Customs
Manchu people respect their elders and pay attention to etiquette. When meeting elders on the road, they should bow sideways and lower their hands in salute, waiting for the elders to pass by before proceeding; not only the younger generation must salute the elders when they see them, , among peers, younger people should also greet older people when they see them. When relatives and friends meet, in addition to shaking hands and greeting each other, some also hug each other and greet each other. During the Spring Festival, people have to pray twice, once on the eve of the New Year to bid farewell to the old year, and again on the first day of the new year to welcome the new year.
The traditional Manchu houses generally have three rooms: west, middle and east. The door opens to the south. The west room is called the west upper house, the middle room is called the main room, and the east room is called the east lower house. The house on the west side is equipped with three Kangs on the south, west and north sides. The Western Kang is the most expensive, the North Kang is the larger, and the South Kang is the smaller. Visitors live on the West Kang, the elders mostly live on the North Kang, and the younger generations live on the South Kang.
Taboos: No sitting or stacking of debris on the Western Kang indoors; no beating, killing, and eating of dog meat; no dog-skin hats, no dog-skin mattresses, and no dog-skin hats or muffs Sleeve guests.
Wedding Customs
Manchu weddings not only have strong characteristics of their own nation, but also incorporate many customs and etiquette of the Han nation. Generally speaking, they go through the following procedures: Engagement: Manchu young men and women There are two forms of engagement. First, the parents of young men and women are acquaintances or friends. They understand each other and intend to get married, so they ask a matchmaker to make a lifelong promise to their children. In some cases, the man proposes to the woman, and in some cases the woman proposes to the man. The other is that the man and woman do not know each other, and ask a matchmaker to engage their children, and the matchmaker will hand over the "portal sticker" of both parties, which will issue the banners, resumes, surnames, and three generations of both parties. In addition, they should check each other's birth dates and horoscopes.
Putting it down: delivering financial gifts immediately. It is divided into two types: large setting and small setting. Fang Xiaoding means that the future daughter-in-law will receive property when she visits her aunts, brothers, sisters-in-law and other close relatives in the groom's family. The enlargement is called "excessive gift", commonly known as "delivering a big meal", which means choosing an auspicious day, and the man will send the betrothal gift to the woman's home. The day before the wedding, the bride-to-be is asked to drink "Wind Wine". The bride leaves home and stays in the apartment borrowed by the groom, which is commonly known as "laying down hair". In the early morning of the next day, the bride's family sent the bride off on a float, escorted by her brother. When the float arrives at the groom's house, a brazier is placed on the ground in front of the bridal chamber, and the wedding car carries the bride over the brazier. This is commonly known as "excessive fire to avoid evil". In order to drive away or kill the ghosts that come with the sedan, the groom will shoot three false arrows at the sedan door; some actually shoot them, but they usually shoot towards the bottom of the sedan to avoid hurting the bride. Then, the bride is helped out of the sedan chair and comes to the front of heaven and earth. Together with the groom, she kowtows to the north three times, which is commonly known as "worshiping the Beidou". After worshiping the Beidou, the world-famous "Zhan-Lefting" ceremony is performed. That is, the bride and groom wearing red hijabs kneel in front of the sacred table in the courtyard, facing south. On the table are a pig's knuckle, three cups of wine, and a sharp knife. The shaman kneels on one leg in front of the table while chanting sutras in Manchu. , while using a sharp knife to cut the meat into pieces and throwing them into the air, at the same time he took the wine cup and poured the wine on the ground. The main purpose is to beg God to bless the newlyweds so that they can have children and grandchildren and grow old together. After the above ceremonies, the bride is helped into the bridal chamber by a family member (that is, a person with parents and children). When the bride crosses the threshold, a saddle is placed on the threshold and the bride must step over it. The bed in the new house must be laid by everyone. After the bridal chamber is laid, music must be played in the room, which is called "ringing the room". When the bride enters the bridal chamber, a little girl holds two bronze mirrors in her hands, takes a look at the bride, and then hangs the bronze mirrors on the bride's chest and back. Then, another little girl handed over two tin pots, which were filled with rice, money, etc., and the bride either held them in her arms or clamped them in her armpits, commonly known as "Bao Bao Vase" or "Bao Bao Matchmaking Pot". When the bride sits firmly on the bed, the groom uses a scale to remove the red cloth covering the bride's head, which is called "uncovering the hijab". Next, the couple drinks a cup of wine and eats Hexi noodles, longevity noodles, or descendant cakes.
