The Spring Festival has lasted for thousands of years in China. But for a long time, the term "Spring Festival" refers to the "beginning of spring" among the 24 solar terms in a year. It was not until the Revolution of 1911 overthrew the Manchu rule and the Republic of China was founded that Sun Yat-sen ordered the whole country to switch to the solar calendar. Later, the New Year will also be changed to New Year's Day in the solar calendar. But after all, the Lunar New Year has become a traditional festival celebrated by the whole people, and it is difficult to change the solid local customs and national culture. The celebration of the Lunar New Year is still endless year after year. Since there is a new New Year's Day in the solar calendar, the Lunar New Year has been called "Spring Festival" in the solar terms since the Republic of China.
In the old days, it entered the "New Year" from the 65438+February 23rd of the lunar calendar and continued until the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, forming a set of fixed programs. Let's see how Shanghai celebrated the New Year in the past.
The 24th of the twelfth lunar month, that is, the 24th of December, is the day when the Kitchen God plays a role in the sky. Therefore, on the evening of 23rd, every household should "send a stove" and "offer a stove" to celebrate the New Year. In the evening, every household worships the Kitchen God in the hall. More often, wine and fruit are placed on the kitchen with the image of the Kitchen God, and water chestnuts, clams, good fish and good meat are also provided. There is a bamboo cloud: "fame and fortune are prosperous and less right and wrong, all depending on the sky." There is nothing to offer at present. Fish buy fresh meat and fat meat. "
Kitchen God is going to report the human quality and human faults to the Jade Emperor for one year. In order to prevent him from going too far, people also provide candy ingots made of caramel when they send the kitchen stove. It is said that it is to make him gnash his teeth at dinner and speak unclear words, so that he can talk less and not speak ill of the world. When "sending the stove", all the points are incense sticks. It was night, cigarettes filled the room, and the offerings were dazzling, and the atmosphere of the New Year came at once.
The 25th day of the twelfth lunar month is the day when immortals descend to earth. Traditionally, every household has to dust inside and outside, remove the accumulated dust for one year, and clean up the sundries accumulated at ordinary times. This move is quite serious, and in today's words, it can be called an active and orderly mass health movement. After this day's work, every household is dirty, the supplies are better than before, and the appearance is fresh inside and outside, like a New Year's Eve.
From this day on, every household began to be busy with all aspects of the Spring Festival. The first thing is to buy and prepare all kinds of food for the New Year. Every family must also grind flour to make dumplings, and some families make rice cakes with flour. The former means "round and round", while the latter can mean "happy" and "high every year". The second is to prepare new clothes, new hats and new shoes. People may wear old clothes all the year round, but they must examine their "clothes" in the new year. Once again, I began to buy Spring Festival couplets, New Year pictures and "door gods" and put them on the doors, upstairs and downstairs. During this period, in order to meet the needs of the public, many kinds of such things appeared in the market. Every family also needs its own things. For example, when buying Spring Festival couplets, the store will choose "the business is booming all over the world, and the financial resources are reaching the Three Rivers", while the average household will choose "the sky is increasing, the people are increasing, the spring is full, and Kunming is beaming".
This period is also the busiest time for shops in the middle of the year. On the one hand, business is booming and sales are booming. On the other hand, the end of the year is the period when each family cleans up the current accounts for one year and asks the debtor for arrears. So each family sent someone to handle this matter, and a large-scale "debt collection" team appeared in the city: "Cross the street from east to west with bills in cloth bags. Step into the heavy door and call it, and the husband will be together. " There are many people who can't repay on time for various reasons. Debt collectors have great responsibilities and pursue hardships, often day and night, regardless of the cold day and night.
Among those who can't pay their bills on time, in fact, many people are completely unable to pay their bills. In addition to the debts owed to the store, these people probably owe personal debts. The end of the year is also the time when most debts are paid off, so these people are under pressure from two sides to ask for money. However, according to the usual practice, debt collection and debt collection can only be done on New Year's Eve, but not on New Year's Eve. It is unlucky to blame yourself for "bad luck". Therefore, the New Year's Eve dinner is the last pass for those who evade debts. If they escape this, next year will be another matter. So they have been dealing with debt collectors and trying their best to get through this New Year's Eve: "The creditors who are riddled with holes have come, and it is difficult to get them back without any plans. I have to go on stage today to avoid it, and I will drive it away after dawn. "
However, except for the poor people mentioned above, on the whole, when the New Year comes, everyone is inevitably extremely happy and in high spirits. After all the preparations mentioned above, the New Year's Eve that we are looking forward to every day has finally come to our eyes, and the celebration of the New Year has reached a climax.
