What does it mean to go to the Chaoshan tripod?

This is a local custom.

"Shangding" is also called Wang Ding, which means wealth. The reason why it is called Shangding is that when a man is added to the family, lanterns will be hung on the ancestral temple, so it is also called Shangding and Shangding. Shangding is a custom in Qishi Town, Huilai County and its surrounding areas. "Shangding" originated in the Qing Dynasty, and the exact time is unknown. I heard that many men were recruited as soldiers at that time, and there were few men in the village, so once a man was born, it meant that there would be an important labor force at home and it would add wealth to the family. Therefore, when a person is born, there will be a celebration every twelve days (called the twelfth day) and a comparison will be made after the month. After a hundred days, there will be ancestor worship (a way to pray for peace with God as the spirit in Chaoshan area). Shangding is the year after the boy is born, that is, the thirteenth year of the following year, and some villages also have it in fifteen or sixteen years. Depending on the convenience of each village, some villages "ask God" (asking God is a custom in Chaoshan, making two pieces similar to bananas with bamboo heads or other wood, each with black and white sides, called the Holy Grail, and then sincerely asking God that the Holy Grail will go up and fall to the ground, if it is black and white, it means that everything is normal or feasible).

Shangding generally lasts 12 days, generally from the eighth day of the first lunar month to the twentieth day of the first lunar month. On the eighth night, the village will call the family leaders who gave birth to men last year to the big ancestral hall in the village for a meeting, from "Dingtou" (referring to the last year

The first (earliest) patriarch who gave birth to a boy lit the lights of the ancestral hall, and then discussed the preparation and funds for going to Ding. Generally, there are more "Ding Tou" and "Ding Er" (the second patriarch who gave birth to a boy) than others, because "Ding Tou" and "Ding Er" mean an honor. Then "Ding Tou" and "Ding Er" presided over everything in Shangding.

It matters a lot. If a family doesn't want to go to work this year, they can "do it" (wait until next year). General work matters are: (1) Wang Lantern, usually hung by several men at home; (2) ancestor worship: there are twelve things: a whole pig, candy nails, sugar towers, bread and carp.

On the third day after attending Shangding, that is, in the evening of the twelfth year, there will be an ancestor worship at eleven o'clock and a lot of firecrackers will be set off. Setting off firecrackers has two meanings, one is to exorcise evil spirits, and the other is to remind everyone that the real work has begun. /kloc-ancestor worship was completed in the evening of 0/2, and there was another ancestor worship activity at 5 am in 13, which lasted until 7 am. There will be a lot of drum music on the way to celebrate. The ancestor worship meeting ends in the morning, at noon. After the big ancestor worship, all the children in the village will be called to give out nails and candy at the entrance of the ancestral temple. Children will eat nail candy to protect themselves from growing up safely. After the nail candy is distributed, firecrackers and fireworks will be set off for about an hour. If the ancestral hall is not cleaned (meaning accumulating wealth), the door of the ancestral hall will be locked. After three o'clock in the afternoon, the hired person will be invited to dinner at home (usually a few days in advance)

Shangding's dinner is also very particular. Fortune tellers are generally required to choose a good time, usually between two and six in the afternoon. Moreover, Shangding should cook her own meals and invite some famous chefs to cook them. Generally, there are ten to sixteen dishes, and the dishes should be particular. One day, there will be a red carp, which is placed in the middle of all the dishes and cannot be eaten. Other dishes can be eaten.

Sixteen courses (including red carp) are usually served at the meeting, and others depend on the economic situation of each family. It can only be singular, but even numbers represent good luck, and the people invited are also particular. Generally, the mother-in-law (brother-in-law of Shangding's children) sits in the "big position" (big position refers to the first or highest position in the dinner), and the second is usually the uncle or father-in-law of Shangding's children, and others. Moreover, everyone can start eating only when mom and uncle say open chopsticks (start eating). The average time for eating is two hours. There is usually a lot of wine and cigarettes. You can talk while eating, or you can have an atmosphere or something. If there are two children on duty at home, mom and uncle will ask everyone to put down their chopsticks and go around the door before coming in for dinner, which means eating twice. After the banquet, everyone must leave the table and have tea and chat on the couch. /kloc-On the evening of 0/3, Ding Tou and Ding Er will invite people to put a movie on the stage (the place where the village performs arts) to celebrate. /kloc-after dinner on 0/3, the families in Shangding will also send instant noodles to those families who didn't go to Shangding, which used to be red dumplings. Now, for convenience, they use instant noodles or rice incense (sugar made of rice, four).

Ding Tou and Ding Er are the busiest when they go to the ancestral temple. Ding Tou and Ding Er are responsible for all ancestral hall affairs except the above. In the twentieth year, Ding Jia will go to the ancestral temple again and set off firecrackers. At eleven o'clock (that is, noon), Ding Tou will put out the headlights of the ancestral hall, which means Ding, which means Ding is finished, and then clean it up.