Ancient customs of Han nationality

First of all, women are pregnant, which is commonly called "Youxi" by Han people.

The second day after the child was born, it was the "Three Dynasties". After a child is born, most of them close their eyes until three dynasties (that is, three days) or after three dynasties. According to the old custom, children should see their father first, then their mother and other relatives and friends to show their eternal filial piety to their parents. At this time, relatives and friends who come to visit often send gifts such as eggs, brown sugar and children's clothes to congratulate them. Among them, the red egg is called "red egg", also called "happy egg", because it is a festive occasion.

The full moon is called "Mi Yue". The old custom is to give children a haircut, commonly known as "shaving their heads", and hold a banquet to celebrate. In some places, the eighth day of the fourth lunar month is designated as the "haircut" day for newborns. Modern Han people regard the child's full moon as a common occurrence, but in some places, rural areas still attach great importance to it, and often invite full moon wine.

One year old is the most solemn day since a child was born. It is an ancient custom to test a child's future when he is one year old. The method is to put a bow and arrow pen for men, a knife, ruler, needle basket for women, all kinds of food and clothes on the table, and let the children do it themselves. The winner is the symbol of their future. Modern Han people generally pay more attention to their children's first birthday. Whether in urban or rural areas, they usually take pictures of their children, make new clothes and eat eggs and noodles to congratulate them. Some families with better economic conditions will also hold birthday parties to entertain relatives and friends. There is also the custom of keeping jiaozi for one year in rural areas in the south of the Yangtze River. This kind of zongzi is wrapped longer than ordinary zongzi, which means that children will grow up soon.

Tomb-Sweeping Day, Mid-Autumn Festival and Cold Clothes Festival were originally called "Three Ghosts Festival", which was based on ancestor worship and mainly focused on ghost worship. Tomb-Sweeping Day's grave-sweeping means remembering ancestors and encouraging future generations. The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Orchid Festival, has the custom of setting off river lanterns to save the lonely and taking care of ghosts. On the Cold Clothes Festival, people burn paper clothes in front of their ancestors' graves.

The worship of dragons and phoenixes of Han people also occupies a very important position in folk customs. Because of the folk superstition that dragons can walk through the clouds and rain, the Longwang Temple, like the land temple and ancestral temple, is spread all over the Han people, praying for the dragon god to reconcile the wind and rain, and the grain will be abundant. In the dry season, people often hold a ceremony to pray for the dragon rain. At the same time, the people also worship Longshan, regarding a mountain in front of the village, at the entrance to the village or behind the village as Longshan, regarding the vegetation on the mountain as Longlin, and regarding the mountain as Long Mai, all of which are sacred objects, and cutting and destruction are prohibited. In some rural areas, in order to get a bumper harvest of grain, the dragon welcoming ceremony is held in the first month of each year, which is still popular today.

marriage customs

"Accepting talents" means that the man's family asks the matchmaker to propose marriage to the woman's family, which is later called "matchmaking"; "Asking the name" means that the two sides change their ages, which is called "changing the dragon and phoenix hillock" in modern times, and then divining "marriage"; Najib means "engaged"; "Zheng Na" is a betrothal gift from the man's family to the woman's family, commonly known as "bride price"; "Invitation" means choosing a wedding date and asking the woman for advice; "Kissing" means marrying the bride. The marriage custom of the Han nationality has a long history and has a strong national color. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, a complete set of etiquette has been formed, namely "drawing lots", "asking names", "accepting oneself", "accepting levies", "inviting guests" and "welcoming relatives", which are called "Six Rites".

From ancient times to the present, although the marriage customs are different because of the changes of the times or the differences between the rich and the poor, the basic ritual procedures are similar. Even in modern times, with the rise of free love and the simplification of etiquette, there are still reservations about the customs of the matchmaker (introducer) such as communication, blind date, engagement and marriage.

