The Spring Festival is the day of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, and it is also the most important traditional festival of the Chinese nation. During the Spring Festival, the Han Chinese and many ethnic minorities in China hold a variety of activities to celebrate. These activities all focus on worshipping gods and buddhas, honoring ancestors, getting rid of the old and bringing in the new, welcoming good fortune, and praying for a good year.
Northern China
Northern China's Spring Festival, in addition to the indispensable temple fair, there are a variety of unique customs.
Pinching oil lamps: In the folklore of Bali County in northwest China's Shanxi Province, from the tenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar to the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, people have to light oil lamps on several nights. Lanxian people pinch lamps, is pinched with the surface, the surface used, there are buckwheat noodles, cake noodles several kinds. Pinch buckwheat lamps, to pinch the shape in a cage drawer after steaming; cake, that is, soft yellow rice lamps, is made into a steamed veggie cake before pinched into the shape of the lamp. Some people also use cornmeal, buckwheat noodles to make lamps. Made of white flour called "silver lamp", made of cornmeal called "gold lamp", made of wheat flour called "iron lamp".
Shear spring streamers: in Nanyang Zhenping area, rural women used to spring day with colorful silk cloth cut 'spring chicken', 'spring swallows', 'spring flowers', "spring willow", etc., adorned with children's arms, male left and female right, as the sign of spring.
Running Bamboo Horse: This form of folk art performance is popular throughout Shanxi Province. This activity, confirmed by the relevant information, at least has a history of more than six hundred years, is popular in rural areas of Shanxi, the city of a form of folk activities, generally in the first month of the lunar calendar, the 15th Lantern Festival, "red hot" when the activities of the square or the streets and alleys.
Northwest
The Spring Festival tradition in the northwest has a grandeur of the river going east.
Long County social fire: is a festival to welcome the gods race will play the acrobatic juggling. " Social fire " origin is in the worship of the soil God Valley God's activities, and gradually added other acrobatic juggling " hundred plays " square entertainment. At first, it was one of the social rituals as a way for folk to seek good fortune and avoid bad luck, and later gradually evolved into an entertainment activity to welcome the spring and celebrate the New Year.
Send children lights: referred to as "send lights", also known as "send lanterns" and so on, that is, before the Lantern Festival, the mother's family to send lanterns to the newly married daughter's home, or general friends and relatives to the newly married sterile home, in order to add a lucky omen, because "Lights" and "Ding" harmonized. This custom in many places, Xi'an, Shaanxi area is the first eight to fifteen during the first month to send lamps, the first year to send a pair of large lanterns, a pair of glass lamps with colorful paintings, hope that the daughter of the marriage of the lucky star, early birth of a child; such as the daughter of the pregnancy, in addition to the large lanterns, but also to send one or two pairs of small lanterns, wishing the daughter a safe pregnancy.
Breaking five: meaning that after today's New Year's taboos are broken, the production began to normal, early in the morning to celebrate the cannon, but this day is also taboo the most stringent day, stay at home and not do anything more can not go out. Today is also the last day of the New Year's incense offerings to the gods, morning, afternoon and evening every time to sound the cannon.
Central China
As the birthplace of the Chinese nation, the Central Plains has retained a great deal of traditional folklore.
Macerating cypress branches: the western part of Henan, the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the earliest to get up the first thing is to be stacked in the courtyard with wheat bran or grass cypress branches lit, commonly known as "macerating cypress branches". Macerating cypress branches when some of the whole family adults and children from the cypress branches across the fire, said across the fire. Some also hang a lantern high in the yard, called. Hanging lanterns. It is said that hanging sky lanterns, composting cypress branches, across the fire can be. Zhen Demon in addition to evil, especially to prevent the evil spirit
Winter pounded rice: Han Chinese folk customs at the time of the year. Popular in Anhui and County, Henshan and other places. Every year after the winter solstice, the third e day, coincides with the sixth or seventh day of the lunar month, folk called "Lami work day". On this day, water is taken to pound rice, and the rice is put into the warehouse, hence the name. Winter pounded rice is based on yellow rice and then hoarded once.
