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Shandong fertility custom (1): pray for pregnancy and children.

All kinds of conservation customs in Shandong reflect people's good wishes of having children and growing up healthily, and they have strong beliefs and different degrees of male superiority and female inferiority. With the changes of history, the development of the times, the progress of science and the renewal of ideas, many traditional fertility customs have disappeared or mutated to a great extent. At the same time, new customs are emerging, and people still attach importance to the birth and growth of new life.

This article will be published in several phases, so please pay attention to the collection to facilitate coherent reading and appreciation.

First, pray for pregnancy and children.

The importance of fertility to society, family, family and individual makes it a common desire of people to have children. Traditional Shandong people believe that "having children early benefits early". There is a saying in Shandong that "the daughter-in-law was a child in those days and didn't wait for three years". Therefore, families who have not given birth for three years often use some established methods to pray for pregnancy. Generally speaking, the custom of praying for children is far more than praying for women.

(1) Pray for pregnancy and children before marriage.

In traditional society, the beginning of choosing a spouse often includes praying for children. The man will find a fortune teller to calculate the fate of the woman. If the fate of the two is not harmonious, which is not conducive to the reproduction of future generations, marriage will end in failure. In Gaofang Village, Juye County, Heze City, before the 1980s, at the engagement ceremony, the man would give the woman some children's clothes in order to have children as soon as possible.

By preparing wedding supplies, the psychology of praying for pregnancy and having children is reflected. Brides traveling around Shandong often put a certain amount of red dates, chestnuts, lotus seeds, longan, red peanuts and other things in their dowry, which means that early (dates) have children (chestnuts) and late (lotus seeds) have children (peanuts), so they should have both children and flowers. In Fajiayuan Village, Huangdao District, Qingdao, dates and chestnuts are sewn in the quilt. When putting these things, the old people will sing some songs, such as "a handful of chestnuts and two handfuls of dates, and the girls and boys run home". Jujube and chestnut stand for "early fruit". In Huantai, Zibo, men usually put a little cotton seed in the four corners of the quilt, which means "every generation has a son". The woman's family also asked a woman with two children to help sew the quilt, and put some red dates, peanuts, money, chestnuts and other things in the four corners to show that "the baby is born early." In Changyi area of Weifang, dates, chestnuts, peanuts and other things are also sewn into the quilt. In the Wulian area of Rizhao, the bride's family nailed red dates, chestnuts and peanuts to the four corners of the dowry bedding. In Yishui, Linyi, men sew a certain number of quilts a few months before marriage, and decorate chestnuts and red peanuts at the four corners.

In Jinan, the bride's family will put dates, chestnuts, peanuts, a pair of sesame stalks and a pair of bean stalks in the box to accompany her daughter to get married. Jujube, chestnut, peanut, meaning early knot, boys and girls in full bloom; Sesame stalks and bean stalks mean "put a pair of sesame stalks and have a baby, and you can be an official." Embroidered quilts and pillows in the dowry, in addition to embroidered Yuanyang, also embroidered lotus leaves, symbolizing many children in successive years; Embroidering pomegranate means having many children and grandchildren.

In Linyi area, chopsticks are indispensable for wedding supplies. Chopsticks are homophonic for "chopsticks", which also means to have children early.

The custom of building a house before marriage embodies the psychology of praying for pregnancy and having children. In Yimeng mountain area, the person who makes the bed must be an uncle with parents, wife and children. When making the bed, first lay sorghum stalks on the bed, and then lay bean stalks, yellow grass or wheat stalks on the bed. In Tai 'an area, aunts and sisters-in-law make beds. In Qiancaiyuan Village, Xiaobo Head Town, Wudi County, Binzhou City, in addition to laying sorghum stalks and bean stalks, we should also put green onions and Artemisia on the bed. It is believed that laying sorghum stalks will make children grow taller. "Lying in a pod makes a scholar"; Laying green onions makes children smart; Spreading Artemisia, having a good baby and so on. In Liuyuan Village, Matou Town, Dongming County, when making the bed, a bean stalk and a fire stick should be pressed under the bed. It is believed that the head of the fire stick faces south and a boy will be born after marriage. In Taian area, dates, peanuts and chestnuts are often placed in the four corners of the bed when making the bed.

In Zichuan, Zibo, one of the groom's brothers is making the bed. The so-called "uncle makes the bed and there are many children". The bed should be covered with sorghum stubble, sesame stalk and bean stalk. The song says, "Put sorghum stubble with stalks", "Put sesame stalks, and great officials will come forth in large numbers" and "Put bean stalks, and great scholars will come forth in large numbers". At that time, the bride and groom will also fill pillows (two) together, and the elders will teach them to say such auspicious words as "one for gold, two for silver, and three for a large group of children".

