Main etiquette and customs
1. Marriage etiquette and customs
Matchmaking In the past, young Hakka men and women, after the age of sixteen, could ask a matchmaker to help them arrange marriages. Usually, a matchmaker from the boy's family goes to the girl's family to talk. Sometimes the girl's family asks a matchmaker to visit the boy's family first.
To see girls, the male and female families negotiate through the central media. If both parties are interested, they will agree on a time to "see girls."
Writing Geng Tie After both parties agree, they must tell each other the birthdays and horoscopes of the boy and girl. After returning home, each of them asked a fortune teller to "calculate their horoscopes". If the eight characters match each other and will not conflict with each other, then write out Geng Tie (common name for marriage list) and place each on the incense table. If there are no ominous signs within three days, the marriage will be settled. The female Geng Tie is returned to the female family).
Making a red wedding invitation is also called "a red wedding invitation" or a wedding invitation. The man's parents, clan relatives and matchmaker go to the woman's family together and issue the financial gifts that the man wants to give to the woman's family. Some of the red slips also include gifts for the son-in-law, such as hats, silver flowers, clothes, shoes, socks, etc. During the process of opening a red order, both parties will bargain and finally negotiate and finalize. After the red orders are drawn, the men and women also exchange tokens such as rings, handkerchiefs, etc. Finally, the man came back after lunch at the woman’s house.
Engagement is also called "a big ceremony", which is to formally confirm the marriage again. The young man and his parents will go to the girl's house and bring pig heads, fish, meat, etc. The girl's parents, brothers-in-law, uncles, grandparents, etc. will all be present. After lunch, the girls come out to meet each other and call the boy's parents parents, and the parents of the two families call each other their in-laws and in-laws' mother.
Housekeeping is when the woman goes to see the man’s family, sometimes before the “big ceremony”, sometimes after the “big ceremony”. In addition to the girl and her parents, the woman’s guests include her sister-in-law, The sisters and others were all going, and there were more than a dozen people, big and small. They didn't bring any gifts, even if they brought some, the husband's family didn't dare to accept them.
After the wedding is decided, the man will ask a fortune teller to choose a date for the wedding, including the day and time for the bride to go out, and the time for the bride to return to the groom's house. In addition, the woman will cut a red dress and the man will make the bed. The day must also be chosen at the same time.
Sending vegetables and carrying dowry One or two days before the bride comes to the house, the groom’s family will ask relatives to deliver the betrothal gift and fish, meat, poultry, noodles and other items stipulated in the red list to the bride by more than ten people. When you return home, you will take your dowry, furniture, etc. back to your husband’s house.
Welcoming a bride is also called receiving a bride or passing through the door. The day before the wedding, more than ten people from the groom's family will go to the bride's house to pick her up. There will be a drummer band, people setting off firecrackers, some carrying sedan chairs, and some burning incense (they have to go to the bride's ancestral hall, temple, or commune to burn incense), and one person will carry the burden. There is a lead chicken (one male and one female) on one end, wine and pineapple on the other. A woman has to bring the bride's clothes, and two people carry wooden baskets, and they have to carry fish, meat, wine, and cakes. , cigarettes, firecrackers, candles, etc., the matchmaker will also go. Some grooms will go, some will not. If the groom goes with him, the groom will also have to make a sedan chair. The one who sets off the firecrackers is the man's plenipotentiary, and he will bring one or twenty red envelopes with him. indivual. After arriving at the bride's house, the bride's family will first eat snacks, and then the bride's family will take them to the ancestral hall to burn incense and pay homage to their ancestors. The girl's family will host a banquet at noon or evening. The bride usually leaves at midnight or Mao hour, and the sky becomes brighter and brighter as she goes, which symbolizes walking towards the light. If she goes out at night, she will not encounter unlucky things such as carrying a coffin. In the front of the wedding procession are the lantern players, followed by the music players, the sedan chair is in the middle, and behind are the people receiving the bride. When the bride arrives at the groom's house, if it has not yet arrived at the stipulated entrance time, she must wait on the gate at the gate or in a house next to the door. Entrance is usually at seven or eight or eight or nine in the morning, and some even have to wait until noon. At the entrance moment, the bride has to kick the sedan door, and the groom's bridesmaid will lead the bride out of the sedan, and then "cross the fire" at the gate. The bride steps over the fire made of fir branches before entering the gate.
