, etc., she carries piglets and chicks to the man's house to show that she prepares the capital for the newlyweds' life.
Festivals
The traditional festivals of the Hakka people are the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Ching Ming Festival, June 6 Festival, Mid-Yuan Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Winter Solstice Festival and Zao Wang Festival. The Spring Festival is a big festival, rich in New Year's goods, mostly preserved meat, wrapped dumplings, fried peanuts and so on. The first day of the first month can not kill, and to light the lamp, say auspicious words, generally to go back to their own home to eat; the second party can be open to drink, but also the Spring Festival period back to his mother's home. The most important entertainment of the Spring Festival is the lion dance to pay homage to the New Year. During the Ching Ming Festival, Hakka people like to wrap zongzi and have a feast again. "February Zao", cooking glutinous rice and killing chickens to worship Zao Wang, to pray for a good harvest and a smooth year. March Ching Ming is the traditional tomb-sweeping festival, cooking sweet glutinous rice, prepare wine and vegetables, touring the ancestral tombs, Hakka people and casually add once more dishes, is also considered a festival. Dragon Boat Festival, wrapping dumplings. June 6, prepare wine and vegetables. Mid-Yuan Festival, is the second largest festival in a year, killing chickens, ducks and fish, daughters, sons-in-law and all relatives should return to visit the elderly, lively. Mid-Autumn Festival, prepare fruits and mooncakes to enjoy the moon. At the Chung Yeung Festival, they go out to climb the mountain. On the winter solstice, we eat a kind of boiled bun which is bigger than dumplings, wrapped with glutinous rice flour and filled with fish, pork and diced radish. The day of sending Zao Wang, i.e. December 23 (lunar calendar), is also a festival. On New Year's Eve, the Hakka family stops working, sets a year's harvest of all kinds, and grandly eats a reunion meal, and family members working outside the home are rushed back for a reunion.
Beliefs and customs
The Hakka people's protective deity is "Zao Wang" - the God of the Land. The God of the Land is located at the entrance of the village, next to a large banyan tree. Every first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the fifteenth day of the first month, the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, the eighth day of the fourth month, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Day of the Middle Era, Hakka people go to sacrifice to the God of the Land, set up a pig's head, a chicken, a fish (cooked), three bowls of rice, three pairs of chopsticks, and three cups of wine, light incense and candles, and sit on the floor and kneel down to pray for the God of the Land to bless the whole family with peace of mind and a good harvest, as well as other requests. The offerings are placed in the following positions: incense is closest to the God, wine and rice are next, meat and vegetables are farthest away, and candles are on both sides. In addition, whoever has a new family member or goes out to study and work, they also have to offer sacrifices to the God of Land.
Fubo Temple, adult temple, female temple, is the Hakka people every year to worship, even if the "Cultural Revolution" period, had three orders strictly prohibit superstitious activities, Hakka people still secretly worship. Fubo Temple, that is, to commemorate the Han Dynasty general Ma Yan south and built the temple, the temple fair time is the sixth day of the first month. Adult Temple is to commemorate the Qing Dynasty Prime Minister (university professor) Chen Hongmou for the people of Guangxi, exempted from paying money and grain and built, the temple fair time is the first month of the nineteenth. Female Temple is a temple built in honor of Liu Sanjie, the temple site is in a cave, the temple fair is held on the 29th day of the first month.
The Hakka ancestor worship is a major event. During the March Ching Ming, the whole family name is bustling with activity, jointly going to the ancestral tomb to engage in ancestor worship activities. Hakka family names within Liangjiang Township, every year at Ching Ming, will concentrate on ancestor worship in Binyang, usually sending one person from each family to participate in the scene. At every festival or the end of the year, Hakka people offer their ancestors with meat dishes before eating. In the first month, the offerings must be set up until the fifteenth day of the month before they can be removed. The offerings in the first month of the year are mostly rice dumplings, pig's head meat (whole pieces), and rice flower candies.
The Hakka people used to gather at the ancestral hall before the spring plowing, after the summer harvest, and after the fall harvest to listen to the more educated people explaining the family tree and renewing the genealogy, and also to discuss major issues that needed to be resolved within the family name, such as disputes with outsiders, construction, production, etc. The Hakka people also used to gather at the ancestral hall after the fall harvest to discuss the family history of the Hakka people.