In Chen Jing Village, Dongcheng Town, guanxian, the night before the wedding, my husband's wife and sister-in-law would sweep the new bed with a new broom, and while sweeping, they would read a ballad in their mouths: "Sweep the east and the west, and the children will sweep everywhere; There are many children squatting in the west. "

Hushan town in Rizhao, a close relative and a junior boy, is rolling around in bed, with the ballad "Roll left and roll right, there will be a baby boy in the coming year". In Linyi area, there is also the habit of letting little boys roll in bed. After rolling the bed, sprinkle chestnuts, dates and peanuts on it, which is called "making the bed" or "spreading the account". This custom is very popular all over Shandong.

In Yucheng, Texas, it is said that the new bed should be checked in by the grandfather (if there is no grandfather, it will be replaced by the uncle). There is a saying that "the father presses the new house, and the children help a lot." In the suburb of Guangrao County, Dongying City, looking for a brother of the same age to sleep under the covers for one night is called "pressing the bed". As the saying goes, "Big brother presses the bed, and children make a trip." In Liuyuan Village, Matou Town, Dongming County, it is the groom's brother or nephew who presses the bed, that is, let him sleep for a few nights first. If they pee in the new bed, the first child will have a boy after marriage. In Texas, the night before the wedding, a man with grandparents and parents should be chosen to accompany the groom to sleep in a new bed, so as to have a baby early. Woke up the next morning, the boy who pressed the bed asked for jujube soup. When drinking jujube soup, you should use chopsticks instead of spoons. The picture shows "jujube" (jujube is the homonym of "jujube") and "chopsticks" (chopsticks are the homonym of "chopsticks").

In addition, in the layout of the bridal chamber, the desire to have children, especially boys, is also revealed, such as the wedding couplets of "Red plum bears more fruits and green bamboo bears grandchildren"; The windows should be pasted with red paper, such as "Liu Kaibai Zi", and the interior walls of houses should also be pasted with calligraphy and painting such as "Hundred Zi Tu" and "Qing Ji Yu Yu".

(2) Pray for pregnancy and children at the wedding.

In the custom of wedding ceremony, a considerable part is the custom of praying for pregnancy and having children. In Jinan, people who marry brides should choose "all-blessed people", that is, women with both parents, children and happy families, in order to transfer their blessings and fertility from all-blessed people to new people. Before the couple went out to get on the sedan chair, they used candles to "shine on the sedan chair". On the one hand, it is to exorcise evil spirits, on the other hand, it is also to take the fire to her husband's house for vaccination. In Yantai, when the groom goes to the bride's house to tie the knot, someone will bring two bowls of soup and two bowls of undercooked jiaozi. There are dates, longan and lotus seeds in the soup, which means "early birth". When eating jiaozi, someone will ask the bride if she is alive, and the bride will answer "yes". In Shi Wen Village, Shewobo Town, Qixia City, a woman brought her family's jujube, peanuts, taro and other items to her mother-in-law's house and distributed them to everyone after the trouble. In southern Shandong and southwestern Shandong, a married woman should be accompanied by an old hen. In addition to good luck, she also hopes that the hen will lay eggs that day. In Hongtun Village, Jintun Town, Jiaxiang County, a bronze stove is placed in the sedan chair where the bride sits, and a little charcoal fire is filled in it, indicating that the bride brings kindling to her husband's house to sow seeds. In Linzi District, Zibo City, guests attending the wedding will secretly bring back a pair of chopsticks from the woman's house, which means "chopsticks". Weifang has similar customs. The man went to the woman's house to pay New Year greetings, and the groom left with chopsticks.

In Zhanhua area, when the bride gets off the sedan chair, her feet are not allowed to touch the ground. Everyone should use sacks (or sacks, mats, futons and the like) to spread on the ground. A couple walked on the sacks in front, and everyone had to pass them one by one. The vendor shouted, "Pass it on, pass it on." This custom means carrying on the family line. In Weifang area, the bride and groom should also lay some sacks and hold red and green scarves on their way to the bridal chamber.

In Jining, Binzhou, Zibo, Tai 'an and other places, when the bride enters the door, she must press a pair of chopsticks under the red brick on the door, which means "quick child". On the way to the yard, the bride was sprinkled with chestnuts, red dates and peanuts. It means "premature coagulation".

