Tide custom early in the morning on the first day of the first month, every family will be in front of the door or balcony to worship the Nanchen, Beidou, the God of Heaven, as well as the gods worshiped at home, hoping that the New Year's peace, good luck.
After paying homage to the gods, firecrackers are set off. Firecrackers are also called "firecrackers", "firecrackers" and "cannonballs". "Popular editor haiku": "ancient firecrackers, all with real bamboo fire, so the Tang poetry also known as popping rod. Later people rolled paper for it, called the firecracker." Legend has it that it originated from "Tingliao". "Poetry? 6? 1 small elegant" has a "court prairie clear" sentence. Ancient people used pine branches and bamboo made of torches, lit in the court for lighting. Bamboo burning bursting sound, this is the early "firecrackers". This was an early form of "firecracker", which was then used to drive away ghosts and evil spirits and to hope for good luck. Southern Dynasty Zong懔《Jing Chu Yearly Record》recorded: "the first day of the first month, is the day of the three yuan, Spring and Autumn called the end of the day. The cock crows and rises, first in front of the court firecrackers in order to dispel the evil spirits of the mandrill." Chao people follow this custom, the purpose is also to drive away evil spirits, pray for a new year's health, grain harvests, six animals prosperous, the world is smooth. After the reform and opening up, with the improvement of the material standard of living, the Chao people over the Spring Festival firecrackers more common, in addition to a few people residual traditional concept of "get rid of the bad luck", and then there is no previous superstitious colors, only to become people in addition to the old to welcome the New Year, happy celebration, wishing for good luck to the expression of feelings. In recent years, due to the progress of social civilization and safety considerations, many cities in Chaoshan have banned firecrackers during the holidays (however, traditional customs are always so deep-rooted, recently, there are a number of cities began to lift the ban), but the sound of firecrackers in the countryside is still endless.
Two, ancestor worship
The Han Chinese New Year's Day ancestor worship custom, formed in the Han Dynasty. After the Song and Ming Dynasties, the national popularity. Ming Chen Tianzhi "Dongli Zhi" cloud: "New Year's Day in the first month to fulfill the end of the festival, inside and outside the long-standing, set incense and candles, wine and fruit, full dress worship of heaven and earth gods and ancestors." It can be seen that before the Ming Dynasty, Chaoshan has the custom of ancestor worship on the first day of the first month. Since then, there are detailed records in the literature, such as the Qing Jiaqing "Chenghai County Zhi" cloud: "New Year's Day, get up in the morning to worship ancestors, burning candles and incense, with tea, wine and food". Before liberation, Chaoshan ancestor worship and family worship two kinds. Clan rituals were for distant ancestors and were held in the public hall of the ancestral hall, while family rituals were held in the house. The family festival was held in the ancestral hall, while the family festival was held in the family house. The family festival was more solemn, with performances by the paper-shadowing troupe and the opera troupe.
The Spring Festival ancestor worship supplies "are all fasting products: lunchtime incense carrots, fungus, Guabi, rotting branches, sweet materials, persimmon cake and other things, as well as New Year's Eve homemade all kinds of fasting dishes." (Republic of Shen Min, "Teochew New Year's Day Customs") because it is said that this day Maitreya Buddha sitting, so with fasting. To the second to again offer ancestors, this time with meat dishes, such as fish, pork, geese, chickens, ducks, etc., so the Qing dynasty qianlong "puning county" cloud: "the first day, the ancestors with vegetarian, the second ancestor with meat." In the old days, New Year's Day should also be sacrificed to the ancestors in the ancestral hall. This is a clan ritual ceremony, usually with meat dishes, but some places have to add another five kinds of fasting dishes.
The other "eight festivals of the year" have ancestor worship activities, the form is similar, the offerings are slightly different, adding some seasonal fruits and vegetables and specialty pastries. The following sections will not be further elaborated.
Three, worship
Worship, also known as spring, spring. Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a monster with a unicorn head and a mouth like a basin of blood, which people called "Nian". Every New Year's Eve, it will go from house to house to find food to eat people. People had to put the meat outside the door, and then closed the door, hiding in the house, until the first morning of the first month to open the door to congratulate the year was not eaten. So the custom of paying homage to the New Year has been passed down.