Food customs
Manchu folk eat three meals a day when farming is busy, and eat two meals a day when farming is slack. The staple food is mostly millet, sorghum rice, japonica rice, and dry rice. They like to add adzuki beans or beans to the rice, such as sorghum, rice, and bean dry rice. In some areas, corn is the staple food, and corn flour is fermented to make "sour soup". The Manchus in most areas of Northeast China still have the habit of eating rice with water. That is, after making sorghum rice or corn pancakes, rinse them with water, then soak them in water, take them out when eating, and put them into a bowl. They are cool and delicious. This way of eating is most common in summer.
Manchu dumplings have a long history and became the staple food of the palace in the Qing Dynasty. The most representative one is Yushan's "Chestnut Noodle Wo Tou", also known as Xiao Wo Tou. Manchu snack Saqima has also become a famous pastry in the country.
The more famous ones include Qing Dongling pastry, also known as Qing Dongling large pastry, Beijing snack Dun pastry, Hebei Chengde snack oil pastry, Hubei Jingzhou snack lard pastry, etc.
The weather in the north is cold in winter and there are no fresh vegetables. Manchu folk often use pickled Chinese cabbage (ie sauerkraut) as the main vegetable in autumn and winter. It is said that the pickling method of storing vegetables began in the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. Boiled white meat and vermicelli with pickled cabbage are dishes that the Manchus often eat after winter.
Manchu people love to eat pork and often cook it by boiling it. The Manchu restaurant Na Guan in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province has a history of more than 100 years. The white meat blood sausage sold in this restaurant is known as the authentic Manchu flavor.
Typical foods: The Manchus live in scattered places, and there are representative typical foods in various places. The main ones are: ① White meat and blood sausage. ②Hot pot. Traditional Manchu cuisine. ③Sour soup. Typical food of the Manchu people in Xiuyan, Liaoning. ④Qing Dongling cakes. It is also called the Dongling Tomb of Qing Dynasty.
Festivals
The main traditional festivals include the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, February 2, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. Traditional sports activities such as "pearl ball", horse vaulting, camel jumping and skating are usually held during the festival. ?
Gold Awarding Festival: It is the day of "ethnic celebration" of the Manchu people. On October 13 of the lunar calendar in 1635, Huang Taiji issued an edict to officially change the clan name "Jurchen" to "Manzhou", which marked the formation of a new national unity. In October 1989, at the "First Academic Seminar on Manchu Culture" in Dandong, December 3 of each year was officially designated as the "Gold Awarding Day". ?
Shangyuan Festival: the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, commonly known as the "Lantern Festival". Like the Han people, the Manchu people also have the custom of hanging lanterns and eating Yuanxiao. Note ?Walk away from all diseases: a festival for Manchu women. Usually on the 16th day of the first lunar month. That night, women gathered in small groups and traveled far away, either walking on sand and rolling ice, or playing and having fun, which was called "walking on all kinds of diseases".
February 2: Commonly known as "Dragon Raise Its Head Day". That morning, Manchu people scattered stove ashes in the courtyard. The ashes curved like a dragon, so they were called "Yinlong". Then a ceremony is held in the courtyard to pray for good weather. The whole family also eats "Dragon Beard Noodles" and "Dragon Scale Cake". Women cannot do needlework on this day.
Qingming Festival: When visiting the graves to worship ancestors, it is not like the Han people pressing money on the top of the grave after paper money, but placing "Buddha" on the grave. "Buddha" is Manchu, translated into Chinese as "willow" or "willow branch". According to Manchu belief, Liu is the ancestor of human beings, and human beings are the descendants of Liu. To show that there are successors, willows are placed on the tombs. ?
Dragon Boat Festival: The Manchu people eat rice dumplings and row dragon boats during the Dragon Boat Festival. Their customs are the same as those of the Han people. ?
Hungry Ghost Festival: The Manchu people regard July 15th as the Ghost Festival, which is also regarded as the "Ghost Festival" to save the souls of the dead. At that time, various temples will set up dojos, light lanterns, chant sutras, and hold various salvation ceremonies. ?