After the bride enters the hall amidst the sound of drums, she begins to worship. The incense table is arranged in the hall, with parents and elders standing on the east side, relatives on the west side, relatives on the north side, and juniors on the south side. Before the ceremony, the bridegroom's wife should hang a red cloth on the groom's body with a five-foot-long red cloth.
Recite: "Holding a red flag five feet long in hand, I use it to pretend to be the groom. I will pretend that the groom will give birth to a son, and if he gives birth to a son early, he will be the number one scholar." When worshiping, the groom stands on the left and the bride stands on the right. The rituals are: first, worship the heaven and earth, secondly, worship the ancestors, thirdly, worship the high hall, and fourthly, the husband and wife worship each other. Finally, relatives meet and give red envelopes to the bride. After the ceremony, the bridesmaid leads the bride into the bridal chamber with a red bow, and the bride and groom scatter wedding candies from the door to the hall amidst the sound of firecrackers. Then the bride and groom have a cup of wine. The bridesmaid held a chicken on a tray and said while serving wine: "Reunion is a perfect match, a beautiful couplet", "Avalokitesvara sends a son, and a child will be born early"; "Husband and wife are reconciled and grow old together". (This etiquette is no longer common in the Meizhou area and has been replaced by modern wedding models.) A banquet is held at noon and a wedding banquet is held. A loud cannon is used to invite guests. It is fired every half hour and three times when the banquet begins. Then the etiquette will give a list of names, and there will be two people sitting at one table. According to their seniority and closeness, they will be arranged to sit at the table first, and then everyone else will sit down casually. Male and female guests sit separately, and the bride and groom go to the table to toast.
One kind of making trouble is in the hall, the other kind is making trouble in the new house, and there are also those who make trouble in the hall first and then go to the new house. During the riot, firecrackers were set off every few minutes until midnight.
Returning door is also called "revolving door". Usually on the third or fifth day after the wedding, the woman sends the bride’s sisters and other female family members to invite the bride and groom to be guests together. The matchmaker and the groom’s sisters also go with them. There are 7-14 people. After lunch, the wedding will be held on the same day. return.
Giving a full moon. One month after the wedding, the bride's family will come to give a full moon. At the same time, they will send chickens, vegetables, seeds, grain seeds, beans, etc. to indicate a bumper harvest and a prosperous fortune. Mother-in-laws are often strict with their daughters-in-law. They have to start working 3 days after they get married
Traditional festive customs
2. Birth etiquette prompts a married daughter to become pregnant and about to give birth, usually before the baby is born. On the 1st or 20th day, the mother's family will bring chickens, eggs, noodles, dried noodles, etc. to the daughter's house to "stimulate the birth", with the intention of wishing a safe birth. If the mother is no longer here, the sister-in-law will be responsible for the birth, and a banquet will be held at noon.
3. Coming-of-age rituals Hakka coming-of-age rituals are divided into two types: male and female. The coming-of-age ritual for men is called "Guan Li", and the coming-of-age ritual for women is called "Hairlock Ceremony". (The Hakka coming-of-age etiquette is commonly known as "going out of the garden")
4. When celebrating a birthday, the married daughter will bring a big rooster, as well as a birthday coat, birthday hat, birthday cakes, birthday shoes, and birthday socks. A complete set from head to toe, the father makes a birthday celebration and also gives a complete set to the mother. In addition, he also sends birthday scrolls, wedding firecrackers, birthday candles, roosters, birthday peaches, birthday noodles, birthday cakes, birthday wine, birthday meat, etc. Others come to celebrate birthdays, and relatives and friends usually send birthday banners, birthday couplets, or additional gifts. In many places, elderly people who are over seventy years old, have many children and grandchildren, and have a good family background celebrate their birthdays by holding a birthday ceremony. For Hakka people's birthdays and birthdays, insiders send gifts and come to congratulate them. Congratulations first and then invitations. Unless relatives and close friends send invitations, no congratulations or invitations are given.
