Wear new clothes. From the day I get up, everyone in my family has to put on new clothes for the Chinese New Year. Wealthy families attach great importance to this aspect during the Spring Festival. Almost the whole family should put on new clothes from the inside out, praying for the blessing of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, changing new clothes, liking the new and hating the old, and rejoicing. In particular, the weak members of the family-children and the elderly-usually need special care in this regard. Even if the whole family can't get new ones, they should first put on new covers or clothes for the elderly and children. People with difficulties in life can't afford to make new clothes, so they should put on clean clothes that have just been starched and finish their prayers on this day.
2. Welcome Xi Shen and Caishen.
The first thing to do when you get up in the morning is to return to the Western God to worship the God of Wealth according to the instructions of this year's solar calendar, so as to make the year happy and rich.
3. Home (homophonic with your home)
Before 30 or noon, all kinds of production and living utensils borrowed at ordinary times should be returned to their homes one by one. Family members, whether they are thousands of miles away or visiting relatives and friends, must get home for reunion before this moment. Even if a family member fails to return in time, it is a very regrettable event for this family for the whole year.
4. Special customs and taboos
According to the old people, on the 30th of this year, all kinds of gods and ancestors were invited home for the New Year, which is the most frequent day for all kinds of gods and ghosts. There is a folk saying that there is a god three feet from the ground. For the happiness and well-being of your family for one year, you should be careful what you say and do, and you should not offend all the immortal ancestors. In addition, for the sake of a year's happiness and prosperity, don't say anything unlucky (1) even before the fifth day of the first month. On the contrary, some words can be used in large quantities. Even when greeting patients or answering others' greetings, you must be careful not to say those unlucky words ("Are you better?" Who are used to greeting patients so far? Better ",from the Spring Festival taboo). (2) Don't break all kinds of articles. (3) Don't be angry and don't cry. (4) Don't talk about unpleasant things in the past. (4) sewing without moving needle and thread. (5) Food (steamed bread, pork elbow, etc. The wine offered in front of various gods and ancestors' tablets should be rich, incense should be burned regularly, and three meals should not be interrupted. Including relatives visiting New Year, they should also burn incense and kowtow to the ancestral memorial tablet (commonly known as Tang Jia). (6) At night, all houses (including barns and open sheds) should be lit, and lanterns should be hung in the courtyard and beside the gods outside the gate. All kinds of lights must not be put out before the fifth watch, and the lanterns at the gate usually stay on until the next morning. (7) Sprinkle straw (also called hay) in the yard to prevent all kinds of lost ghosts from stepping on it and making noise, and being driven away by the gods who protect their families in time. (8) Set off firecrackers before each meal. (9) Chickens, ducks, cows, horses, sheep, donkeys, cats and dogs should eat enough grass on New Year's Day. (10) Don't go out to visit on New Year's Eve, and wait until the fifth watch.
Step 5 communicate with god
Mainly at the time of lighting lanterns, family members began to offer good offerings to the Kitchen God, the God of Heaven and Earth, the God of Wealth, Baojiaxian, Bodhisattva and other gods, lighting candles, burning incense and paper, and sprinkling wine to stand, even if the gods were invited.
On New Year's Eve, a week after the stove was delivered, Kitchen God came to the world with other gods. According to his "report", he brought the good and bad fortune that the family should get in the new year. Kitchen God is considered to guide the gods in the sky. Other gods will go to heaven after the New Year, and only Kitchen God will stay in other people's kitchens for a long time. The ceremony of welcoming God is called "receiving God", and for Kitchen God, it is called "receiving stove".
At this moment, every family should pay a more solemn memorial to their ancestors than usual. The sacrifices should include all kinds of chickens, ducks, fish, melons and fruits, and pray for ancestors to bless their children and grandchildren for peace, fat and happiness in the new year.
On New Year's Eve, all kinds of incense sticks in front of the gods at home are generally kept until the fifth watch to "rest".
6. Stay one year old
Strictly observe the New Year's Eve dinner from the beginning, take it out of the lantern and eat it slowly until late at night. Later, only Wu Geng sat down to eat. The custom of observing the old age not only includes the feeling of farewell and nostalgia for the fleeting time, but also expresses the good hope for the coming New Year. The ancients wrote in the poem "Shousui": "Invite Shousui Arong's family to spread red candles to green gauze; Thirty-six years have passed, and I am more willing to cherish my youth from this night. "Shounian" is also called "Enduring the Year". On this night of "two years old in one night, five classes for two years", the whole family got together, got together, filled a table with tea and fruits and enjoyed themselves. Midnight (in the past, the time when "three stars hit the beam" was generally regarded as midnight), that is, the "three yuan" time of year, month and hour, every household set up a firewood bonfire in the middle of the yard with a brazier (to show that the days are booming), burned paper (a kind of yellow paper) in front of the gods of heaven and earth, and then set off fireworks and firecrackers. At that time, the charcoal fire in the courtyard of every household will flash, the red light will shine, firecrackers will ring and smoke will fill the air. Like spring thunder rolling, infinite joy. Young and old look excited? The sound is joyful and noisy, flying around the courtyard, and women and children are surprised and happy at first sight. The whole Chinese New Year activity reached its climax at this time.
After the firecrackers, the whole family, led by their elders, first offered jiaozi as a memorial to their ancestors, and bowed down and kowtowed to their ancestors in turn. Sacrifice other gods at the same time.