Mid-Autumn Festival: Manchu families also eat "reunion dinner" during the Mid-Autumn Festival. In addition, when the moon rises, the moon is also offered. That is, a wooden screen was placed on the west side of the courtyard facing east, with cockscombs, edamame branches, fresh lotus roots, etc. hung on the screen for the moon rabbit. An Eight Immortals table is placed in front of the screen, and a large moon cake is served on the table. During the sacrifice, incense is burned and kowtow is performed. Women worship first, followed by men. ?
Laba Festival: On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Manchu people soak in "Laba vinegar" and cook "Laba meat". In addition to eating it for the whole family, it is also distributed to relatives and friends.
Little New Year: The Manchu custom of celebrating the Little New Year is the same as that of the Han people. The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the "Little New Year". At that time, every household will offer sacrifices to the Stove God, which is commonly known as "Sending the Stove Lord".
Clothes
The Manchus have a long history and developed culture. Its costumes are elegant and gorgeous, unique in China's national costume culture, and have had a great influence on the development of China's costume culture.
Due to the cold living environment and the needs of hunting and hunting, in the past, Manchus, both men and women, mostly wore "horseshoe sleeve" robes. After Nurhaci established the Eight Banners system, the attire of the "banner people" became "cheongsam" (called "yijie" in Manchu).
In the early Qing Dynasty, the style of cheongsam was generally collarless, large lapel, waistband, left vent, and slits on all sides. The clothes fit well and are conducive to horse riding and shooting. When going hunting, you can also put dry food and other things into the front. This kind of cheongsam has two outstanding features. One is that it is collarless. In order to unify the clothing and crown, Nurhachi once formulated the clothing and crown system, stipulating that "all court uniforms should have a shawl collar, and ordinary people only have robes."
That is, ordinary clothes cannot have collars, and only court clothes worn when entering the court can add a large collar shaped like a shawl; secondly, there is a half-moon-shaped sleeve head with a long top and short bottom attached to the narrow cuffs, which is shaped like a horse's hoof, commonly known as " Horseshoe sleeves". It is usually tied up, but put down when hunting or fighting in winter, so that it covers the back of the hand. It not only plays a role in keeping warm like a glove, but does not affect the bow and arrow shooting, so it is also called "arrow sleeve" (called "wow sleeve" in Manchu). ha"). After the Manchus took over the Central Plains, "letting wah ha" became a prescribed action in the etiquette of the Qing Dynasty. When officials entered the court to see the emperor or other princes and ministers, they had to flick down their horseshoe sleeves first, and then kneel down with their hands on the ground to salute.
The cheongsam is also customarily worn with a short coat with a round collar, body length reaching the navel, and sleeves reaching the elbow. Because this kind of short coat was originally worn when riding and shooting, it was not only convenient for riding horses but also able to withstand wind and cold, so it was named "horse coat". In the early Qing Dynasty, the mandarin jacket was the "military uniform" of the Eight Banners soldiers. Later, it became popular among the people and took on the characteristics of formal dress and regular clothes. Its styles and fabrics became more diverse. Manchu people also like to wear a waistcoat outside their cheongsam. Waistcoats are generally divided into cotton, quilted and leather types and are used to keep warm. There are many styles such as double lapel, pipa lapel, twist lapel and so on.
As a "fashion" of the Qing Dynasty, the Manchu women's cheongsam has developed a lot. At that time, the practice of "eighteen trimmings" was popular in Beijing and other places, that is, eighteen lines of trimming were considered good-looking, and the style became a wide robe with large sleeves. After the Revolution of 1911, the style of cheongsam changed from fat to thin; in the 1930s, Influenced by Western short skirts in the early 1900s, the length was shortened, almost to the knees, and the cuffs were narrowed; in the mid-1930s, it was lengthened, with high slits on both sides, and the curves were highlighted; in the 1940s, it was shortened again, with short-sleeved or sleeveless cheongsam appearing, with a streamlined appearance . Later, the front and back parts of the garment were separated, with shoulder seams and sleeve-style cheongsam skirts. A wide range of materials are available, including cotton, wool, silk, linen and various chemical fiber clothing materials. In addition to long and short sleeves, cheongsam is also available in leather, cotton, single and clip styles, making it easy to wear in different seasons. The general style of cheongsam, which has been continuously improved, is roughly as follows: straight collar, narrow sleeves, large placket on the right side, button fastening, tight waist, length below the knee, and slits on both sides. Pay attention to workmanship and color matching, mostly on the collar, cuffs and The edges of the clothes are embroidered with lace with various patterns. This not only brings out the beauty of the female figure, but also looks elegant and generous. The oriental-colored cheongsam has now become a popular Chinese garment among Chinese women.
