You say that the flavor of the new year is getting weaker and weaker, but do you know what to do in Xiapu during the Spring Festival?

In the past few years, I have always felt that the flavor of the Chinese New Year has become weaker and weaker. Even in the minds of many young people, the Chinese New Year is the New Year's Eve when the whole family gathers together to have a New Year's Eve dinner and visit relatives in the first month of the year. In fact, in the traditional customs of Ningde, the Chinese New Year is much more particular.

Sacrifice to the Kitchen God

Set incense and candles to worship "Zao Gong" and "Zao Po".

In the north, the festival of "Sacrifice to the Kitchen", also known as Xiaonian, is also a very important day in Xiapu, and the curtain of "New Year" begins on this day. In Xiapu, most people worship the "Kitchen God" on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, while some people choose to worship the Kitchen God on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month. On that day, every household will place incense and candles in the shrine of the Stove Lord, and place tea, wine and fruits on the stove to offer sacrifices to "The Stove Lord" and "The Stove Lord".

Cleaning the dust

Cleaning away all "stale things"

After the kitchen is held until New Year's Eve, a "dusting" will be carried out this week, that is, the kitchen will be "dusted" once a week. All unlucky and unclean old things are swept out of the house. During this time, housewives are busy cleaning the house inside and out.

Feeding for a Year

Gifts from friends and relatives.

It is to say farewell to the new year, commonly known as "breaking the new year", and Fuding calls it "sending annual leave". Friends and relatives feed each other. It usually starts after the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month and ends on New Year's Eve.

From "worshiping ancestors" to "watching the year", we pay attention to everything. Many young people think that the customs of New Year's Eve are just eating New Year's Eve dinner and handing out lucky money. In fact, in Xiapu's traditional customs, there are many things to pay attention to on New Year's Eve.

Ancestor worship: Two days before New Year's Eve to the afternoon of New Year's Eve, each family prepares a sumptuous banquet, respectfully arranges it in the hall, and invites the ancestors. Light the candles and the parents will pour the wine themselves.

By the year: Every family lights up lanterns on New Year's Eve, which is called "by the year". Ding means "beating gongs, drums and blowing paper", which is called "saying the New Year".

New Year's Eve dinner: In Xiapu custom, New Year's Eve dinner is called "New Year's Eve dinner", and the dishes are given auspicious names, such as "Fu" (tofu) and "Lu" (meat). Wine and red wine are used to symbolize a good start to work. Eating rice cakes during the Chinese New Year means "making progress step by step".

Making New Year’s tea: Before the New Year’s Eve dinner, the youngest daughter-in-law will make rock sugar tea and serve you in turn. An extra cup is called “Tian Ding tea”. Shouning drank orange peel syrup first and then ate the fruit, calling it "sweet." Xiapu first eats a bowl of soup and calls it "travel time", which means "good luck and wealth".

Every other year's meal: There is a saying in Xiapu that "in addition to half-cooked rice, a new meal must also be prepared", which is called "the next year's meal". In some places, two lucky oranges are placed on the rice eaten during the Spring Festival, which means "having enough rice".

New Year's money: Elders give New Year's money to younger generations on New Year's Eve or Spring Festival, which is called "Lucky money", which means "victory and elimination of disasters."

New Year's Eve: Every household lights firecrackers and fireworks at New Year's Eve, and temple fairs beat gongs and drums to "welcome the New Year."

Shou Sui: On New Year’s Eve, families gather in front of the stove and stay up all night to talk about the past.

Embark on a journey

Choose an auspicious direction when going out for the first time.

The first time you go out in the first month is called "going out". This "going out" cannot be taken casually. It should go in an auspicious direction. For example, "Pele" wanted to go north, and if it was "Lin'an", it would go south. When traveling in the countryside, take a hoe to the fields.

Create a white year

On the second and fifth day of the lunar calendar, leave without giving thanks.

Except for Kasumigaura County, this is the third year that it is white. In most counties (cities), the second and fifth days of the first lunar month are the white year days. It is a custom to eat breakfast on New Year's Day. When you're done eating, you can leave without saying thank you.

Congratulations on birthdays

On the third day of the first lunar month, birthday wine is served.

If someone in the family has a birthday, the family usually chooses the first or third day of the Lunar New Year