Folk customs in Zhengzhou
Blessings on the edge of the cradle
Chinese people have always loved creatures and praised life. They all respond sincerely to the birth of a new life. of praise and blessings. Over thousands of years, the Zhengzhou area has also formed ancient customs for the birth of babies, which is quite interesting to talk about.
The rural people in Zhengzhou call the birth of children "dexi", a boy is a "big joy", and a girl is a "little joy". When a pregnant woman is about to give birth, in the old days, the midwife was asked to come home and prepare herself. The mother was asked to sit on a small stool, with a clay or wooden basin underneath to receive the baby. The basin was filled with warm water, and an egg and a lock were placed there. After the baby is born, the midwife washes the baby with warm water and lets the mother eat the eggs in the basin, saying that she can give birth to a baby. The midwife takes out the lock and hangs it on the door, which is meant to lock the baby's life. If a boy is born, the baby's body is buried at the gate, which means that the boy will be able to support the door in the future; if a girl is born, the baby's baby is buried under the tree in the courtyard, which means a flower.
After the baby is born, the father will inform his mother-in-law and relatives and friends the next day, which is called "the good news". When announcing the good news, you should bring gifts, which contain the message of the good news. The gift was delivered to the mother-in-law's house. The mother-in-law knew at a glance that her daughter had been born and could figure out whether it was a boy or a girl. When a boy is born, sesame cakes are brought as a gift, and when a girl is born, sesame candy is brought. Some people hold a rooster when a boy is born, and a hen when a girl is born. On the third day after the baby is born, the person concerned will give gifts of wedding noodles to the surrounding neighbors, while the mother-in-law will go to her daughter's house with four-color gifts of eggs, noodles, brown sugar, and rice to "look at them" for three days.
In the old method of delivering babies, midwives used unsterilized scissors to cut the umbilical cord, which made them prone to tetanus infection and caused a high infant mortality rate. On the ninth day after the baby is born, because the time for possible tetanus infection has passed, it is celebrated on the twelfth day. On this day, relatives, friends and neighbors came to congratulate each other, and the host family held a banquet to entertain the guests. Midwives are especially respected and must be invited and seated at the table. Grandma's family will give gifts such as rice, noodles, brown sugar, eggs, and children's clothes, while relatives and friends will give baby greeting gifts. At the end of the banquet, a bowl of wedding noodles is indispensable. When the guests leave, the host will send some boiled and dyed red eggs "back to the basket", called "happy eggs". This custom has been going on for many years.
In the suburbs and rural areas of Zhengzhou, before liberation, there was a popular custom of naming babies with "Peng surnames", which some people also called "Chuang surnames." In the early morning of the first day after the baby is born, the baby's father will kneel down and kowtow to the first person he meets after going out, whether he is a boy or a girl, and ask him or her to name the baby. This is the surname Peng. I like to meet people whose surnames are Liu and Cheng. Because "Liu" and "Liu" are homophones, they think they can keep their children alive, and "Cheng" and "Cheng" are homophones, and they think they can make their children grow up.
After the baby is one month old, the grandma's family will come to "call for guests". The mother and child will stay together for a few days and then be sent back. This custom is also called away after the baby is full moon. This custom has been passed down for a long time and is still very popular in urban and rural areas of Zhengzhou. When leaving home, a red cloth strip is placed on the mother's head and a red cloth is placed on the baby's head, which is said to ward off evil spirits. The aunt will put a line of black pot ashes on the baby's face, and then wipe it off with the aunt at the grandma's house; when returning, the aunt will put a line of white on the baby's face, which means the baby will live longer.
There is a custom of shaving the baby's hair after the baby is full moon, also called "hair twisting" and "fetal hair". It is an important item in the full moon ceremony. "Tokyo Menghua Lu" records: "After bathing, the baby is born and the hair is delivered, and everyone thanks the guests." When shaving a full moon, you must protect the fontanel and cannot shave all the hair, which is called leaving lanugo. There is a saying that "the hair and skin of the body are influenced by the parents". The shaved fetal hair will not be thrown away. Some parents collect it, some sew it on the baby's pillow, and some make it into a fetal hair pen as a permanent souvenir.
Since then, every year on the child’s birthday, parents will boil eggs for their children in the morning and dye them red, because the eggs are round, which means that everything is perfect for the child. In rural areas, there is also a tradition of eating eggs on children’s birthdays called "Gulugulu" luck" argument. At noon, noodles are made for the children, which are called "longevity noodles". However, polenta is not allowed to be eaten on birthdays, because the Zhengzhou dialect calls polenta "muddleheaded", which means to prevent children from becoming confused.
Having children is not easy, but raising children is even harder. Every parent hopes that their children will grow up healthily and smoothly, but not every child can avoid disasters. In order to make their children grow up safely, people come up with various ways to eliminate disasters and pray for blessings.