The combination of cheongsam, "flag head" and "flag shoes" constitutes the typical traditional clothing of Manchu women.
"Flag head" refers to a hairstyle, also called a hair crown. It is similar to a fan shape, with iron wire or bamboo rattan as the hat frame, green satin, green velvet or green yarn as the surface, and wrapped in a fan-shaped crown about 30 cm long and more than 10 cm wide. Just fix it on your bun when wearing it. It is often embroidered with patterns, inlaid with jewelry or decorated with various flowers, and hung with long tassels. The "flag head" is mostly used by upper-class Manchu women, and is generally worn as a decoration by women from private families when they get married. Wearing this kind of wide and long hair crown limits the twisting of the neck and makes the body straight, making it look extra dignified and steady, suitable for grand occasions.
The "flag shoes" have a unique style and are a kind of embroidered shoes with high wooden soles, also known as "high-soled shoes", "flowerpot-soled shoes", "horse-shoe sole shoes", etc. The wooden-soled heels are generally about 5-10 cm high, some can reach 14-16 cm, and the highest ones can reach about 25 cm. It is usually wrapped in white cloth and then set in the middle of the sole of the shoe. There are usually two shapes of the base. One is open at the top and narrowed at the bottom, in the shape of an inverted trapezoidal flower pot. The other type is thin at the top and wide at the bottom, flat at the front and round at the back. Its shape and the mark on the ground are like a horse's hoof. "Flowerpot bottom" and "horseshoe bottom" shoes got their names from this. In addition to the uppers being decorated with embroidery patterns or decorative pieces such as cicadas and butterflies, the parts of the wooden heels that do not touch the ground are also often decorated with embroidery or beads. Some shoe tips are also decorated with tassels made of silk threads, which are as long as the ground. The high-heeled wooden soles of these shoes are extremely strong. Often the uppers are broken but the soles are still intact and can be reused. High-soled flag shoes are mostly worn by aristocratic young and middle-aged women aged thirteen or fourteen. Wearing these high-soled shoes makes you look graceful while walking. The flag shoes of elderly women are mostly made of flat wood and are called "flat shoes". The front end of the shoes is slightly tapered to facilitate walking.
Manchus have many types of hats, mainly divided into cool hats and warm hats. In the past, Manchu people often wore a small hat called a "guapi hat". Guapi hat, also known as "hat head", has a sharp top and a wide bottom, and is made of six petals stitched together. The bottom edge is inlaid with a small eaves about 3 cm wide. Some even have no eaves and are only edged with a piece of woven gold satin. In winter and spring, black satin is generally used as the surface, while in summer and autumn, black solid gauze is used as the surface. The top of the hat is decorated with a knot made of velvet, in different colors of black and red, commonly known as the "abacus knot".
There is a "mark" on the middle nail under the brim of the hat, which is called "hat Zheng". There are pearls, agates, small silver pieces, and glass. According to legend, this kind of hat first began in the early Ming Dynasty. Because it is a six-petal suture, it takes "Liuhe", which means the "unification" of the four directions of heaven and earth, so it became popular. After the Manchus entered the customs, influenced by the culture of the Central Plains, they also took the meaning of "unification of Liuhe" and began to wear this hat, which became quite popular. Nowadays, we can still often see its shadow in TV and TV dramas about the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.
In the early days, Manchu men often wore a kind of casual shoes with double-ridged faces called "big silly shoes". The uppers are mostly made of green cloth and green satin fabric. The front of the shoe is inlaid with double or single black leather strips. The toe of the shoe is convex and upward, looking like a boat from the side. In addition to "flag shoes" and flat casual shoes (flat shoes are embroidered with floral patterns on the uppers, and "cloud heads" are often embroidered on the front of the shoes), women also have "thousand-layer sole shoes". "Thousand-layer-soled shoes" use multiple layers of lace as the sole, hence the name. The uppers are mostly made of fabric and are generally not embroidered with patterns such as flowers. They are mostly worn during work.
