What are the customs and taboos of Jiaxing people?

Spring Festival

The first day of the first month of the lunar calendar used to be New Year's Day, commonly known as the "New Year's Day". After the Gregorian calendar was implemented, it was renamed the "Spring Festival". According to "Guhe Miscellaneous Knowledge": "At dawn on New Year's Day, you hear the sound of firecrackers being set off, which is called a firecracker to open the door. First, worship the Buddha statues and ancestral temples, and then worship the elders. Eat reunion bait and longevity noodles. Many men and women hold fast. It is said not to be eaten. Eat soup and rice when it rains when you go out one year. Grain customs believe in ghosts and gods. (On this day) every time incense is burned, the streets and alleys are filled, and the Chenghuang Temple is the most noisy." This is a custom in the Qing Dynasty.

During the Republic of China, in the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Jiaxing residents competed to burn incense at the Xiao Cao Wang Temple outside the south gate. The first place was lucky. Haining Xia Shi is "burning incense in ten temples" (starting from home in the early morning, setting off a firecracker to welcome the new year, and then going to ten temples to burn incense). At dawn, "open firecrackers" come and go. Early in the morning, we worship our ancestors and pay New Year greetings to our elders. The elders give New Year greeting money to their minors. Rice noodles are eaten, and adults and children wear new clothes. It is popular to eat "Shaomai" for breakfast. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, superstition was abolished and customs such as "burning incense on one's head" gradually became obsolete. Since the 1980s, "burning incense" has been on the rise, and Buddhist believers among urban and rural residents have gone to Juehai Temple and other places to burn incense.

In Haining, people eat rice cakes in the morning, which means "every year is high". Beating gongs and drums is called "Nian Gongs and Drums". On this day, silkworm farmers sweep the floor and say "sweeping silkworm flowers", and when they meet each other, they look at each other as "the sweetness of silkworm flowers is four points" and pray for a good harvest of silkworm cocoons. In rural areas of Jiashan, it is still customary for every family to place cypress branches on their doors. Some places in Jiashan and Haining do not cook meals on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Eating meals cooked on New Year's Eve symbolizes having more than enough every year. On this day, urban and rural residents began to visit relatives and friends to pay New Year's greetings. During the Republic of China, there were activities of "receiving the land" and "receiving the Kitchen Lord". To "receive the Stove Lord", people would light candles and incense on the stove, offer "receiving stove rice cakes", and hang a new Stove God's silk curtain and a "Gathering the Stove Lord" on the stove. "Zao Pai", "to welcome the return of the Kitchen King from heaven". This custom has not existed since liberation.

The Xiaonian Dynasty

On the third day of the first lunar month, people in Jiaxing worship Buddha and ancestors in old customs. During the Republic of China, all sons-in-law chose this day to visit their wives’ homes for New Year greetings.

The birthday of the "God of Wealth"

The fifth day of the first lunar month is traditionally said to be the "birthday of the God of Wealth". According to "Guhe Miscellaneous Knowledge": "On the fourth day of the lunar month, the stove will be connected in the afternoon and the road will be connected at night. Two lanterns will be hung in front of each small door. Fruits, rice dumplings, fish and other items are displayed in the middle hall, and there will be road heads. Rice and Lutou soup are the most despicable things. "Lutou" is what the people call the "Five Gods of Wealth". During the Republic of China, shops opened their doors from midnight on the fourth day of the lunar month to the early morning of the fifth day of the lunar month, with bright lights and offerings. On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, all shops began to open as usual, and all the clerks who were invited to drink wine were those who continued to receive the God of Wealth. After liberation. This has disappeared. In recent years, on the fourth night of the lunar month and the early morning of the fifth lunar month, some stores set off firecrackers, which means "receiving the God of Wealth", and some put up statues of the gods on their doors.

人日

In the old days, the seventh day of the first lunar month was Human Day, also known as "Human Birthday". On this day, people hung giant scales to weigh people, and there was a custom of wearing earrings on little girls' ears. It is recorded: “It is customary for people to like weighing people. If you weigh people, you can avoid illness for a year. This case probably started in children, and it is said that it increases year by year. Then women followed it, and gradually everyone followed it, regardless of age or gender."

天日

The old custom is that the ninth day of the first lunar month is "Tian's birthday", which is the birthday of the Jade Emperor. The Republic of China During this period, faithful men and women go to the Xuanmiao Temple in the city to offer incense and worship the Jade Emperor's statue. There are three days of Luotian Jiao in the temple. On the last day, those who give alms are listed as "Tianbiao".