In both urban and rural areas of Zhengzhou, there is a custom of recognizing godfather and godmother, which is called "recognizing godfather and godmother". Some rural babies recognize someone with the same surname as their godmother, some recognize someone with a large number of children as their godmother, and urban residents mostly seek out a close friend among their relatives and friends as their godmother.
When doing the wedding ceremony, you should give noodles and snacks to your godmother, and make a pair of large-waisted trousers without sewing the crotch for your godmother. When recognizing the godmother, the baby is put in the big trousers and leaks out of the crotch, which means that the baby is born to the godmother. The godmother should hang a longevity lock engraved with "longevity" on the baby's neck. When the baby reaches 12 years old, the godmother will open it.
In addition to acknowledging relatives, there is also the custom of feeding children "Baijia rice" and wearing "Baijia clothes", which means that children who eat Baijia rice and wear Baijia clothes look like humble beggars. Son, easy to feed.
After a baby is born, especially in single-generation families, when the child's grandmother and grandfather report the good news to the neighbors, they will ask for pieces of cloth to make hundreds of family clothes. Especially those with the surnames "Liu", "Chen", and "Cheng". The homophones of these surnames are all auspicious words, so the elderly will happily accept an old piece of cloth from these families. The size and color of the cloth does not matter, but blue is the best, because "blue" is a homophone for "block", which means that with blue cloth, monsters and ghosts will not be able to take away the child.
There are many things to pay attention to when sewing Baijiayi, such as the direction of the cloth grain, puzzle pieces, etc., there are agreed upon rules. Clothes should not be open at the chest, and should be made into a large cardigan with a partial opening, also called a Taoist robe. This kind of clothing often leaves a slit at the bottom, which is called the place where the soul is hidden. After the child is one month old, the mother will sew it up, which means that the child's soul has stayed with the mother.
People in Zhengzhou still have the custom of feeding their children hundreds of meals. On the first day of the first lunar month, elders hold babies in their arms and hold broken bowls in their hands, pretending to be beggars and begging along the streets. It is appropriate for begging families to gather together 100 families, and then stew the buns, vegetables and rice together to make porridge for the children to eat. This means that the children will be protected by the hundreds of families and avoid disasters. After eating hundreds of meals, the elders will steam 100 wheat flour buns the size of copper coins, carry them in a basket and walk along the village or street. When they meet a child, they will give a bun as a gift. After the buns are cooked, others will finish chewing the buns, and their children will grow up safely, which is commonly known as "chewing disasters".
The custom of wishing birthdays to the elderly has been around for a long time. Depending on the age of the elderly, the names of birthday wishes are also different.
In ancient times, according to the chronological calendar of Jiazi, Yichou and Bingyin, one person would be sixty years old. When a person lives to the age of 60, it is called the year of sixty years. Henan people are accustomed to regard 60 years old as the starting point for formal birthday celebrations. There is a folk saying that "you cannot celebrate your birthday until you are sixty years old". Every five years after the age of 60 is called "small birthday" and every ten years is called "big birthday".
Birthday celebrations are usually held one year in advance according to the imaginary age. The 60th birthday is celebrated at the age of 59, and the 70th birthday is celebrated at the age of 69. After celebrating a birthday, there should be no interruption in the future. Usually small celebrations, and full celebrations at the age of ten. In the old days, there was a custom that people who lived for 99 years were called "white" longevity, which means one person is missing from a hundred years. Centenarians often do not talk about being a hundred years old, but only talk about being 99 years old, which means "ninety-nine, not enough life".
Generally, families celebrate the birthday of the elderly every year, but the scale is relatively small. Usually the younger generations get together and have a banquet to celebrate. The married daughter buys birthday cakes and steams the steamed buns into peaches. Xing Shoudao came back to honor the old man. Nowadays, rural areas have also accepted the emerging form of birthday celebrations, giving birthday cakes to the elderly. However, many people avoid unlucky words such as "blow out the lamp and pull out the wax" and do not light candles on the birthday cake. However, "longevity noodles" have always been an indispensable food when celebrating the birthday of the elderly. Children should add some noodles from their own bowls to the elderly's bowl, which is called "adding longevity".
Starting from the age of 60, some families will hold large-scale celebrations, called "Daqing". During the Daqing period, some children even invited professional troupes to sing operas, act in movies, and hire storytellers to add to the fun.
In some places, birthday ceremonies are held in the morning, in others at noon. On this day, relatives and friends will come to congratulate the guests, and the host will host a banquet to entertain the guests. To celebrate the birthday of the elderly, guests, relatives and friends should give gifts. The gifts given are called "birthday gifts". If they are noodles, they are called "longevity noodles", eggs are called "longevity eggs", and brown sugar is called "longevity sugar". Birthday congratulators may send birthday banners or birthday plaques, but avoid sending clocks, because sending clocks is homophonic with "sending off the end".