There is also a very distinctive type of shoe called Ula (靰顡) shoes, which are mostly worn by Manchu people in winter. It is sewn with cowhide or pigskin and lined with Ula grass. It is light and warm, and is suitable for winter hunting and ice running.
Housing and Transportation
In the early days, the Manchus mostly lived near mountains and rivers to facilitate and adapt to their production and living habits. The main room of a Manchu rural house usually has three or five rooms. It faces north and south to facilitate lighting. The door is opened on the south side of the east end. It is shaped like a pocket and is commonly known as "pocket house", which is convenient for gathering warmth. There are wing rooms in the east and west, together with a gatehouse, which forms what is commonly known as a courtyard. Most of the houses are ridged brick houses, commonly known as "Haiqing houses". The pillars of the room are all inserted into the ground, and the door opens to the south. It is tall and spacious. The room directly opposite the door is called the main room, also known as the outer room. It is equipped with a kitchen stove, a pot, a water tank, and a stove connected to the west inner room. The stove is called "earth tile" in Manchu. Opening the door from the west wall of the main room is the inner room, which forms a "Wanzi pit" or "Manzhi Kang" on the south, north and west sides. The Manchu people stand on the right, and the west wall is dedicated to their ancestors' tablets. The western kang is a narrow kang with no one to live in. There is a flue at the bottom. The north and south are opposite each other. A kang mat is spread on the bed, or the kang paper is papered and oiled. A wardrobe is placed at the top of the kang, with clothes inside and bedding and toiletries stacked on top. At night, the elders live on the south kang in the west room, while the brothers, sons and daughters-in-law live on the north kang. When going to bed, face your head outside the kang and put your feet against the wall, which is very suitable for keeping out the cold and breathing fresh air. There are many paper paintings on the walls. To protect against the cold in the north, some even built fire grounds. There is a round chimney (called Hulan in Manchu) built on the west gable outside the house, which is several feet higher than the eaves. There is a wind nest at the base of the chimney to block the headwind. There are windows on the north and south walls, and the windows are papered outside the window lattice, mostly "Korean paper". The paper is sprayed with oil or salt water to prevent it from falling off due to rain and snow. The window lattice and the bright sub-window lattice on the door form various patterns, which are beautiful and strong. There are two windows, upper and lower, and the upper window can be propped up with sticks for ventilation. There is often a stroller hanging from the beams of the house, and the baby is placed in the stroller. There is a rectangular kang table on the kang. When eating, you sit cross-legged around the table, which is warm and convenient. There are felt mats on the left and right sides of the table to entertain guests. There are many carved oil paints on the lattice, rafters and pillars. The side room is equipped with a grinding room and a warehouse (called Hash in Manchu). The house is surrounded by walls. There is a "Saulun pole" erected in the southeast of the courtyard. There is a tin bucket on the pole, and three stones are placed under the pole, which are called "sacred stones". Behind the pole is a wall made of bricks, with a rain cover on the top.
In the past, wealthy families in the city mostly lived in courtyard houses. The gate of a courtyard is mostly a three-room building, with three to five main rooms and three to five east and west wing rooms. It is surrounded by brick walls and there are stone fences on both sides of the gatehouse, called Shangma Stone. Some courtyard houses are divided into front and back courtyards. Most of these Manchu folk residential styles are preserved in Manchu inhabited areas in the Northeast. However, since the 1980s, except for a small number of people who still retain traditional building methods when building houses, the vast majority have built more spacious and bright modern houses.
In order to adapt to the living environment of mountainous areas and forests and snowfields, the traditional means of transportation in Manchu areas mainly include horse-drawn carriages, sledges, canoes and birch bark boats. The sledge (called Fara in Manchu) is a means of transportation on the snow. Two tree trunks are heated by fire and then bent into a bow shape. The upper end is raised. The width of the part close to the ground is about 1 and a half meters. The upper part is covered with boards or made into a box. It is driven by horses, Cows are extremely light for carrying people and goods. Currently only used occasionally in colder northern mountainous areas. The earliest water vehicle of the Manchu people was a canoe (called "Wei" in Manchu), which was hollowed out of a thick log and could accommodate several people. There is also a kind of birch bark boat, which is more troublesome to make. First make the keel and attach birch bark inside and outside so that one person can carry it for walking. Quite lightweight. They are now rare, replaced by modern ships.