Marriage customs
Huizhou folk traditional wedding rituals, based on the feudal rites and customs, most of them seem to be red tape, labor, can be said to be quite a lot of ugly
Hakka fire baking mother wine
Customs. The Confucian classic "Rites of Passage? The "faint instrument" said: "Fu right, began with the crown, this is in the twilight (marriage), heavy in the funeral sacrifice, dedicated to the Chaojiao, and in the shooting townships. This is the main body of the rite. The ...... fainting (marriage) rites, the rites of this also." It can be seen that Confucianism attaches great importance to marriage rites and customs. Chinese traditional culture has always attached importance to Confucianism, under the influence of this idea, the formation of a colorful, rituals quite a lot of wedding culture. Huizhou's traditional wedding customs, is largely a specific expression of traditional Chinese culture in a place.
Several forms of marriage in feudal society, such as "arranged marriage", "marriage by sale", "marriage by hire", "marriage by finger", "marriage by child", "marriage by child", "marriage by child", "marriage by child", "marriage by child", "marriage by child", "marriage by child", "marriage by child", "marriage by child" and "marriage by child". ", "child bride marriage", "deserted marriage", "lookout marriage", "power marriage "and so on, Huizhou have it. One of the marriage is especially prevalent, bride price, bride price is indispensable, in today's Huizhou is still visible in its legacy.
Hire marriage in Huizhou has a long history. Guangxu "Huizhou Prefecture," said: "Marriage, the common betel nut for hire, to more expensive ...... its bride price trousseau is said to be the family's abundance of about the". "commonly used betel nut for hire" in the betel nut, the old Chinese medicine store is sold, in the bride price, it has a symbolic meaning, and the real bride price tradition is based on silver money, edible things. "The government" said the bride price "said that the family's abundance of about it", in fact, that is the beginning of the "about", the number of bride price is also comparable to the considerable.
Huizhou traditional marriage rituals are very complicated, from the beginning of the matchmaker to propose marriage, to the final three dynasties back to the door of the custom, during which the experience of divining the auspicious, over the rituals set, report the day, over the ceremony and other pre-wedding rites and laying of the room, welcome, worship, lagging brides, and other grand marriage ceremonies.
Huizhou folk complicated wedding customs, is by the feudal wedding etiquette of the "six rituals" evolved. The "six rites" originated in the Zhou Dynasty. The Records of Rites" recorded that the marriage program should be followed at that time for the "Nacai" (matchmaker proposes marriage), "ask the name", "Naji" (male divination, the female side of the formal recognition of marriage), "Naji" (the man's divination, the woman's formal recognition of marriage), "Naji" (under the gift of the booking), "please period" (the agreed-upon date of the wedding), "pro welcome" (to welcome the bride). These six links are the so-called "six rites", which are the earliest marriage rituals in feudalism. For more than 2,000 years, the six rituals have changed, but they are still the same, and are still seen in wedding ceremonies around the world today.
The traditional marriage rites in Huizhou are carried out according to the following programs.
Proposal of marriage
Huizhou traditional marriage marriage, the first for the proposal of marriage. Generally, the male family to invite the matchmaker to the female family. The marriage proposal is a variation of the six rites of passage. The Rites of Passage? Shihwangli" recorded that: "the evening (wedding) rituals down to, Nacai using geese." That is to say, before the Qin and Han dynasties, the marriage proposal is generally to carry live geese as a gift. This is to follow the meaning of yin and yang exchanges. After the Qin and Han dynasties, the gifts were made of cakes and goats, hopscotch, jiahe, glue and lacquer, etc., which later developed into more than 30 kinds of gifts, which generally symbolized the firm and harmonious relationship between the husband and the wife. Huizhou traditional wedding ceremony in the wedding gift is mostly live chickens or flower cloth trousseau type of objects. This kind of chicken, folk called "bring the road chicken", meaning good luck.
In the marriage proposal, the matchmaker is entrusted by the male family, with three inches of tongue through the female family. Because Huizhou used to be mostly female, it is customary to call them matchmakers.
Matchmakers have existed in China since ancient times, and there is a verse in the Book of Songs that says, "I'm not sure if I'm going to have a good matchmaker, but I don't know if I'm going to have one. Huizhou traditional wedding ceremony in the matchmaker is generally divided into professional and non-professional two kinds of professional matchmakers to make a living as a matchmaker, profit-oriented, so do not hesitate to shake lips and drums, telling lies, telling lies, exaggerating each other's family on the superior conditions of the individual, concealing the other side of the family and its lack of aspects, often set up a number of aberrant marriages. Because of this, in people's minds, matchmakers often give a kind of "coaxing God to cheat the ghosts, seeking money," the ugly image.