On the birthday, the house is decorated with lights and colorful decorations, with a table in the middle and two red candles lit. It is filled with longevity fruits, longevity wine, longevity fish, etc., and pictures of birthday stars and red The longevity scrolls and longevity couplets read, "Blessings are as long as the flowing water of the East China Sea, and longevity is as long as the everlasting pines in the Nanshan Mountains." Firecrackers are set off before birthday celebrations, and the old man is dressed neatly and sits at the top. The younger generations all trimmed their clothes, kowtowed to the old man one by one, and respectfully presented longevity fruits and eggs to the old man. The old man shared these foods with everyone. Eating during the birthday banquet is said to be "chewing disaster" for the old man. Then people toasted, tasted dishes, and enjoyed family happiness, and the longevity hall was filled with laughter and laughter.
When the elderly reach the ages of 66, 73, or 84, the birthdays given to their parents by the younger generations are more special.
/ According to old customs, some people’s longevity does not start at the age of 60, but at the age of 66. Celebrating a 66-year-old birthday is the most solemn event among birthday customs, because this age accounts for two characters "6", which symbolizes "sixty-sixth birthday". The elderly and younger generations generally attach great importance to this.
"Sixty-six, the mother eats a piece of meat from the daughter", this custom has been around for a long time. On the day of her parents' 66th birthday, the married daughter went back to her parents' home to pay birthday wishes to her parents. The birthday gift included a piece of meat. This piece of meat means that a daughter is a piece of meat from her parents. When the daughter grows up, she buys meat on her parents' birthdays to repay her parents for their upbringing. Even though the meat is purchased, it also symbolizes cutting one’s own flesh. When buying meat, don't worry about the amount of meat. It must be cut off with a knife to show the respect of the children to the old man. Some children buy six kilograms and six taels of meat to celebrate their parents' birthdays, and steam 66 steamed buns for the elderly to eat. Others are not allowed to share the food, otherwise it is called "taking away a blessing."
There is a folk saying that "Seventy-three or eighty-four, the King of Hell will not ask you to go". Some old people feel quite nervous when they reach this age. Children take advantage of their parents' birthdays to buy live carp for the elderly to eat. Carp is good at "jumping", which means that with this "jumping", the old man can overcome the difficulties. For breakfast that day, the old man must eat eggs. After the eggs were cooked, the daughter took the eggs to the wheat field before dawn. After a few laps in Gulu, she went home and asked her parents to hide behind the door and eat them. This was called "Gulu luck" and it was said that she ate the eggs. , can bring good luck.
As an ancient custom, birthday wishes express people’s good wishes, enhance the relationship between elders and younger generations, and reflect the deep family affection and the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation.
The etiquette and customs in Zhengzhou are generally similar or identical to those in other parts of the Central Plains, but they are obviously different in many details. There are differences in the habits, methods, and procedures of doing similar things even in the same place or even the same village, forming an interesting phenomenon of "different customs within five miles and different rules ten miles away".
Let’s talk about the Chinese New Year, which is the most important festival for Chinese people. The New Year is a relatively big concept in Zhengzhou. In some places, it specifically refers to the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month of the New Year, and in some places, it specifically refers to the first day of the first lunar month of the New Year. What is said in rural areas The Chinese New Year refers to the period from the late twelfth lunar month to the first ten days of the first lunar month.
In this way, an obvious "watershed" is formed in the time of the New Year - on New Year's Eve, most rural people begin to be busy celebrating the New Year. The rule in many places is that the New Year's Eve meal must be eaten The sooner the better, the sooner the better. While urbanites are still going to work as normal, they only officially start celebrating the New Year on the first day of the first lunar month.
"After eating the meal to worship the stove, start preparing for the New Year." It is a rural tradition that after worshiping the stove on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, preparations for the New Year begin. How to arrange the schedule during the period before the Chinese New Year has formed an ancient custom over the years. There are many versions of jingles about such customs circulated in various places. For example, in some places: "On the 24th, clean the house; on the 24th, clean the house; Fifteen, kill the fat pig; twenty-six, steam the steamed buns; twenty-seven, buy tofu; twenty-eight, shave the fool (referring to a haircut); twenty-nine, have the right door (referring to the Spring Festival couplets); on the thirtieth day, eat "Bian Shi'er (referring to dumplings); on the first day of the new year, people stick up their buttocks and make random Yi'er gestures (referring to each other's New Year greetings)." The jingle circulated in some places goes like this: "Twenty-three, sacrifice to the kitchen official; twenty-four, clean the house; twenty-five, grind tofu; twenty-six, cut a piece of meat; twenty-seven, kill a chicken; twenty-eight, Slaughter a duck; buy a jar of wine on the 29th; post spring couplets on the 30th of the twelfth lunar month...
