The Spring Festival customs are very rich. Let’s explain in detail how people celebrate the Spring Festival in Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions?

The Spring Festival customs are very rich. Let’s explain in detail how people celebrate the Spring Festival in Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions?
Introduction: Our country is vast and has rich resources. The cultures in the north and south are obviously different. The Spring Festival is the most traditional and important festival in our country. The customs of the Spring Festival vary from place to place. In this issue, the editor will take you to learn about the traditional customs of celebrating the Spring Festival in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Let’s take a look! In addition to the grand and festive celebrations of the Spring Festival, we also need to pay attention to some taboos regarding the Spring Festival. Next, let’s take a closer look at the Spring Festival special topic compiled by Mr. Shui Mo!

Spring Festival customs in Jiangsu and Zhejiang: opening firecrackers

In the early morning of the first day of the New Year, the first thing every household does is to rush to fire the "opening cannon". The whole city is filled with the sound of firecrackers, symbolizing bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new and bringing in blessings, commonly known as "welcoming the year". There are also conventions for setting off the "opening cannon". Generally, a string of small firecrackers, called "hundred-son cannons", is set off first; then double-sound big firecrackers are set off. Only three big firecrackers are set off, meaning that the epidemics and disasters of the year can be dispelled, and the new year is welcomed. It is required that all three firecrackers go off, with loud and crisp sounds, for the most auspiciousness. It is believed that the earlier the "opening cannon" is fired, the better, symbolizing that everything will go smoothly this year, and farmers will get rich and have a good harvest. In some places, when people open the door firecrackers, they chant something: "Open the door, firecrackers; wealth and happiness will come." Generally, the outer and inner skins of firecrackers are all bright red. After they are set off, paper flowers are all over the ground, shining like brocade, filling the whole room with auspicious colors and joy. Setting off firecrackers is now banned in towns, but can still be set off in rural areas and on fishing islands.

Spring Festival customs in Jiangsu and Zhejiang: worshipping the six gods

After the opening cannon is fired, men and women in each household wear new clothes. The housewife brews Buddhist tea and places various offerings in Jiangxi porcelain bowls on the incense table. Ancestor images are hung in the central hall. People worship their ancestors first and then the six gods (Kitchen God, Eaves God, White Tiger God, Well God, Land God, and God of Wealth). People believe that these six gods are the patron saints of every family. During the New Year worship, they mainly pray for the safety of the population and prosperity of the family business throughout the year.

Spring Festival customs in Jiangsu and Zhejiang: welcoming the three gods

After worshipping the six gods, a small square table is set up in the courtyard, filled with a bowl of rice, covered with red paper and sealed around the edges, and placed on the table. Incense is burned and candles are lit, and worship is performed devoutly. This is called "receiving the three gods" (namely Yuqing, Shangqing and Taiqing in Taoism). After the sacrifice, the table is moved indoors and is not moved until the fourth day of the first lunar month, when the gods are sent away and the seats are cleared.

Spring Festival customs in Jiangsu and Zhejiang: Ancestor worship

In the old days, at noon on the first day of the first lunar month, every family in Dongtou County would worship their ancestors. The ceremony is presided over by the housewife. First, arrange the offerings, put out the wine cups and chopsticks, and pour rice wine into the wine pot. A bench should be placed between the altar and the offering table, and then red candles should be lit, and incense should be burned on the incense burners of all the shrines for ancestors, the Three Emperors, the God of Land, the God of Kitchen, etc. When the red candle has burned about three-quarters or the incense is about to burn out, start burning "gold paper" (a kind of paper money covered with gold foil and folded into the shape of a gold ingot, which is believed to be effective only after chanting sutras) and set off firecrackers. Finally, the food is removed. Before removing the food, the chairs in front of the altar must be moved first. When worshiping ancestors, the gifts on the altar must not be moved; all offerings, except cakes and fruits, must be re-cooked or steamed before being eaten. Otherwise, it is considered disrespectful to gods and ancestors.

