A complete guide to Fujian Spring Festival customs
Introduction: Fujian is a province with outstanding people and beautiful scenery. It is located in the West Coast Economic Zone of the Taiwan Strait and faces Taiwan across the sea. The abbreviation of Fujian is "Min". Each region in Fujian has its own characteristics and culture. So, what are the Spring Festival customs in Fujian? What are the differences in Spring Festival customs in various regions of Fujian? Please follow the editor to learn more about it below! 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!1. Fujian Spring Festival Customs: FuzhouHou Hengchong said that people in Fuzhou began to prepare for the New Year long before sending off the Kitchen God on the 24th day of the 12th lunar month. According to the tradition of Fuzhou people, no animals are killed after the 24th day of the 12th lunar month, so the meat to be eaten in the first month of the lunar calendar must be prepared before that day. The women in the house hang the slaughtered chickens and pigs from the ceiling, stew them after they are dried, and then put them in jars and marinate them with wine and a variety of ingredients. Hou Hengchong said that such a jar of food is not only a delicacy on the reunion dinner table, but can often be eaten until the end of the month. On New Year’s Eve, before eating the reunion dinner, people in Fuzhou must first worship their ancestors. Among the many offerings, Hou Hengchong was most impressed by water chestnuts and rice cakes. Horse hooves grow in fields and have strong vitality. Offering horse hooves to ancestors means hoping that the ancestors will bless the family with successors. The rice cake of Fuzhou people is different from the common rice cake in the local market. It is the size of a tray and the taste is also different. Therefore, every year the Fuzhou Association will customize rice cakes for its members so that fellow villagers can taste the rice cakes with unique Fuzhou flavor. When offering sacrifices to ancestors, the rice cakes must be sliced and fried, then placed on a plate and on the altar. Fuzhou people attach great importance to rice cake. In addition to offering sacrifices to ancestors, rice cake is also a dessert on the reunion dinner table. Even if they don’t eat it, it is indispensable on the dinner table. In addition, red fermented rice wine chicken, Fuzhou fish balls and meat dumplings are also delicious foods on the reunion dinner table of Fuzhou people. Fuzhou people also have a very interesting New Year custom. After the reunion dinner, parents will wipe their children’s mouths with toilet paper, meaning that children’s words should be kept within the bounds of conscience, and if the children say something wrong, they hope that the gods will not blame them. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, people in Fuzhou must offer sacrifices to the heavens before going out to pay New Year’s greetings, and bamboo rice is a necessary offering. The rice is served in a bamboo container with a red paper flower in the middle and chopsticks around it, which means praying for blessings from heaven. According to tradition, people in Fuzhou also eat a bowl of Taiping noodles on this day. It is noodle noodles soaked in red fermented rice wine chicken soup, and two eggs are added to the noodles. Now some people replace them with quail eggs. As the name suggests, Taiping noodles are meant to be eaten in peace. Hou Hengchong remembers that the Lantern Festival for people in Fuzhou was also very lively. The God-Parade is a major festival. The sound of drums and music resounding through the sky, the crowded crowds, and the sound of firecrackers one after another push the festive atmosphere to a climax. Hou Hengchong returned to Singapore in 1959 at the age of 20. Over the past few decades, due to various factors, the traditional customs of Fuzhou people in celebrating the New Year can no longer be preserved in their entirety. Hou Hengchong said, for example, many Fuzhou families have added non-Fuzhou members. In order to adapt to the eating habits and preferences of members from different places of origin, these families have to add some non-Fuzhou foods, so that the food on the reunion dinner table is no longer just Fuzhou food. He said: "This is the result of changing times. Older Fuzhou people should not be stubborn. Under the principle of harmony, we should adapt to the times and make appropriate adjustments."2. Fujian Spring Festival Customs: XiamenXiamen has many folk customs, which have changed greatly in recent years with the progress of the times. In order to adapt to local customs, we would like to introduce the following: On the first day of the first lunar month, the doors are opened at dawn and Buddhist incense is lit, which is called "Kaizheng". When people get up early in the morning to offer sacrifices to their ancestors, manure and dirt are not dumped outdoors on that day. The third day of the first lunar month is the day for the bereaved family to burn their new bed. Do not visit friends' homes whose homes you have not visited on the first or second day of the Lunar New Year. Visiting would be disrespectful. There is a proverb that goes, "Get up early on the first day, get up early on the second day, and get up late on the third day," which means that if there are no guests on the third day, it's okay to get up late. So how did this custom come about? According to legend, during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, Japanese pirates occupied Wuyu, an island outside Xiamen. On New Year's Eve one year, officers and soldiers were busy celebrating the New Year and neglected to guard the city. A large group of Japanese pirates took the opportunity to attack the city. The army and civilians rose up to resist the enemy. After two days and three nights of fierce fighting, the