In Quanzhou, Fujian, there is a temple in three steps and a temple in seven steps. Among the red brick houses and ancient streets and alleys, Quanzhou still retains the most traditional and strong flavor of the Southern Fujian New Year. What are the interesting things about celebrating the Traditional New Year in Quanzhou? Ji Jianqiang, president of the Quanzhou Licheng District Hokkien Language Research Association, tells you.
I received a red envelope from my boss on the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month
Digong is a god close to Quanzhou people. According to custom, the Earth God has two birthdays every month, on the second and sixteenth day of the lunar calendar. In a year, the 16th day of the twelfth lunar month is the last birthday of Tu Tu Gong that year, and food such as three animals (a rooster, a whole big fish, and a large piece of pork), chicken rolls, meatballs, bowl cakes, turtle cakes, steamed buns, tobacco, and alcohol are required. Worship solemnly.
After paying homage to Tu Tu Gong, Quanzhou bosses will prepare dishes for employees to taste the food they paid homage to Tu Tu Gong to show their gratitude to their employees for their hard work over the past year. During this dinner for employees, if an employee receives a red envelope from the boss, he will not be in a good mood at all, because it means being fired. Employees who did not receive a red envelope from this meal can come back to work after the Chinese New Year, and they will also receive a red envelope from their boss.
The steamed bowl cake cannot be "not smiling"
Starting from around the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, Quanzhou people began to intensively prepare fried goods, cakes and other delicacies for the New Year. Among them, rice cake is a must-have option. Quanzhou people's rice cake, also called bowl cake, is made from rice harvested in spring that is soaked, ground, fermented and then steamed in a pot. The surface of the fermented rice cake will bloom like petals in the steamer, as if showing a bright smile.
"When steaming rice cakes, what did my mother and the neighbor women fear most? They were most afraid of their children running into the kitchen and asking, 'Mom, do you want to steam steamed buns?'" Recalling interesting childhood stories, Ji Jianqiang said with a smile, "This is because The rice cake needs to be fermented so that it looks like "laughing" when it rises, so that the rice cake is considered well-done. If it is said to be a bun, if it is wrapped, "not smiling" is a homophone of "unfilial". If you say this, you will be beaten by your mother. "
Send lanterns to married couples without children
In Quanzhou dialect, "Deng" and "Ding" are homophonic. In the first month of the year, the parents of a daughter who is married but has no children will send lanterns to express their blessings for the "birth of a child".
"When it comes to sending lanterns, there are certain things to pay attention to. It is usually given after the tenth day of the lunar month and before the fifteenth day of the lunar month. You must send a big rooster lantern and two lotus lanterns, one red and one white." Ji Jianqiang said. "These three lanterns have to be delivered by men such as brothers or fathers in the mother's family. After they are delivered, they must be lit until the Lantern Festival. In the past, when there was no electricity, candles were lit. During this period, if the white lotus lanterns are burned, the daughter will be burned next year. You may give birth to a boy; if you burn red lotus lanterns, your daughter may give birth to a girl next year." If the woman does not give birth in the second year, her natal family will continue to send lanterns until she gives birth to a child.
In addition to lanterns, the parents also give their daughter two long sugar canes with heads and tails tied with red ribbons, wishing the newlyweds to share joys and sorrows and grow old together.
Go "walking on the streets" with great interest
Quanzhou’s Spring Festival street-walking folk custom has long been known as Quanzhou’s “Carnival”. Ji Jianqiang remembers that when he was in his 20s, he joined a lion dance team and went to the streets. When they arrived at the intersection of Tumen Street and Zhongshan Road, a large group of people gathered around to watch their performance. It was almost overwhelming. It was called " lively ".
What is worth looking forward to is that on the sixth day of the first lunar month this year, Quanzhou will hold its first folk custom street parade since 2003. There will be 23 intangible cultural heritage folk custom teams (more than 500 people), such as Dakaidao, breast clapping dance, fire tripod in-laws, More than 20 intangible cultural heritage items including the Blue Lion Formation participated in the performance, and they interacted with citizens and tourists while marching along the street. (Huang Dongyi People's Network)