5. Building a house and moving to a new home. Hakka people regard building a house and moving to a new home as one of the major celebrations, and they should celebrate it grandly. When building a house, the positioning of the house and the orientation of the door must be determined by Mr. Kanyu. When the pillars are raised and the beams are raised, lights and red couplets must be pasted. After a new house is built, it is necessary to "exorcise evil spirits" and "eliminate evil spirits" the night before moving in before moving in. When moving into a new home, you should bring a lantern (or oil lamp), a fire cage, a scale, etc. into the house, as well as a nest of chickens and a steamer of steamed rice to bring into the new house to show that the newcomer is prosperous and full of joy. When moving to a new house, you need to hold a "house-in-house banquet" and entertain relatives, friends, house builders and helpers, etc. Dishes should include leeks, tofu, pig intestines, pig blood, rice cakes, etc., which symbolize longevity and prosperity.
Traditional customs during the New Year
1. The New Year is "the first of the hundred festivals". Like most places across the country, the Hakka people regard the New Year as the most solemn and joyful festival of the year. . People start preparing for the New Year very early. In September and October, sweet potato slices and rice cake slices are dried for frying and stir-frying during the New Year. As soon as the "Winter Solstice" arrives, wine begins to be steamed. On the thirtieth day of the new year, every household will steam rice cakes, make rice crackers, butcher pigs, make tofu, slaughter chickens, etc. to welcome the new year happily.
2. Sacrifice the Stove on December 23rd. After the evening of the 23rd, the stove must be cleaned, the old Stove God must be removed and burned, and the new image must be put up on the morning of the 30th. On the stove, wine, meat, candies, sugar cane, rice crackers, etc. must be placed for both sending and greetings. Burn incense, light candles, and set off paper cannons in front of the stove. 3. Entering the Nian Boundary: On the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, the "Nian Boundary" is entered. Entering the "Nian Boundary" means that the sound of gongs and drums can already be sounded. Step up preparations to celebrate the New Year. People who go out have to rush home to celebrate the New Year. After reaching the age limit, children should be taught not to curse each other or say unlucky words. Before and after entering the new year, you should choose an auspicious day to sweep and clean the house. It is necessary to clean the kitchen tables and benches, wash and dry the bedding and mosquito nets, and celebrate the new year cleanly.
4. Celebrating the New Year New Year’s Eve, also known as New Year’s Eve, is the most lively and joyful day during the New Year. On this morning, every household will worship Bodhisattva and worship gods. On New Year's Eve, portraits of ancestors should be hung in every hall, and bright red Spring Festival couplets should be pasted on the door. Red paper strips should be pasted on barn doors, in front of poultry stalls, on furniture, beds, and beside water tanks, which is called "Signing the New Year." ", also called "Shanghong". Both adults and children should take a bath, put on new clothes, and celebrate the New Year cleanly. Each hall must also display an offering table, arrange an incense table, and place chicken, fish, meat, fruits, etc. to worship the ancestors. On New Year's Eve, we have a reunion dinner with sumptuous dishes. A few extra sets of bowls and chopsticks should be placed on the table to invite the ancestors to come back and celebrate the New Year together. Before the meal, the ancestors should sift the wine first, sprinkle the wine on the ground, and then start eating. During the banquet, the elderly and children ate chicken legs to show respect for the elderly and the young.
5. Keep up the New Year’s Eve After the reunion dinner, the stove should be washed cleanly in preparation for a vegetarian meal on the morning of the first day of the first lunar month or throughout the day. In the evening, we must stay up late to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year. Every room must be brightly lit all night long, which is called "lighting the new year's fire." In some places, cattle pens and pig houses are also lit with lights. Parents need to give lucky money to their children, and in some places, they also give lucky money to the elderly.