Over the big gift
The pre-wedding rites of the most grand and most important than the eve of the pro-welcome "over the big gift". In the traditional marriage, the two families mutually agreed on the bride price, bride price, dowry in this day to fulfill. This day the male family will be pre-prepared for a variety of bride price filled with food grids, boxes and baskets, stick red insert cypress, or pick or carry, by the male family aunts and sisters-in-law sent to the female family in great numbers. The man in the "over the gift" in the whole pig and sheep is often sent, so the ballad has "line pig over the gift" of the lyrics. Cake is also a must-have, Huizhou custom is to prepare "big cake", cake types up to more than a dozen kinds, according to the conditions of each family and the degree of elaborate pandering to prepare a kind of cake to several kinds of cake ranging from, however, more than ten kinds of cake all ready not uncommon. In addition, there are also roast pork, chicken, goose, duck, fish, and rice cakes.
When the woman's family receives the gifts from the man's family, she immediately sends the dowry to the man's family, which was originally scheduled. The dowry in the traditional Huizhou wedding custom is mainly for daily necessities, the more common ones are clothes, quilts, pillows, mats, tents and so on, and there are also furniture such as closets, dressing tables, leather boxes, and bazhongtai. Now the dowry in addition to the main bedding indispensable, often also see sewing machines, refrigerators, televisions, rice cookers and so on.
"Over the gift" is generally in the day before the wedding, the festive atmosphere is very strong, those who send gifts to the sister-in-laws, generally dressed in full dress, up and down the tufts of new, powdered and anointed with oil, waving through the city. Huizhou custom, the gift of the team picked a lot of people walking along the road to tell the happy event along the way.
Taking the bride
Taking the bride is the traditional "six rites" in the "kissing". The bridegrooming is the end of the "six rites" and the culmination of the "six rites". The modern wedding or the ancient wedding ceremony is to receive the bride ceremony as a symbol.
Anciently known as the wedding ceremony, generally including the room or warm room, welcome, back to the door of the three links, the time lasts three days. On the first day, the bride's room is paved or warmed, on the second day, she is welcomed, and on the third day, she returns to the door. Customs in Huizhou are not the same, the wedding basically refers to the two links of the bride welcome and lagging, as for the bride (also known as the bride), it mainly includes the laying of the room, sedan chair to welcome the bride, salt and rice, across the fire, step on the concave bar and other major customs.
Pave the room
Pave the room is an old custom that continues to this day. It is a custom that after a woman sends her dowry to the man's family, the sisters and aunts of the woman's family help to set up the new house. According to Huizhou custom, paved room pay attention to two points, one is set up the bed, cabinets, dressers and so on to pay attention to the orientation, feng shui, to pay attention to the closet mirror can not be to the bed. Huizhou custom, mirror and demon synonymous, and demon mirror to the bed, is clearly inauspicious. The second is to lay the room of the person to "good life", the folk believe that the main standard of good life is "more children, more happiness". Therefore, widows, infertile or childbearing women are not allowed to participate in the room, and many children, naturally, is the main participant in the room.
On the night of flowers
The day before the bride was married, the clan's aunts and sisters (must choose the so-called good people) to specialize in combing and dressing for the bride to wear clothes, which is what the folk said, "Ikebana," the night, folk custom is also known as "on the night of the flowers! ", is a very solemn ceremony before the bride married. Perform this ritual, the bride is often accompanied by crying and singing, when the bride is facing a major turning point in life, are generally very emotional, and the old custom of the bride after the flowers to sit in the pavilion crying and singing until dawn, said "five more vigil. On the night of the flower, the bride cried sadly, sleepless all night, showing more of a traditional wedding "happy and sad" atmosphere.
Sedan chair to welcome the new
: Huizhou traditional sedan chair to welcome the bride, the fifties there are still special rental sedan chair sedan chair store. More than two-carried, four-carried or eight-carried sedan chair, embroidered "phoenix and luan peony", "Fortune and mandarin ducks", decorated with "four-colored lanterns", draped in "big red silk flowers "The bride is picked up by the matchmaker. When the bride, led by the matchmaker, the bride led the sedan chair, all the way to the drums. To the woman's home, the women's sisters refused to the door, the groom rushed to send "LiYi", after all the sisters a pass, you can take the bride out. Bride crying, not to go, the male family members of both hard and soft, coaxed out of the boudoir, and coaxed its (hard push) on the sedan chair, the groom will also be given to the bearer of the seal "Lishui", before starting the sedan chair. After a few "struggle", the groom is often exhausted.
