Cultural customs of Spring Festival

First, open the door and set off firecrackers.

When the door is opened in the morning of the Spring Festival, firecrackers are set off first, which is called "opening the door to set off firecrackers". After the firecrackers, the ground is broken red, which is the so-called "full house". At this time, the streets are full of anger and joy.

Second, New Year greetings

An important activity of the Spring Festival is to go to friends, relatives and neighbors' homes to congratulate the Spring Festival, which used to be called New Year greetings. The wind of the Han people's New Year greetings began in the Han Dynasty. It was very popular after the Tang and Song Dynasties, and some people who are inconvenient to go in person can use famous cards to congratulate them. It was called "thorn" in the Eastern Han Dynasty, so the business card was also called "famous thorn". After the Ming Dynasty, many people put up a red paper bag at the door to collect famous posts, which was called "Menben".

According to their social relations, the forms of folk New Year greetings can be roughly divided into four categories:

One is to visit relatives. The first day I come to your house, I must bring gifts to my father-in-law's house the next day. After entering the door, bow to the Buddha statue, ancestor statue and memorial tablet, and then bow to the elders in turn. You can stay for dinner and chat.

The second is to pay a courtesy visit to relatives and friends on the third day. If you want to pay a New Year call to your colleagues and friends, you should only bow to the Buddha when you enter the room. If you are equal to your master, you only need to bow. If you are older than yourself, you should still take the initiative to bow your head. The host should get down from his seat to help you, or even say that he is not polite to show his humility. This situation is generally not suitable for sitting for a long time, so leave after a few pleasantries. After the host worships, he should pay a return visit another day.

The third is a thank-you visit. Anyone who owes money to others (such as lawyers and doctors) should buy some gifts and give them to express their gratitude on the occasion of New Year's greetings.

The fourth is a series of visits. For some neighbors, we didn't have much contact in the past, but we all got along well when we met. On New Year's Eve, when we first arrived in the yard, we said "Congratulations on getting rich" and "Shun Shun Bai Shun" when we met. We just sat in the house for a while without much etiquette.

In ancient times, there was a difference between New Year greetings and New Year greetings: New Year greetings were to knock on elders; The New Year is a time for peers to congratulate each other. Now some organs, organizations, enterprises and schools get together to congratulate each other, which is called "group worship".

With the development of the times, the custom of New Year greetings is constantly adding new contents and forms. In addition to following the old way of paying New Year greetings, people also began to pay New Year greetings by courtesy telegram and telephone.

Third, give lucky money.

Lucky money (called "Billy" in Guangdong) is given by the elders to the younger generation. In some families, everyone is not allowed to leave the table after eating. After everyone has finished eating, the elders give it to the younger generation to encourage their children and grandchildren to learn and improve in the new year. In some families, parents will put lucky money under their pillows after their children fall asleep at night, which shows the care of the elders and the respect of the younger generation for the elders. It is a folk activity that integrates family ethics.

Fourth, the occupation era.

In the old society, due to the sunny weather in the first few days of Xinzheng, people put this year. Its theory began in Dong Fangshuo's "Year", which means that eight days after the year, one day is chicken day, two days are dogs, three days are pigs, four days are sheep, five days are cows, six days are horses, seven days are people and eight days are valleys. If it is sunny, things that belong to it will breed, and if it is cloudy, the days that belong to it will not last long. Later generations follow their habits and think that the weather is sunny from the first day to the tenth day, and there is no wind or snow for good luck.

Later generations developed from the occupation era to a series of sacrifices and celebrations. There is a custom of not killing chickens on the first day, dogs on the second day and pigs on the third day ... no execution on the seventh day and no threshing on the eighth day.

Fifth, paste the chicken.

In ancient times, during the Spring Festival, chickens were painted on doors and windows to drive away ghosts and evil spirits. The book Xuan Zhong Ji written by Jin people mentioned the pheasant on Dushuo Mountain mentioned above, saying that the pheasant crowed when the sun just rose and the first ray of sunshine shone on this big tree. When it crows, chickens all over the world crow with it. Therefore, the chicken cut during the Spring Festival is actually a symbol of pheasant.

