To understand the Chinese New Year's customs
1, dust
"Lunar New Year 24, dust sweeping the house", according to the "Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals", China in the era of Yao and Shun on the Spring Festival dust sweeping custom. According to folklore: because the "dust" and "Chen" consonant, the New Year dust sweeping "in addition to the meaning of Chen Bu Xin", the intention is to all the poor luck, bad luck, swept out the door. This custom is a symbol of people's desire to break away from the old and bring in the new and their prayers for the old and the new. Whenever the Spring Festival comes, every household has to clean up the environment, wash all kinds of appliances, dismantle the bedding curtains, sprinkle clean the courtyard, dust dust cobwebs, dredge the nullahs and ditches. The whole place is filled with the joyful atmosphere of health, cleanliness and welcome to the New Year.
Legend has it that the ancients believed that the human body is accompanied by a three corpses of God, he is like a shadow, follow the movements of people, inseparable. The three corpses god is a like flattery, love to move right and wrong guy, he often in front of the Jade Emperor rumors, the earth described as ugly. Over time, in the Jade Emperor's impression, the earth was simply a dirty world full of sin. Once. The Three Corpses God secretly reported that the earth was cursing the Heavenly Emperor and wanted to plot against the Heavenly Court. The Jade Emperor was furious and sent down a decree to quickly find out what was going on on earth. Anyone who complained about the gods and blasphemed against them would have their crimes written under the eaves of their houses. The Jade Emperor also ordered Wang Ling Ling to cover them up with a web to mark them. The Jade Emperor also ordered Wang Lingguan to go down to the world on New Year's Eve, and wherever he met the families with marks, he would kill them all and leave no one behind.
The three corpses of God see this plan will soon succeed, take the opportunity to fly down to the mortal world, regardless of the green and black and white, viciously in the eaves and corners of each house to do on the mark, so that the king of the Ling Palace to come to a chopped to death. Just when the three corpses of God in the evil, Zaojun found his whereabouts, alarmed, hastened to find each family Zaowang master to discuss countermeasures. So, came up with a good way, on the twenty-third day of the waxing moon to send the stove from the date, to New Year's Eve to receive the stove before, each family must clean the house clean, which household is not clean, the king of the stove will refuse to enter the house. We follow the instructions before the ascension of King Zaobao, sweeping dust, dusting off the cobwebs, clean doors and windows, to clean their own homes to a new look.
By the time Wang Lingguan was ordered to come down to the world to check on New Year's Eve, he found that all the windows were clear, the lights were brilliant, and the people were reunited with each other, which made the world a beautiful place to live. The king could not find any sign of bad deeds, and was so surprised that he rushed back to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor about the peace and happiness on earth and the prayers for a happy new year. After hearing this, the Jade Emperor was greatly shocked, and sent down an order to detain the three corpses of the God, ordered to slap his mouth 300 times, and detained him in the heavenly prison forever. This time, the earthly calamity was spared thanks to the rescue of the God of Zao. In order to thank the king of the stove for people to get rid of the disaster, blessing Zhangxiang, so the folk dust always in the send stove after the start, until the busy New Year's Eve.
2, stick the door god
All over China on New Year's Eve, there is the custom of sticking the door god. Initially, the door god is carved mahogany for the human figure, hanging next to the person, and later is painted into the door god portrait posted on the door. Legend has it that the two brothers, Shentian and Yubi, specialize in controlling ghosts, and with them guarding the gateway, evil spirits of all sizes would not dare to enter the door for harm. After the Tang Dynasty, there are painted fierce general Qin Qiong, Yuchi Jingde two people like the door god, there are painted Guan Yu, Zhang Fei like the door god. Door gods like the left and right households each one, often a pair of descendants of the door god painted as a civil and a military. Door God is divided into three categories: the first category is the "gate door God", more than pasted on the car door or the whole door, about four or five feet high, about two or three feet wide. The second type is the "street door god", more small streets on the door, about two feet high, about one foot wide. These two kinds of door god is a black face and a white face of the two gods. White left and black right, white good and easy, black caracal, each hand holding a battle-axe. The third type is "house door door god", compared with the street door door god is slightly smaller limited, also is black and white two god, but also black and white two god is sitting like. House door is most often posted "unicorn send son" image, two powder and grease comb Prince crown dolls, each riding the unicorn. This kind of door god, should be pasted on the door of the newly married house, in order to take good luck, and then also as a common street door of the New Year embellishments.