Spreading salt and rice
To receive the bride, some places in Huizhou in the old days have the habit of spreading salt and rice, in advance, with a vessel to hold some salt, rice, black sesame seeds, etc., that is, on the way to receive the bride to be spread along the road, so-called sacrifices to the God of the bridge; and along the way to be spread, is for the road to the God of the road, which is the traditional marriage rites of Huizhou, the custom of spreading salt and rice. The custom of spreading salt and rice is actually a variant of the traditional Chinese marriage rite of "spreading grain and beans". "It appeared in the Western Han Dynasty, and was popular in the northern part of China during the Song Dynasty, and was traditionally said to be for the purpose of "avoiding three evils", i.e., to drive away ghosts and evil spirits, which is not very different from the Huizhou folk custom of "scattering salt and rice". It is just that the custom of "spreading grain beans" is mostly a legacy of the north and is not common in the south, but it is found in Huizhou, which shows that the origin of the custom in Huizhou is very ancient.
Shade head
Step on the concave fence and across the fire: the bride received at home, the sound of drums and music in the crowd of relatives to help the bride off the sedan chair, this is the groom holding a fan fan, if the male family's Dagu Miss eight grams, they must use the cover (bamboo containers), sieve and other things to cover up not to meet directly with the bride. Folk believe that the bride red luck at the head, killing gas is very large, the groom fan fan, said "weak its killing gas", people avoid seeing, said "to avoid its killing gas". Some places, the bride out of the sedan chair, the groom with a concave bar (edited by a container) to block the bride's head place. This custom, Huizhou passed down in the crying marriage song is also reflected: "I (bride) feet on the palanquin door Lang drying cover, Lang drying cover head cover female death, I than (to) what credit to thank the master." It seems that the bride is quite afraid of this "cover". According to folklore, where married women to filial piety, even if the sedan chair to the male family, but also a step three back, and the groom of the concave bar, is to cover the bride constantly turning back to the line of sight, very famous, this practice is to make the bride focus on marrying to the male family, do not think about the mother's home. In addition to cover the head of this custom, at the same time there is the custom of stepping on the bar, the bride down the sedan chair, the male family will rush in front of the bride's feet on a concave fence, so that the bride's feet step over, the folk said "feet on the concave fence with the nest (concave) to turn", is very famous, which is to allow the bride to pass through the door after the bride to be able to concentrate on the male family in the "nest". "This is to enable the bride to concentrate on her work in the man's home after she passes through the door. When stepping over the fence to enter the house, it is customary in Huizhou custom to let the bride cross the fire. Even if not set up a special fire pit, some old people also want to grab a handful of grass burning in the doorway, so that the bride across. This custom in the north is called "across the fire". Some places are also across the carbon fire, is a longer folk custom. He has two intentions. One is to take the word "prosperous", after the bride crossed the prosperous torch, the next day will bring the husband's family "prosperous fire". Another is to take "avoid" word, mainly to avoid the evil Chong. Folk artificially there are two "evil" source, one is the wedding time, the viewers like clouds, which inevitably mixed with some of the family funeral, sick people, folk believe that they are with the evil Chong, Huizhou is said to be with these people with "simmering (taboo)"; another source of evil is the Another source of evil is from the bride itself, the woman's body with "dirty", which is a traditional Chinese old ideas. Therefore, Huizhou's cross-fire custom, although the meaning of the "fire", but mainly to avoid evil spirits, fire pots burned by Wang grass, silk grass, pick card and other things, are the traditional Chinese evil things. Especially "Wang grass", Huizhou folk called it "wipe medicine", is the Huizhou through the system "to simmer (taboo) of the special medicine, in the birth and marriage rituals and "worship mountain" rituals, it is a traditional Chinese medicine to avoid evil. "Rituals, it is used to protect people from evil spirits of the body medicine.
Holding candles
"Holding candles" for the Huizhou traditional wedding to welcome the bride in the custom must be practiced. After receiving the bride back, the bride into the cave before the first boy to hold the candle to the cave room to place. This custom in Huizhou is the most elaborate, the ballad also sings: "hold the candle, hold to the bride's room Duk (the end of the meaning, or the meaning of the innermost)." According to customary practice, to be preferred to a boy (usually relatives in the clan more than one brother), with the wedding party to pick up the bride (at this time has been holding a good candle), pick up the return or directly hold the candle to the bridal chamber to be placed. This is a bongzi, vulgar, with more brothers of the boy as a guide, for the bride to light incense, will lead to the children and grandchildren.
