Special customs and habits of Fugu Lantern Festival;
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival, because the ceremonial food on this day is called Yuanxiao. Yuanxiao is a round food, made of glutinous rice flour and filled with sugar. Glutinous rice flour is called Yuanxiao, and glutinous rice flour is called "Tangyuan", which means reunion and harmony. The main activity of this day is watching lanterns, so it is also called "Lantern Festival". Taoism calls the 15th day of the first month Shangyuan, the 15th day of July Zhongyuan and the 15th day of October Xia Yuan, which belong to the birthdays of the three officials of Heaven, Earth and Water respectively.
Lantern burning in Shangyuan was recorded very early, as far back as the Han Dynasty. It was lit on this night to commemorate Taiyi God (North Star King). According to records, Emperor Hanming introduced the custom of "watching lanterns in the twelfth lunar month" from the western regions. The dark day of the twelfth lunar month in the western regions is called the Great God Change, which means to light a lamp to show Buddha. After this custom was introduced into China, it gradually developed into appreciating lanterns. In the Tang dynasty, the official set the time for viewing lanterns as the fifteenth day of the first month. According to historical records, on the 15th night of the first month of the second year of Rui Zongjingyun (7 1 1), a 20-foot-high lantern wheel was made outside Anfu Gate, decorated with splendid flowers and hung with 50,000 lanterns, just like a huge flower tree. Thousands of ladies-in-waiting and young women in Chang 'an are singing and dancing under the lights. In the Xuanzong period of Tang Dynasty, Lantern Festival became more popular. It is stipulated that lights should be banned for three nights before and after the Lantern Festival, and lights should be enjoyed when the market opens. The Song Dynasty, like the Tang Dynasty, issued imperial edicts and made the Lantern Festival a system. In order to attract wealthy businessmen from all over the world, Nanjing, the capital of Ming Taizu, has been lit for ten days. During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty, it was still stipulated that the Lantern Festival would last for three nights, and the market would be opened to enjoy the lanterns. In modern times, although the dates of viewing lanterns are uneven all over the country, the custom of viewing lanterns has been fixed. Since the Republic of China, the Lantern Festival has generally lasted for three days. On the fourteenth day of the first month, the lantern was "tested", the fifteenth day was "noisy" and the sixteenth day was "finished".
The Lantern Festival fetes daughters and sons-in-law, which is called "Eating Fifteen". And sending lights to send oil is called "adding oil".
Sending and lighting
From the fifth day of the first month, the activity of sending lights began. It is mainly my uncle who sends lanterns to my nephew. As the saying goes, "My nephew plays lanterns-the old rule" (uncle's homonym). In addition, there are dry fathers who send lights to dry children. There are many styles of lanterns, including palace lanterns, round lanterns, lotus lanterns, basin lanterns, sheep lanterns and fish lanterns. And all kinds of flower and bird lanterns. Usually send a pair of lanterns, 10 candles, 10 twisted flowers, even 12 years. After receiving the lights, the children play (pick) the lights in groups every night until the 14th, 15th and 16th of the first month. These three days of "playing with light" are called "playing with light" and have different meanings. "Play" means having fun, especially on the 15th day of the first month, setting off firecrackers to worship ancestors, hanging lights at the back door of dinner, lighting candles and burning paper in the corner of the yard, and sending lights to ancestors' graves. Then go out and watch the fun (fireworks, lions, dragon lanterns, solve riddles on the lanterns, etc.). ) The Lantern Festival is characterized by big lanterns, which make a lot of noise and are particularly loud. If you want to excel, you should see who has a good lantern and who has a high skill in playing lanterns, and who will shine! Also add luster to Uncle Eva's face! On the 16th night of the first month, this is the last night of the annual Lantern Festival, so it is called "End of Lights". This means that after the Lantern Festival this year, we should enjoy playing with lanterns, playing with lanterns, breaking lanterns and burning lanterns, so as to be happy. Because I can't play the old lantern next year, my uncle will get pink eye, which is a taboo among the people, so it means "finish playing the lantern"
Chasing and hiding lights
In the first year of the bride's visit, the bride's family will hold a grand lantern-sending activity for her family, commonly known as "chasing lanterns". The grand scale of chasing lamps and the quality of lamps depend on their wealth. The rich man gave a pair of glass palace lanterns, some with nanmu shelves, some polished with cement, some with beads and some ordinary ones. In addition to the main lamp, there is also a small lamp, commonly known as "street lamp", which means to guide the newly married wife to have children as soon as possible. After the husband's family receives the light chase, the bride goes to her parents' house to "hide from the light" (usually returning on the 14th and 16th of the first month).