However, in ancient mythology, there is also a saying that chickens are deformed birds. It is said that during the reign of Emperor Yao, friends on the other side paid tribute to a bird that could ward off evil spirits. Everyone welcomes the arrival of birds, but the messengers who pay tribute don't come every year, so people carve a wooden bird, cast it in bronze and put it on the door, or paint on the doors and windows to scare away monsters and make them afraid to come again.

Because birds look like chickens, they will gradually draw a chicken or cut window flowers and stick them on doors and windows, which will become the source of paper-cutting art in later generations. China paid special attention to chickens in ancient times and called them "birds with five virtues". "Biography of Korean Poetry" says that a crown on the head is Wende; There is a distance behind the foot to play, which is martial arts; It is brave for the enemy to dare to fight before; It is benevolence to have food to welcome the same kind; Vigilance and dawn are beliefs. Therefore, people not only cut chickens during the Chinese New Year, but also set the first day of the New Year as Chicken Day.

Sixth, gather wealth.

It is said that the first day of the first month is the birthday of a broom, so you can't use a broom on this day, otherwise it will ruin your fortune, attract a "broom star" and cause bad luck. If you must sweep the floor, you must sweep it from the outside to the inside. Don't throw water on the garbage on this day, for fear of breaking the money. Today, this custom still remains in many places. Don't put a broom or take out the garbage on New Year's Eve. Prepare a big barrel of waste water to avoid splashing outside that day.

Seven, reunion dinner

The annual reunion dinner fully shows the mutual respect and care among family members in China, which makes the relationship between families closer. Family reunion often brings spiritual comfort and satisfaction to the head of the family. The old man looks after his children and grandchildren, and the family is full. How happy it was to care for and raise children in the past, and the younger generation can take this opportunity to express their gratitude to their parents for their parenting. 、

The second day of the first month:

I. Sacrificing the God of Wealth (Eid al-Fitr)

In the north, the god of wealth sacrifices on the second day of the first month. On this day, both commercial shops and ordinary families will hold activities to worship the god of wealth. Families offered sacrifices to the God of Wealth who arrived on New Year's Eve. In fact, the bought rough printed matter was incinerated. I want to eat wonton at noon this day, commonly known as "Yuanbao soup". Fish and mutton were used as sacrifices. On this day, big businesses in old Beijing will hold large-scale sacrificial activities, and make sacrifices with "Five Sacrifices", that is, whole pigs, whole sheep, whole chickens, whole ducks and red live carp. I hope to make a fortune in the coming year.

Second, Children's Day.

The second day of the first month is the traditional Children's Day, and children should pay New Year greetings to their parents-in-law. Chaoshan people call uncle's return to his parents' home for dinner on the second day of junior high school "eating midnight snack", which means having lunch. Uncle and daughter must return to their home before dinner (some areas may stay for dinner because of the journey).

The third day of the first month:

First, burn the door god paper

In the old society, on the third day, pine and cypress branches were burned together with the janitor's note hanging on the festival to show that the New Year had passed and it was time to start business. As the saying goes, "if you burn the janitor's paper, one will seek physiology."

Second, Xiaomi's birthday

People think that the third day of the first month is Xiaomi's birthday. On this day, people hope to sacrifice and pray for the new year. They don't eat rice.

Third, the off-year dynasty

That is, tianqing festival. The court festival in the Song Dynasty, the first year of Song Zhenzong Dazhong Xiangfu, was spread all over the world because of the gobbledygook, so Zhenzong issued an imperial edict, which designated the third day of the first month as Tianqing Festival, and officials and others had five days off. Later, it was called Xiaonian Dynasty, which did not sweep the floor, beg for fire or draw water, just like the old dynasty.

The fourth day of the first month:

I. Sheep Day

The fourth day of the first month is the day when Nu Wa herded sheep, so it is called "Sheep Day". On this day, people cannot kill sheep. If the weather is good, it means that sheep will be raised well and sheep farmers will have a good harvest this year. The sheep festival is a day for Han people to meet God. In the old imperial calendar, it was often said that "three sheep (yang) open Thailand" is a symbol of good luck and a day to welcome the kitchen god back to the people.