Welcome the bride drums
Huizhou old custom in the "bride" the whole process of drums and music are generally non-stop, Guangxu "Huizhou Prefecture" recorded "drums to welcome the bride" that is. Su Dongpo residence in Huizhou had said: Huizhou "bells and drums are not divided into mourning", it seems that Huizhou traditional welcome the bride before the Song Dynasty has been. Huizhou wedding drums and music called "gongs and drums cabinet", to drums and drums, cymbals, cymbals, with suona. The drum band played with the wedding party, rendering a festive atmosphere. Guangxu "Huizhou Prefecture," said Huizhou civil wedding "drums and music after the day", also known as "one day drums", but some rich people's wedding drums, in fact, "two days drums", "three-day drum". In the old days, Huizhou has a specialized drum store, there are professional drummers, men's marriage, only need to spend money to hire a special drumming class, so the old wedding please drumming class to support the scene is common.
Lagging bride
The bride to the home, the first worship hall, worship heaven and earth, ancestor of the public, worship parents, and in turn to the male elders tea, which is called "drink the bride tea"; and all the elders to return to the seal of the "Lishui" package, in order to wish the newlyweds Great luck. After the ceremony, is the feast "and the bride wine". Huizhou old custom wedding banquet when the bride does not show up, generally hungry to sit alone in the boudoir, can not raise their heads, can not speak and laugh, can not easily walk around, listen to the main hall in the sound of hip-hop revelry. At this time, the bride inside the general anxiety, because she knows that those crazy drunks, a moment after the banquet, will be rushed into the new room "to" her. This is the Huizhou wedding in one of the most carnival scene - lagging bride.
Three days back to the door
The day after the wedding, the bride got up early to serve her family, the day to meet the string of visiting friends and neighbors, to the third day, early in the morning will have to make some gifts with the bridegroom back to visit their parents, which is the customary Huizhou known as the "three days back to the door". It is Huizhou traditional wedding etiquette in a very elaborate ritual. If the marriage proposal, divination, settled, reported to the day, over the ceremony for the pre-wedding ceremony, welcome the bride, the bride for the wedding ceremony, then, three times back to the door is after the wedding ceremony.
Three days back to the door and the ancient custom of "playing son-in-law" has a close relationship. Xiyang miscellany" book in the North and South Dynasties, "playing son-in-law" custom, said: "son-in-law to worship the pavilion (women live in the house) day, the woman's family relatives and guests of the women gathered, each with a cane 'playing son-in-law' for the fun, to the great Commission on the. "
Guangdong modern literature also has "theater son-in-law" account. According to the old custom in Guangdong: when the son-in-law returned to the door, the family in law to feast, called "to treat the new son-in-law", but the seat to sit so that when the sisters of the family in law, the group rose to play, or out of the question to make the groom embarrassed, or forced the groom to kneel down to worship all things in the home.
Huizhou's three Chao back to the door, also known as "lagging groom", from the form to the content of the "son-in-law" and "son-in-law", "play son-in-law" habits have similarities. According to the custom of Huizhou, the first thing after the newcomer arrives at the in-laws' home is to pay a visit to the in-laws, and then pay a visit to the relatives in the clan one by one. In the worship of the sisters in the clan, often have begun to "lagging groom". According to traditional customs, the groom to the Yue family ancestors and the Yue family house of the four sides of the God, then the sisters to the side of the coaxing, or let the groom to worship a few more times, do not allow it to get up; or let the new Lang frequently kneel, do not allow it to intermittent; some good people, but also pull the groom to the chicken coop or pigsty next to the expressly said to be the groom to worship the God of the chicken coop or the God of the pigsty, in fact, it is the bridegroom teasing. If the groom does not comply, the sisters will be back to force "law enforcement", so that the groom had to be from.
By the end of the worship, the family in-laws feast Lang son-in-law. During the banquet, the father-in-law and the old man in the clan to come up with some pairs of questions and problems for the groom to answer, said to test the groom's talent, in fact, is difficult for the groom; and those good sisters, this time they copied the "stagnation of the bride" to tease the groom, so that the groom is in a terrible situation.