Lantern Festival<. /p>

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival, commonly known as "the first half of the first lunar month", also known as "Lantern Festival" and "the Lantern Festival". The exchanges of relatives and friends to pay New Year greetings have gradually stopped. There is a proverb in the village, "New Year greetings last until the first half of the first lunar month." , pull out the door latch and chase for a while." The Lantern Festival is the Lantern Festival. The old custom is to put on the lanterns on the 13th day of the first lunar month and put them away on the 17th. According to "Ancient He Miscellaneous Knowledge": "The Lantern Festival in Shangyuan puts on the lanterns on the 13th day and puts them away on the 17th day. lamp. "Mixed colors tie Fu Turtle Mountain, hydrangea figures, balconies, lamps with five colors, bright horns, official yarn, ink and silk". On that day, the whole family eats glutinous rice balls (glutinous rice balls) and welcomes lanterns at night. In ancient Jiaxing, lanterns were very lively. During the Republic of China, the national economy and people's livelihood were difficult, so the "Yinglong Lantern Festival" was only held a few times from the Revolution of 1911 to the first 40 years of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The lantern festival in the city was decorated with Turtle Mountain as its highlight, and the lantern umbrellas (also known as "paper umbrellas") were engraved with. "Three Kingdoms", "Dream of Red Mansions" and other dramas) are popular in the countryside. There are seven or eight lantern-making shops such as Wang Juxing in the city. The lanterns are made more crudely than those in Haining. The lantern festival starts from Lotus Embankment and ends at North Street. , Xuangong Bridge, there are many spectators along the way. The procession to welcome the lanterns is accompanied by silk and bamboo performances, as well as folk songs and dances such as stilts, lake boats, and local operas. Lanterns, fish lanterns, flower basket lanterns, revolving lanterns, dragon lanterns, lion lanterns and lanterns representing characters from "Journey to the West" are paraded in organized groups.

Haiyan used to have "rolling lanterns" with a long history. Chapter "Literature and Art" of this magazine. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, there were still people in the Changchuanba area of ??Haiyan County who could play with rolling lanterns, performing such routines as throwing money from bangs, leaning on the beach, cranes laying eggs, frying minnows, and stars over the moon. , is actually a set of acrobatics and dance movements combined with the rolling lantern performance, such as lifting, jumping, cartwheels, handstands, leaping, stacking, etc., all combined, it is quite spectacular

Haining Xia stone lanterns are the most famous in history. They began in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty. Now they are even more popular and well-known at home and abroad.

In the 1980s, Kip Shek held several Lantern Festival Lantern Festivals, with fireworks, colorful lights, crowds of people and a spectacular scene (see the "Famous Specialty Products" chapter of this magazine). Historically, Tongxiang Puyuan Lantern Festival was comparable to the Xia Shi Lantern Festival. Its "ink-picked gauze lanterns" are beautiful in shape and integrate painting and sculpture into one furnace. It has a history of hundreds of years, but it has declined in modern times.

The Lantern Festival custom in Wuzhen, Tongxiang is "walking on bridges". Men, women, old and young walk along the street from south to north at night and walk across each bridge, looking at the lanterns in front of the moon, which is a sign of good health and happiness for the coming year.

In the Jiashan kiln area, the "revolving lantern" is popular. Horse heads and tails are made of bamboo and paper. The horse's head is tied to the performer's abdomen and the horse's tail is tied to the back of the waist, as if the person is riding a horse. There are 12 performers in each team, with 2 people riding horses and 10 people holding flower baskets in the shapes of pines and cranes, dragons and winds, butterflies, birds and animals, etc. Some also played characters from "The Legend of White Snake" and "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms". The performers dance and sing at the same time, which was called "local opera" in ancient times. Every time the lantern troupe comes to a house, it is popular and considered auspicious.

Dragon dances are also performed in some places when lantern festivals are held. In 1988, during the Lantern Festival, Pinghu's nine-color dragon won the prize at the Zhejiang Dragon Dance Competition.

According to old custom, it is forbidden to rain on this day in Jiaxing area. Proverb: "If it rains in the first half of the first month, it will not look good for a whole year." Before and after the Republic of China, stores would light candles on their tents on this day, which was called "Sui Candle".

