The popular New Year customs in central Hunan still retain the ancient Chu customs. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, people wake up early in the morning and set off firecrackers and three cannons when they open the door, which is called "opening the door." Then, incense, candles, tea money, and fruit wine are placed to worship the road god. The male elders offer wine and bow three times each, which is called "walking out of heaven." After that, the New Year greetings begin. After freshening up, young and old gather together in the regular house to worship their ancestors. Then they stand with respect to their elders. In order of seniority and age, the whole family bows to their elders four times in turn, and then bows to each other. Also known as "group worship". The New Year customs in central Hunan are rich and colorful, including dragon lantern dancing, lion dancing, spring ox dancing, giving gifts to the God of Wealth, praising the land, playing flower drums, etc. During the dragon lantern dance, you can see a dragon flying up and down, turning left and right, accompanied by cheerful gongs and drums, creating an endless lively atmosphere. When playing lions, songs in praise of lions are also sung, and some families also prepare pigs, fish, and chickens for worship, praying to the lion god for protection and safety. The New Year custom is commonly known as "Chinese New Year". People regard the New Year as the most solemn festival among all festivals. As soon as the twelfth lunar month enters, preparations begin: making rice cakes, sewing new clothes, making new year's goods, dusting, sweeping the floor, and clearing ditches. On the morning of the first day of the first lunar month, every family sets off firecrackers to open the door at an auspicious time, which is called "opening the door to wealth." After the whole family gets up, they have to get sweets and cakes and make "breakfast". Vegetarian breakfast includes rice cakes, glutinous rice balls, rice cakes, fried tofu, etc., which symbolizes "reunion". After breakfast, we first go to the ancestral hall in the hall to kneel down and worship our ancestors. Each family will be led by their elders to pay New Year greetings to every family in the village. In the morning, the whole village, led by their elders, beats gongs and drums, and goes to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors or the temple to pay homage to the Buddha, which is called "going out"; picking back evergreen branches and inserting them on the door is called "receiving wealth". On this day, avoid sweeping the floor and throwing water outside, as your wish is to prevent wealth from flowing out. At the same time, avoid saying unlucky words. Starting from the second day of the Lunar New Year, relatives and friends exchange congratulations and pay New Year greetings. Usually, people pay homage to their in-laws first, and then to other relatives and friends. As the saying goes: "The first day of the lunar month, the second day of the lunar month, and the third and fourth day of the lunar month." From the third to the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, most rural people dance dragon lanterns, lions, or perform flower drum opera. There are colorful flags and lanterns in front of the dragon lantern, big gongs and drums clear the way, and there are help teams and bands behind the dragon lantern. Every time they arrive at a village, they are greeted with firecrackers, and some invite people to eat and drink with them, which is commonly known as "inviting a seat". At this time, both the dragon lantern and the lion have to perform a show as a reward. National Wedding Customs Hunan Han people's wedding customs include a complete set of rituals such as matchmaking, blind date, exchange of sex, marriage, marriage, worship, making room, and return home. The birth date of the child is written on the red paper, and the matchmaker hands it to the other party, which is called "Changeng" or "Red Geng". If the marriage goes smoothly, a token is sent to each other, which is called "Dinggeng". The man gives cloth clothes, and the woman usually gives a pair of cloth shoes, socks soles, and insoles. Choosing auspiciousness to welcome the bride is called "passing through the door", and each other asks for betrothal gifts and dowry. It is a ritual to worship at the wedding hall, perform rituals, and enter the bridal chamber to have a wedding ceremony. There are many forms of wedding ceremony. In western Hunan and southern Hunan, the practice of weeping for marriage is also popular. One or two days before the wedding, or even half a month, they start singing "weeping songs". In Jiahe County in southern Hunan, it has developed into a complete set of "songs and dances to accompany marriage", including An Xi song, Weeping song, Resentment song, Matchmaker scolding song, Separation song, Farewell song, Shooting song (Calendar song), Playing song, Matchmaker's bitter song Songs, child bride songs, etc., take the form of seated singing, round singing, chorus, long songs, etc., as well as the "Marriage Dance" with singing and dancing (including dancing with lamps, incense, walking horses, rowing boats, selling wine, grinding mills, and the mother calling the daughter). ), anything you encounter during dance can be used as dance equipment. Among ethnic minorities, young men and women's mate selection, engagement and weddings are more colorful than those of the Han people, and many of them still maintain their original and simple characteristics. Ethnic minority youths often get to know each other and find partners during festive festivals or on their way to fairs and meetings. The Miao people’s singing festivals held on April 8 and June 6 to catch up with the autumn, and the Dong people’s “Wandering in the Mountains and Climbing the Mountains” are excellent opportunities for young men and women to gather and make friends. The Miao people in western Hunan still have the practice of dancing to the moon. On a breeze and moonlit night, young boys and virgins go to the top of the