"Lagging bridegroom" although not as much as "lagging bride", but the sisters of the Yuejia family are always pointed directly at the groom, roughly on the bride in the male family by the teasing of a kind of "back to honor ". Married three times back to the door is a custom of traditional marriage in Huizhou, so the etiquette is quite elaborate. Back to the door when the gifts, the first for the chicken, folk said "with the road chicken", which is necessary for good luck. The rest of the gifts, such as fish, meat, geese, seafood, mountain treasures, cakes and food to listen to their own. These gifts, the male family are generally more than one, such as meat, prepare two, the female family received gifts, according to custom to return to the male family a piece. The rest, such as the big orange is indispensable, such as no big orange, that is, must be replaced by orange; big orange symbolizes "big auspicious", the female family to receive the gift. But also back to the male family big tangerine (Ji).
In addition to the long-distance marriage, the city and suburban marriage, the three Chao back to the door is generally invited to the son-in-law, the bride and son-in-law sisters-in-law son-in-law to eat a meal, and then make a return gift, the same day to return.
Return gifts to the guest of honor, there are steamed by the mother-in-law of the big red hair cake and red convergence cake, "lead the way chicken" is indispensable. Huizhou also has the custom of the newlyweds in January back to the door, back to the gift of the mother-in-law steamed big cage cake (a sweet cake of glutinous rice), the maiden family aunt steamed convergence cake.
Funeral rites and customs
The custom of funerals and burials is more solemn than other rites and customs. The Hakka people are very considerate and even overly elaborate in this regard. Burial from the thick, rituals from the luxury, abundant feasts, drunken spirit side, drums and music to lay goodbye and so on. Some of the old customs still exist.
The patient is dying, they will be done in advance of the "life jacket" to the patient to wear, said "with life jacket". In the past, there was a "six under four," that is, the upper wear six heavy clothes, the lower wear four heavy pants.
The Hakka custom emphasizes the importance of the end of life. Hakka custom emphasizes the importance of sending people home. Those who are away from home try to return home in order to see them one last time before they die, so as to show filial piety. When a person dies, he or she immediately burns a sedan chair, burns paper, and their families and children cry out in grief. This is the "send the end".
Mourning
After a patient dies, he or she is immediately mourned. The mourning is reported to the grandmother's uncle's family and the family's uncle's family, and the obituary is also published in front of the door or at a nearby intersection.
Setting up a mourning hall: hanging a white cloth in front of the body, setting up an incense table, and placing a memorial tablet or statue. Weeping in the morning and evening, registration of gifts from friends and relatives or "on behalf of the candle", the tent cloth in order to hang on both sides of the Hall of Filial Piety.
Pillow
Move the body, in the hall on the ground spread a white cloth, the body will be placed on it, the head of the new tile, tile pads to cloth triangular pillow, day and night to send people to wait; choose a day and time to put the body into the coffin is called "into the material". Every morning and evening, as well as friends and relatives to offer condolences, the female members of the mourning family in the tent beside the coffin. In the evening, friends and relatives attend the mourning hall, commonly known as "with the night".
Mourning to choose the time, often in the morning. In the old days on the first day to "funeral", all night long, drums and music. Mourning first held a memorial service, and then bier funeral. The first thing you need to do is to show your son or daughter that you are a good son or daughter.
Burial
Put the coffin into the cemetery. The choice of the cemetery is based on "feng shui". The appearance of the grave is very similar to the Hakka's "dragon house", which is a manifestation of the Hakka's worship of their ancestors. On the third day after the burial, relatives wearing mourning clothes go to the grave to cry and burn paper money, which is called "Jiao San Chao".
Do seven
After the death of a person, every "seven" days, to hold a memorial service, commonly known as "do seven". Generally only do "five seven". Finally held a memorial service, incineration spirit house (paper house), called "finish seven", to show the end of the funeral. After that, the festival is held on the anniversary, which is called the opening of small mourning; the festival is held in three years, which is called the opening of big mourning. At the time of the opening of the big mourning ceremony, the door and the hall are replaced with red couplets, and everything returns to normal.
The Hakka custom, a number of years after burial (often ten years), digging open the grave, the remains with charcoal baking, according to the structure of the human body limbs into a special ceramic urn, so-called "check the gold", and then re-burial, which is permanent, the real graves.
For the unnatural death of people, there are some special funeral rites, such as more attention to the monks and Taoist priests Jiaojiao Chanting, superdeath, and so on.