The beauty of New Year's Eve is at sunset. In the evening, all the families gather indoors, even those who are far away from home, try to go home and spend the New Year with their families before. Everyone sat under the lamp, eating the "New Year's Eve", eating and drinking, talking and laughing, and eating this meal for a long time. This is a year of trying to enjoy family happiness, hence the name "Family Happiness".
This night is next to the Chinese New Year, so many family elders don't sleep after the New Year's Eve. Still talking and laughing, eating omnivores. People don't think this night is deeper and longer. At midnight, some people will go to temples in the city to burn "head incense".
At the time of the crow, every household, men, women and children, put on new clothes, hats and shoes, and worship the heavens and the earth and ancestors in the hall where offerings have already been arranged. Then, young people and old people pay New Year greetings to their parents. They distribute the lucky money prepared many years ago to their children. This is the long-awaited hope of the children, and they finally happily put it in their pockets. Then open the door to let the explosions welcome the new year, and meet the neighbors to celebrate the new year.
Every day from the first day of junior high school is a time when friends and relatives return to pay New Year greetings. When guests bring more gifts, they must treat them to "Yuanbao tea", that is, put olives in the tea or put an olive on the tea cover. He also offered fruit in a golden lacquer plate and said, "Congratulations!" " . I will treat you to wine and rice. At that time, the elders had to send lucky money when they saw the younger generation, which was inevitably a big burden for those who were financially strapped. However, this new year greeting method was simplified in Shanghai in the late Qing Dynasty. People who have a lot of contacts go out to pay New Year's greetings, and often just throw a thorn for them, which can save entertainment and expenses: "In exchange for new peaches and new colors, the robe is short to the door. Who is most afraid of frequent bending and rushing to throw thorns for the New Year. "
In the new year, in addition to visiting each other to celebrate the New Year, the rest of the time is to "celebrate" with various travel and entertainment activities. Some people go out for a stroll, and the most visited places are the City God Temple and the connected West Garden (that is, Yuyuan Garden): "There is nothing to do in the New Year, so you can take a walk in the zigzag bridge in the garden. Suddenly I heard the children clap their hands together and the kite shook for a long time. " However, since the establishment of the modern concession, the colorful Shili Yangchang has become a fascinating amusement place in the New Year, especially for those who live outside the Yangchang: "People in the city love the Yangchang, while people outside the city compete for the Temple Garden. At the same time, they are generally willing to watch, and everyone is speechless. " Others go out to the theatre, listen to books and have tea. After the opening of the port, there was a lot of prostitution in and out of Shanghai's foreign exchange. Some people took advantage of this period to travel wildly, so they were busy with fireworks everywhere: "The new year weather mirror is polished, and money is like a shuttle. There are thousands of Chuting in Qian Qian in Qin Lou, and there are many laughs at the opening of the fruit bowl "; Of course, more people often stay at home, and indoor fun can be found by themselves, such as inviting relatives and friends to build a "square city", playing drums and playing the piano, singing by themselves, and so on: "Food, new clothes and happiness make people old, and thousands of people borrow common names. Every household is closed for three days (referring to merchants), not the sound of cards or drums. "
On the fifth day of the first month, it is the birthday of the God of Wealth (commonly known as the "Road God"), and there are actions of "connecting with the God of Wealth", "connecting with the God of Wealth" and "connecting with the Road God" everywhere. The god of wealth talks about "wealth", and everyone pays attention to it, especially businessmen who start businesses for wealth, so their celebration is the most energetic. Shanghai has long been a prosperous commercial city in the southeast, and businesses can be seen everywhere. It is conceivable that the celebration of the fifth day is particularly intense. Businessmen get more than three kinds of sacrifices from the god of wealth: pig head, carp and rooster. Carp lovers, homophonic "Li Yu", are particularly popular. As early as a few days ago, villagers from rural areas were selling fresh carp to various pockets in the streets and alleys. Carp is also called "silver ingot fish", so it is called "sending silver ingots".