Among the "Six Rites", the content of "welcoming the bride" is the most colorful, and the main customs are paving the house, crying for marriage, spreading cereal beans, raising fire, splashing water, covering the face, wearing red clothes, landing the bride's feet on the ground, sitting in a sedan chair, "crossing the saddle", worshiping the church meeting, spreading accounts and making a cup of noise. For more than two thousand years, these "pro-welcoming" customs have been enduring. Although they have been innovating and evolving with the progress of society in modern times, their basic aspects have not changed much.

In the aspect of marriage system, although monogamy was widely practiced in ancient Han nationality, concubinage was more common. In modern times, it is commonly known as "begging for a concubine" or "marrying a concubine", but widows are generally not allowed to remarry, especially in the late feudal society, when Neo-Confucianism rose and the rules were very strict, and some basically wore plain clothes all their lives.

In the form of marriage, in the old society, in addition to being married by the media, there were buying and selling marriage, cousin marriage, exchange marriage, transfer marriage, adoption marriage (commonly known as "adoption"), canonical marriage, foster marriage, finger marriage, filial marriage, ghost marriage and so on.

Funeral custom

The old tradition of Han funeral is to pay attention to heavy burial, which is mixed with many superstitious customs. Coffin burial has been popular in Han nationality since ancient times, and the funeral is grand and divided into three stages: burial, burial and burial.

The funeral is to dress the body and put it under the coffin. Before a person dies, he should summon the soul and bathe the dead. Funeral is divided into two steps: small funeral and large funeral. A small undertaker is a cloth used to wrap his body, silk is for the rich and jade is for the royal family. Great-coat is to put the body in the coffin. Coffins are called "longevity materials", male coffins are engraved with the word "longevity", female coffins are engraved with the word "blessing", and some coffins are engraved with the combination of the words "Fu Lushou". When he was dying, he put rice in the mouth of the dead man. This rich family owns jade, pearls, etc. , the royal family contains jade, modern silver, are called "rice". When you die, there are often some things buried with you. Generally, people have clothes, quilts and daily necessities, and wealthy families and royalty will have many valuable items buried with them.

A funeral is to stay in the funeral palace after the funeral. The mourning period varies from 3 days to 30 days, mainly depending on the mourners. In ancient times, coffins were buried for three months, up to seven months. According to the traditional customs of the Han nationality, children should mourn when their parents die, otherwise it is unfilial. Relatives and friends will mourn and pay homage to the deceased in the future, which is called "mourning" or "condolence". All mourners should mourn. In ancient times, the mourning clothes of Han nationality were divided into five types: Wei, Cui Zi, Dagong, Hong Xiao and Zhima, which were called "five clothes". They are made of coarse linen and fine linen, and wear different mourning clothes according to the relationship between relatives and friends, which is called "Pima Dai Xiao". In modern times, white cloth is often used for mourning. Modern cities generally wear white flowers on their chests and black gauze on their arms.

Burying is burying the body of the dead, that is, burying the coffin. Before burial, the old custom often depends on geomantic omen and chooses a cemetery, which is called "choosing good luck". Funeral is also called funeral. At the funeral, the ancient Han people were generally "dutiful sons", and undertaker sang an elegy. Elegy has evolved into elegy in modern times. Relatives and friends wrote elegiac couplets or funeral elegiac couplets, which evolved into wreaths of elegiac couplets in modern times.

In ancient times, the custom of offering sacrifices to people (mainly close relatives, near ministers and near servants, which remained until the Qing Dynasty) was gradually replaced by pottery figurines, and in modern times, paper figures were buried with them.

After the funeral, there are memorial ceremonies for the seventh, seventh, centenary and anniversary, and the memorial tablet belongs to the ancestral hall, which has changed from a ceremony for people at the funeral to a ceremony for "ghosts" and "ancestors".

In addition, the Han nationality also has the custom of "returning to burial", that is, transporting the bodies that died in other places back to their original places.

