Chapter 10 The third section is the custom of the year and season, which is passed down from "Tangshan"

Seasonal customs can best reflect the characteristics of national culture.The traditional folk festivals in Taiwan are similar to those in mainland China, especially in Fujian and Guangdong.The most important festivals are Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Ching Ming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Qixi Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, Winter Solstice Festival, Stove Sending, New Year's Eve, etc.The forms of festivals are also similar to those in mainland China. For example, there is the ceremony of "opening spring" during the Spring Festival; eating Lantern Festival, lantern racing, and guessing lantern riddles during the Lantern Festival; excursions; New Year's Eve family reunion and more.

There is a "New Year's Song" that is similar to but slightly different in Fujian and Taiwan: Southern Fujian: "The first day is glorious, the second day stops, the third day has no appearance; Live together, ask your son-in-law on the 11th; go back to worship on the 12th, eat rice with mustard greens on the 13th; tie a lamp shed on the 14th, and go to the Yuan Dynasty on the 15th.” Taiwan: "The first day of the first day is early, the second day is clever, the third day the mouse marries the bride; the fourth day the gods fall into the sky, the fifth day separates, the sixth day is fat [yiyi]; the seventh day is seven yuan, the eighth day is reunion; the ninth day is the public, On the tenth day there is food; on the eleventh, the son-in-law is invited; on the twelfth, a son-in-law is invited to come and worship; on the thirteenth, there is rice (qi weeping) and mustard greens;

Taiwan's seasonal customs originated from the mainland, as can be seen from these two "New Year Songs". Taiwanese call the first day of the Lunar New Year "Xinzheng", which means that the new year will have an upright start.The first major event in the early morning of the day is to worship the ancestors, which is called "Kaizheng". The ceremony of "opening the ceremony" is very grand, the hall is brightly lit, and the door is decorated with red colors. On the table for the offering, there are tangerines, rice cakes, salty rice cakes [guo fruit], sacrifices, tea and wine, four fruits, incense candles, and firecrackers are set off at every family. Gather together to worship ancestors and gods, and then greet the elders in order.

The most interesting thing about the Spring Festival is going out to pay New Year's greetings.It is also called "Zouchun", also known as "Kaichun" and "Hezheng".Whenever there are visitors, the host will serve the guests with sweets in red wooden boxes and "sweet tea"; hold a banquet to treat the guests and socialize with each other, which is called "inviting spring wine";Since every family goes out to pay New Year's greetings, it is inevitable that there will be times when someone is not at home, so two interesting customs are derived: People always carry a stack of red paper with them when they go out to pay New Year's greetings, and write their names on it. Leaving a piece of paper is called "reserve post"; it is impossible for a person with a powerful official and a wide range of contacts to pay New Year's greetings in person, so he sends a servant to bring his red post to pay his respects on his behalf, which is called "flying post".

Taiwan's "Mice in the third grade of junior high school marry their brides" and southern Fujian's "Missing Mistress in the third grade of junior high school" both mean that the third day of junior high school is a rest day, and even mice choose to marry their brides on this day.According to the custom, all households must go to bed early that night, so as not to disturb the mouse's wedding, and sprinkle some food in every corner of the room as a "gift" for the mouse, so as to build a good relationship with the mouse and reduce the burden of the mouse in the coming year. rat infestation. The common saying of "a mouse marrying a bride" obviously originated from the mainland. There is a multicolored lithograph New Year picture of "a mouse marrying a bride", which was once widely circulated among the mainland folks.On the screen, from the "bride" with a red veil on her head, to the deacon carrying the sedan chair and playing the trumpet, all are rats, all of them are vivid and beaming, and are very popular among the people.

The fourth day is the day of "receiving God".Both Fujian and Taiwan call this day "Shen Luotian".On that day, every household has to offer sacrifices, fruits, sweets, etc. in the hall, set off firecrackers, burn gold paper, and god horses, respectfully welcome the gods to come down to earth, and continue to perform their duties in charge of good and evil in the world. The "separation" of the fifth day of the lunar new year means that the Chinese New Year has come to an end, which is also the same as in mainland China.From the next day, shops opened, farmers went to the fields, and all walks of life began to resume normal life and work.It is said that this day is also the birthday of the "God of Wealth of the Five Routes", which is called "God of God of the Five Routes" in southern Fujian and "God of the Road" in Taiwanese.In order to make a big profit for the market, shops often burn incense and worship on the side of the road on this day, praying for the protection of the five gods of wealth.