On the day of chasing lanterns, the man's family will hold a big banquet to entertain relatives. Usually eat two meals, breakfast is "four dishes" (drink four dishes) minced meat noodles. The lunch table is more particular, and the common ones are "eight products" (eight dishes for drinking and eight dishes for eating), "twelve products" (four dishes for drinking and eight dishes for eating), "twenty-four tables" (twenty-four dishes for drinking and eating), and so on.
latern fair
With the development of the times, Lantern Festival activities are becoming more and more prosperous and larger in scale. With the light show, there are activities, such as solving riddles and fireworks. The custom of guessing riddles on lanterns has existed since ancient times. The ancients called this activity "tiger hunting". Nowadays, guessing riddles on lanterns is unprecedented, and hundreds of people have joined the ranks and won prizes on the spot.
The custom of setting off fireworks has existed since ancient times. China first invented gunpowder. With gunpowder, the fireworks business developed. The formal formation of fireworks began in the Tang Dynasty and was very popular in the Song Dynasty. After the development of Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, the content of fireworks has been constantly renovated, reaching the point of Excellence. The fireworks in pucheng county, Shaanxi Province are famous at home and abroad. Especially the fireworks in Pucheng Xing Town are the most famous.
eat yuanxiao
Yuanxiao is eaten on the Lantern Festival. Yuanxiao is a special flavor food of the Lantern Festival, usually eaten on the fifteenth night of the first month. Yuanxiao is made of glutinous rice flour and sugar stuffing (sesame seeds, peanuts, jujube paste, etc.). ) and made into a circle; Most of them are round with stuffing as the center and rice flour wrapped outside. The front is called glutinous rice balls, and the back is called Yuanxiao. Because the shape is round, it symbolizes family reunion. Sweetness means happy and sweet life. On this day, the married daughter gave her maiden the Lantern Festival, and the maiden's reception of visitors was also the Lantern Festival.
Put sky lanterns and hang grave lanterns.
"Flying lanterns" is a folk festival entertainment custom. During the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month every year, in addition to big lanterns, there is also the custom of "putting sky lanterns". This custom has a long history. According to historical records, it was completed in the Tang Dynasty. The purpose of lighting lanterns is to increase the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival and lead the lantern viewing activities to a new climax.
"Hanging grave lanterns" is a popular custom of offering sacrifices at the age of 20 in Fufeng area of Shaanxi Province. Every year on the fifteenth night of the first lunar month, filial children and grandchildren of every family will hang a red light on their ancestral graves. Before hanging lanterns, burn paper and incense, set up incense tables, offer tributes, and the family members bow down to comfort their ancestors.
Turn nine times
"Zhuanjiuqu", also known as "Jiuquhui" and "Lantern Festival", is popular in Yan 'an and Yulin. It is held around the fifteenth day of the first month every year, and the Wubao area will set the duration as the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth of the first month. In ancient times, "Zhuanjiuqu" was a religious activity to sacrifice Laozi, and there were many superstitions. Nowadays, people believe in science but don't believe in god, and only regard "turning nine songs" as a kind of sports activity for entertainment and fitness. The location of "Zhuan Jiuqu" is arranged according to the legendary "Yellow River Array" in Jiang Ziya. There are nine gates in the square, east, south, west, north and middle, which are connected in series. Plant 360 sorghum stalks equidistantly into a square array called "stigma". Then connect the stigma with sorghum stalks and put 367 lamps. There are seven lights in the middle stigma, which are called "seven-star lights". On the whole, Jiuqu is like a big city wall. Nine bends and eighteen bends, there is no repeated path. There are nine small town sections in this big city section, and the door diameter and direction of the small town section are also different. After nine turns, we can only move forward in the order of the fence. You can only move forward, not backward, and you are not allowed to beat around the bush.