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3, posting Spring Festival couplets
Spring Festival couplets, also known as the "door to", "spring posting", is a kind of couplets, because in the Spring Festival posted, so the name. One of the origins of the Spring Festival couplets is the peach charm. Initially, people used peach wood to carve human figures to hang next to the door to avoid evil spirits, and later painted the image of the god of the door on the peach wood, and then simplified to inscribe the name of the god of the door on the peach wood board. Another source of spring couplets is the spring stickers. Ancient people in the Spring Festival more stickers "Yichun" two words, and then gradually developed into spring couplets. The real popularity of spring couplets began in the Ming Dynasty, with the advocacy of Zhu Yuanzhang. According to the Qing dynasty Chen Shanggu's "hairpin cloud building miscellany" records, one year Zhu Yuanzhang preparation for the New Year, ordered every door to paste a spring couplets, to show the celebration. Originally, the spring couplets were inscribed on mahogany boards, but later they were written on paper instead. The color of mahogany is red, and red has the meaning of good luck and avoiding evil, so most of the Spring Festival couplets are written on red paper. But the temple with yellow paper, keep system (service filial piety is not full) with white, green, yellow color, the first year with white paper, the second year of green paper, the third year of yellow paper, the fourth year of mourning full before resuming with red paper. Because the Manchu is still white, the Qing court spring couplets with white paper, blue wrapped in the outside, red strips set in the inside.
4, stick the word "Fu"
At the same time in the sticker Spring Festival couplets, some people have to be in the house door, walls, lintels on the large and small "Fu" character. The Chinese New Year is a time-honored folk custom in China. The character "福" refers to good fortune and good luck, and it expresses people's desire for a happy life and their wish for a better future. In order to more fully reflect this yearning and wishes, some people simply stick the word "Fu" upside down, indicating that "happiness has arrived" and "good fortune has arrived". Folk there will be " Fu " word fine as a variety of patterns, patterns of longevity, longevity peach, carp jump Dragon Gate, the five valleys, the dragon and phoenix, and so on.
5, set heaven and earth table
This is a temporary table, is the table dedicated to New Year's Eve. In general, there is no big Buddha house especially emphasize the heaven and earth table, because usually less offerings to the Buddha, to the end of the year when the end of the year to the gods and buddhas a big reward, in addition, this table is mainly for the reception of the use of the gods. The contents of the heaven and earth table is different from the permanent Buddha Hall, in addition to **** there are hanging money, incense and candles, five offerings, large offerings, the worship of the idol is also mostly temporary, such as: "100 percent", which is a woodblock version of the image of the gods; "heaven and earth and the three worlds of the eighteen Buddhas and gods," is a large yellow burlap woodblock watercolor printing of the whole God code; three stars of the blessing of three-star portraits, and so on. Some of the above statues of God after receiving the incineration, such as "percent". Some of them have to be burned until the fifth day of the week, or even until the Lantern Festival. The location of the heaven and earth table is not uniform, such as the hall place wide, can be placed in the house, such as the house has no land, will be placed in the courtyard. Legend has it that this night is the time for the gods in the sky to come down to the world, so the folk have this custom of receiving the gods.
6, firecrackers
Chinese folk "open door firecrackers" said. That is, the arrival of the new year, the first thing to open the door of every household is to set off firecrackers, to beep, bla bla bla firecrackers to get rid of the old and welcome the new. Firecrackers is a Chinese specialty, also known as "firecrackers", "firecrackers", "firecrackers". Its origin is very early, so far has a history of more than two thousand years. Setting off firecrackers can create a festive and lively atmosphere, is a kind of entertainment for festivals, and can bring joy and good fortune to people. With the passage of time, the application of firecrackers is more and more widely used, varieties and colors are also increasingly numerous, every major festival and joyous celebration, and marriage, building, opening, etc., are to set off firecrackers to show that the celebration, Figure a good luck. Wang Anshi's "New Year's Day" poem: the sound of firecrackers in a year apart, the spring breeze to send warm people Tu Su. The pupils of thousands of households are always changing the new peach for the old one on the New Year's Day. It depicts the grand festive scene of Chinese people celebrating the Spring Festival.