On the fifth day of the fifth grade, a new portrait of Marshal Zhao was hung in the middle of the merchant hall. Except for three sacrifices, the other sacrifices are extremely rich. Incense candles were lit and the house was brightly lit. Then, firecrackers were set off indoors and outdoors, one after another, and the whole city roared and the sound shocked hundreds of miles. And continuously, its sound and strength are too strong for the first morning: "firecrackers can't be picked up, and the god of wealth is busy fighting." I just hope that business will be good this year. Why not pick me up at the fifth watch? "
Finally, it is the fifteenth Lantern Festival. The expiration of May coincides with the reunion and is for good luck. On this day, every family must eat "Yuanxiao", which means reunion and good luck. But the prosperity of the Lantern Festival lies in "lights", so it is also called "Lantern Festival". It is a big lantern in front of every household and shop, and it is also a big lantern in public places such as temples, gardens and squares. After sunset, all the lights are put together, connected together, and the red light shines. Lanterns have various shapes, including various lanterns, plant lanterns, animal lanterns, character lanterns, story lanterns and so on. The most common lanterns in Shanghai are rabbit lanterns, ingot lanterns and lantern lanterns, among which the biggest and most wonderful one is the "dragon lantern": the dragon has a head and a tail, the scales are flashing, it is * * * long, and it has a long handle, which is held by the dragon dancer. There is also a special person holding a "rolling lantern" like a big ball, playing with the dragon's body, chasing and even fighting. They are dancing in the streets of Shanghai.
At that time, men, women and children will appear in groups. Chenghuang Temple and Xiyuan Garden are also the center of an activity. It is a pavilion decorated with colored lights, bright inside and outside. In the garden, there is a big rockery and high rocks, and fireworks are set off, which is the most attractive. The audience who came here jostled shoulder to shoulder, all smiling. In addition to watching lanterns, this Lantern Festival has a special "popularity": the so-called "ten-mile bead curtain does not roll, and the lantern watcher looks at the lantern watcher" is that unique artistic conception. The midnight snack will last until late at night, and everyone will walk home slowly after lights out. There is a saying that this day happened to be the day when the kitchen god returned, so he just caught up with the kitchen god when he went home.
At the coming dawn, this year's Spring Festival celebrations have come to an end. (Text/Zheng)
Chongming Spring Festival custom
Spring Festival is an important festival in China folk tradition. It is the first festival in all seasons, so people pay special attention to it. As the saying goes, "a hundred miles of different winds, a thousand miles of different customs." Due to the unique region of this county, the customs of Spring Festival vary slightly from place to place. Now collect some scenes and shots around the Spring Festival over the years, and indulge with readers.
24 nights
People who have worked hard for a year have been busy having a good Spring Festival since the 23rd day of the lunar calendar1February. The thirteenth or twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month is collectively called "twenty-four nights". According to legend, this day is the day when the kitchen god goes to heaven, and there is a folk custom of sending the kitchen god to heaven. On this night, people cook with "rolled silver bags" (with green vegetables, arrows, tofu, etc. As fillings, venetian blinds wrapped), "Twenty-four Fragrances" and red bean rice are used as sacrificial food. The custom of lighting incense sticks to sacrifice to the Kitchen God, preparing paper money, tying colorful bridges, kowtowing to worship, then setting off firecrackers and using the front curtain (commonly known as "happy string") for the statue of the Kitchen God has been eliminated, but the ancient custom of eating red bean rice and rolling silver bags still exists. After 24 nights, every household is getting more and more busy, cleaning up inside and outside, commonly known as dusting eaves, washing bedding, brewing wine, frying peanuts and broad beans and purchasing food. People in urban and rural areas on the island generally grind steamed cakes, and this custom has continued to this day. Because "Gao" and "Gao" are homophonic, people are looking for a good oral color that is high every year. There are different ways to make cakes in different parts of the country. Steamed sponge cake is the main sand, steamed sticky cake is in the middle area and steamed sole cake is the main sand. Poor families use sorghum flour and white jade rice as the main raw materials for steamed cakes. In addition, people should prepare some things, such as tin foil, paper money, incense sticks, gold ingots, tea and fruits, as sacrifices to God. A few days before New Year's Eve, people will put up new Spring Festival couplets, hang up their ancestors, hang their portraits on the main wall of nave, arrange sacrifices, and burn incense at the time of New Year's Eve to let the younger generation pay a New Year call. Before New Year's Eve, people will also play hoarding games, that is, put lime into sacks and print them on the ground, hoping that there will be Man Cang in the coming year. These activities are gone now. Some farmers also put the garbage and useless chores and weeds in the city into the field and set them on fire in order to be auspicious and safe in the coming year.
