Jingxian customs

First, marriage customs:

1, pledge Geng

Generally, before marriage, it is commonly called matchmaking. After matchmaking, both parents agreed to get married when the "eight characters" matched. Now they are often congenial, and both parents agree, but the custom of matchmaking has always existed. After the parents agree, the marriage is settled.

2, bride price

When getting married, both parties agree on the type and quantity of bride price, which shall be prepared by the man. Generally fish, meat, shortcakes, eggs, cakes, sugar and wine, clothing accessories, gifts and so on. , packed in gift boxes, handbags, cloth bags, chosen as an auspicious day to be sent to the woman's home, and the woman prepares a banquet and treats it as appropriate. After liberation, there was no custom of "carrying the burden". Generally, the man gives the woman a certain amount of candy, alcohol, tobacco, fish, food and even clothes and banquet money.

Second, the customs.

1, Land Association

On the second day of the second lunar month, a "Land Meeting" was held to celebrate the longevity of the Land Bodhisattva. Almost every village has a small "land temple", in which statues of "land father" and "land mother-in-law" are carved out of stone. Sacrificial ceremonies are also very simple. Several dishes, tea, rice and beans are displayed on the temple platform, and a bottle of water and wine is sprinkled. After burning incense and worshipping, set off firecrackers, and the end. The land god often appears in some modern plays, but the land god in Jingxian county still has some origins. It is said that he was Shi Huan of Xuancheng in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Su Jun (324-326) made an insurrection in Ming Di and sent Han Huang to attack Xuancheng. Huan Gong retreated to Jingxian County and was defeated and died in Wu Xiling. There are relics such as the Huan cemetery and the base camp when the troops were stationed. Later generations revered Huan Gong and died for the country. Loyal deeds, set up a shrine to sacrifice. "Born to be English, died to be God", Huan became the "land god" of Jingxian County. It is said that the local governor who was in charge of "civil affairs" before his death was born on February 2, so the Land Temple has this kind of couplet: "Respect the two old people on February 2, and wish the next Millennium." There are all kinds of couplets on the small earth temple, which reflects people's understanding of this god. "Keeping one party happy and keeping the four seasons safe" shows that he is a little god who protects local peace. "The temple is small and dry, the sky is high and the sun and the moon are long." "There is no monk sweeping the floor in the temple, and there is no candle and moon lighting in front of God." Although the temple is small, the Shinto is big and the people are devout, which seems gratifying. "Brush your beard to see the dawn and laugh at the east wind with crutches", describing the land god as an amiable old man. Of course, there is also a very mysterious joint article "Right and wrong, a clear sky". In short, in people's minds, he is not as magnificent as other gods, but a god close to ordinary people. Perhaps people use this special way to remember and commemorate the Duke Huan who fought bloody battles on the battlefield. Today, although the land temple still exists and the custom of offering sacrifices still exists, most of the younger generation do not understand these and will not take the initiative to participate in these activities, which leads to the gradual disappearance of these customs.

2. Nantanghui

In the old society, temple fairs were held on September 23 and 24 of the lunar calendar to worship the bodhisattva known as the "Three Saints of Nantan". "Nantanhui" is quite common in Jingxian County, and there used to be a saying that "there is no south in the south of the Yangtze River". What God is "Nantan"? Maolin is said to be the master of Southern Tang Dynasty. However, Li Jing and Li Yu in the Southern Tang Dynasty are famous poets. Both of them are very weak, which is inconsistent with idols wearing armor and holding daggers. They are called "Three Saints". In addition, it is said that Zhang Xun, Lei Wanchun and others were worshipped in the Tang Dynasty. Zhang Xun defended Suiyang bravely, but it seemed a little irrelevant to the bodhisattva who enjoyed the sacrifice in southern Anhui. The south altar of Chacun village was performed by people wearing armor, and they said it was a sacrifice to "hunt the gods". There have been Nantan fairs in Nakamura and Zhang Cun, which are statues with bows and arrows painted on paper, also known as "hunting gods", to worship prey such as birds and animals. It seems that the theory of "hunting gods" is more credible, because wild animals often appear in mountainous areas, and hunting gods is used to drive away injuries and bless peace. It is said that these three statues were sealed by Emperor Song Qinzong. They are called King Willie, King Willie and King Willie. They don't seem to be senior officials. There is a story in Maolin, Jingxian County. Nantan Bodhisattva broke into the home of Wu Fangpei, an official of Zuodu Ministry of Space, three times. Wu, an adult, retired at home and asked his family what they had promised. His mother thought of cursing the servant girl and said, "You are so stupid that you killed Nantan Bodhisattva on September 24th." Wu Fangpei put on his robe and hat and reprimanded the Bodhisattva: "You are dead! How can I kill you? This is just a curse. Are you serious? " . Wu Fangpei's official is bigger than a bodhisattva, and the statue's face immediately fell off and became a big black face. Later, Maolin went to Nantanhui, and there were indeed black-faced idols, so he stopped breaking into people's houses and demanding sacrifices.

Now, temple fairs are still very popular. At that time, almost every household would invite relatives and friends from other places to attend the meeting. Of course, this is also a good time to do business. Shops display a wide variety of goods, and at the same time set up stalls around the sacrifice hall and theater to attract customers in various ways. The streets and alleys are full of people, and it's innocent and lively. Temple fairs are not only sacrifices, but also large-scale gatherings and entertainment activities.