forest in the mountains to sing and dance in antiphonal style. People who are in love with each other can get engaged even if they don't know each other. The engagements of some young men and women from ethnic minority groups have a unique flavor. The engagement token of the Yao people in Longhui is an oil-paper umbrella. If the girl's family wants to, they will tie 12 triangular silk thread bundles with various colored fabrics and silk threads and hang them on the support bones of the paper umbrella; the Dong people in Huaihua use thorn chicken. To make love, on a bright moonlit night, young men and women meet together accompanied by their partners. The man pierces the comb of the big rooster he brought and drops the chicken blood into the wine. The two parties drink and swear to be united forever. The weddings of ethnic minorities each have their own set of etiquette, which are cheerful, warm and full of fun. During the wedding of the Miao people in western Hunan, a ceremony of washing the "friendly face" is held. When the bride arrives at her husband's house, the groom's elders bring a basin of water with a silver bracelet in it. The bride and her husband's family use this basin of water to wash their faces. It is said that after washing the "friendly face", the whole family can live in peace and harmony. Tujia weddings are unique. When a girl gets married, she sings a "weeping song". When seeing off the bride, the girl and her mother sing a "salan song." When the newlyweds enter the bridal chamber, singers sing "celebration songs" and "guest greeting songs." The Yao people in southwestern Hunan have a custom of "bride snatching". When the groom goes to meet his bride, the bride avoids her and the groom chases her. This happens three times before the bride is considered married. It is said that couples formed in this way can respect and love each other and grow old together. Backpack Zhangjiajie Zhangjiajie area has high mountains and steep slopes and rugged roads, so it is not suitable to carry it on your shoulders but to carry it on your back. The local Tujia and Miao people often use bamboo slices to weave long cylindrical backpacks as load-bearing tools for production and daily life. According to different uses, backpacks have different specifications and production. The ones used for production are large, rough and durable, and the ones used for daily life are small, exquisite and delicate. When a girl gets married, she has to bring a laundry basket as a dowry. When a daughter gives birth to a child, her family will give her a basket (for carrying the child). When people go to the mountains to collect firewood, they have to carry a basket for firewood. To the people in the mountains, the basket looks like a camel in the desert, like a camel in the river. Boat. Therefore, outsiders also call it Zhangjiajie.
Others Tea is a daily necessity for Tujia people. Sun Yunmeng Jiu Jiu, eternal custom: people sip tea and porridge and wear sandals. All visitors, visitors, and housewives must consider their objects to sift tea, and the hierarchy is very particular. Regular customers sift ordinary tea, while distinguished guests sift egg tea and sweet sprinkle tea. When a Tujia girl gets married, she has to cry ten days before getting married. There are two ways of crying. One is to ask ten girls to cry with the bride, which is called accompanying the ten sisters. The content is mostly about praising the bride; the other is for the bride to cry alone. The content varies from person to person and the lyrics are improvised. The words must be appropriate and the accent must be pleasant. Although the Bai people practice monogamy in their first marriage, arranged marriages are serious, and feudal parents' orders and matchmaking are prevalent. There are also those who use fingertips for marriage. When the Bai people give birth to a baby, they are very lively. Celebrations are held for delivering the baby, announcing the good news, washing the baby three times, making three court visits, naming the baby, turning one hundred days old, turning one year old, taking off the white and wearing the green at the age of twelve. The funerals of the Bai people include rituals such as mourning, washing the body, putting on shrouds, asking Taoist priests to clear the way, placing the coffin, sealing the coffin, mourning, paying homage to the family, paying tribute to the deceased, mourning, digging a grave, burial, building a wall, sending torches, erecting a monument, etc. It is very similar to Tujia customs. Local Drama Local operas in Hunan are mainly divided into two types: big operas and folk operas. There are 17 opera types and more than 5,000 repertoires. Hunan Opera, Qi Opera, Hengyang Hunan Opera, Wuling Opera, Chenhe Opera, Jinghe Opera, Baling Opera, Xiangkun Opera, etc. are the characteristic operas in Hunan's local operas. Folk operas include Flower Drum Opera, Huadeng Opera, Yang Opera, etc. The most influential and popular ones are Flower Drum Opera and Huadeng Opera. Snake Eyes Every year on the third day of the third lunar month, the weather starts to get warmer and snakes are about to come out of their holes. Every Tujia family must pick wild wormwood and mix it with glutinous rice to make cakes and stuff them into snake holes, which means to pierce the snake's eyes and prevent the snake from coming out to hurt people. Local literature and art Hunan Opera is the main local opera in Hunan. It was formed in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. It incorporates both northern and southern tunes and has local characteristics. Qi Opera is popular in southern and western Hunan, and its performances are rough and simple, with a wild mountain atmosphere. Flower Drum Opera is popular throughout the province. It has beautiful tunes, lively forms, popular language and reflects real life, so it is deeply loved by the masses. Lanterns and shadow puppet shows are also popular. The Miao opera in western Hunan was developed after the founding of the People's Republic of China and was refined by absorbing the Miao folk art.