New Year's Eve
December 30th of the lunar calendar is New Year's Eve, commonly known as New Year's Day. On this day, all the new year's furnishings are properly arranged, such as writing Spring Festival couplets and putting up doors. In the evening, the whole family, old and young, get together for dinner, and the food is much richer than usual. The main course is cooked with Chinese cabbage and tofu, and wrapped in venetian blinds, which is called rolling money bundle, to show that the financial resources will come in the coming year. This evening is the happiest day for children, because parents and elders give lucky money. In the old society, this day was very difficult for people who had no money. According to the old rules, when the debts were paid off, they could not be collected at the end of the year. They can't be forced to collect debts before the lights are turned off in early February, so the creditors send people to collect debts everywhere, and those who can't pay their debts have to hide around until the first day of the new year. Therefore, there used to be a saying that "grain farmers are young and strong, and they are sad when they have no money."
the Spring Festival; Chinese New Year
The first day of the first lunar month is the Spring Festival, commonly known as the Spring Festival. The first thing every household does in the early morning of 2008 is to set off firecrackers, which is called "opening the door". Its original intention is to exorcise evil spirits, and later it means to open the door and make a fortune. During the Spring Festival, adults and children all put on new clothes and dress neatly, and the whole family sits around the dining table. * * * There was a hearty breakfast, mainly vegetarian, with glutinous rice balls and sugar rice cakes to show family reunion. In the last 24 nights, a bowl of red bean rice, commonly known as "old rice", was added to the breakfast, which meant a good meal every other year. After breakfast, the children greet their neighbors, relatives and elders one after another. There are many taboos on the first day of the first month. You can't use knives, splash water, go to the water bridge to wash rice, sweep the floor, open the back door, move firewood, swear, hit people, stay up too late and so on. Even the firewood for cooking should be put in the furnace hall with sesame stalks and soybean stalks, making a crackling sound. The brighter the fire, the more auspicious it is, which indicates that everything will be fine this year. In addition, on the morning of the third and fifth day of each year, every family should make breakfast and light incense before meals, hoping that the whole family will be prosperous and safe.
In the past, there were more beggars during the Spring Festival. There was a beggar who begged not because his family was poor, but for filial piety. Some people say that there is a death gate for the elderly to live to 998 1 year-old, and only by eating "100 meals" can they spend it safely. So there are filial sons and daughters of the elderly at home.
Modern marriage customs in Shanghai
1. Suburb: Compared with rural areas, the pressure on men is greater. In addition to the house, there are a lot of furniture and electrical appliances, all of which were paid by the man and delivered to him on the wedding day. The woman spends some bedding and the like. Of course, the man can't escape the gift money on the wedding day, at least more than 10 thousand.
2. city: it's relatively simple, but it can't escape a lot of expenses. Generally speaking, however, the woman sometimes bears part of the house price and the furniture is also purchased together. But the cost of the wedding banquet must be borne by the man. There are many tables. Relatives of both men and women were present, but the young couple lived well and received a lot of gifts.
3. Open a point: choose a self-help tour to get married, set a few tables symbolically at home, and invite some colleagues, friends and elders from both sides.
Shanghai lies to the south of the Yangtze River. So there are many similarities between the folk customs in Shanghai and other places in the south of the Yangtze River. After the opening of the port, Shanghai has gradually become a densely populated city with mixed Chinese and foreign cultures and mixed places, adding new content to the original customs; Shanghai Customs has gradually formed its own characteristics.