On the fourth day of lunar new year's eve, the whole family get together for a discount. The so-called discount is a hodgepodge of rice left over from cleaning up the new year's goods in a few days. Cleaning the room and stacking the garbage in one place is also called "throwing the poor" in Han folk customs.

In the north, some rural customs are that Vulcan is tied on the fourth day of the fourth lunar month, and sticks are played with corn stalks or wheat stalks. After being ignited, it is sent from home to the river, which means that there is no fire at home for one year. The custom of Puxian people in Fujian Province is to celebrate the New Year again, which is the only and unique local custom in the country, reflecting the traditional psychology of working people of Han nationality who generally hope to bid farewell to the old poverty and hardships and welcome a better life in the new year.

The fifth day of the first month:

First of all, welcome the God of Wealth.

Southerners greet the god of wealth on the fifth day of the first month. According to folklore, the God of Wealth is the Five Gods. The so-called five roads refer to the east, west, north and south, which means that you can get money when you go out of five doors.

Lu Gu's Jia Qinglu in Qing Dynasty said: "The fifth day of the first month is Shen's birthday. Sacrificing the past golden gongs and firecrackers, eager to make a profit, must get up early to meet, called the end of the road. " He also said: "The road ahead today is the God who walks in the Five Sacrifices. The so-called five channels are the east, west, north and south middle ears. " Shanghai has the custom of grabbing the road head in the past years.

On the fourth night of the first month, prepare sacrifices, cakes, incense sticks and other things, beat gongs and drums to burn incense and worship, and sincerely respect the god of wealth. On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, folklore is the birthday of the god of wealth. In order to compete for the market, the next is the fourth month of the lunar calendar, which is called "grabbing the road", also known as "receiving the god of wealth" and "offering sacrifices to the god of wealth".

The five sacrifices are the gods of welcoming households, kitchen, land, door and walking. The so-called "road head" is the god of five sacrifices. Anyone who receives the God of Wealth will offer sheep-headed carp. Offering sheep's head means "auspiciousness", and offering carp is the homonym of "fish" and "profit", which makes a poem auspicious. People are convinced that as long as the god of wealth can show his spirit, he can make a fortune.

Therefore, every New Year, people will open doors and windows, burn incense, set off firecrackers and set off fireworks at 0: 00 on the fifth day of the first month (after 24: 00 on the fourth day of the first month) to welcome the God of Wealth. After receiving the god of wealth, everyone still has to eat road wine, often until dawn. Everyone is full of hope of getting rich. I hope the god of wealth can bring home gold and silver treasures in the new year and make a fortune.

Reuters God Reuters is the God of Wealth believed by Emperor Wu. It is customary to take this day as his birthday and greet him in the sun, which is quite spectacular.

They say the sooner you meet the end of the road, the better. The first one you receive is the true god, which is particularly effective, so it is called "grabbing the road". In some places, the fourth day of January is really "grabbing the road" and it has become a custom. Since the road god is no longer the protector of the journey, people will no longer sacrifice it when traveling.

As for people who worship the Road God on the fifth day of January and take this day as their birthday, it is the reason why the "Five" of the Road God is related to the "Five" of the fifth day. The same is true for the North to offer sacrifices to the "five poor" on this day. In the first month, but not in other months, it is a new year's atmosphere. Auspicious, rich in financial resources, and wealth goes hand in hand.

Second, send the poor.

On the fifth day of the first month, "seeing the poor off" is a unique custom among the ancient people in China. On this day, every household uses paper as a woman, which is called "sweeping woman", "five poor women" and "five poor mothers". They carried paper bags on their backs, cleaned up the dirty soil in the bags and sent them to the door to burn them. This custom is also called "sending poor soil" and "sending poor daughter-in-law out".

Third, the opening of the market.

During the old custom Spring Festival, large and small shops closed together from the beginning of the New Year, but opened on the fifth day of the first month. People are used to taking the fifth day of the first month as the holy day of the god of wealth, thinking that choosing this day to open the market will definitely make a fortune.