The New Year's Eve, like ancestor worship, is the most important ritual for the Chao people. There are three main types of Chao people to pay tribute to the New Year, the rituals and customs are different from each other. The first type is the New Year's greeting between family members. In Chaoshan, in the morning after the ancestor worship, the younger generation first to the elders to pay tribute to the New Year, blessing the elders "New Year's greetings", "health and longevity". In the old society, the younger generation would wear new clothes and kneel down to the elders. Then the elders would send their expectations to the younger generation, wishing the children a "Happy New Year" and "Long Life". The first is to wear new clothes and bow down to the elders.
The second kind of New Year's greeting is between friends and relatives. After breakfast, the family or together or scattered to friends and relatives to pay tribute to the New Year. Between friends and family New Year's activities are often in the morning of the first and second, so the Chaoshan has a proverb says: "have a heart to worship the first two, no heart to worship the first three or four." The saying is that the earlier the New Year's greeting, the better, the more sincere it is. Chao people to friends and relatives to pay New Year's visit, always bring betel nut (nowadays use olive instead) and Chaozhou citrus as a gift. There is no limit to the number of gifts, but the number must be even, not odd. The host's coffee table should always have a plate of red and green Teochew mandarin and betel nut, plus candies to welcome and honor the guests.
Because the Chiu Chow mandarin is bigger than the orange, it is named Daji, and the orange is the same as the sound of Ji, with the harmonic method, it becomes "Daji". The origin of "Daji" is quite interesting. According to legend: a long time ago, one year will be over the New Year, in a village in Chaozhou, the villagers are suffering from thirst. A beautiful and smart girl in the village dreamed of a fairy in the night, dreaming of her: "Eat citrus, to ensure good luck." When the girl woke up, she told her mother, who half-heartedly ate the mandarin and got well. Since then, Chiu Chow mandarin has become a symbol of good luck. Betel nut and binlang have the same sound, containing the meaning of guests, so "betel nut big orange" harmonized to become "binlin big auspicious". The history of using betel nut as a New Year's greeting has a long history, which has been recorded in the records of the government and counties. Ming Wanli "Puning County Zhi" cloud: "New Year's Day ...... worship also have betel nut piper leaves, for tea." Qing dynasty qianlong "chaozhou prefecture records" said: "not set betel nut, it is called simple slow." After the end of the Qing Dynasty, the custom of eating betel nut in Chaoshan gradually declined and went out. This is because the custom changed with the development of the times, and the process of eating betel nut was cumbersome, and Chaoshan was not the origin of betel nut. Later on, because of the abundance of olives in Chaoshan, which are very similar to betel nut in both shape and flavor, the Chaozhou people used olives instead of betel nut. Because of the lag in the change of custom, the Chaozhou people also called the olive betel nut.
When the guests enter the door, each other say some "New Year's wishes", "congratulations on wealth" and other auspicious words, the host will invite the guests to eat olives, sweets, drink work tea (Jiexi Hakka also honor to "ring tea, rice,") and so on, and then the guests will be invited to eat olives, candies, drink work tea. ?" (Jiexi Hakka also has the custom of honoring the guests with "ring tea and rice?"). Guests worship the New Year before leaving, but also to exchange large orange, send each other children "Li Shi" (red packets), implying that the "exchange of good luck, each other," the best wishes. And for some close friends and relatives, the host will also be attentive to stay with their *** with lunch, so the Qing Jiaqing "Chenghai County Zhi" cloud: "each set up wine and food to invite each other to drink. Proverbs 'first month of the wine, every family'.
The third for the same peer to peer New Year's greetings. This is mostly ceremonial behavior, after meeting, to "wealth", "promotion" and other auspicious words for each other. In the old days, the scholarly family also appeared to throw the name post to pay tribute to the New Year, such as the Qing Guangxu "Haiyang County Records", "cast to the name post, called 'New Year's Eve', also said that the 'worship is'". The third type of New Year's Eve contains the degree of warmth of family and friendship atmosphere is not as good as the first two types.