Etiquette
The Manchu people are a nation that attaches great importance to etiquette.
Manchu people have various etiquettes when meeting or paying homage to guests, including the greeting ceremony, the sideburn stroking ceremony, the hand-holding ceremony, the embracing ceremony, the half-squatting ceremony, and the kowtow ceremony. Among them, the Daqian ceremony, the hug ceremony and the kowtow ceremony are mainly used by men, while the others are used by women. The Daqian ceremony is used between juniors to elders and subordinates to superiors. The form is to lower the arrow sleeves, bend the left knee forward, bend the right leg slightly, put the left hand on the left knee, droop the right hand, and say hello. The hug ceremony is used between equals, and the younger generation can also use it to their elders. However, the younger generation should hug the elder's waist, and the elder should caress the younger generation's back, etc. Now, some of the cumbersome etiquette has been simplified.
The Manchu tradition of respecting the elderly is more obvious. The younger generation should greet their fathers and ancestors every morning and evening. They should give way to elders when they meet on the way. When eating, the elders should sit first and eat first. The Manchu people value feelings and trust, treat guests and friends sincerely, hold a banquet to entertain guests, and do their best to do what they promise.
The traditional marriage ceremony of the Manchu people is relatively complicated, and it roughly goes through the procedures of communication, placement, receiving gifts, passing through the box, welcoming the bride, worshiping in the hall, worshiping the ancestors, dividing the bride and groom, and returning to the door.
The groom's family invites a matchmaker to propose to the girl's family. After both families agree, the bride's family gives Ruyi or a hairpin as a wedding gift. Then there is the engagement, that is, choosing an auspicious day, the groom's family and his relatives go to the bride's family to ask for her name, the bride's family holds a banquet, the groom's parents give a speech to propose, the bride's family repeatedly declines the proposal, the groom's family insists on the proposal, and the bride's family agrees before it is finalized marriage. At this time, the man will worship the woman’s family gods and her elders. After the engagement, there are gifts, and it is also an auspicious day. The groom's family sends gifts such as clothes, silks, sheep, and geese. The groom's family will also give some money as a gift. At this time, the wedding date must be agreed upon. Entering the wedding stage, the bride's family will send the dowry to the bride's family the day before the wedding, commonly known as "passing the box", and the groom will go to the bride's family to express his gratitude. When welcoming the bride, the groom, accompanied by the wedding team, drives a float to welcome the bride. When the two cars pass each other on the way, the bride's brother carries the bride onto the groom's float, which is commonly known as "car insertion" (due to different Manchu customs in different regions, there are also The groom and the welcoming team go directly to the bride's home to welcome the bride. In some places, there is a saying that "the custom is not to welcome the bride in person"). When the bride arrives at the groom's house, she changes cars and takes a sedan. When the sedan lands, the groom has to shoot three false arrows. The bride, wearing a red hijab, gets off the sedan, stands with the groom in front of the heaven and earth table that has been placed in the courtyard, and kowtows three times to the north, which is commonly known as worshiping the Big Dipper, that is, worshiping the heaven and earth. After worshiping, the heaven and earth tables are removed, and the bride enters the temporary tent, which is called sitting in the tent. When sitting in the tent, "open your face" and change your hair style. After sitting in the tent, the bride steps over the saddle and enters the bridal chamber. The groom uses the scale beam to remove the hijab and throws it to the eaves. The couple drank a glass of wine, ate Hexi noodles and cakes for their children and grandchildren, and everyone had a wedding ceremony. On the night of the wedding day, the bride and groom have to pay homage to their ancestors. On the first day after the wedding, the bride packs cigarettes and serves tea to her husband's relatives, pays homage to the clan, and recognizes the seniority, which is called the distinction between big and small. Generally, three days after the wedding, the couple returns to the bride's house to meet her family and ancestors. One month after the wedding, the bride returns to her parents' home to live for a month, which is called living in the opposite month. By this time, the wedding ceremony was over.