7, eat New Year's Eve dinner
Children playing with firecrackers, but also the housewives in the kitchen at the busiest time, New Year's dishes are done in the first few days, and New Year's Eve dinner is always in the New Year's Eve on the day of the cook to do out. In the north, the dumplings on the first day of the New Year are also wrapped up on the evening of the thirtieth. At this time the cutting boards of the families are thumping and busy chopping meat and vegetables. At this time, the sound of the chopping board from every household, the sound of firecrackers from the streets and alleys, small stores and stores out of the "chopping and popping" sound of the abacus and the rhythmic sound of the accounts, mixed with the sound of laughter everywhere, one after another, the ocean full of ears, interwoven into the New Year's Eve joyful music.
Eating New Year's Eve dinner is the most lively and enjoyable time of the Spring Festival. On New Year's Eve. Abundant New Year's dishes on the table, the whole family reunion, sitting around the table, *** eat reunion dinner, the heart of the fullness is really hard to describe. People are enjoying the table full of delicacies, but also to enjoy the happy atmosphere, the table has a big dish, cold pots, stir-fry, snacks, generally less two things, one is hot pot, one is fish. One is fish. Hot pot boiling, steaming, warm and provocative, indicating a red-hot; "fish" and "Yu" harmonic, is a symbol of "good luck", but also a metaphor for "year after year". It is also a metaphor for "having more than enough for every year". There are also turnips, commonly known as "choy tau" (菜头), which is a wish for good luck; and fried foods such as lobster and popped fish, which are a wish for prosperity in the family, such as "hot fire cooking oil" (烈火烹油). Finally, more than one for a sweet food, blessing the sweet days ahead, this day, even if you do not drink alcohol, but also more or less drink a little.
New Year's Eve dinner hall of fame, different places in the north and south, there are dumplings, wontons, long noodles, snacks, etc., and each have their own instructions. Northern people are accustomed to eating dumplings on New Year's Eve, is to take the old and the new, "change of year," the meaning of the child. And because the white dumplings are shaped like silver dollars, a pot of dumplings on the table to symbolize the "New Year's fortune, Yuanbao rolled in" meaning. When some dumplings are wrapped, several coins sterilized in boiling water are wrapped into them, saying that whoever eats them first will earn more money. The custom of eating dumplings was passed down from the Han Dynasty. According to legend, Zhang Zhongjing, the sage of medicine, saw that the ears of the poor were frostbitten in the winter months, so he made a kind of "Cold-removing Ear Soup" for the poor to cure frostbite. He used mutton, chili peppers and some cold and warm herbs, wrapped in dough into an ear like "Jiao Er", boiled in a pot, distributed to the poor to eat, people ate, feel warm, two ear heat. Afterwards, people followed suit and the tradition has been passed down to this day. Eating wontons in the New Year is to take the meaning of the beginning. Legend has it that the world was chaotic before the creation of the world, Pangu opened up the sky and the earth, so that there is a universe of four sides, long noodles, also known as longevity noodles. Eating noodles in the New Year is a wish for a long life of 100 years.
8, the New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is one of the most important New Year's Eve activities. New Year's Eve is the night of the last day of the lunar month, which is the first and last day of the Spring Festival (the first day of the first month). The word "除" in "New Year's Eve" means "to go; to change; to alternate", and the meaning of "New Year's Eve" is "the end of the month and the end of the year". ", people have to get rid of the old part of the new, there is the old year to this in addition, the next year another new year's meaning, is the lunar calendar throughout the year the last night. Therefore, the activities during this period are centered around the removal of the old part of the new, eliminate disasters and pray for blessings as the center.