In recent years, due to social progress, developed technology, people fashion New Year's card, New Year's phone, New Year's cell phone messages, New Year's "Yimier" for New Year's. The work units are mostly on the first day of the month, the first day of the month, the first day of the month, the first day of the month, the first day of the month. And the work units more in the first day of the "reunion", people get together, congratulate each other, both time-saving and multi-dimensional, it is a good thing.
Four, send spring?
Spring basket ("basket of rice" original meaning of Sheng) is a folkloric products in Chaoshan, is a divided into three or four layers, there is a lid of the bamboo hamper, usually used in pairs. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the mother's family gives gifts to the married daughter's family. Gifts include tangerines, sugar cane, bananas and more than a dozen other kinds, loaded in a pair of large spring basket, picked by the bride's brother to send, commonly known as "send spring?". The brother of the bridegroom picks and sends them, commonly known as "sending spring?". When the uncle arrived, the in-laws should be slaughtered three birds, hospitality, so there is a folk proverb: "A uncle to come, plunder chicken slaughter". Daughter's family received uncle brought gifts, by the mother-in-law with a flower basket, holding a red plate, the gifts to the neighbors, commonly known as "under the food". Since there are daughters-in-law in every township, this is a very lively day for giving gifts to each other. This unique folk activities in Chaoshan, reflecting the Chao people attach importance to neighborly relations, harmony, unity and good quality.
V. Lion Dance and Drums and Gongs
During the Spring Festival, the recreational activities in Chaoshan are very active, such as dragon dance, centipede dance, and riddles, etc. Among them, the lion dance and drums and gongs and gongs are the most popular and the most attractive ones.
Lion dances are more popular during the Spring Festival. There are two kinds of Chaoshan lion dances: one is the "literary lion" and the other is the "martial lion". The "cultural lion" by two people wearing masks dressed as a smiling "landlord", "landlady", holding a sunflower fan, leading the lion to dance while walking, the lion is also constantly shaking mane, rolling. Whenever someone sets off firecrackers in front of the door, the lion dance team must stop marching and pay tribute to the owner. The object of the "martial lion" New Year's greeting is the local prestigious family and big business firms. As soon as the team arrives, the owner will light the firecrackers, at which time the gongs and drums will sound, and the team will perform tumbling, prancing, falling and pouncing maneuvers. The best part of the dance is when the master gives the lion a red packet. Dance to the climax, the master will be suspended from the two or three floors of the building hanging down the red envelope. The lion dance team, assisted by the master, uses big and small stools to stack up to the bottom of the red packet. In the sound of gongs and drums, the lion calmly climbed up a table, climbed up to the highest level, and then opened its mouth to take down the red envelopes. The onlookers finally burst into applause and applause. The lion's head and waist hung down in a four-way bow to people's blessings.
Square lion dance performance program is by the lion dancers to raise the lion head for the head swinging posture, fast pace around the circle walking, walking and dancing, like a tiger down the mountain. When the dance to the center of the field immediately sit down on the ground, sometimes scratching the back of the abdomen with the feet, sometimes turn the head to bite the tail, known as "scratching the itch and bite lice". Suddenly, it rolls on the ground, known as the "turn over against the belly"; and then doze off on the ground. This is the performance of the lion in the sitting to raise its spirit, the action is exquisite. At this time there is a masked lion to the arbitrary teasing, adding a lot of fun to the people. After the lion dance performance is a martial arts show. Boxing has Zhu Jiajiao, Li Jiajiao and Nan Zhi Hands and other boxing, but its performance program is generally the same. At the end, the lion dance is performed again, and after the performance, the people will reward you with "red envelopes".
Chaosu big gongs and drums of the parade team often to the flag to open the way, carrying the flag on the shoulder called "standard", with the end of the bamboo as a flagpole, the pole head hung with a good-luck charm, carrying the standard for the young women. The girl who carries the flag is dressed up and graceful. Followed by carefully dressed golden girls, shoulder firecrackers, eight treasure auspicious burden, to bring people auspicious. There are also dolls dressed as opera singers, performing some traditional Teochew opera pieces. After the huge prelude, there is a continuous band of gongs and drums. The performance form of Chaozhou big gongs and drums is very flexible, and the one played during the marching is called "long line set", and the repertoire is mostly marching songs. If they are played in a fixed venue, they are called "license plate sets". Large-scale performances, the band is often thousands of people, magnificent.
