Does a sixteenth birthday have any special meaning?

The sixteenth birthday is called "out of the garden".

"Coming out of the garden" is a coming-of-age ceremony in Chaoshan area. It means that underage children will become adults when they are 16 years old, just like in the garden. They should be "lead out of the garden" and let them Have a sense of independent living. The "Out of the Garden" ceremony reminds children to face the world as adults, to be responsible, and to be responsible for what they do.

This ceremony is usually held in the third, fifth or seventh month of the lunar calendar. On the day "out of the garden", children have to bathe in water soaked in 12 different kinds of flowers, then put on red bellybands and put on new clothes and red clogs given by grandma. After dressing up, they worship the gods, bid farewell to the gods of parents-in-law at the foot of the bed, then throw away the incense burner bowl, and eat beet dumplings and noodles symbolizing longevity, which means that they have grown up, the gods will bless them, and they will have a safe life.

Extended information:

In Guanbu Town, Chaoyang District, Shantou City, children who go out to the garden will receive red envelopes. After receiving the red envelopes, parents need to give gifts in return and buy some festive things. Things are delivered, including cooking oil, sugar, cakes, etc. Each family has its own arrangements.

Chaoan County needs to use 12 kinds of flowers to soak in water for gardeners to bathe; they need to change into new clothes, wear red leather clogs, and wear new bellybands (longans and "Shunzhi" money are hidden in the bellybands) - and this The entire outfit must be a gift from my uncle’s family; I have to hide in the house that day. In addition to worshiping the gods of parents-in-law, they also need to worship Hua Gong and Hua Ma. If a man goes out to the garden, he must bring a rooster as a sacrifice, while if a woman goes out to the garden, she must use a hen, and she must invite her relatives to have wine and food.

The customs in Chenghai County are generally the same as those in Chaoan County. Raoping County used 12 pieces of banyan branches, bamboo branches, pomegranate flowers, peach branches, Zhuangyuan bamboo, and green grass to soak in water to bathe those who came out of the garden and eat at the same time, congratulating those who came out of the garden to "change into adult intestines" and bid farewell to childhood. . In Jiexi County, the homes of those who have gardens will give gifts of fermented anklets, chickens and ducks to relatives and friends, and relatives and friends will return gifts of cloth.