Japanese pirates were defeated, but the army and civilians in the city suffered heavy casualties. On the third day, people buried their relatives and friends, mourned the dead, and cried loudly. They had no time to visit other families to wish them a happy new year. On the third day of the second year, Xiamen residents regarded this day as their death anniversary, and over time it became a custom. On the fourth day of the first lunar month, Buddhists must burn paper and horses to welcome the gods, in order to prepare for the farewell of the gods on the twenty-fourth day of December. The ninth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of the Jade Emperor, and people set up incense tables to worship the gods. However, the bereaved family must suspend sacrifices for two years. The tenth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of the earth. No wood was cut or earth was dug on that day. And offer sacrifices with ordinary items. On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, it is the birthday of Guandi, and all businesses offer sacrifices to him. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival or the Lantern Festival is the birthday of the Three Emperors and people celebrate with lanterns.3. Fujian Spring Festival Customs: Quanzhou"Respecting the God of Heaven and Congratulating the New Year" Customs of Celebrating the New Year in Quanzhou The first day of the first lunar month is often called "Celebrating the New Year" or "Celebrating the New Year". It can be seen that "New Year" is both a unit of time and the name of a festival. It is a major festival between one year and another. New Year is the oldest and most solemn festival among the Chinese people. It was called "Zai" in the time of Yao and Shun, "Sui" in the Xia Dynasty, "Si" in the Shang Dynasty, and "Nian" in the Zhou Dynasty, and it has been used to this day (during the period it was called "Zai" only during the reigns of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Emperor Suzong of Tang). The time for the New Year has been determined since the time of Emperor Wu of Han, when the first month of the year was designated as the beginning of the year. The first day of the first month is regarded as the New Year, also known as "New Year's Day". And because this day begins at dawn, it is also called "New Year's Day". After the Revolution of 1911, the Gregorian calendar was adopted, with January 1st as New Year's Day. Therefore, the first day of the first lunar month, which was originally called "New Year's Day", was renamed "Spring Festival", but it is still commonly called "New Year". The New Year lasts from the first day to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, which is called "New Year's Day" in Quanzhou. Only after the fifteenth day is the "New Year" considered to be over. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : This kind of sacrifice continues until the fourth day of the New Year. Kaizheng: People stay awake on New Year's Eve until the clock strikes 12 midnight, welcoming the dawn of the new year. At the time of Zizheng, every household sets off firecrackers and opens the door to welcome the new year and auspiciousness, commonly known as "Kaizheng". In the early morning, men, women, old and young, all got up, washed and put on the new clothes that had been prepared long ago. For breakfast, the family eats vermicelli with eggs. The eggs are peeled and eaten to remove bad luck and welcome good fortune. Vermicelli symbolizes longevity and good fortune. After breakfast, people go out to visit neighbors, relatives and friends and greet them with smiles. When they meet for the first time, they say "congratulations" to each other, commonly known as "he zheng", which also means happy new year, and this continues until the Lantern Festival. When guests come to your home, you should offer them candies, candied fruits, or sweet tea or coffee to let them "sweeten themselves" to indicate that it is a sweet start. Group greetings "Quanzhou Prefecture Records. Customs Records" in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty quoted the county records of the Song Dynasty and said: "On the New Year's Day, the village elders would meet together for group greetings to save the trouble of going back and forth. The county magistrate and the county magistrate would lead their officials to meet. In the past, it was held in the imperial examinations, and later in Chengtian Temple. During the Chunyou period (1241-1252), it was held in Pan Palace. The neighbors would gather at nearby temples and select one person each year to prepare wine and fruits as a ceremony. This ceremony is now abolished." It was restored after liberation. New Year’s money: When underage younger generations pay New Year’s greetings to their elders, the elders give them a “red envelope” as New Year’s money. Taboos: On the first day of the first lunar month, the beginning of the new year, everything is based on the principle of welcoming good luck and fortune. There are many taboos: avoid drinking tea and eating porridge, so as to avoid encountering rain when going out in the future. For breakfast, people eat dry rice with vegetables cooked with whole leaves as a side dish, commonly known as "longevity vegetables". Avoid beating or scolding children, avoid quarreling with others, avoid saying unlucky words, and avoid asking for money or collecting debts. Avoid using a knife to cut things to show that you should avoid killing. All food that needs to be cut with a knife is prepared on New Year's Eve. Avoid sweeping the floor with a broom, as it means welcoming good luck and fortune in the new year and one is afraid that all will be swept away. Avoid wearing old clothes; wear new clothes instead, as it is said to "get rid of the old and welcome the new"; avoid going barefoot; it is unlucky to get your feet pricked