The second day of the second lunar month

In the old days, the second day of the second lunar month was called the birthday of the land. People eat fried rice cakes, called "waist-supporting cakes", to show that they are about to start farming and need to strengthen their health. People in Haining call this day "Carrot Birthday". According to "Guhe Miscellaneous Knowledge": "On February 2nd, the birthday of the land, it is customary to eat rice cakes made with oil, which is called 'supporting the waist'. On this day, melons, eggplants and other vegetables are grown in the countryside. Music is played in the temple for a day, and fireworks are set off in the evening. "

Hua Chao

The twelfth day of the second lunar month is called Hua Chao, commonly known as the birthday of flowers, followed by the birthdays of rice and other crops.

Kite flying

The first and second months of the year are kite flying seasons. As the proverb goes: "Harriers fly in the first month, harriers fly in February, and only harriers fly in March." After the founding of the People's Republic of China, kite flying became a Mass entertainment activities. On March 20, 1990, the first suburban kite competition was held at Jiaxing Stadium. The largest "Hundred-legged Harrier" had 110 knots and was 55 meters long.

March 3

According to "Jiaxing Prefecture Chronicles" (Volume 34 Customs): "On this day, we went to Xiaowudang to offer incense." Women in rural areas of Tongxiang and Pinghu wear shepherd's purse flowers on their heads, which means they will not feel dizzy in summer. Eating snails at night is called "picking green". Jiaxing people hang wild cauliflowers on their doors and wrap them in red paper, which is called "wild cauliflowers blooming with peonies" for good luck. Women and children put shepherd's purse flowers on the sun. During the Republic of China, there was a custom of meeting the water in Jiaxing on that day. Various dramas were performed on the boats participating in the water meeting, starting from the South Weir and ending at the North Gate.

In the old days, the "Jewelry Fair" was held on the third day of March in Puyuan, Tongxiang. It started around the late Ming Dynasty. It was first called the Shenhui and the folk called it the Jewelry Fair. Li Rihua's Diary of Weishui It was beautifully prepared and welcomed in the city. Gentlemen and women from far and near gathered together, and the whole country was in a state of madness. "In the early Qing Dynasty, the Shenhui was renamed the Youshenghui and was held every few years. It stopped during the Republic of China.

Qingming

In ancient times, Qingming was a major festival similar to the Spring Festival. As the proverb goes: "Qingming is as big as the New Year." Because it was a bright spring day and on the eve of busy farming and silkworm work, Therefore, temple fairs, water fairs, boat races, outings and other activities were all held at that time. In particular, Qingming tomb sweeping has a long history. During the Republic of China, urban residents often hired small boats to carry paper ingots, vegetables, green dumplings and other offerings to the countryside to pay homage to their ancestors' graves and take the opportunity to go on an outing. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the custom of sweeping tombs during the Qingming Festival remained unchanged in various places, and there was a new custom of visiting and paying respects to the tombs and monuments of revolutionary martyrs to commemorate the martyrs. In recent years, more and more people bury their ancestors’ ashes in urns on this day.

The Beginning of Summer

According to old custom, the Beginning of Summer is the "birthday of the Wine Fairy", and many people drink alcohol. There is also the custom of weighing people. It is said that weighing people at the beginning of summer can protect people from the summer. During the Republic of China, "malt pancakes" were eaten on this day. Around the beginning of summer, malt cakes are also sold on the market, called Lixia cakes. In the old days, people enjoyed eating cherries, conches, etc. at the beginning of summer. On this day, children collect firewood and rice, pick fresh broad beans from the fields, and cook broad bean rice in a pot outdoors (sometimes adding a small amount of bacon and spring bamboo shoots), which is called "burning wild rice." Workers take one day off from work every day. The local farmer's proverb goes: "Step out of the silk cart and step into the paddy field." It means that rice transplanting is about to begin. Customs such as burning wild rice and weighing people were still common in rural areas after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Dragon Boat Festival

The fifth day of May is the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as "Duanyang Festival", "Tianzhong Festival" and "Chongwu Festival". It is a custom to fight grass, eat rice dumplings, drink realgar wine, eat salted duck eggs, and eat "five yellows" (cucumber, yellow croaker, eel, yellow mud eggs, salted duck eggs, and realgar wine). Hang calamus, garlic, mugwort leaves; burn Atractylodes and Angelica dahurica to disinfect and repel insects. Children have the word "王" written in realgar on their foreheads, and they wear sachets. Women wear little tigers cut from yellow cocoons on their heads. They put yellow paper charms given by Taoists on their doors, put pomegranate flowers in vases, and hang Zhongxu's portrait in the middle hall. Exorcise evil spirits and eliminate symptoms of disease. In the old suburbs of Xinfeng and Jingxiang Township, farmers had the custom of measuring noon with bricks (standing a brick in the middle of the yard, and when the shadow of the brick is no longer visible, it is noon). On this day, yellow smoke is smoked (sulfur, realgar and other substances are used to repel insects), and a banner with the words "Dragon Boat Festival sends hundreds of insects away, and one sends them without a trace" is posted on the door. The garlic was also buried in the ashes of the fire and cooked before being eaten, which was called roasted garlic. This custom still exists today. Eating rice dumplings and duck with soy sauce during the Dragon Boat Festival is widely popular and remains unchanged to this day.