In Rizhao, Qixia and other places, before the bride enters the bridal chamber, the housekeeper, bearers or carpenters nail a curtain on the door and sing a cheerful song while hanging it: "Up to the Eight Immortals, down to the Eight Immortals, please hang the curtain. Hang a curtain above to give birth to a noble child, and hang a curtain below to give birth to a champion. Put your hands together, a crown and a flower. " When the bride enters the bridal chamber and crosses the dripping eaves in front of the house, she must cross it. Otherwise, it will be "stepping on the dripping eaves and waiting for twelve years", and it will take twelve years to have a baby. In Fajiayuan Village, Huangdao District, Qingdao, when newcomers enter the bridal chamber, the old people will sing a song: "Three handfuls of gold, two handfuls of silver, and there is a cornucopia at home. Sit on the pier and hug Sun well ... "

In addition, the common custom of "stuffing pillows" in Shandong also means praying for pregnancy and having children. For example, in the suburb of Guangrao County, Dongying City, after entertaining guests, they "fill pillows", that is, put straw on the empty pillowcase and say congratulations, "Fill this head, fill that head and support the children as champions". In Changle, Weifang, the bride filled two pillows with new wheat straw and tied them together for the groom to carry. The bride patted and said, "Oh, well, don't cry, don't cry." Then grandpa and grandma hug each other and roll on the new bed, which is called "rolling grandchildren"

In Shi Wen Village, Shewobo Town, Qixia City, the elderly with children and grandchildren should be invited to feed the newlyweds noodles, which also implies that a couple will have a full house of children and grandchildren in the future. In Wulian area of Rizhao, the groom is usually allowed to eat poached eggs and the bride to eat jiaozi, which means having a boy. In Linyi area, in some places, newlyweds drink lotus seed soup, which means "give birth to your son". In Jiazhuang Township, Cangshan County, the bride wants to eat a boiled egg in the new house. The deeper the first bite, the better. "A white bite, little nephew next year; Bite yellow, a champion in A Lang. " In Huantai District, Qingzhou City, Jining, rencheng district and other places, the bride wants to eat uncooked noodles, as well as jiaozi (called "descendants jiaozi" in Qingzhou area). When asked if they were born, they answered "born" to gain a good impression and pinned their hopes on having children early. In Weihai, after drinking a toast, the bride and groom will eat a bowl of oysters and a bowl of old fish, which means "stand up" and "grow old together".

In hushan town, Rizhao, on the wedding night, my sister-in-law will carry a urinal for her sister-in-law, saying, "I will carry a urinal for my sister-in-law, and I will have a nephew next year". In Qingzhou and Yishui, my brother-in-law walked with a urinal and said, "The couple will always be good and have a big boy next year." In Linyi area, my sister-in-law sent a new pot to her sister-in-law, calling it "My aunt sent a pot and held my nephew early". In addition, the bride's mother-in-law put a wooden chopping block under the bed of the new house, which means "grandma will send a chopping block and have grandchildren early". In Yimeng mountain area, the bride's mother-in-law will tie two onions together and put them under the pillow, and she must insert a thorn to show that she will have a pair of chubby babies in the future.

In addition, wedding ceremonies such as opening faces and burning beds are also full of festive atmosphere of praying for children. In Shi Wen Village, Shewobo Town, Qixia City, there is a custom of opening a face at a wedding. The local name is "face twisting", and the forehead and temples are decorated with two strands of thread. Twist your face and sing a twist-face song: "Red egg, turn around and eat your favorite steamed bread this year and your red egg next year." This custom also exists in Hongshanyu Village, Shanting, Zaozhuang, Shangcaizhuang Village, Chen Tuan Town, Donggang District, Rizhao City and Gaofang Village, Juye County. In Fajiayuan Village, Huangdao District, Qingdao, there is a bed-burning wedding apparatus. On the wedding night, the old people will burn two more fires to warm the kang and pray for their children and grandchildren to come early.

(3) Pray for pregnant children after marriage.

The custom of seeking children, which originated from marriage, mostly contains some elements of celebration and wishes, while those who seek children after marriage, who are infertile for a long time or have only girls but no boys, have a strong desire to seek heirs. In Shandong, there are many ways to pray for pregnancy and children, among which tying dolls and pledging children are more common, and there are other forms such as giving up eating, begging for flowers, begging for happy eggs and offering gifts to Zhang Xian.