The custom of posting Spring Festival couplets during the Chinese New Year is also different. In some places, it is done on the 28th or 2nd day of the twelfth lunar month. The Spring Festival couplets have been posted since the 19th, some on New Year's Eve, and some on the first day of the first lunar month. In many places, Spring Festival couplets are usually only posted on doors, windows, kitchens, pig houses, sheep pens, etc. However, in some rural areas, in addition to doors and windows, Spring Festival couplets are also posted on water tanks, suitcases, wardrobes, vehicles, and even looms, tables, chairs and benches.
The custom of New Year greetings also differs in Zhengzhou. In most places, people exchange New Year greetings and congratulations verbally. In some places, they bow to pay New Year greetings. In some places that pay attention to traditional customs, they kowtow and bow. Etiquette, when paying New Year greetings to elders, boys kowtow and girls bow, which is called "kowtow ceremony".
In addition to traditional festivals such as the Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival, some rural areas in Zhengzhou have also popularized unusual festivals such as the "Green Dragon Festival", "Qiao Qiao Festival", "Animal Festival", and the New Year's Eve in June. custom.
On the second day of the second lunar month, folklore says it is the day when the dragon raises its head, commonly known as the "Green Dragon Festival".
On this day, farmers have a day off and are not allowed to carry water or move soil. Women are not allowed to do needlework for fear of cutting the dragon's body with a knife. Before the sun comes up, farmers use plant ashes to spread a round grain hoard, put wheat, soybeans, peanuts, sesame seeds, etc. in the middle, chant "big hoards are full, small hoards flow" to pray for a good harvest and increase production that year, and they also hold tiles with both hands. While banging the tiles, they chanted: "Tile-to-tile, tile-to-tile, scorpions and centipedes have no claws", praying for God's blessing to prevent scorpions, centipedes, centipedes and other poisonous insects from invading. For lunch, we eat noodles, called dragon beard noodles, to pray for wealth and health. On this day, people also make fried foods, such as fried peanuts, fried soybeans, popcorn, etc. There is a saying that "on February 2, eat fried beans." Folks believe that this day is the birthday of the Dragon King of the East China Sea, and the pancakes are the afterbirth of the Dragon King. Eating pancakes is to feed the Dragon King, and throwing pancakes is to bury the Dragon King's afterbirth.
The seventh day of the seventh lunar month every year is the "Qiqiao Festival". On the night of the sixth day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, seven local unmarried girls form a group to match the number of "Qixi Festival", and each person exchanges face Exchange things and prepare offerings for the Weaver Girl. Some buy 7 kinds of fruits such as grapes, pomegranates, watermelons, dates, and peaches, bake 7 steamed buns or sugar buns, make 7 bowls of small dumplings, make 7 bowls of noodle soup, and make 7 large dumplings separately. The stuffing is made of 7 kinds of vegetables, and the inside is made of 7 things made of flour, such as needles, weaving shuttles, flower mallets, flower spinning spindles, scissors, garlic cloves or abacus, etc. These 7 things must represent the wishes of the 7 girls. In the evening, the seven girls placed the offerings under the melon shed or in a quiet place, burned incense, lit paper, and knelt under the moon to pray to the Weaver Girl. After reciting the prayers, the girls shared fruits and small dumplings, then put the pancakes and large dumplings in bamboo baskets and hung them on the tree. At night, seven girls keep vigil together to guard the bamboo basket, which is called "Shou Qiao". The purpose is to prevent the playful boys from stealing the "Qiao" (big dumplings). In the early morning of July 7th, when it was just dawn, seven girls closed their eyes and each touched a big dumpling in the bamboo basket. Whoever finds a dumpling containing needles and scissors will be the future skillful person.
On the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, farmers call it "Animal Festival". On this day, there are many activities to worship cattle. Every family will steam lamb-shaped white flour buns, place them on the table at noon, and set off firecrackers to celebrate the prosperity of Taotou. Farmers have to stop working their animals on this day and give the animals lamb buns to eat. Some also feed the animals concentrated feed. In the evening, they have to make a pot of rice soup for the animals to drink. The folk saying goes: "Beat a thousand, scold ten thousand, and have a meal of millet on the fifteenth day of July."
On the first day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, there is a folk saying that there is a small year. At this time, not long after the wheat was harvested, people set up offering tables in houses, courtyards, and wheat fields, put buns, peaches, plums and other fruits on them, and filled buckets with the newly harvested wheat, with red "福" written on the buckets. "", and then burn incense and firecrackers to pray for good weather and abundant harvests in autumn. Afterwards, people happily ate a "chowder" made of meat, vegetables, vermicelli and kelp. The adults played guessing games in the wheat field, the children played and played, and people enjoyed the harvest. joy.