New Year's Eve and Spring Festival
New Year's Eve, also known as "30th", refers to the last day of the lunar calendar or the night of this day, so it is also called "New Year's Eve". The word "except" on New Year's Eve is willing to be removed, so it is also called "except". According to the old custom, the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the Kitchen God's Day, and it is necessary to sacrifice to the Kitchen God. The 24th of the twelfth lunar month is a small year. From this day to New Year's Eve, every household should clean up and buy new year's goods, and the countryside should kill pigs and sheep. Grinding glutinous rice flour and making all kinds of snacks. Pickled all kinds of bacon. In addition, New Year pictures will be posted. City people often buy daffodils, wintersweet and Tianzhu in bottles to add festive atmosphere. When night falls, families get together for a New Year's Eve dinner, which is also called a reunion dinner. The dishes on the table are usually very rich. Stay up all night. People usually watch TV programs at home, which is called "keeping the old". When the New Year bell rings, firecrackers are ringing to welcome the New Year. The Spring Festival is the most important traditional festival in our country. It is full of joy. The first day of the first lunar month is a traditional Chinese New Year. At dawn on the first day of the first lunar month, people dress neatly, and according to their seniority, the family pays New Year greetings to their elders and peers. The elders will also give red envelopes to their children to congratulate them on growing one year taller. On the afternoon of the first day, on the third day of the second day, I went out to pay New Year greetings to my relatives and friends. Nowadays, communication is developed, and many people pay New Year calls by telephone. On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, many people buy live fresh carp to "pick up the God of Wealth". Because the pronunciation of "carp" and "Li" is similar, and because the live carp is fished out of the water, it is covered with silk rope on red paper, and its head and tail are tilted up like a treasure. From the first day to the fifth day, the streets are very busy, and people who go to the temple to burn incense or visit the temple fair are in an endless stream. Commercial shops are closed from the first day to the third day, which is the so-called "closing time", and some are closed until the fifth day, which is the only day for employees to rest in a year. See the god of wealth on the fifth day and eat the wine of the god of wealth at night.
the Lantern Festival
The fifteenth day of the first month is Shangyuan Festival, and this night is called Yuanxiao. Making fun of Yuanxiao is a big event. Generally, we eat wonton during the day and glutinous rice balls at night. On the Lantern Festival, several downtown areas inside and outside old Shanghai set up high light sheds, and all kinds of lanterns gathered together, which was very spectacular. There are many sails on the Huangpu River, and lights are hung on the masts, which look like stars from a distance. In rural areas and fields, lanterns are also hung everywhere, which is called "looking at the fields", which is also a sign of bumper harvest. "Playing Dragon Lantern" is a warm festival performance in suburban counties, especially in the western suburbs and Jiading South Lane. When performing, there are ten gongs and drums, and sometimes dozens of dragon lanterns meet to perform dragon balls. Women should "walk three bridges" at the Lantern Festival. It is said that if they walk three bridges in the bright moonlight night, they can get rid of all diseases all year round. Inside and outside old Shanghai, there are many canal bridges, and the third bridge is easy to walk. At that time, many people went for a walk outside Xiaodongmen to have a look at Lujiashi Bridge.
Dragon Boat Festival
On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, every household wraps glutinous rice dumplings, or corn, and hangs calamus, wormwood and garlic on the door, which means "ward off evil spirits". Drink realgar wine at noon. Smoke the city with atractylodes rhizome, angelica dahurica, rue and other drugs. Rubbing realgar on a child's forehead is used to dispel dampness, detoxify and eliminate bad breath, which means to spend the summer heat safely without being infected. Seasonal foods include zongzi, loquat, yellow croaker and garlic. The most interesting thing about the Dragon Boat Festival is watching the dragon boat race. In the past, most of the dragon boats on the Huangpu River were borrowed from Nanxiang and Huang Du.
Mid-Autumn Festival
The eighth day of the eighth lunar month is the season to enjoy the moon. Every family enjoys the moon until late at night. People go out to watch the moonlight, which is called "walking on the moon". Many old Shanghainese like to go to Lujiashi Bridge outside Xiaodongmen to see the moon shadow rippling under the bridge. "Liang Shi jathyapple" is one of the "Eight Scenes of Shanghai". During the flood season from Mid-Autumn Festival to 18, many people go to Dongcheng to watch the river tide, and some people go to Haining, Zhejiang to watch the tide. In recent years, many people have watched various performances of "Shanghai Osmanthus Festival".
Double Ninth Festival
The ninth day of the ninth lunar month. Steamed Chongyang cake with glutinous rice flour and sugar, and Caiqi Yang put it on the cake to worship Buddha. In Jiading, Chuansha, Gao Qiao and other places, muffins are all seasonal foods. Chrysanthemum is used to make wine, and people drink chong yang wine. This day is an ancient story of climbing mountains to avoid disasters, and residents have taken steps to climb mountains. Sheshan and Yuyuan Garden in Songjiang have become mountaineering resorts.