Original title: "Celebrate the New Year with the General Secretary" Part 3 "Appreciating the New Year Customs"
"Press the word "Fu" and then the word "Happiness". May you be blessed and happy.
"Celebrate the new year together and send us off all night long." When talking about the New Year, every Chinese will have countless memories and endless nostalgia lingering in their hearts.
The New Year has special meaning in the hearts of Chinese people, and Chinese people always celebrate the New Year in the most solemn and ritualistic way.
Posting Spring Festival couplets, staying up late on New Year's Eve, and praying for the New Year... China's New Year customs and culture have a long history. In the inheritance and development that lasts for thousands of years, rich and colorful New Year customs have been derived across the country.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited grassroots cadres and masses every time the Spring Festival approaches, congratulating them on the New Year and sending blessings. Today, we follow the General Secretary’s New Year footsteps, relive vivid stories and warm moments, and enjoy the New Year’s customs and culture with everyone.
The General Secretary and the herdsmen participated in the winter Naadam event
In the middle of winter, the Inner Mongolia prairie is covered with ice and snow for thousands of miles, and is covered with silver.
On the morning of January 27, 2014, the eve of the Spring Festival, the flags of Baoligensumu (township) in Xilinhot City, Inner Mongolia were flying, pastoral songs were melodious, and herdsmen dressed in costumes, riding horses and driving cars, came from all directions.
On this day, General Secretary Xi Jinping and herdsmen participated in the Winter Naadam Festival.
Seeing the general secretary coming, the herdsmen applauded vigorously and stepped forward to shake hands and say hello. The General Secretary and the herdsmen watched wrestling, horse racing, listening to long tunes, singing and dancing.
On January 27, 2014, at the "Praying for Five Animals" ceremony at the Winter Naadam in Baoligensumu (Township), Xilinhot City, General Secretary Xi Jinping dipped his ring finger into the fresh milk in the silver bowl and flicked it three times in accordance with Mongolian customs. I wish you good weather in the coming year, prosperity for all livestock, and happiness and health for the people. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Pang Xinglei
It is General Secretary Xi Jinping's habit to follow the locals when visiting ethnic minority areas.
At the traditional "Praying for Blessings for Five Animals" ceremony, General Secretary Xi Jinping followed the Mongolian custom and dipped his ring finger into fresh milk in a silver bowl and flicked it three times to wish for good weather, prosperity for the five animals, and happiness and health for the people in the coming year.
Along the way, General Secretary Xi Jinping repeatedly emphasized that we must always hold high the banner of ethnic unity, adhere to and carry forward the good tradition of all ethnic groups connecting heart to heart and hand in hand, carry out in-depth publicity and education on ethnic unity and progress, do a good job in ethnic work, and build Inner Mongolia into the north of the motherland. A barrier to Xinjiang’s security and stability.
The general secretary picked up the word "福" and posted it on the door
To celebrate the Chinese New Year, of course, the word "福" is indispensable.
During General Secretary Xi Jinping’s previous inspections on the eve of the Spring Festival, the bright Chinese character “福” often appeared in the warm moments captured by the camera.
On February 12, 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to Zhanqi Village, Pidu District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. The Spring Festival is just around the corner, and there are various New Year folk activities in the village, such as taking family photos, writing the Chinese character "福" in Spring Festival couplets, and making glutinous rice balls.
The arrival of the general secretary made the villagers happy. A villager who was writing Spring Festival couplets specially wrote an original word "福" for the General Secretary: the left side looks like a standing person, the upper right is a house, and the lower right has fields. "The common people here say that those who have houses and fields are blessed. I send you this word 'blessing' to wish our motherland peace and prosperity under your leadership."
The general secretary happily accepted the word "blessing" and said "good" repeatedly.
Everywhere General Secretary Xi Jinping goes, he stops to communicate with the masses: "I am a servant of the people. Letting the people live a good life is the original intention and purpose of us Communists."
Letting people of all ethnic groups live a good life has been General Secretary Xi Jinping’s long-cherished wish.
On the eve of the Spring Festival in 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping made a special trip to the four alleys of Caochang, Dongcheng District, Beijing, to visit and express condolences to grassroots cadres and the masses.
On the morning of February 1, 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping happily picked up a picture with the character "福" in No. 32 Sitiao Hutong, Caochang District, Qianmen East District, and personally posted it on the door to wish the old neighbors here New Year's greetings. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Peng
The footage of the accompanying reporters recorded General Secretary Xi Jinping’s meticulous concern for people’s lives: “When was this renovated?” “Have all the old residents moved back?” “Can’t social vehicles get in?”...General Secretary He also deliberately opened the door of a newly renovated independent public toilet to check the sanitary condition.
On that day, General Secretary Xi Jinping also picked up a large red background with the golden character "福" and personally posted it on the door. He said affectionately: "The pursuit of the Communist Party of China is to make people's lives better and better! Let us work together!"
The General Secretary beat the Wa blessing wooden drum
On January 19, 2020, on the eve of the Spring Festival, General Secretary Xi Jinping walked into the Simola Wa Village in Zhongzhai, Sanjia Village, a village with ethnic minority characteristics in Qingshui Township, Tengchong City, Yunnan Province.
On the afternoon of January 19, 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping sounded three Wa wooden drums at the square of Simola Wa Village in Zhongzhai, Sanjia Village, Qingshui Township, Tengchong City, wishing for good weather and prosperity in the coming year. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Peng
Simola means "happy place" in Wa language. Surrounded by green mountains and gurgling streams, the place has a beautiful environment and simple folk customs. For more than 500 years, the local Wa people have lived in harmony with the Han, Bai, Dai and other ethnic groups, working hard and prospering.
At the home of villager Li Fashun, General Secretary Xi Jinping made rice cakes, a traditional local food, with everyone. The general secretary picked up a ball of rice cake with his right hand, pressed it hard on the mold, added more strength with his left hand, and said with a smile: "Press the word "Fu", and then the word "Happiness", and you will be blessed and happy."
In the village square, Wa men, women and children dressed in national costumes beat the elephant drums and "joined the Linsai" (Wa language: meaning everyone queues up to dance together), welcoming the guests with enthusiastic hair swing dance and cheerful bamboo pole dance. The most distinguished guest.
According to local custom, General Secretary Xi Jinping beat the Wa blessing wooden drum——
"One drum sounds, the weather is good; two drums sound, the country is peaceful and the people are safe; three drums sound, the world is at peace!" With the strong drum beat and the elders' blessings, applause and cheers gathered in the square.
"I wish you all a happy New Year and a happy family!" General Secretary Xi Jinping waved goodbye to the villagers.
"The glory of the Communist Party shines on the border, and the mountains and rivers smile and people are happy. Socialism is great, it builds a bridge of happiness. Alas... the road becomes wider and wider as we go..."
The cheerful singing echoed in the village for a long time; the strong flavor of the New Year permeated thousands of households.
Planning: Tian Junrong, Yang Xuebo, Li Xiang
Coordinator: Jiang Yun
Text: Wen Suwei, Song Jingsi
Editor: Qiu Yaozhou
Proofreader: Julie