Dusting The Chinese New Year is a very solemn festival, and a lot of preparations have to be made before the festival. The twenty-third day of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar is the dusting day. From this day to the 30th day of the 12th lunar month, you have to choose an odd number of days to clean the house and the outside of the house. With rice dumplings or grass tied to a bamboo pole, the ceiling, the walls of the dust clean. In addition to washing windows and doors, floors, furniture and so on. It is to have a clean Spring Festival.
Doing Nianzai Lunar December 24th for the Lunar New Year, commonly known as "doing Nianzai". It is to prepare for the New Year. In the old society, the long laborers ate a small New Year's dinner, with the master to settle accounts with the next work, go home for the New Year. But store fellows exception. They have to take the master's bill on the debtor's door to collect the debt, but generally do not collect money, only for the notice and so on. Twenty-five days to start collecting money. Until New Year's Eve until the door is closed, after the door is closed, no one may call the door to collect the bill. From this day onwards, families began to open the New Year's goods, cutting new clothes, killing pigs and sheep, steaming rice cakes, slaughtering chickens and ducks, buy New Year's paintings, spring scrolls, firecrackers and so on. Adults are busy worrying about God, children joyfully look forward to the New Year. This day is also the day of the folk sacrifice stove. Legend has it that on this day, Zaojun will return to heaven to report on the situation of each family, the master of the house of Zao sugar, Zao cake to Zaojun, Zao mom to send off, the evening of the fourth day of the first month of the year, and then posted a new Zaojun figure, to meet the Zaojun back.
Splitting the New Year On the eve of the Spring Festival, married daughters have to send New Year's goods to their parents, Pingtan people called "splitting the New Year", in fact, it is the abbreviation of "splitting the New Year's goods". The first year of the new year, "sub-new year" gift requirements are more stringent, generally to send a pair of pig's feet, five pounds of thread noodles, five vegetarian five meat ten pieces. After the second year, the number of gifts for the "split year" is not restricted. The "split year" is a good custom to honor the elderly, filial piety to parents, Pingtan still continues.
Posting Spring Festival Couplets and Hanging New Year's Paintings The custom of posting Spring Festival Couplets and hanging New Year's Paintings in Pingtan is similar to that of other places. Generally, before New Year's Eve, spring scrolls are put up and pictures are hung to welcome the new year. Where there is a new funeral in the current year, the family, the Spring Festival only stick green spring couplets to show filial piety.
Over New Year's Eve Over New Year's Eve is an important content is to eat New Year's Eve dinner, Pingtan people called "thirty blind Lidun", the master of the house are the best things out of the New Year's Eve dinner, the more sumptuous the better. However, it cannot be made into a ten-course meal, but can be nine or eleven courses. Pingtan has a custom, to the ancestors of the deceased spirit of sacrifice offerings to set up ten bowls of rice, so to the living people generally do not set up ten dishes. Pingtan people in the usual ordering food are not pointing the whole ten dishes, is this because no matter how sumptuous your New Year's Eve dinner to cook some dry rice called "next year's rice", implying that year after year to eat, there are next year's rice. After the family ate the New Year's Eve dinner, the elders should send the new year's money to the children and grandchildren who have not yet become a family, called the sub-new year's money. Then the whole family sits together. Talk to each other, longing for the future, until zero hour, open the door to firecrackers, to meet the God of Wealth. New Year's Eve, but also all-night lighting, take the bright lights and fire, the next year the meaning of red-hot.
Worship New Year's Day on the first day of the first month, also known as New Year's Day. The first day of the new year, also known as New Year's Day. Just after midnight, some people set off firecrackers. The first day of the first day of the morning, the whole year are up early" meaning. On the first day of the day of the breakfast families eat sweet noodles, but also with a pair of eggs, hope that a year of sweet life, longevity, peace, as desired. This breakfast first bite more noodles or eggs, not first soup, which has also become a custom. Thus, there is "out of the rain is due to the first morning drink noodle soup," said.
After the meal, they all go out to pay homage to the New Year, and the master or mistress of the house stays at home to receive guests. The guests bow to the master, wishing the master all the best, the family peace. The master should also bow back to congratulate, and then invited guests to enjoy sweets, candied fruit, fruit, melon seeds, called "eat sweet". Close friends and relatives also give each other money to the younger generation. On this day, all met on the road acquaintances, whether friendly or not, should be nodded in greeting, but also to congratulate each other, wishing each other peace and prosperity.
The first day of the new year is the first day of the new year, who all hope that everything will be, a good omen. Therefore, there are many taboos, focusing on the people tend to avoid bad luck, pray for blessings of the psychological.
On the first day, Pingtan folk taboos:
Taboo sweeping: afraid of sweeping away the wealth. Later changed to sweep the garbage from the front door inward, not outward, and so on the fourth "open vacation" after the pour.
Jealousy knife: fear of moving the knife is unlucky. This taboo is to prevent the first day inadvertently hurt hands and feet, destroying the festive atmosphere. Jealousy of unlucky language: to avoid attracting bad luck. In fact, it is afraid that people's language is different, resulting in disputes, and hurt the peace.
Just avoid scolding children: fear of crying ominous. On this day, adults try to meet the requirements of children, so that children have a good time.
Just avoid debt collection: the day of the big day not to make things difficult for others. Reflecting the ancient style of Pingtan folk who have always been kind and friendly.
To avoid eating thin rice: to prevent going out in the rain.
Just break the dishes to prevent bad omen.
These taboos are not scientifically justified, but the New Year to get a good omen, a happy and auspicious year, people are willing to follow.
By the second Anciently known as the worship of the new seat. This is a folk holiday between condolences for the dead, comfort the families of the deceased activities. Where the previous year there is a deceased adult family, this day to the deceased spirit set up a seat, so that friends and relatives to condolences. The second day of condolences for the dead, this custom is unique to Pingtan Fuqing. Legend has it that at the end of the forty-first year of Ming Jiajing (1562 AD), Qi Jiguang routed the invasion of Pingtan, Fuqing Japanese invaders, people fleeing the disaster to go home for New Year's Eve, the first morning of the meeting to congratulate each other, and wished each other peace, the next day, the victims of the condolences to their homes. Inherited, become Pingtan Fuqing unique custom. In Pingtan on the second day of the year is generally not on the door of friends and relatives to pay tribute to the New Year.
Holiday The fourth day of the Lunar New Year holiday, indicating the end of the Spring Festival holiday, the beginning of a new year of labor. People start to get busy, the market, shopping malls early in the morning firecrackers open for business, fishing, farmers to organize fishing gear, agricultural equipment in preparation for production, working outside the workplace to return to their workplaces. Steamed before the steam cake (different from rice cakes, is a small amount of flour and groundnut flour with sugar fermentation and steaming, the external shape like rice cakes) in the opening of the holiday this day to "open cage" (cut with a knife), re-steamed to enjoy.