The Folk Custom of Ruichang

Paper-cutting is one of the treasures of traditional folk decorative arts in China, and Ruichang is known as "the hometown of paper-cutting". Paper-cutting is a wonderful work of Ruichang folk art. 1992 and 1993, Ruichang was awarded the honorary titles of "Hometown of Paper-cutting" and "Hometown of Chinese Folk Art" by the Provincial Department of Culture and the Ministry of Culture.

Tea-picking opera [a popular local opera in Jiangxi]

Ruichang tea-picking drama, formerly known as tea lantern drama, was renamed tea-picking drama after entering the semi-class, commonly known as tea drama among the people. In the thirty years of Qing Qianlong (1765), floods flooded, dikes burst, and victims went out. The triangle class of Huangmei tea-picking opera was mixed with Ruichang tea lantern opera in northern Jiangxi, forming a folk drama of Ruichang tea-picking opera, which was later called tea-picking opera. 1986, Ruichang tea-picking opera was renamed Jiujiang tea-picking opera, which was corrected to Ruichang tea-picking opera by the encyclopedia of China [(Opera Quyi), 146 pages] and 1999' s Jiangxi Volume of China Opera Music Integration.

Ruichang folk songs

Ruichang folk songs are colorful and diverse in genre. There are mainly folk songs, Tian Ge, Lantern songs, minor, labor songs, children's songs, folk songs and so on. The subject matter is also quite extensive, including the praise of revolution, the praise of labor, the resistance and struggle against exploitation and oppression, and the yearning for a better future. Among them, there are many love songs, accusing the evils of feudal marriage system and expressing the love of young men and women, which profoundly reflected a side of society at that time. These folk songs are produced, developed and enriched in the social practice of working people. As early as the early 1980s, Ruichang Cultural Center carried out a rescue work on the folk songs in this county-comprehensively collecting, sorting out and compiling the Collection of Ruichang Folk Songs, which enabled Ruichang folk songs to be inherited and protected and become a valuable local cultural heritage.

Funeral custom

When the old man dies, all the children in other places have to go home and wait for the bed, which is called "farewell" or "seeing off". After the breath turns into paper money, it is called "wake-up money". Then send a funeral report to relatives and friends, who will send wreath, firecrackers or cash to attend the funeral. Most children wear black or white mourning clothes, and fewer children wear white mourning clothes. If the staff and workers of public institutions die, the unit where they work shall preside over the obituary and hold a memorial service or a farewell ceremony for the remains. Under the vigorous advocacy of the municipal government, the dead in urban and rural areas were cremated instead of coffins. But most of them were buried after cremation, but the coffins were replaced with urns. Others bury the urn of the deceased in the coffin (mainly because the coffin has been set).

Birthday custom

Celebrating birthdays is very popular in Ruichang. Young people call it "birthday" and old people call it "birthday celebration". Three days after a baby is born, it entertains relatives and friends, which is called "Zhengsan Dynasty". Inviting relatives and friends again in January is called "full moon"; The same is true for one year old, which is called "being one year old". When young people celebrate their birthdays, foreign customs are popular, such as singing happy birthday songs, blowing out candles and eating cakes. Old people celebrate their 60th birthday at the age of 60 (every five or ten years thereafter), and invite relatives and friends to get together to celebrate or get together, * * * eat longevity noodles and * * * drink longevity wine. In the old society, it was rare for the younger generation to pay tribute to the birthday boy. However, it is very common for the younger generation to send clothes to pay tribute to the elderly, or to sing songs for birthday girls on local TV stations.

marriage customs

The old habit of arranged marriage of "the words of the matchmaker are the orders of parents" has long since disappeared, and young men and women have become the mainstream in free love and independent marriage. The old habit of intermarriage between cousins no longer exists today; Nowadays, the number of long-distance relationships has increased relatively. Rural youth migrant workers are increasing day by day, and it is not uncommon to get married with young people from other places.

Folk marriage still pays attention to bride price, bride price and dowry, and it is becoming increasingly rich and luxurious. Dowry with color TV sets, refrigerators and motorcycles has become common, and wealthy families have begun to marry women to accompany their cars and houses. Wedding sedan chair is rare, wedding car, always taking pictures, is very common. Wedding bridal chamber decoration is becoming more and more luxurious, with high-grade furniture and complete requirements for household appliances. In the past, it was very popular to make trouble in the new house on the wedding night. In addition to throwing accounts (popcorn, dates, sugar, etc. Congratulations, they also teased the couple in various ways. Now they change their old habits, talk about civilization, sing, dance, or perform cultural programs.