How do people in Xinxian County celebrate the New Year?
According to the custom of my hometown Xin County (southern part), the New Year’s Eve is the most grand. On this day, every household gets up early, and parents usually get up at three or four in the morning to prepare for the New Year. The head of the family must first hold a ceremony to worship and pray for peace. First, worship the gods and bodhisattvas from all walks of life, serve tea, wine and food, three teas and five wines, burn incense and beat chimes, and perform three rounds of kneeling and worshiping. Then worship the ancestors, serve food, tea and rice, four cups of tea and four wines, perform three rounds of kneeling and worshiping, and burn paper and offer incense. Family members, young and old, must kneel down and worship their ancestors to ensure a smooth and safe new year. After the ceremony is completed, firecrackers are set off, and the New Year's Eve meal is celebrated. Setting off firecrackers is a symbol of the Chinese New Year. The earlier the firecrackers are set off, the better the omen for the coming year. Therefore, every household rushes to get there early to be the first to do so. According to the custom in my hometown, the Chinese New Year is celebrated on the morning of New Year's Eve. This is the most sumptuous meal, including chicken, duck, fish, good tea and wine, and everything is available to celebrate the New Year happily and lively.
According to the rules in my hometown, after eating the New Year's dinner, I go up the mountain to collect firewood, sweep the floor, take a bath, and post couplets about the door gods, which are about attracting wealth and blessings, saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new. This day was busy and happy. On this day, our whole family carried hoes and dug wild vegetables in the fields (photos later), which was very enjoyable.
The fire that burned brightly on the thirty night refers to the fire on the thirty night and the lamp on the fifteenth night. It means red, bright and bright. Of course, the Chinese New Year has also kept pace with the times, and watching the Spring Festival Gala around the fire is indispensable. Staying up until midnight, when New Year arrives at midnight, deafening firecrackers blast and gorgeous fireworks fill the sky, creating a lively and festive atmosphere for the New Year.
The most interesting thing is New Year greetings in the first month. New Year greetings in my hometown are also very particular. The rule is to worship Bodhisattva first, worship your home on the first day of the lunar month, worship gaga (i.e. grandma) on the second day of the lunar month, worship your father-in-law on the third day of the lunar month, worship your aunt on the fourth and fifth day of the lunar month, visit your sister’s house on the sixth and seventh day of the lunar month, and visit your sister’s house on the sixth and seventh day of the lunar month. Ten relatives, friends and others.
Those who get there early on the first day of the lunar new year go to Dongyue Temple to burn incense and paper to pay New Year greetings to the gods and bodhisattvas. It is said that the temple is not big, but it is very effective. From early morning until the morning, men and women from eight villages far and near There is an endless stream of young people coming to offer incense and worship.
After eating dumplings on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, it is time to pay New Year greetings to the family. Adults and children put on new clothes, go back and forth, pay New Year greetings to each other, and exchange greetings and blessings. Usually, children give New Year greetings to adults, younger generations give New Year greetings to elders first, and young people give New Year greetings to elders first. Every time he arrived at a house, he said: "**, New Year's greetings!" Then he went to the main room to make a New Year's greeting sign. The host immediately came over and said, "Don't pray, don't pray, it's the New Year when it comes." He quickly grabbed the person who wanted to say New Year's greetings. . Talking, laughing, and lively.
The first day of the new year is probably the happiest day for children. They have good food, drink, and fun. They wear new clothes and carry cloth bags when they say New Year greetings. Everywhere they go to say New Year greetings, but Thank you very much. After paying homage, the master would always give the children a lot of candies, drinks, biscuits and snacks. The children would always say "no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," but Butoudou stretched out his hand and took over. My baby is six years old, and this is the first time she has celebrated the New Year in her hometown like this. The whole family bowed down and packed several bags of snacks and went home. This made her very happy, and she said she would come back to celebrate the New Year next year. This reminds me of myself thirty years ago.
In the following days, I paid New Year greetings to relatives and friends whom I had not seen for many years. Naturally, I couldn’t finish talking when I met, and we drank and drank together before resting.