6. Open the door. On the first day of the first lunar month, the door is opened according to the auspicious time specified in the "Tongshu". Suddenly, the sound of firecrackers comes and goes, resounding through the sky. 7. New Year greetings: Eat vegetarian food on the morning of the first day of the first lunar month. After the meal, people greet each other and say auspicious words to each other. The children are wearing new clothes and playing happily, and some are vying to pay New Year greetings to their elders: "My father-in-law and uncle's family are getting rich, so bring the candy cakes and fruits to Ya (me)." On the second day of the first lunar month, relatives visit to pay New Year greetings. Especially the newly married son-in-law (the in-laws’ family will use book stickers to invite him) will go to the parents-in-law’s home to pay New Year greetings.
Usually the young couple goes together, and sometimes the son-in-law goes alone; some come back on the same day, and some stay for five or six days. When you go, you should bring little hens, rice crackers, candies, incense candles, firecrackers, etc. When you arrive, you should burn incense, light candles, and set off firecrackers in front of the ancestors of the Yue family. At noon, the Yue family entertained guests, and the son-in-law had to get drunk. He would not be enthusiastic if he was not drunk.
8. Eat "New Year's rice" on the morning of the third day of the Lunar New Year (some are steamed on the evening of the 29th of the first lunar month, and some are steamed on the evening of the second day of the first lunar month). Put chopsticks on the rice. How many are there at home? Individuals just insert a few pairs, and then insert a branch with leaves, and some even put oranges, pomelos and other fruits. Before eating the New Year's meal, the meal should be placed on the "that day" altar to worship the gods and ancestors. There are a lot of dishes to prepare for New Year's Eve dinner, including chicken and meat, which is similar to having a reunion dinner on New Year's Eve. No killing is allowed on the third day of the lunar month. Chickens should be killed on the second day of the lunar month or kept during the Chinese New Year.
9. Out of the New Year Boundary On the fifth day of the first lunar month, out of the New Year Boundary. The portraits of ancestors in the hall must be put away, the paper door curtains must be removed and burned, and those who go out to work can start their journey.
10. On the seventh day of the first lunar month, you have to eat "seven dishes". The "seven dishes" here refer to seven vegan dishes that are stir-fried together. That is Leicha[3]. Hakka people all eat Leicha on the Human Day, with seven kinds of vegetarian dishes.
11. The Lantern Festival is on the 15th day of the first lunar month. The Lantern Festival is also called the "Shangyuan Festival". "Every household has to prepare dishes and drink to celebrate the New Year. The Lantern Festival is about to take place, and the New Year's entertainment activities reach their climax.
From the beginning of the Chinese New Year to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, recreational activities continue in various places, mostly dragon lantern parades and lion dances. Some activities start on the first or second day of the first lunar month. Before the dragon lantern and lion teams arrive, they will post a message in advance and give them red envelopes and snacks after they arrive. In addition to performing in every household, dragon lanterns and lion troupes also go to temples and ancestral halls in the village to pay New Year greetings to gods and ancestors. During the first market period after the Spring Festival, dragon lanterns, boat lanterns, lion lanterns, etc. all come to the market to perform, which is called "opening the market." From the Spring Festival to the Lantern Festival, there are the following recreational activities in various places:
1. Spring Oxen Sending is usually held on the first day of the Lunar New Year. A small team of three or five people will send pictures of Spring Oxen to each household, and some will play the suona. , drummers, cymbals, playing at the door of every house, and sending red stickers "Congratulations on the New Year", and the owner will give red envelopes.
2. Straw dragons are cut into sections, filled with incense, and carried by children to dance in front of each household's stove and in the pig pen and cattle pen to wish the family a safe life and the prosperity of the livestock. Each household should give red envelopes. The child is happy and the owner is blessed with good luck.
3. Bat lanterns are also danced by children from house to house. "The fire dragon comes into the house and wants your candles."
4. Boat lanterns. The lanterns are shaped like boats and perform singing on land. Rehearsing before the Spring Festival, the gong and drum team played ten times to coordinate. After arriving at the village, after eating snacks, there will be a performance in the open space. The boatman and the boatman will sing "October Pregnancy", "Twelve Moon Ancients", "Melon Seeds", "Yizhihua" and other tunes. The boatman only rows and does not sing. song. In the evening, we have to "open the Heavenly Official" in the ancestral hall, sing "The Heavenly Official Blessing", etc., and finally have a drink and a meal.