The year-end vigil is commonly known as "boiled years". Year-end vigil from the beginning of the New Year's Eve dinner, this New Year's Eve dinner to eat slowly, from the palm of the lamp into the table, some people have to eat late into the night. The custom of observing the New Year's Eve has a long history. The earliest records are found in the Western Jin Dynasty, Zhou Chu's "Land and Customs": New Year's Eve, each with the gift, known as "feed the year"; wine and food invited, known as "don't year"; young and old get together to drink, wishing to complete, known as the "sub-year"; everyone stayed up all night to eat. "The whole night, waiting for dawn, is called "keeping the New Year's Eve". The custom of the year-end vigil, both on the water passing years with the feeling of farewell, but also on the coming new year to send a good hope of meaning.
"One night even double the year, five nights divided into two days", the night of New Year's Eve, the whole family gathered together, ate the New Year's Eve dinner, lit up candles or oil lamps, sitting around the stove chatting, waiting for the time to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new, all-night vigil, symbolizing all the evil plague and disease Zhao ran away, looking forward to a new year of good luck. This custom gradually prevailed, to the early Tang Dynasty, Tang Taizong Li Shimin wrote a "New Year's Eve" poem: "Cold resignation from the winter snow, warmth into the spring wind". Until today, it is still customary for people to observe the New Year's Eve to welcome the new year.
9, the new year's money
The new year's money is sent by the elders to the younger generation, some families are after the New Year's Eve dinner, everyone sitting at the table is not allowed to go, and so everyone finished eating, by the elders to the elders, and to encourage their children and grandchildren in the new year to learn to grow up and do well. Some people are parents in the night when their children are asleep, put them under the pillow, more people are small children gathered in the main hall, shouting grandparents, mom and dad Happy New Year, kneeling in line; and then reach out for red envelopes. Even to the bedroom of the grandparents, all ran to the edge of the bed, yelling: "New Year's money, New Year's money!" The old man is still not lively enough, pretending to be petty, from bargaining to the siege of groping, and finally the old ancestor's red envelopes to dig out, we looted, only to whistling and scattered. The old man in this scenario but happy, think this is a good omen of the New Year everything goes well. Giving New Year's money on New Year's Day reflects the love and care of elders for their juniors and the respect of juniors for their elders, and is a folklore activity that integrates ethical relationships in the family. There is a nursery rhyme: three stars in the south, family New Year's Eve; the younger generation kowtow, the older generation of money. If you don't want money, you'll leave with your face turned away.
10, ancestor worship
Because of the different rituals and customs around the different forms of ancestor worship, some to the field to visit the ancestral tomb, some to the ancestral shrine to worship their ancestors, and most of the ancestors at home will be placed in the ancestral tablets in order in the main hall, the display of offerings, and then worshippers in the order of the eldest and youngest on the incense and kneeling. Han Chinese ancestor worship, most of the fish and meat bowl dishes, served in a high bowl, quite a bell ringing the meaning of food. Southern people living in Beijing, especially grand ancestor worship, most of the eight bowls of food, set up a hot pot, according to the spirit of the set cups and chopsticks, in New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, New Year's Eve, will be the hot pot fan open, at any time to change the food. Banner ancestor worship, Manchu-Mongolian different, Mongolian Banner for butter fried yellow rice noodles, withdrawal of offerings fried in sesame oil, dipped in sugar, another flavor. Manchurian flag people worship ancestors, for walnut cake, hibiscus cake, apples, vegetarian wax sandalwood incense, quiet and unusual. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day for vegetarian boiled meat and potatoes, on New Year's Eve for the Lantern Festival, every morning and evening incense kowtow, offering new tea. Ancestor worship form, although different, most of them are hanging shadow on New Year's Eve, on the night of the withdrawal of offerings, family and friends of the closest, the New Year's Day must also bow to the ancestral hall, not only prudent to catch up with the intention of not dying, because of its people to honor the virtues of their ancestors, but also through this to save the.