"The seventh and seventh yuan" and "the eighth day of reunion" are the same in Fujian and Taiwan.Chinese folks call the seventh day of the seventh day "Qiyuan Day", also known as "Man's Day". According to legend, man was born on this day.Therefore, in Taiwan, on this day, every family has to eat noodles (that is, longevity noodles) and seven kinds of fresh vegetables, including celery, spinach, mustard greens, shepherd's purse, green onions, garlic, and wormwood.In fact, this is the old custom of the ancient Chinese "five-spicy dish". Du Fu once wrote a poem: "Spring dish with fine lettuce", which is exactly what he chanted. "Reunion on the eighth day of the eighth day" refers to the daughter-in-law who returns to her natal home for the Spring Festival. On the eighth day of the day, she must return to her in-law's home for "reunion" and start working. teacher".

"Tiangongsheng on the ninth day of the first day", "Tiangong" is the birthday of the Jade Emperor, and "Tiangongsheng" is the birthday of the Jade Emperor.The Jade Emperor is the ruler of the gods in the sky, and the sacrifices are extraordinarily grand.The whole family fasted and bathed the day before, and an altar was set up in the main hall.After midnight, the whole family neatly dresses, from the oldest to the youngest, offering incense in sequence, kneeling three times and knocking nine times.Then burn gold paper and set off firecrackers until four o'clock in the morning.In the old days when offering sacrifices to the Lord of Heaven, the arrangement of the altar was very particular. In addition to the original altar, there was also a small altar (commonly known as the "top table"). Cup, dedicated to the Jade Emperor.On the table below, there are three animals and five rituals, red tortoise cakes, etc., dedicated to the God of Heaven.The gold foil burned to Tiangong is specially made, called "Tiangong gold".

In traditional Chinese folklore, the son-in-law is loved by the Yue family, commonly known as "Jiao Ke", and it is the same in all parts of the country, including Fujian and Taiwan. The day when the Yue family specially entertained the son-in-law. The folk celebration of the Spring Festival in Taiwan is the same as that in mainland China. In fact, from the "stove sending" on December 23 of the lunar calendar of the previous year to the "lighting" on the eighteenth of the first lunar month, it is considered the scope of the Spring Festival. "Send Zao" is also called "Ci Zao", that is, offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God (Kitchen Lord).It is said that the Kitchen God is sent by God to every household, and at the end of each year, he will return to the sky to "report" to the Jade Emperor, reporting the good and evil of this family in the past year, so that the Jade Emperor can decide to give good or bad luck, which is of course no small matter!So in order to let the Kitchen God say a few more good words in front of the Jade Emperor for themselves, people "bribed" it with rich sacrifices.

New Year's Eve is commonly known as "New Year's Eve", also known as "Guo Nian", which means that the old year will be eliminated on this eve, and the new year will be replaced tomorrow.In the afternoon of the same day, offering sacrifices, offering sacrifices to gods and ancestors, is called "Farewell to the Nian"; that night, the whole family, old and young, are reunited.Those who have traveled far away or separated from their families, unless it is absolutely necessary, all have to return to their hometown to have a "New Year's Eve dinner", commonly known as "encircling the stove".If someone has not returned, a seat must be reserved on the dining table, bowls and chopsticks are placed, and some relatives’ clothes are placed on the seat, and the wine glass is filled to show that the whole family is complete, so as to express the feeling of missing relatives.