5. Lion Lantern There are Nuo people, a lion head, a lion tail, a monkey, a monk Sha, and a gong and drum team. After the lion, monkey and sand monk finish singing, they will perform martial arts performances, including boxing, knife dancing, stick playing and table dancing. The Lions team will hire a master to teach them martial arts before the Chinese New Year.
6. Spring Equinox On the vernal equinox in February, we begin to visit tombs and worship ancestors, also called "Spring Festival". Before sweeping the tomb, a grand ancestor worship ceremony must be held in the ancestral hall. Pigs and sheep are slaughtered. Drummers are invited to play. The ceremonial student reads the sacrificial text and leads the three offerings. When the spring equinox tomb sweeping begins, the tombs of Kaiji ancestors and distant ancestors are first swept and paid homage to. The whole clan and the whole village are mobilized. The scale is large, and the team often reaches hundreds or even thousands of people. After the tombs of the founding ancestors and distant ancestors have been swept, the tombs of the ancestors of each house will be swept and worshipped in separate rooms, and finally the private tombs of each family will be swept and worshiped. In most Hakka areas, spring ancestor worship and tomb sweeping begins at the Spring Equinox or earlier, and must be completed by the Qingming Festival at the latest. There is a saying in various places that the tomb doors will be closed after the Qingming Dynasty, and the ancestors' spirits will no longer be used.
7. Qingming Festival During the Qingming Festival in March, ancestors are worshipped. In most Hakka areas, in addition to the Spring Equinox tomb sweeping to worship ancestors, there are also some places where tomb sweeping is held during the Qingming Festival. On the day of Tomb-Sweeping Day, there are also some places where people worship the Lord Tutu and other shrines beside the road.
8. Dragon Boat Festival The fifth day of May is the Dragon Boat Festival. Every household buys meat, kills ducks, makes rice dumplings, and makes rice crackers to celebrate the festival. The Dragon Boat Festival is a big festival. In many places, people who work outside will go home to celebrate the festival.
9. Ghost Festival. In Hakka areas, July 15th is often regarded as the "Ghost Festival". In some places, the festival is celebrated one day earlier. It is said that "people celebrate the festival on July 14th, and ghosts celebrate the festival on July 15th." In some places, Hakkas also worship their ancestors in the middle of July.
10. Mid-Autumn Festival The Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th, commonly known as the "August Festival", is also a big festival. Eat mooncakes, admire the moon, and celebrate reunion. Every household has to buy food and wine, buy pork, slaughter chickens and ducks, and make rice crackers for the festival. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, families gather together to celebrate the festival and eat moon cakes to admire the full moon after dinner. 11. Double Ninth Festival The ninth day of September is the Double Ninth Festival, also called the Double Ninth Festival, commonly known as the "Nineteenth Festival". It is a major festival at the end of the year. There is a saying that "there is no major festival after the Double Ninth Festival". Many people have to rush out. Go home for the holidays. On this day, people in many places take their children to climb mountains, and some fly kites on high mountains, which is said to ward off evil spirits and plagues.
Many old people say that this custom was brought by their ancestors from the northern Central Plains and has been passed down from generation to generation. On this day, some old people and women go up the mountain to the nunnery to burn incense and worship Buddha.
12. Winter Solstice The winter solstice falls in the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, also called "winter year". During the winter solstice, people eat pork and beef, make rice crackers, and boil soup balls. Rich people eat velvet antlers and ginseng to nourish the winter.
Folk Entertainment
Hakka folk entertainment is very rich in content. The main festivals include Yangko, dragon boat races, boat lanterns, dragon lantern dances, lion dances, high-legged dancers, lanterns and lanterns. Horse lanterns, playing flower drums, playing musical instruments, acting, setting off fireworks, usually singing folk songs, singing ditties, playing the piano, playing the zither, playing the erhu, playing the flute, playing chess, playing six pieces, playing cards, throwing number one picks, playing mahjong, Gardening flowers, fishing, etc.