Dragon-Splitting Day

In the old days, May 20th was called "Dragon-Splitting Day". Folks from all over the country gathered at "Water Dragon" for fire drills, also known as "Water Dragon Club". Jiaxing "Water Dragon Fair" is held mainly in Nanhu. This custom continued into the 1950s.

Burning "Tiejiao Incense" and "Raising Flower Boats"

In the old days in the rural areas of Xinfeng and Pinghu County in Jiaxing, after transplanting rice seedlings, farmers would go to temples to burn incense and call it "Tiejiao Incense" , some places hold "Flower Boat Race". According to records, "flower boat racing" has a history of more than 300 years. There are precious umbrellas and colorful flags erected on the main ship. The participating boats are all small and exquisite, newly painted stern boats, so they are also called "race boats". Recently this custom has disappeared.

Stove Dedication Day

In the old custom, the fourth day of June is "Stove Dedication Day" to worship Stove King Bodhisattva.

Lotus Birthday

The old custom is that the 24th of June in Jiaxing is the "Lotus Birthday", also known as the birthday of Leizu (Leizu). It was popular during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. It was a day for Japanese citizens You don’t have to pay for the ferry when you visit Nanhu in Qingcheng. Farmers go to the Leizu Hall (Leizu Hall) next to the Yanyu Tower to offer incense. On this day, cruise ships gathered in Nanhu Lake, with hundreds of large and small boats. There is a "wire mesh boat" among the big boats, commonly known as "double clamp" and "single clamp", which can serve food and drinks. The boat is covered with a canopy and ferried to carry passengers.

At night, lotus lanterns are placed on the surface of Nanhu Lake. They are tied with paper, tied with wood chips, and red candles are burning in the middle. There are as many as a thousand lotus lanterns floating on the water. Yanyulou served tea, wine and noodles all night long, and the Kunqu Opera Society held a performance on the lake to add to the fun.

Chang Gong’s Birthday

The area in Fengqiao Township, Jiaxing was commonly known as the “Chang Gong Birthday” on the first day of July, and the town was bustling with activity on this day.

Chinese Valentine's Day

The seventh night of the seventh lunar month is called "Chinese Valentine's Day", also known as "Qixi Festival". The old custom is that at night, women thread needles and beg for skills under the moonlight. According to "Jiaxing Prefecture Chronicles" (Volume 34 Customs): "On Chinese Valentine's Day, women tie colorful threads and thread needles under the moon. Chen melons and fruits are held by cows and female stars, saying: begging for cleverness, pounding impatiens flowers to dye their nails. Women are threading needles under the moon. , if it passes through three times, it is said to be a coincidence." The custom of Qixi Festival originated from the legend of "Cowherd and Weaver Girl". When performing on this day, "Cowherd and Weaver Girl" is usually performed. Rural families in Jiashan sacrifice watermelon to the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and use a washbasin to catch the dew, saying that the dew is the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl's tears. Wiping the eyes and hands can make people's eyes clear and their minds skillful. There is a custom of inviting the god of luck on Qixi Festival in Puyuan, Tongxiang.

During the Republic of China, there was a nursery rhyme in Jiaxing: "Qiqi Xing, the pole star, if you say it cleverly seven times, you will be wise." During the star fasting at night, the main offerings are watermelon, lotus root, and water chestnut. This is the day when the Nanhu Festival reappears, no less than on the night of June 24th.

July 15th is commonly known as the "Hungry Ghost Festival", also known as the "Ghost Festival". There are activities such as "visiting the dead" and "burning incense". During the Republic of China, the Chenghuang Temple was at its peak. The paper ingots were burned in the Chenghuang Temple and were named "Jiku". The night before, rural women gathered in the Chenghuang Temple one after another, sat on the ground, burned incense and chanted Buddha's name, which was called "Ban Cheng Long". Folk ancestor worship is just like the Qingming Festival, except that wontons are used instead of dumplings. In rural areas in the southeastern part of Tongxiang County and the northwest part of Haining City, wontons are eaten in July and a half. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, activities such as "accompanying the city god" were abolished, but folk customs such as worshiping ancestors and eating wontons continued.