while walking. Avoid breaking utensils, dishes, etc., otherwise all the blessings for the year will be destroyed; if they are accidentally broken, throw the fragments into the well to suppress them. The lights are not turned off on New Year’s Eve, the first night of the first lunar month, the fifth night of the first lunar month, and the Lantern Festival, symbolizing that auspicious light will remain forever.4. Fujian Spring Festival Customs: ZhangzhouBefore the New Year, people in Zhangzhou have the custom of giving each other daffodils to celebrate the New Year. The meaning is to send New Year's blessings to relatives and friends, wishing them good luck and prosperity in the New Year and that everything will be as prosperous as daffodils. Speaking of this custom, there is also a beautiful legend. According to legend, during the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty (1450-1456), there was a businessman named Zhang Guanghui from Caiban Village, Jiuhu, Longhai, who was doing business in Henan. One day, he was traveling by boat. On the clear lake, he suddenly saw a fairyland in front of him: towering palaces, scattered pavilions, lingering clouds and fairy music. Two fairies dressed in white, golden and plain white and light yellow colorful feathered clothes walked out of the magnificent palace and flew towards them. When Zhang Guanghui and his family saw this beautiful scene, they couldn't help rubbing their eyes at the same time, wondering if they were seeing things. When I looked closely, the fairyland had disappeared, and two stems of flowers were floating on the lake in front. Zhang Guanghui hurriedly asked the boatman to catch up and pick up the two beautiful flowers from the water. Put it on the boat, it smells delicious. Looking closely, they are like graceful fairies, beautiful, dignified and lovely. Zhang Guanghui and his family returned to their hometown, Pibasan Village (now Caiban Village) at the foot of Yuanshan Mountain in the southern suburbs of Zhangzhou. On New Year's Eve, when the family gathered around the fire to stay up all night, the two bulbs sprouted new flower arrows and bloomed bright flowers. The next year, Zhang Guanghui planted the two bulbs in her own garden, and small bulbs sprouted out, and more and more bulbs appeared. From then on, before the Spring Festival every year, the Zhang family would distribute these flower balls to relatives and friends, and attach a poem to the flower balls: "On the Xuebie Peak of Yuanshan in Zhang County, the flowers contain fairy dew and the water flows with fragrance. The fairy offers a jade plate and a golden cup of wine, and presents them to your family's Fu Shou Tang." People asked: "What is this flower called?" The Zhang family replied, "It's called 'water flower'." Because of the long years and the passing down from generation to generation, the "water flower" became called "daffodil". Later, Zhang's relatives, friends and neighbors also learned from the Zhang family to grow flowers and send flowers to celebrate the New Year, and this custom was passed down. The New Year customs in the rural areas of southern Fujian seem to be different from those in the cities. In rural farmers' houses, there are many houses and doors. In addition to pasting Spring Festival couplets, two sugarcane roots with red paper wrapped around them are placed on both sides of the door. They are called "door sugarcane". In the local dialect, "sugarcane" sounds similar to "jia", which means entering a good situation. The table in the hall is placed with New Year's Eve dinner, long-lasting vegetables, and steamed cakes, and is decorated with "spring branches" made of red and yellow paper, which symbolizes abundant food throughout the year and good luck and wealth. Every family would pile potato vines and firewood outside the front door, light them and wait for the smoke to rise. Then the men would jump over the fire according to their seniority, chanting as they jumped: "Jump in, make a fortune every year; jump out, be free from worries; jump to the east, have enough food to eat; jump to the west, money will come rolling in." This is called "crossing the fire", which symbolizes burning away the evil spirits of the old year, eliminating disasters and bad luck, and welcoming a clean and auspicious new year. After "jumping over the fire", people would use a new broom to sweep the hall. After sweeping, the broom and dustpan would be put together and the garbage would be piled by the door, in the hope that they could walk out of the dustpan and broom as they wished and help them get rich. At the same time, some of the remaining ashes from the jumping fire group should be collected and added to the charcoal stove, which is called "adding prosperity", symbolizing greater prosperity. Parents lead their children to sit around the stove, which is called "guarding the New Year by the stove". It is best to stay up all night, as it is said to add to the longevity of their parents. At this time, the elders distribute New Year’s money to the younger generations, which is called “fenyuan”. With the progress of society and the quickening pace of life, some cumbersome customs in southern Fujian villages have gradually been abolished, but the custom of farmers hoping for a good year remains. Especially in the cold winter of December, when the whole family sits around the warm stove, drinking and chatting, reminiscing about the past and looking forward to the future, it is so warm and happy.Summary: Through the introduction of the above article, we know that Fujian’s Spring Festival customs have many local characteristics. The customs of celebrating the Spring Festival in Fujian have their own characteristics. I hope everyone can learn about it and feel the different wonders of our traditional culture! |
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