11, drink tusu wine
Tusu wine is a kind of medicinal wine. In the ancient custom, the whole family drank tusu wine on the New Year's Day to get rid of the unrighteousness. The method of making tusu wine is: with rhubarb a money, Chinese bellflower, Sichuan pepper each one and a half cent, cinnamon heart one and a half cent, cornelian cherry one and a half cent, one or two winds, with a reddish-red capsule hanging in the well, to the yuan day of the chen time to take up, to the wine decoction of four or five boils. In ancient times, the method of drinking tusu wine was very unique. Generally speaking, people always start drinking from the oldest person; however, drinking Tusu Wine is just the opposite, starting from the youngest person. Presumably, the young ones grew up day by day and drank it first as a sign of congratulations, while the old ones drank it later as a sign of retention after one year. Song Dynasty writer Su Zhe's poem "New Year's Day" says: "Drinking tusu at the end of each year, I don't realize that I'm over seventy years old." This is the custom. This kind of unique drinking order, in ancient times, every time to produce all kinds of feelings, so it leaves a deep impression on people.
12, the next year rice
In the north, some people have to provide a pot of rice, burned before the year, to be provided for the New Year, called "the next year rice", is the year there are leftover rice, a year to the end of the year to eat, this year, but also ate the meaning of the previous year's food. This pot of next year's rice is generally cooked with a mixture of rice and millet, Beijing slang called "two rice", in order to have a yellow and white, which is called "gold and silver, gold and silver pots full of" the "gold and silver rice This is called "gold and silver rice". Many places in the New Year's Eve in the preparation of cakes and fruits, are trying to get a lucky mouth: eat jujube (early spring), eat persimmon cakes (everything is as it should be) eat almonds (happy people), eat long life fruit (longevity), eat rice cakes (a year higher than a year). On the night of New Year's Eve, the family, while eating and having fun, talk and laugh.
13, New Year's Day
The first day of the New Year, people get up early, put on the most beautiful clothes, dressed neatly, go out to visit friends and relatives, pay respects to each other, wishing good luck in the coming year. Worship a variety of ways, some of them are the same patriarch led a number of people to go door to door to pay tribute to the New Year; there are colleagues invited a few people to pay tribute to the New Year; there are also get together to congratulate each other, known as the "group worship". Because of the time-consuming and laborious door-to-door New Year's greetings, some of the later upper-class people and the scholarly elite will use the stickers to throw congratulations to each other, which developed the later "New Year's card".
When the Spring Festival to pay homage to the New Year, the younger generation should first pay homage to the elders, wishing the elders a long life and well-being, the elders can be prepared beforehand the New Year's Eve money to the elders, it is said that the New Year's Eve money can be pressed to stop the evil spirits, because the "age of" and the "Sneaky" harmonic, the elders to get New Year's Eve money can be a year of peace and security. It is said that New Year's money can keep evil spirits at bay, because "year" and "spirit" sound alike. There are two kinds of New Year's money, one is a colorful rope threaded and braided into the shape of a dragon, placed at the foot of the bed, which is recorded in the "Yanjing Yearly Record"; the other is the most common, that is, wrapped in red paper by the parents of the money given to the children. New Year's money can be rewarded in the evening after the New Year's greetings in public, can also be in the New Year's Eve when the child is asleep, by the parents secretly placed under the child's pillow. Now the elders for the younger generation to send the custom of New Year's money is still prevalent.
14, back to his mother's home
The second and third days of the first month, married daughters have brought their husbands, children back to their parents' homes to pay homage to the New Year. Daughters go back to their parents' home, must do a big bag of cookies, sweets, distributed by the mother to the neighbors, as in the New Year's scene. If there are more than one daughter at home, and these daughters do not return on the same day, then, we have to come to a sub once, the gift is quite thin, four cookies only. However, it reflects the sentiment is very strong, the real "gift is light and heavy", it expresses the girl to the townspeople of the cut longing. The girl returned home, if there are nephews at home, when the aunt must again out of pocket, although in the first day of the new year's money has been sent, but this time the significance is different. This custom, the Chaoshan people called "eating day day". As the name suggests, it is just a midday meal, the daughter must be rushed back to her in-laws before dinner.