The birthday of "Ksitigarbha"

The old custom is July 30th. "On the birthday of Ksitigarbha", on this night, ground incense is lit, and tiles are placed on the ground in the shape of lamps, with ointments and incense chips inside. They are everywhere in the streets and alleys. When lit, it looks like daytime. There is a folk saying that "Ksitigarbha incense" "It is to worship Ksitigarbha; another saying is "Burning Jiu Si Incense" is to burn incense for Zhang Shicheng in the late Yuan Dynasty. Zhang Yuan was the leader of the peasant uprising and was called the King of Wu in Suzhou. He was later destroyed by Zhu Yuanzhang. His nickname was Jiu Si, His birthday is on July 20th, so incense burned on this day is called "Jiu Si Incense". Later, it was called "Salvation Incense" or even "Shit Incense". In the old days, people would bring their babies to the temple to send their names to pray for the Buddha's blessing. , as "Buddha". Children wear new shoes every day. This custom has been abandoned for a long time. Most of them are women aged 18 years and above) who go to the city to burn "Eight Temple Incense": Surangyan Temple, Jingyan Temple, Xiangfu Temple, Tianning Temple, Baozhong Temple, Jinming Temple, Dongta Temple, and Chachan Temple. There are also "Four Pagoda Incense" burning, which refers to the East Pagoda, Haogu Pagoda, Zhenru Pagoda and Three Pagodas.

Mid-Autumn Festival

The eighth month of the lunar calendar. The fifteenth day is the Mid-Autumn Festival, commonly known as "August Half". It is a common custom in Jiaxing to eat moon cakes and admire the moon. On the Mid-Autumn Festival night, there is a custom of traveling to the South Lake with wine. According to "Jiaxing Prefectural Chronicles" (Volume 34·Customs). It is recorded: "The girl planted poppies at night." In the early Qing Dynasty, Zhu Yizun also wrote a poem: "The autumn lights are flameless and the scissors stop, and the cold dew is thick and the osmanthus trees are green." I am afraid of undressing and planting poppies, and the moon shines like water flooding the courtyard." The poppies planted are for viewing. This custom has been abandoned for a long time.

Tide Watching Festival

The old custom is August 18th. On the god's birthday, people often go to Yanguan to watch the tide. Before the Revolution of 1911, local officials prepared three incense sticks every day to worship the tide god in the Grand View Pavilion next to the Zhenhai Tower. The imperial court sometimes sent officials to pay homage to the sea god.

Double Ninth Festival

The ninth day of September is the Double Ninth Festival. On this day, people make cakes with rice flour and chestnuts and place triangular flags. It is called "Double Ninth Cake" in the old custom. To build new stoves, during the Republic of China, locals continued the old custom of the Qing Dynasty to climb Xushan Mountain in the suburbs, Pingshan Mountain in the city, and Zhenru Tower. There was a climbing pier in Dengqing Village, Xinfeng Township, in the suburbs, which was connected to the remaining veins of Xushan Mountain. On this day, the Yiqing Music Society in the city held a "simultaneity" in Shuyuan to sing music and enjoy chrysanthemums. During the Double Ninth Festival in Puyuan, Tongxiang, people began to eat red bean glutinous rice, which was called "Zengzhi rice". After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the customs related to the Double Ninth Festival gradually faded away. .

After the 1980s, it was designated as "Old Man's Day" and activities to respect the elderly were carried out.

October Dynasty

The first day of the tenth lunar month in the old custom is called the "October Dynasty". During the Republic of China, farmers went to the city to buy paper-making shops to buy clothes and utensils to worship their ancestors. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, this custom was abolished.