Playing human cannon: the old Han Chinese custom of the year. Popular in Anhui Shexian area. On the second day of the first month of the lunar calendar, all the men of each clan, gathered in the ancestral hall of the clan, by the president or representative of the firecrackers issued, generally three per person. Where there is a son of the men, each additional small firecrackers ten hang, a hang one hundred, take the meaning of the hundred sons of good luck; childless men in the ancestral shrine under the ancestral tablets burning incense to seek a son. Folk believe that this day is the best day to seek children.
Southwest
In places where ethnic minorities gather, Spring Festival customs also have many ethnic characteristics.
Tree Sacrifice on New Year's Eve: It is passed down in the area of Yuechi County, Sichuan Province. Every year on New Year's Eve, after the family meal is served on the table, first of all, to honor the gods and ancestors, and then take a little bit of each kind of meal out, cut fine and even, by the parents with a plate or a small dustpan to the biggest and best tree in front of the tree sacrifice. It is said that the fruit tree will have abundant flowers and fruits in the coming year, which will bring in a lot of money. After the tree sacrifice, the whole family will gather around the table to eat the New Year's dinner.
Stealing Vegetables Festival: The Stealing Vegetables Festival is a Miao custom popularized in the area of Huangping, Guizhou Province, and is held on the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar every year. On the day of the festival, the girls go in groups to steal vegetables from other people's homes, it is strictly forbidden to steal from the family, nor can they steal from friends of the opposite sex, because stealing vegetables is related to their marriage. The vegetables they steal are limited to cabbages, and the quantity is enough for everyone to have a meal. There was no fear of being caught stealing vegetables, and the families of those who were stolen were not blamed. Everyone gathers the stolen vegetables together and makes a cabbage feast. It is said that whoever eats the most will be able to get the man of his choice early, and at the same time raise the strongest silkworms, which will spit out the best and most silk.
Drawing New Water: It is also known as picking eloquent water, picking new water and picking good water. It has been passed down in the western part of the country. In the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, the new daughters-in-law or big girls of each family, carrying buckets of water, holding three pillars of incense and singing songs, go to the river or spring, put incense on the incense, and put coins wrapped in red paper into the water, and pick up the first load of new water of the New Year.
Jiangsu and Zhejiang
Whether it's oars and boats, or lanterns and dragon dances, it's all about the sweet smell of the Jiangnan water town.
Lighting lanterns: old Han Chinese festival custom, popular in some areas of Jiangnan. It is held on New Year's Eve or the first to fifth day of the first month. During this period, the bedroom at night all-night light, called the "light of the year". Generally, the lamps are lit at the foot of the pillar of the house, under the bed, under the table and under the stove. More carrots cut into segments for the plate, inserted small candles, there are also used to potter oil lamps, is a New Year's Eve activities, but also paste the Spring Festival couplets, firecrackers, sing the song of resignation, drink wine, eat rice, etc..
Catching the green dragon: Han Chinese folk custom of the year. Popular in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Every year on the twelfth day of the first month of the lunar calendar, all the way to the Dragon King Wushan Dragon Temple, hanging red dot eyes, known as the "dragon light".
Southern China
The warmth of the south gives the winter Spring Festival many summer features.
Helping New Year's Wine: An old custom of Yao festivals. It is popular in Guanyang County, Guangxi. In the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, each household pays two pounds of rice to the headman to make wine. On the first day of the first month, and then hand over half a catty of pork, two pieces of tofu, a garlic clove, sent a man to participate in the party, known as "eating New Year's Eve wine". Presided over by the head. In the old year, the new population of the family, holding children, with a pot of wine, two pieces of tofu, a piece of pork, to everyone to pay tribute to the New Year. In the future, the village will have a child's share of things.