1. Lantern Festival
(1) Chinese Han people’s festival customs during the year. Contains birth customs and culture. Popular in Cenxi, Fuchuan and other counties in eastern Guangxi, it has a history of more than a hundred years. It falls on the tenth day of the first lunar month. Any family with a boy in the previous year will go to the temple to hang lanterns.
(2) The lamp is tied with bamboo strips, patterned paper is pasted on the outside, auspicious riddles are written on it, an oil lamp is lit inside, and oil is added every day. There are many people hanging lamps, and the temple naturally forms a lamp shed.
(3) On the same day, the family of the new baby drinks lantern wine. Grandpa and grandma give the baby clothes, carriers, and toys. Relatives, friends, and neighbors give clothes and red envelopes to express their congratulations, and everyone drinks and celebrates together. The lanterns are turned off on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month.
2. Check the date
(1) Chinese Han marriage customs. Also known as reporting the date. Popular in most counties and townships in Guangxi. A step in rural marriage negotiation. After the young man and woman get to know each other, they inform their parents and ask a matchmaker to communicate. The man gives the woman a gift and then decides on a wedding date.
(2) In the old days, fortune tellers were often asked to arrange the "eight characters" first, and then proceed only if the fortunes match. In some places, both parents meet to betroth their children. For example, in Quanzhou County, after both parties reach an agreement, the matchmaker will send wine, meat, clothing and materials to the woman on behalf of the man, and will accompany the woman's parents and uncle to the man's house on an agreed date, and the man will host a banquet.
(3) The young man holds a pot and pours wine, first to the woman's uncle and then to his own uncle, and then to the guest first and then the host. The two parties agreed on a wedding date and the engagement was successful. Afterwards, the man and woman give the woman heavy gifts and betrothal money, the woman prepares the dowry, the man prepares furniture, and the wedding is held as scheduled.
3. He Langge
(1) Chinese Han marriage customs. It is popular in Xing'an County in northeastern Guangxi. After the church service and dinner, relatives and friends gathered around the groom in the main hall and sang congratulatory songs. Improvised congratulatory messages, including joking and humorous remarks. Relatives and friends sing a song, and the groom drinks a glass of wine.
(2) Sing until midnight to send the groom into the bridal chamber. The female singer waits behind closed doors, while the man and woman sing "Opening the Door Song" due to each other, and then open the door after enjoying themselves. After entering the house, sing and make noise in the room, from "Congratulations to the groom on one glass of wine" to "Ten glasses", and the groom drinks from 1 to 10 glasses in turn (if you are not strong enough to drink, the male singer can drink on his behalf).
(3) Then "Mate Wine" is sung, and the couple drinks a glass together. Finally, the singer knocked on the door and sang "Knocking on the Door Song" to end the wedding.
4. Sitting in the Red Hall
(1) Chinese Han marriage customs. Popular in Quanzhou County in northeastern Guangxi. On the eve of their marriage, young men and women worship their ancestors at their own homes and receive instructions from their elders. The bride wears a red pendant and is accompanied by her classmates. She sits in the hall and sings the "Crying Wedding Song" softly and softly, in memory of her parents and the love between sisters.
(2) The sisters instruct the bride to respect the elderly, be harmonious to her brothers and sisters after passing the wedding, and praise the groom for his handsomeness and hard work. When the bride expressed her dissatisfaction, the sisters tried to comfort her. Singing late into the night, Yi Yiyi bid farewell and gave gifts.
(3) The groom is also accompanied by his brothers and sits in the main hall of his home, receiving the teachings from his elders about being diligent, thrifty and managing the family and how to behave in the world. After the teaching, the old man retired, the young men joked and chased the groom, and the fun ended late at night.
5. Asking for keys
(1) Chinese Han marriage customs. Popular in Quanzhou County in northeastern Guangxi. The bride's wedding key is held by the "bridal groom" appointed by her younger siblings or nephews.
(2) Before the ceremony, the groom sends a package to the groom to ask for the key so that he can open the box after the ceremony and display the rice, money and goods inside, symbolizing a bumper harvest and a wealthy family after the marriage.
(3) There are too few bridegrooms to accept, and the groom has been added many times. The groom accepts the package, and after the groom obtains the key, he happily pays homage to the bride.