Spring Festival customs in Jiangsu and Zhejiang: Incense-burning

There is an old custom of "burning incense" early in the morning on the first day of the first lunar month. All the civil and military officials in the city, wearing hats and riding in carriages, with all the deacons, rang gongs to clear the way, and went to various temples to burn incense with a grand ceremony. The elderly and the heads of each family had bathed and changed their clothes before dawn, and rushed to the community temple or nearby monastery to open the door, burn the first incense, and light incense lamps. Some even stayed up all night on New Year's Eve and waited in the temple. After the hour of Hai, people quickly burn incense to show their piety. It is believed that being the first person to arrive and light incense is the most auspicious, so there is a custom of competing to light the first pair of candles. As the saying goes, "Whoever opens the temple door first will make a lot of money this year." Elderly people go to various temples to worship the gods, mainly praying for good luck in the new year and safety for the whole family. Although many people in China no longer believe in religion, many people still burn incense during the Spring Festival, hoping to get a good omen for themselves. Due to differences in class, industry, gender, age, etc., the wishes of the endless stream of worshippers are also different. Some pray for prosperity in business, some pray for a good harvest, some pray for children, and so on. In larger temples, such as the Dong'ouwang Temple, worshippers have to give red envelopes to the temple priests. If their prayers are answered, wealthy people have to use large candles weighing more than 100 kilograms to fulfill their wishes on the first day of each year.
Summary: The customs introduced in the above article are some of the traditional customs of celebrating the Spring Festival in Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions that the editor wants to introduce to you. You can learn about them. I hope that under the influence of the new era culture, you will not forget the cultural heritage of traditional culture!

After reading this article, there are more exciting content in the Spring Festival special topic, let’s take a look!

<<:  There are many things to pay attention to on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Here are all the customs on the first day of the Lunar New Year!

>>:  Can’t tell the difference between Chinese New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Eve? Detailed explanation of the difference between the Spring Festival and New Year's Eve

Recommend

Will it be hot during the Beginning of Summer? Why can’t we sit on the doorstep at the beginning of summer?

The beginning of summer is almost here in the four...

Can I burn paper in advance for the Ghost Festival? What can’t you do during the Ghost Festival?

The fifteenth day of the lunar calendar every year...

Can we worship our ancestors on September 16th of the lunar calendar in 2022? What are the auspicious times?

Ancestor belief and sacrificial culture are deeply...

The location of the God of Wealth on May Day 2021, and the location of the God of Wealth at different times on May Day

Labor Day is a holiday established for working peo...

Will the weather be very hot during Grain in Ear Festival in 2019? What are the dietary taboos during Grain in Ear Festival?

Introduction: Grain in Ear is one of the 24 solar ...

Is the 20th day of the first lunar month in 2018 suitable for opening a business? Are there any festivals on it?

In daily life, opening a shop is a very common thi...

When is the End of Heat? 2021 End of Summer Beginning and Ending Time

Chushu, which means "out of summer", mea...

Where is the direction of the God of Happiness on the second day of the fourth lunar month in 2018?

April is the most beautiful month in the world. A...

Query the location of the God of Wealth on the seventh day of the fourth lunar month in 2018

The Fortune Teller website has carefully compiled...

Is it good to be a male tiger baby born in August 2022? How is fate?

Is it good to be a male tiger baby born in August ...

Is the Winter Solstice of 2018 a suitable day to set up the bed? What should we pay attention to when setting up the bed?

Introduction: According to the tradition of our co...

Is the tenth day of the seventh lunar month in 2018 a suitable date for starting renovations?

Introduction: In traditional Chinese culture, it i...

What solar terms are there in February of the lunar calendar in 2018?

A year's plan begins with spring. The wind in ...

Is the day before the summer solstice on April 29, 2020 a good day? What is the month and day of the summer solstice in 2020?

Introduction: Every day will have good and bad luc...

Is it suitable to offer sacrifices the day after the Rain Water in 2020? What does the Rain Water solar term mean?

Introduction: It is also necessary to choose an au...