The prestigious families and merchants in the gongs and drums team arrived during the Spring Festival another Chaozhou big gongs and drums team, playing Chaozhou music, street to street, touring the parade, the Chaozhou custom called "tour of the big gongs and drums". Chaozhou big drums and gongs are a large ensemble with percussion as the main instrument, drums as the center and suona as the leader. The drummer is both the lead player and the conductor of the band. The drummer strikes the heart of the drum, the edge of the drum, the drum along the edge of the drum, taking the ringing strike, muffled strike, heavy strike, light strike, as well as rhythmic changes, the mallet plus flowers and other techniques, commanding the band's performance.
This lion dance and tour of the big gongs and drums of the performance activities, although vaguely contain exorcism dance to drive away the ghosts of the legacy of its purpose is to win money, but they do bring vitality to the Spring Festival, joy, festivity, and add a festive atmosphere.
Six, family gambling
Gambling originated in the game. The Historical Records ?6?1 Yin Benji ":" Xin Yi for the even, called the sky god, with the Bo." Visible as early as in the Yin and Shang period, there is a game. By the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, there were bets with money.
During the Spring Festival, the boomers, after a year of hard work, rarely have this leisure and joyful time, they gather in the alleys, ancestral halls and other places to gamble to divine the luck of the year. But this is only a small number of people, more people are gambling in the family. In this kind of family gambling activities, the parents are often the bookmakers and other people place bets. Even in families with strict discipline, children can easily gamble with their elders at this time. It does not have the tension and worry of real gambling, there is a relaxed and joyful, anyway, win or lose money are from the family, commonly known as "fat water does not flow outside the field" also.
In recent years, as the government advocates a new style of civilization, this Spring Festival gambling habits have been cold.
Seven, churn slop tank
Slop tank is the Teochew people to put slop (rice-washing water), to feed pigs with the pottery tank of the common name. During the Spring Festival, in the rural areas of Chaoshan, the housewife has to use her hands or hold a bamboo pole to reach into the slop tank, stirring the slop while reciting: "Stirring the slop tank is floating and floating, and this year the pigs will be bigger than the cows" or "Stirring the slop tank is round and round, and the pigs will be sold for more money". I hope the pigs will grow fast and earn more money in the New Year.
Eight, open the well
Before liberation, in addition to Shantou City in 1914, after the completion of the tap water supply, other towns and villages residents, drinking water from wells or ditches and rivers to draw. There must be wells in the townships, both public wells outside the courtyard and wells for personal use inside the courtyard.
The Boomers worship the wells, and there are myths and legends about the wells. On New Year's Eve, the mouth of the well should be sealed, and on the Spring Festival, the well should be opened only after paying homage to the well master and the well mistress. Usually communal wells in the countryside, the first and second to be disabled, the third to start using, some places from the second will be available. When the well is opened, an old woman from the village will lead the ceremony, offering gifts such as tangerines, tea, brown sugar and fruit to the well platform. After that, the old woman who officiates at the ceremony will remove the cover of the well and pour half of the brown sugar and 3 cups of clear tea into the well. Finally, 12 buckets of water are pumped from the well and poured on the ground. For each bucket of water, four auspicious poems are recited. This ritual is known as the "opening of the well". For wells used by the family, the opening of the well is also performed by the mother-in-law of the family, in a ceremony similar to that for public wells.
Nowadays, the villages in Chaoshan are basically supplied with tap water, and the rituals have gradually disappeared.
9. Returning to the Mother's House
On the first and second days of the first month (especially the second day of the first month, which is more popular), married daughters take their husbands and children back to the mother's house to pay tribute to their parents. This is a married daughter filial piety and respect for foster parents a performance. Folk proverb: "filial piety 'go child' (daughter) on the first day, two, filial piety 'go child' God fell days (the fourth), no posting no to the Lantern Festival over", that is, this is the truth. Daughter back to her mother's home, to prepare a large bag of cookies, candies, distributed by their mothers to neighboring villagers, to express the girl does not forget the townspeople's feelings of nostalgia. When there are nephews in the family, but also distributed red envelopes to nephews. After the daughter ate the noon meal, with her parents to talk a little, before dinner will have to rush back to the in-laws. Therefore, it is commonly known as the "eclipse day".
