Yangzhou folk custom

The folk customs of the ancient city of Yangzhou are rich in local characteristics, simple and elegant, and intoxicating.

Visitors to Yangzhou may do as the Romans do, if it happens at the right time. If you observe the people's customs, you will have fun.

The annual Lantern Festival of Weiyang Lantern Festival is called Lantern Festival. On the 13th day of the first lunar month, lights are lit, lights are turned off on the 18th, and the 15th is the climax. The traditional Weiyang Lantern Festival was held at this time. "Looking at the Jiangnan Hundred Words" said: "Yangzhou is good, and lanterns celebrate the Lantern Festival. The crimson wax is full of family banquets, the golden dragon is downtown, and the flower drums are on stilts. " Yangzhou flower-tying lantern integrates the skills of color-tying, pasting, painting and calligraphy, poetry and prose, paper-cutting, embroidery and weaving. There are many kinds of lights, such as simple and popular rabbit lights, watermelon lights, silver ingot lights, lotus lights, toad lights, etc ... There are complex dragon lights, boat lights, Kirin lights, birthday lights ... and Yangzhou specialty glass lights. Weiyang Lantern Festival is also combined with solve riddles on the lanterns, which is called lantern riddle.

The custom in Yangzhou is to eat jiaozi on the 13th and 15th nights and noodles on the 18th night, commonly known as "jiaozi puts lanterns and noodles put lights on, and the New Year is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month." On February 2 nd, the dragon looked up in February, the spring was budding, the weather was getting warmer, and spring ploughing was about to begin. Yangzhou folk custom, the married daughter takes her children back to her mother's house on the second day of February. Therefore, there is a saying in Yangzhou that "on February 2, the dragon rises, and every family brings a live monkey (grandson)". Baihua Birthday The 12th day of the second lunar month is Baihua Birthday, also called Huachao. Yangzhou is a custom. In the flower dynasty, red cloth strips are tied on the flower branches, which means hanging red, praying for beautiful scenery and blooming flowers. March 3, the third day of March, is also a traditional walking day. There is a folk saying that "shepherd's purse flowers compete for peony on March 3". Go for a walk to pick up shepherd's purse, or pack jiaozi, or pack jiaozi, which is especially delicious. In addition, March 3rd is the party day of Jiangdu Shenxian Temple. Chang Xia tried the new Xia Zhishi, and the fruits and vegetables planted in the early days were ripe. Yangzhou people, who were born and raised in Yangzhou, tasted "new" in summer, including cherries, new bamboo shoots, green broad beans, flowering radishes, shad or salted duck eggs. In addition, Yangzhou people also have the habit of calling themselves in the summer and eating mung bean cakes and tea eggs. It is said that eating tea eggs on this day can keep him from heatstroke in summer. Dragon Boat Festival Dragon Boat Festival is on the fifth day of May, which is called "May Festival" in Yangzhou. A few days before May Day, every household was busy making zongzi. Zongzi is made by wrapping glutinous rice with fresh reed leaves (commonly known as Zongluo), and some are mixed with red beans, broad bean petals, red dates, bacon, fresh meat, ham and sausages. Which ones are more delicious. On this day, Yangzhou people take a bath with herbal water, drink realgar wine for lunch and eat "Twelve Red", insert wormwood to ward off evil spirits, smoke with wormwood indoors and row dragon boats. There is a saying in Yangzhou that every family basks in red and green on June 6. "Red and green" refers to brightly colored clothes. This custom is no longer limited to the sixth day of June. As long as you enter the dog days, you can dry your clothes, so it is also called "sunbathing". On June 6th, Yangzhou also had the habit of eating jiaozi, saying that eating jiaozi on this day would not lead to summer. On June 19, Guanyin Society said that June 19 of the lunar calendar was the birthday of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Yangzhou Buddhist men and women went to Guanyin Mountain to burn incense, and the crowds were like a tide, which was very lively. People from four townships and eight towns also came one after another. On the way up the mountain, some particularly devout believers tied paper to their knees and knocked their heads after three steps. June 19 was a sunny day, but people began to burn incense on the first day of June and did not finish burning incense until after June 20. On the seventh day of July, it is said that cowherd and weaver girl meet, and Yangzhou people have the custom of seeing clever clouds on the seventh day of July and threading needles under the moon. In the past, children born on the seventh day of July were usually named Qiao. Chongyang Yangzhou people love to climb mountains to ward off evil spirits on the Double Ninth Festival. On this day, many people climb to the heights of Pingshantang, Kannonji or Wenfeng Pagoda to enjoy autumn scenery. People who don't go out to climb mountains will eat Chongyang cake at home to symbolize climbing mountains. In the old Double Ninth Festival, the workshop owner invited the workers to hold a banquet, during which each person ate at least two crabs. The workers ate chong yang wine and worked harder. The old saying "Eat chong yang wine, stay up all night".

In the morning in Tomb-Sweeping Day, many people eat homemade sesame cakes, some of which are made of tender willow leaves and flour, saying that eating them will not cause trouble. This custom is still visible today. Many families also have Tomb-Sweeping Day's habit of going to the grave for an outing.

In the old society, after the Spring Festival and New Year's Day, people rushed to the Earth Temple with three pig heads, incense sticks and firecrackers to burn incense. Don't sleep after burning incense and go home until dawn. At the first light, the "financial gate" (gate) is lit, incense is lit, and firecrackers are set off to celebrate the New Year. Then the younger generation gets up to pay a New Year call to the elder, and the elder sends oranges and cloud cakes to the younger generation. This is called "taking care of the overall situation" and "step by step". Then have breakfast "Tangyuan and Noodles". After breakfast, young people and middle-aged people go out to pay New Year greetings to their neighbors. They have cigarettes, melon seeds, sweets, cakes and other foods at home, and the elderly receive guests who come to pay New Year greetings. At noon, we don't cook New Year's Eve dinner, but eat the leftovers of New Year's Eve dinner, which is called "Chen Bienian" ("Chen Bienian" has been eaten until the fourth day of the first month).

On the first day, sharp tools such as knives and scissors are not needed to ward off evil spirits; Do not wash clothes to show leisure; Don't sweep the floor. In order to "cherish" the fifth day of the first month, it is called "God of Wealth Day". As soon as people get up, they "pick the water of God of Wealth". Then go to the road near home to burn money and turn paper into paper. This is called "burning the market". For breakfast, some eat jiaozi, some eat noodles, and some fry glutinous rice cooked on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month. On this day, people wear hats and masks to congratulate the God of Wealth, which is called "jumping the God of Wealth". The host gives cakes and buns to show "thanks to the God of Wealth".

After the founding of New China, the custom of burning incense and worshipping God has disappeared in many families. On the first day of New Year's Day, some units held collective worship, and the people also carried out New Year greetings to the families of martyrs and various cultural activities.