Winter Solstice

The winter solstice was a major festival in ancient times, and Jiaxing emphasized the winter solstice. As the saying goes, "the winter solstice is as big as the new year", the ancient customs are preserved. According to "Jiaxing Prefecture Chronicles" (Volume 34·Customs): "Winter Solstice sacrifices are made to the ancestors, and crowns and covers are used to congratulate each other, just like New Year's Day rituals." During the Republic of China, ancestor worship was carried out during the winter solstice, and the remains of floating coffins were buried and the discarded coffins were burned. Folk supplements recommended during the winter solstice include red bean glutinous rice, ginseng soup, white fungus, walnut kernels stewed in wine, longan boiled eggs, etc. People in Haiyan area eat mutton as a dietary supplement. People pickle fish meat before and after the winter solstice to prepare for the New Year, which is called "New Year fish" and "New Year meat". They also pickle vegetables and potherb mustard to prepare vegetables for the winter. The custom of nourishing, pickling fish, meat and pickles continues to this day. On this day, many people visit the graves to offer sacrifices to their ancestors. In recent years, people often choose a place or go to the cemetery to bury the deceased's ashes on this day.

Laba

In the old custom, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month was called "Laba". Porridge made with fruits, dates and other materials was called "Laba porridge". In recent times, there are still a few people who maintain this custom. Temples such as Jingyanji Temple also cook porridge for believers.

Stove Stove Day

In the old custom, December 23 or 24 of the lunar calendar was called "Stove Sending Day", and there was a custom of cleaning the dust in the house. During the period of the Republic of China, people "sent the Kitchen God" on the night of the 23rd or 24th day, and offered sugar cakes, rice flour sugar-filled dumplings or malt-filled candies to worship the "Kitchen God". It was superstitious that the God of the God would tell people about their faults and use them to mark their faults. Their mouths are filled with stuffing and sugar, which is commonly known as "Drunken Siming". They make a "sedan" out of hemp straw, reed mats, etc., take out the image of the Kitchen Lord and stuff it into the sedan chair and burn it. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, this custom gradually disappeared in the cities, but still exists in the countryside, but the ceremony has been simplified.

It is an old custom in Jiaxing to eat red bean glutinous rice, small glutinous rice dumplings, ingots made of caramel, fried edamame, etc. on this night.

After giving away the stove, it is "thank you for the new year" and reward the gods. From the 25th to the 28th, one of the four days is chosen to be held at night. The offerings are rich, with table surrounds, red candles, and incense sticks. Red paper-cut flowers, birds, figures and Ruyi are placed on the offerings, which are called "New Year flowers". Sets of large and small ingots are made from glutinous rice flour. Live carp are also hung on red lines.

Lunar New Year's Eve

On this day, we have New Year's Eve dinner, family reunions and watch the New Year's Eve. In the old days in rural areas of Jiashan, it was a custom to eat "taikecai" for New Year's Eve dinner. "Taike" is homophonic to "Escape from Suffering". During New Year's Eve dinner in Jiaxing, peanuts are called "immortality", soybean sprouts are called "ruyi dish", and pickled eggs are called "Yuanbao", all of which have auspicious meanings. Don't eat all the rice to show that you have more than enough every year. When you finish eating, don't say "finished" but say "eat well" and so on. The leftover rice is placed in a new rice basket, sealed with red paper, called "next year rice" and kept until the first day of the new year. The fish on the table cannot be eaten, which also means that there will be more than enough every year. It was night, and shop assistants, holding lanterns in hand, were rushing around to collect debts. Debtors avoid debt evasion, and the old habit is to postpone the repayment of debts after midnight. Barbershops and bathhouses are open until midnight. To keep the New Year's Eve up, the elders give "New Year's money" to the younger ones and put it under the pillow. Some also put water chestnuts, oranges, peanuts and other fruits under the pillow.

Birthday of the Taiping Army

At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, in the Hengtou area of ??Xiaoshi Town, Haining, every household cooked brown sugar and taro porridge on August 23rd, which was said to be for the Taiping Army. Do "Birthday". According to legend, in the 10th year of Xianfeng's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1860), the Taiping Army attacked Xia Shi and stationed in Xia Shi on August 23. Because they had rescued pregnant women and babies, local people later designated August 23 as "Taiping Army". On birthdays, we eat brown sugar and taro porridge. This custom lasted until the eve of the Anti-Japanese War. The origin of this custom is based on word-of-mouth research, and it is impossible to delve into whether it has other meanings.

The clock in the twelfth lunar month

is also called "fire candle". In various parts of Jiaxing, every winter at dusk, some people walk along the streets and alleys, extorting money and shouting loudly: "It's cold in the twelfth lunar month, be careful with candles, beware of thieves, the door is tight, the front door is closed, the back door is propped up, look in the firewood room, the ashes are piled on the dustpan, In front of the stove, behind the stove, be careful with the candle."

Residents are reminded to prevent fire and theft. On New Year's Eve, each household donates some money to him as a reward. This custom is still passed down today.