What are the customs of Jiaokou?

1. New Year customs

Starting from the first day of the first lunar month, it is an old folk custom to use heavenly stems and earthly branches to calculate good and bad luck. Mainly look for the "Xin" day among the ten heavenly stems and the "Chen" day among the twelve earthly branches. If that day falls on Xinri, it means good luck on that day. The closer Xin Day is to New Year's Day, the better. If the first day falls on a Xin day, it is said to be a "Xin day (lucky day)".

That day falls on the "Chen" day, which means that "a few dragons control the water" that year. One dragon controls water, which means rain; twelve dragons control water, which means drought. If the seventh day of the lunar month falls, the rain will be even, which means a good harvest. Nowadays, the habit of calculating days is gradually diminished. Instead, it is observed the changes in weather in the morning, and based on the experience summed up by local people of past generations, to predict the prosperity or lack of this year. There is an old saying in Yangcheng and other places that "this day is peaceful and the people will have no disasters".

In the southeastern Shanxi region, incense and lamps are burned on the night of "Human Day". And use cooked millet rice to worship the Big Dipper Star and pray for blessings.

In Linxian and other places, it is customary to pile up a pile of chaff and simmer it in front of the door or in the field, which is called "moxibustion ground".

In the southern Shanxi area, it is customary to use colored silk threads and silk to make jewelry, which is called "Cai Sheng". Men often have banquets on this day.

The Luliang area is accustomed to the game of "Dancing Ma Laogu". Make a female figure out of tsubaki wood, and the two of them first close their eyes and pray silently for the numbers. Then, raise the wooden figure and jump

When the jump matches the number of silent prayer, observe the back of Ma Laogu. If it is facing people, it is auspicious, and if its back is turned to people, it is unlucky.

It is also customary in some places to worship hundreds of gods on this day and pray for the safety of the population. In Heshun County and other places, people pay special attention to visiting graves and paying respects.

On Valentine's Day, folk women avoid using needles, spinning threads, and eating rice. Traditionally, they eat meals made of seven kinds of vegetables.

Some counties in northwestern Shanxi call People's Day "Celebrating the New Year". Fire cannons and lanterns are fired, banquets are made and drinks are drunk, and the event is no less grand than the Spring Festival.

2. Customs and taboos

Xiaoyi shadow puppetry has a long history. According to research, it was first born in the Song Dynasty and reached its peak in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It gradually declined in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. After its establishment, it has been rejuvenated with the strong support of the party and the government. It is mainly spread in Xiaoyi and some surrounding areas.

Shadow puppetry combines the folk paper-cutting art and opera art of the Luliang area, with vivid and lively expressions. Shadow puppet shows include folklore, heroes, and historical stories. The content is rich and colorful, and it is an art form that people love to see.

Supplementary information:

Best travel time: May to October.

The Luliang area belongs to the mid-temperate zone and has obvious continental climate characteristics. The annual average temperature in the region is 6.8℃-10.5℃. Most of the precipitation within a year is concentrated in summer, with 60% of the annual precipitation collected from June to August alone.

Tips: Visitors to Luliang in spring should pay attention to avoid sand and dust weather; tourists in summer should pay attention to weather changes before climbing. Heavy rains are prone to occur here in summer, sometimes causing natural disasters such as flash floods and mudslides. , tourists should try to pay attention to safety when traveling.