After the "circle around the stove", the oldest person in the family sits in the main hall, while the younger generations pay New Year's greetings in turn, and the elders reward "lucky money".Every house is brightly lit, talking, laughing and entertaining all night long, which is called "Shou Sui". In addition, posting Spring Festival couplets, spring flowers, dragon dance, lion dance, walking on stilts, sailing dry boats, offering incense in temples (to catch "temple fairs")... All kinds of Chinese New Year customs that have been handed down from ancient times in China are all similar to Taiwan. The continent is the same. However, Taiwan's seasonal customs also have their own strong local characteristics of the island. First of all, in addition to the same festivals as the mainland, Taiwan also has many festivals unique to the province.For example, "Qingshui Patriarch" is sacrificed on the sixth day of the first lunar month (the main temple of "Qingshui Patriarch" is in Qingshui Rock, Wanhua, Taipei. On this day, Taipei has a grand and grand celebration ceremony. In the past, there are often 20 consecutive days of performances, which are very lively); The second day of the first lunar month offers sacrifices to the "God of the Land"; the third day of the second month offers sacrifices to the "Emperor Wenchang"; the fifteenth day of the second month offers sacrifices to the "Sage King of Kaizhang"; "; on the third day of March, "Xuantian God"; The sixteenth festival is "Wugu Dadi"; May 13th is "Guan Gong Festival" and "Xiahai City God Festival"; The month is the "Yu Lan Festival", and each township takes turns to do the "Great Purdue"; the beginning of winter is "tonic"; October 22 is the "Mengka Qingshan King Sacrifice" in Taipei; the winter solstice is to worship ancestors and "food tonic"... ...It can be said that there are festivals almost every month in Taiwan, and "bye bye" is celebrated. Why are there so many festivals in Taiwan?One is because many festivals bring the "Guardian God" to worship the ancestors of the mainland; the other is because Taiwan's climate is different from that of the mainland, rice is harvested three times a year, and the pace of agricultural production is fast. Many festivals are deliberately arranged to adjust the tense working life. ; Other festivals are related to special historical events in Taiwan.For example, on March 19th, the "Sun Festival", according to research, this day is the day when Li Zicheng invaded Beijing at the end of Ming Dynasty and Ming Sizong (Emperor Chongzhen) hanged himself on Meishan (now Jingshan Park).During the Ming and Zheng Dynasties, it was scheduled to face Beiyao on this day to offer sacrifices to the dead of Chongzhen.After the Qing Dynasty unified Taiwan, Taiwanese people pretended to worship "Taiyang Gong" ("Sun" is a metaphor for "Daming"), and continued this custom. Secondly, there are many festivals and customs in Taiwan that are quite different from those in mainland China.For example: On New Year's Eve, Taiwan's rural areas have the customs of "jumping over the brazier", "debt avoidance drama" and "debt collection lamp". "Blazier jumping" is to light a pot of straw in front of the door after "surrounding the stove", and the whole family (men only) jump over the brazier one by one, which means "prosperous like fire".While dancing, I muttered words and said some auspicious words.After the fire is extinguished, the ashes are sent to the foot of the kitchen stove, praying for the gods to bless and make a fortune. The custom of "debt avoidance drama" is even more interesting: on New Year's Eve, all temples in Taiwan have to perform performances to worship gods, so many debtors hide in the crowd. He was beaten up by the audience.This kind of drama is often performed all night long, and it is the first day of the new year when it is played until dawn. During the few days of the New Year, debt collection is not possible, so this kind of drama is called "debt avoidance drama".However, the creditor also has a way to deal with it, that is, on the first day of the new year, he puts on old clothes and comes to collect debts with a lantern. Be regarded as "New Year's debt collection", this kind of lamp is called "debt collection lamp".But unless the grievances are deep, creditors will generally not use the "debt collection lamp" easily.It is said that this custom also came from southern Fujian, but southern Fujian has long been abolished, but Taiwan still retains it. On the night of the Lantern Festival, Taiwanese folks also have the customs of "stealing customs" and "drilling the feet of lamps". There are many tricks of "stealing vulgarity": if an unmarried girl deliberately steals green onions from other people's vegetable gardens, it is said that if the owner does not find out, it is a good omen, indicating that she will meet a satisfactory husband.The proverb goes: "Steal green onions and marry a good wife [wang Wang] (meaning man and husband in Taiwanese); steal vegetables and marry a good son-in-law." Unmarried men, it is a good omen to steal stones from other people's walls.If a married woman steals a pig pot and is scolded or steals the bamboo that is pulled on the bamboo fence of others, it is considered to be a sign of a boy (because "Zhuli" and "De'er" in Hokkien have the same sound). "Drilling the lamp feet" means that women must go to watch the lanterns on the Lantern Festival night, but "watching the lanterns" is false, and "drilling the lanterns" is real. They deliberately drill around under the lamps, because "lamp" and "ding" have the same pronunciation, Take its auspicious meaning of "adding a child".Therefore, there is a proverb in Taiwan that "drilling the foot of the lamp will give birth to a son". However, the most peculiar sights in Taiwan's Lantern Festival folk customs are the "bee cannons" in Yanyan Township, Tainan, the "sky lanterns" in Shifen Village, Pingxi, and the "begging turtles" in Penghu. People in Yanyan Township, Tainan neither light lanterns nor parade during the Lantern Festival, but set off "bee cannons" desperately.The so-called "bee cannon" is made of tens of thousands of sky cannons. The cores of each sky cannon are connected together. When one cannon is ignited, thousands of cannons will be fired in succession. Against the background of the sky, it is magnificent and soul-stirring.The sight and speed of thousands of cannons rushing out is like a swarm of bees, so it is called "bee cannon". It is said that during the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, the area around Yanyan Town encountered a great plague that lasted for many years, and people died every day, which made people panic, and they abandoned their homes and fled.The surviving saltwater people concluded that it was ghosts, so on a Lantern Festival, they invited Emperor Guan of the Wu Temple in the town to patrol the territory and set off a large number of fireworks to drive away evil spirits and demons.Since then, the plague in the salt water area has really disappeared.As a result, a large number of firecrackers are set off every year during the Lantern Festival, and the scale expands year by year, forming today's extremely grand bee cannon festival.At that time, all the people in the town, rich or poor, will set off firecrackers in every household. After one night, the cost of lighting the beehives will be as high as tens of millions of Taiwan dollars.Tourists from all over Taiwan and even overseas come here admiringly. On the night of the Lantern Festival, they gather in Yanshui Town to witness this spectacular and moving spectacle.What's even more strange is that it is said that the town of Saltwater has never caught fire due to the setting off of such dense firecrackers. As for the "sky lantern release" in Shifen Village, Pingxi, northern Taiwan, although it is not as famous as the salt water bee cannon, its history is longer than the salt water bee cannon, and it is said to be more than 200 years old. The so-called "sky lantern release" is to ignite the lower part of the paper-pasted lamp-shaped sphere, and send it into the night sky by using the principle of rising hot air.The sky lantern is made of white rice paper and looks like a Kongming hat, so it is also called "Kongming Lantern".The "hat brim" of the sky lantern is surrounded by bamboo slices to form a circle, and two iron wires are used to form a cross between the round bamboo slices, and the fuel is fixed at the middle intersection of the cross.The first thing to pay attention to is balance, otherwise it will burn up and turn into nothing as soon as it rises into the sky. The "sky lanterns" are big or small, and when they rise slowly, they are like fireballs, big and small, floating with the wind to the distance, blending with the stars in the night sky, which is wonderful.People believe that the higher the sky lantern is placed, the better the luck.This custom has existed in southern Fujian and eastern Guangdong since ancient times, but it was banned in the mainland after 1949 because "sky lanterns" often caused mountain fires, but it has been passed down in Taiwan to this day. It is said that the early immigrants in Pingxi came from Hui'an County in southern Fujian, and the custom of "lighting sky lanterns" was also introduced.According to legend, the "sky lanterns" in Pingxi also have a very important function: the immigrants who came to Taiwan in the early days were often robbed and killed by bandits, so they used the "sky lanterns" as a signal to report safety to each other.During the Japanese rule, "sky lanterns" became a signal to avoid the Japanese army's raid.After Taiwan's recovery, "Sky Lantern Release" resumed its entertainment and blessing functions, and gradually became a fixed folk activity of Pingxi people on the Lantern Festival Eve.There is a legend in Pingxi: "Sky Lanterns" are afraid of firecrackers, so when "Sky Lanterns" are set off, firecrackers must be set off. The louder the sound of the cannons, the more scared the "Sky Lanterns" will fly higher and farther. The custom of "begging for turtles" in Penghu during the Lantern Festival is both interesting and mysterious.Every year when the Lantern Festival comes, all kinds of "turtles" are placed on the central altar tables of temples in Penghu: "Fangpian turtles" molded with sugar and glutinous rice flour to "pray for peace"; There are "noodle turtles" with the implication of "longevity", "chicken cake turtles" made of flour, eggs, sugar, and sand oil, and "chicken cake turtles" made of cooked glutinous rice pulp and filled with red bean stuffing. "Mochi tortoise"...there is even a "golden tortoise" made of gold.Villagers swarming here, under the glow of candlelight and in a mysterious and lively atmosphere, devoutly held the religious "begging turtle" ceremony. Usually, after offering incense, the beggar has to hold the god's chalk (advice) in both hands, knelt down before the god, prayed silently and then threw the chau, repeated several times, and after he believed that he had obtained the acquiescence of the god, the beggar immediately