Ten, "send poor ghosts"
In the old days, the Chao people on the third day of the first month called "poor ghosts day" (Qing Guangxu "Rao Ping County," Rao Ping, the first five days of the first month of the poor ghosts day). On this day, people clean up the dirt and debris in their houses and send them to the fields to be burned, at the same time, they light incense as offerings, bow and make obeisance, and say, "The poor ghosts go away, and the lucky star comes". This activity is commonly known as "sending poor ghosts". On that day, it is taboo to visit friends and relatives.
This custom has a legend. Zhuanxu Emperor, the palace gave birth to a son, good to wear rags, to give him new clothes on the tear, and burned with fire before he was willing to wear. Palace people called him "poor son". "Poor son" died in the first month of the obscure day, for his funeral, people said: "today to send poor son also". The saying of "sending the poor man to the poor" has been passed down since then. Later, send poor by the obscure day into the first five, most of Guangdong Province, the third day of the first month as a poor ghost day.
With the development of the society, the activity of sending the poor to the Teochew people has disappeared. The Chaoshan people with their wisdom and intelligence, hard work and courage to really send poor, ushered in the rich. Poor people also go out to visit friends and relatives on the day of the poor, to congratulate each other, not like the ancient saying is the day of the ban on going out.
Eleven, welcome the gods to receive the blessing
The fourth day of the first month is "God fall day", families to worship at home, to meet the gods come down to earth. Offerings are peach kuey teow, take the "open door" good omen; a plate of brown sugar, implying a sweet life; a plate of rice, meaning that the five grains, in addition to the big orange, black beans, wicks, paper horses and so on. In addition to worship at home, but also to the countryside in the temple burning incense blessing, some people also put the whole family's birth date, year geng eight, written on the red stickers, tied to the palanquin, to God's wish to thank God "heaven say good things, landing to keep the peace".
Twelve, holiday taboos
The first day of the first month is a holy day, Chao custom taboos, everyone has to say auspicious words. On this day, adults avoid scolding children, so that he does not cry. Otherwise, crying means "no color", is the New Year's disease, the signs of evil and so on. If a child accidentally breaks a plate, bowl and other utensils, adults should immediately say something: "Fou open mouth, great wealth" or "Do not be over Do not be, great auspicious city" and other auspicious words to make up for the fault. If it is burned lanterns, fabrics, adults have to say sound "fire prosperous Ding Wang" or "prosperity" and other auspicious words. On this day, it is forbidden for debtors to come to the door to collect debts. If this happens, the owner will say, "Shun Shun says good things, and in the future, you will not have to say much to make a fortune". Once the debtor hears this, he knows that the owner will pay him back in the future, and he will get up and say goodbye.
This day can not sweep the floor, to hide the broom, to let the firecrackers all over the paper pile, meaning that "snow is a sign of good fortune"; must sweep the floor can not be, only with a fan of the stove from the outside of the chicken feather fan swept in, meaning that the prevention of outflow of family wealth. This day also do not wash clothes, for fear of losing money. Also avoid getting a haircut, because people always like to get a haircut on this day with the funeral associated. Also avoid killing livestock, that killed no wealth, raising livestock that year is not good luck.
Diet, this day do not use long and short chopsticks in the meal, or the transition will not be able to take the boat; do not eat congee or rice soup, or go out and meet the sky rain; do not take medicines, or it will be considered a year-round disease, medication constantly. If the patient has to eat, the family must say "break the wealth against the luck" and other auspicious words to comfort the patient, so that the patient get well soon.
With the development of society and the progress of civilization, some taboos are slowly being eliminated. For example, young people now do not think that the firecracker paper piled up on the ground without sweeping is a pile of gold and jade superstition, and think that the Spring Festival people to go, firecracker paper piled up on the ground in the way of hygiene, so as to pick up the broom to clean up and break the traditional customs.