1. Tie the doll

Doll tying, also known as "tying happiness", "tying children", "hugging children" and "knocking children", was very popular in Shandong before the founding of New China, and there are still many believers in some places. In general, the dolls will go to Bi Xia Yuan Jun Temple, Doumu Palace, Wangmuchi and other places, such as Baiyi Temple, Children's Temple, Zhang Xi 'an Temple, Grandma Temple and Land Temple. Usually, the gods are Guanyin, Grandma, Zhang Xi 'an and the goddess of birth.

Bi Xia Yuan Jun on Mount Tai is a goddess, and it is generally believed that she can bear children. Every year, an endless stream of people pray for their children and fulfill their wishes. Usually, the Taoist priest in the temple presides over the ceremony of praying for pregnancy and having children. First, I gave a clay doll to the Taoist priest on the sacred case. After praying, the Taoist tied a copper coin with a red line around the doll's neck. After that, take the doll and beat the bronze chime in front of God with copper coins to name the child. Pray that the child will take the doll home and hide it somewhere in the bedroom. It is said that she will be pregnant soon.

More people tied dolls in local temples. In the past, in Dingtao area, every year on the third day of March or the 26th day of March of the lunar calendar, infertile women brought red ropes tied with copper coins to the Songzi Grandma Temple or the local imitation mountain temple fair to worship Songzi Grandma, saying, "Comb your hair and wash your face in the temple, kneel down with the ground as the center, burn incense and kowtow to God, and give it to my family." Then I gave the baby a nickname, tied the red rope in my hand to one of the many clay dolls on grandma, turned around and walked back, saying, "My home is better than here, and your grandmother lives in the hall, and Westinghouse is our room; When my son was born, my grandmother took care of my mother to feed; My uncle buys toys for you and my parents buy clothes for you. " After entering the room, tie a red rope on the leg of the table, commonly known as "staying for a long time". In Heze area, after tying the doll, you have to dig some dry soil from the clay doll. Come home and say, "Come with your mother. I'll buy you a bowl of rice when you are hungry and a bowl of porridge when you are thirsty. Don't go anywhere, go home with your mother. " When you get home, you should swallow the clay doll. Most of the urban areas in Linqing are on the 16th day of the first month, and most of the rural areas go to temples to tie dolls on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. On the same day, the blessing boy went to the grandmother's temple to beg, and then tied the red line around the neck of the clay doll, saying, "The blessing boy comes with his mother, and the unlucky boy sits on the temple platform." I don't even go to menstruation's house, but go home with my mother. "After the prayer, wrap the clay doll in a red bag and take it home, and feed it three times a day. In Texas, when people beg for children in Niangniang Temple, they all sacrifice their toy boys to coffins. After burning incense and praying, take advantage of people's unprepared, wrap it up and run, and you can get pregnant when you get home. But if people see it, the children sent by the goddess will be scared away, and people's wishes will not be realized. The porcelain doll you get should be locked in a hidden box until the child you give birth to gets married. In Jiaozhou, dolls are usually tied on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the monks in the temple take them home the next day and put them in the hole in the bed wall to provide water and rice three times a day. If you have a baby, put a clay doll on the wall. Tengzhou area is to give a certain amount of money to a nun and marry her. A nun tied a clay doll or a stone with a red ribbon and gave it a name. Then the man who prayed for the child put it in his arms and shouted the name he had just brought home. The suburb of Guangrao County often goes to Yunmen Mountain (within Qingzhou boundary) to beg for a child, hang a red rope on a tree, buy a clay doll and carry it back in a red bag. In Dongzhai Village, Chenhu Town, Boxing County, the tied dolls should be placed under the mattress on the bed, and the bed will not be swept for 100 days.

In Liaocheng area, there is a woodcut couplet next to the shrine of the goddess who gave birth in the temple, which reads: "I will give this child to you wholeheartedly, and I will leave some evil deeds to him." There is also a "farewell brother" under the queen. He is carrying a cloth bag with a clay doll on his shoulder. It is said that he was ordered by the queen to take care of the children. There are many clay dolls with red pockets and bare bottoms on the altar of idols. A woman who comes to tie a doll can choose one of the many clay dolls in the temple as long as she pays a bride price, burns incense and kowtows to pray, even if the doll is tied.

make a vow

Begging for a child, also known as "pressing a child" and homophonic "pressing a branch", is also a common ceremony to pray for children. People looking for children came to the forest with temple fairs and put a stone on the branches of cypress or pine trees to pray for the children. Some pine or cypress trees around Doumu Palace, Bi Xia Temple or Lingyan Temple around Mount Tai are almost covered with stones, which shows that the custom of pledging children has a long history.