reported to the temple deacon , put incense on it, and ask for the "turtle" that you begged for. The activity of "begging for turtles" can be traced back to the sacrificial culture in the Yin and Shang Dynasties, which is recorded in the oracle bone inscriptions of Yin Ruins related to sacrificial inscriptions.As the saying goes: "The thousand-year-old tortoise is eighty thousand years old." In the eyes of Chinese people, the tortoise has been regarded as a symbol of good fortune, fortune, longevity, happiness and wealth since ancient times because of its longevity. revered.The custom of "begging for turtles" during the Lantern Festival in Penghu is just a reflection of the legacy of ancient Chinese culture of worshiping turtles and the continuous development of this social and cultural psychology for thousands of years.In fact, this custom of worshiping tortoises is still common in Fujian and Taiwan, but it has its own special characteristics in Penghu.The reason is simple: Penghu is an island, and most of the residents are engaged in fishing. In order to go to sea safely and fish for greater harvest, people naturally hope to seek the protection and blessings of the gods through "begging turtles". There is also a custom of "begging for turtles" in Penghu: Anyone who "begs" for "turtles" or other offerings must not talk to others on the way home. Even if they meet good friends, they can only nod and smile. Wish lost halfway.After the begging is brought home, it is usually enshrined for three days.If the begging is a "big turtle", it must be transported home with gongs and drums, and it will be kept at home for people to visit.During this period, you must offer incense and worship every day.After the ceremony, the "big turtle" can be dismantled and distributed to relatives, friends or villagers to "eat peace", but the head of the "turtle" cannot be given, and it can be enjoyed by keeping one's own prayers.On the next year's Lantern Festival, the votives must order offerings according to the number announced by the temple and send them to the temple in advance.If it is a "big tortoise" that is returned, it is necessary to beat gongs, drums and firecrackers, kneel three times and knock nine times before the gods to complete the etiquette of returning the wish.Because bigger "turtles" can attract more "begging turtles" and viewers, which can better heighten the atmosphere of "begging turtles" during the Lantern Festival and show the economic strength of the village. In recent years, the "turtle" on the Lantern Festival table in Penghu temples has become bigger and bigger. During the Lantern Festival in 1988, the "Rice Turtle King" offered for begging in Tianhou Palace (mainly worshiping Mazu) reached 12,000 catties, made of 1,200 bags of white rice, and the beggars donated it to orphanages and low-income households to do good deeds , was well received.For the sake of convenience, some wishers simply changed their names to "golden turtles"; and the "golden turtles" for people to beg for money also developed from "little turtles" that were only one or two coins at first to the largest one weighing 36 taels later. .If the comparison continues like this, hi?Worry?Has attracted the attention of public opinion on the island. Tomb-sweeping on Qingming Festival is the same all over the country, but only people from Zhangzhou, Taiwan, do not celebrate Qingming.According to legend, when Zheng Chenggong launched an army to "anti-Qing and restore Ming", he hated the "Qing" on the top and "Ming" on the bottom of the Qingming Festival, so he ordered the abolition of the Qingming Festival and changed the "Shangsi Day" on the third day of March to the grave-sweeping day.People from Zhangzhou have kept this custom to this day. In the Dragon Boat Festival in Tainan, instead of eating zongzi, they eat a kind of food called "Jiandui" (also called "Fried Hammer").This custom is also related to Zheng Chenggong.It is said that when Zheng Chenggong led the army into Taiwan, the army food was scarce, and there was no rice dumplings for the Dragon Boat Festival.After hearing the news, Taiwanese people competed to donate potato flour, peanuts, beans, etc. to Zheng Jun.Zheng Chenggong ordered them to be blended together and fried into "heaps" for the Dragon Boat Festival.Since then, people in Tainan have made it like this every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, replacing rice dumplings with "Jiandui", which has been passed down to this day. Generally speaking, the traditional festivals on both sides of the Taiwan Strait all embody the common cultural connotations of "respecting heaven and fearing gods" and "ancestor worship", which typically reflect the Chinese people's outlook on nature and life.These festivals not only have the function of spiritual sustenance, but also have the functions of entertainment and rest; every traditional festival actually combines the seasons of farming and harvesting skillfully, making people's labor and life rhythm of a year appear tense. There is relaxation, speed and order.Because of this, Chinese traditional festivals not only contain rich imagination of praying for blessings and eliminating disasters, but also are full of strong human touch of "harmony between man and nature", remembrance of ancestors, and reunion gatherings. They are the most charming festivals in the history of human civilization. one of the cultural traditions. Taiwanese culture originated from mainland China and has been fully verified from the customs of the seasons and festivals.