These complicated marriage procedures have been simplified and integrated with modern forms in areas where Manchus live today. For example, jumping into a car has evolved into young men and women riding bicycles or motorcycles, each accompanied by a wedding team. They start from their own homes. When they meet on the way, they exchange bicycles or motorcycles and then go to the groom's house together. There is also worship of ancestors, and in some places it has evolved into the practice of newlyweds worshiping both parents. Although there have been changes, it still has strong national characteristics. In addition, the marriage rituals of the Manchus vary slightly depending on the region they live in. They are not completely consistent, but the main procedures are roughly the same.
The parenting customs of the Manchu people are quite special. A boy will hang a bow and arrow on the left side of the door, a girl will hang a colorful strip of cloth on the right side of the door, and her family will give her a carriage. When a baby is three days old, relatives and friends send congratulatory gifts, commonly known as "breastfeeding". And held a baptism, called "washing three". When the moon is full, guests should be invited to "make the full moon", and the bows and arrows or cloth strips should be removed and hung on the "descendants rope". On the 100th day, colored cloth strips obtained from each house are used to make a lock, called a padlock. When the child is one year old, a more solemn ceremony should be held to let the child "grasp the week". Generally, at the age of 16, boys shave their heads and girls wear their hair in a bun. To this day, the Manchu-inhabited areas in Northeast China still retain traditional customs such as "breastfeeding", "washing three times", "making a full moon", and "catching the week".
Funeral customs
Manchu funerals are mainly burial and cremation. Both burial and cremation have a long history. Before the Manchus entered the customs, cremation was the main method. This was mainly due to their frequent migration. In addition, many soldiers of the Eight Banners died in battle in the early Qing Dynasty, and it was inconvenient to send their bones back to their hometowns, so they were often cremated. After the Manchus entered the customs, changes gradually occurred, from the combination of cremation and burial to mainly burial. The funeral ceremony is that the deceased wears a shroud before death, usually a robe or a mandarin jacket, in odd numbers.
The spirit is suspended in the house, usually within 7 days. Make a funeral bed out of wooden boards, with the head to the west and the feet to the east. The spiritual flag is made of about 3 feet of red cloth, decorated with black tassels, and hung on a high pole in the courtyard. The coffins used by the Manchus have a special shape, with a raised upper part, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, which is called "flag material".
During the mourning period, the whole family mourns and holds memorial ceremonies. When the person is buried, gold and silver are placed in the coffin. For the poor, gold and silver foil ingots are used instead, and copper coins or jade are placed in the mouth. The spiritual tools are placed in the mourning shed in the courtyard. For funerals, a single day in the lunar calendar can be chosen, and there are 16, 32 or 64 lines for carrying the spirit. After the funeral, thank those who helped and treat them to a meal. After burial, go to the grave and burn paper every 7 days for 7 consecutive times. When it comes to a hundred days, it is necessary to burn the hundred days, and when it is an anniversary, it is necessary to burn the anniversary. Manchu burning paper is to fold paper into a pocket shape, commonly known as burning pocket. Tomb-sweeping Day involves visiting graves, burning bags and inserting Buddhist altars. In the past 30 years, Manchu funerals have changed to cremation. However, many ancient traditions are still retained in the rituals of paying homage to relatives, such as burning pockets, inserting Buddhist altars, burning for seven days, burning for hundreds of days, and burning for anniversaries during Qingming Festival, etc., all remain the same.
Taboos
Manchus have many taboos. Blasphemy against gods and ancestors is not allowed. For example, the Manchus value the west, and the ancestral box is placed on the Western Kang. No one is allowed to live in the Western Kang, or any debris is placed there, and no disrespectful behavior is allowed. It is not allowed to beat dogs, and it is even more forbidden to kill dogs, eat dog meat, wear dog skin hats, and foreigners are not allowed to wear dog skin hats into the house. Legend has it that Nurhaci once told his people, "There are many wild beasts in the mountains, and you can hunt them for food. However, from now on, you are not allowed to eat dog meat or wear dog skins. When a dog dies, you must bury it, because dogs understand human nature, can save the savior, and are righteous dogs." "From then on, loving and respecting dogs became a Manchu custom. In addition, the Manchus not only do not eat the meat of crows, but also have the custom of feeding and sacrificing crows.