Give up eating

It is usually held in Laba every year. Beggars make porridge out of the rice they usually accumulate and give it to the poor. When Tengzhou and Taierzhuang cooked porridge, they chanted: "Leave a handful of rice for my son, a handful of noodles for my son, and leave it to Laba to cut rice." After the meal is done, carry it to the street for charity. In addition to abstaining from food, childless couples either fast and recite Buddha or do other good deeds, such as paving roads and bridges, helping the elderly and helping the poor, sending tea in hot weather and clothes in cold winter. In short, if you want to have children early, you must accumulate "Yin Gong".

4. Other customs of praying for pregnancy and children

In addition to tying dolls, pawning children and fasting, there are other customs in Shandong to pray for pregnancy and children. In Jinan and Ningyang, childless families adopt other people's children, thinking that they can get pregnant and have children, which are called "borrowing children" and "taking children" respectively.

In Qiancaiyuan Village, Xiaobotou Town, Wudi County, Binzhou City, on New Year's Eve, the child seeker held a handful of burning wheat straw and walked home and said, "Black boy, white boy, come to my house to eat jiaozi." In Wangdian Village, Chenhu Town, Boxing County, two old people from a family looking for children came to the roadside at the head of the village with bamboo rakes on New Year's Eve and said, "White girls and black boys have come to my house to eat jiaozi. Are you here? " Another man said, "Let's go." Say it three times in a row Finally, touch a stone, brick or clod where the bamboo rake has been smashed. If you touch a stone or brick, it indicates that a boy will be born; If you touch a clod, it indicates that a girl will be born. You can't turn back when you come, and you can't talk when you meet people. Put the touched stones, bricks or clods back on the daughter-in-law's bed when you get home. On the morning of New Year's Day, my daughter-in-law didn't get up until she finished eating the quilt. In Qufu area, on New Year's Eve, my mother-in-law touches a stone outside the house and hides it under her daughter-in-law's shop, or quietly cooks a neighbor's face lamp for her daughter-in-law to eat during the Lantern Festival, thinking that all infertile women can get pregnant. In Zoucheng area, when the pregnant daughter-in-law is asked to steal a lamp on the 15th day of the first month, many people like to eat the lamp in front of the families of Liu and Dai, which is a homonym of "leaving" and "bringing", meaning "keeping the child" and "bringing the child". The so-called "stole Liu's lamp and ate it that year." With a prostitute named brother Deng and a boy named Deng Cheng. " In addition, women in Zoucheng often burn incense and make wishes in front of the "descendants stone". Infertile women in Weishan area shouted "Black Mao Ni, Little Yellow Hair, come to my house" at the entrance of the village during the Spring Festival to pray for pregnancy. In Jiaodong area, the custom of sending noodles to the newly married wife on March 3 is also to pray for the children.

Eggs are a symbol of fertility, and the custom of praying for pregnancy with eggs is popular in some places in Shandong. In Tengzhou area, when old people hear who has children, they will ask for a red egg for their daughter-in-law. Cook a delicious egg for your daughter-in-law on New Year's Eve. In Taierzhuang District of Zaozhuang, on the morning of New Year's Day, my mother-in-law will cook three eggs for her infertile daughter-in-law. Eggs cannot be boiled. In Longkou area, women who have been infertile for a long time secretly eat a boiled egg behind the door every morning on New Year's Day.

The custom of touching Buddha's teeth is in Yiyuan area. Some local temples have Buddha teeth. After praying for pregnant women to pay money and bow down devoutly, they will be led into the secret room by the temple host to touch or take a look at the Buddha's teeth. It is said that this can make them pregnant and have children.

Some families who are praying for pregnant children are still offering Guanyin to their children at home, begging her to give it to them as soon as possible. Some even asked Mr. Feng Shui to look at the foundation and feng shui of the house, and they did not hesitate to change rooms, move graves and move doors (change the direction of their own gates) to get a man and a woman. In Shi Wen Village, Shewobo Town, Qixia City, there is a custom of moving doors to pray for children.

In Shandong, families eager for boys often take some established practices to pray for boys. For example, if only girls are born, girls are usually named, Ledi, Biandi, Zhaodi (hoping to bring boys) or Tingting (stopping having girls). Practice of letting pregnant women eat special eggs in Heze area. When the pregnant woman is 40 days pregnant, take an egg, cut it open, put it into the chicken kidney, add water and mix it well, wrap the egg whole, cook it with charcoal, let the pregnant woman eat it quietly in an unmanned place, and pray for a boy. (Selected from Shandong folk customs, pictures from the Internet, for reference only)