During the funeral, the relatives of the deceased should wear mourning clothes and wake in the mourning hall. In the ancient etiquette system of China, filial piety was divided into five grades according to the kinship with the deceased. There is also a word "five clothes" in modern Chinese to express the distance of blood relationship. Filial piety is made of white cloth, which is quite different from the custom of westerners wearing white clothes to make dresses. In the Qing Dynasty, an Englishman came to China for the first time. When he met the funeral procession, everyone was dressed in white, but his expression was painful, sad and strange. In ancient times, people sang elegies at funerals, and Tao Yuanming, a great poet in Jin Dynasty, wrote three elegies for himself before his death. The elegy of later generations evolved from the elegy of ancient times. [ 1]

The scale of the funeral ceremony is closely related to the status of the deceased. In feudal society, there were strict regulations on funeral ceremonies for people with different identities and status. Princes, nobles and rich people often show off their power with large-scale funerals. In A Dream of Red Mansions, Qin Keqing died in Ningguo Mansion with a coffin worth several thousand taels of silver. Two or three hundred monks chanted, and the procession at the funeral was "mighty and unstoppable". The poor don't even have enough food and clothing, so naturally there is no "reburial". Sometimes you can only wrap the body with a mat and bury it hastily.

After the death of the elder, children and grandchildren should stay at home for 27 months, during which time they should stop socializing and entertaining. Officials also have to leave their jobs and go home to be filial, which is called "keeping the system."

Other festival activities

the Lantern Festival

18 years old holiday customs of Han nationality. It contains fertility customs and culture. Popular in Cenxi, Fuchuan and other counties in eastern Guangxi, it has a history of more than 100 years. The time is the tenth day of the first lunar month. Last year, whenever a boy's home was added, lanterns were hung in the social temple. The lamp is tied with bamboo sticks, covered with floral paper, written with auspicious riddles, and lit with oil lamps, which should be oiled every day. There are more people hanging lanterns, and the temple naturally forms a shed. On the same day, Tiandingfu drank lanterns and wine, grandparents brought clothes, suspenders and toys to the baby, and relatives, friends and neighbors sent clothes and red envelopes to congratulate him. * * * drank happily. The lights will go out on the sixteenth day of the first month.

Sharizi

Marriage customs of Han nationality. Also known as the reporting date. Popular in most counties and townships in Guangxi. Talking about marriage in rural areas: a step towards marriage. When young men and women get to know each other, tell their parents and ask the media to communicate. The man gives the bride a bride price and then sets a wedding date.

In the past, fortune tellers always ranked the "eight characters" first, and the fate was consistent. In some places, parents meet to get engaged. For example, in quanzhou county, after the two sides agreed, the matchmaker sent wine, meat and cloth to the woman on behalf of the man, and accompanied his parents and uncles to meet at the man's house on the agreed date, and the man gave a banquet. The young man poured wine in a pot, first to the woman's uncle and then to his uncle, and then toasted in turn. The two sides agreed on the wedding date and the engagement was completed. Later, men and women gave the woman heavy gifts and bride price, the woman prepared dowry, the man prepared furniture, and the wedding was held as scheduled. If the woman urges marriage, she will make a pair of glutinous rice cakes (commonly known as "reunion cakes") and send them to the man's house. The man got the message, treated him warmly and invited his neighbors to go with him. Generally speaking, it is respected for the woman to take the initiative to advance the wedding date.

Helangge

Marriage customs of Han nationality. Popular in Xing 'an, northeast Guangxi. After visiting the church and the dinner party, relatives and friends gathered around the groom in the main hall and sang songs to congratulate him. Impromptu congratulations, but also joking and humorous words. Friends and relatives sing a song and the groom drinks a glass of wine. Sing till midnight and send the groom into the bridal chamber. The female singer waited behind closed doors, and the men and women sang "Open the Door Song" in pairs before opening the door. Singing noisily after entering the door, from "a toast to the groom" to "ten cups", the groom drinks from 1 to 10 cups in turn (male singers can drink instead of winners). Then sing "Sex Wine" and the couple have a drink together. Finally, the singer closed the door and sang the song of closing the door to end the wedding.

Zuohongtang

Marriage customs of Han nationality. Popular in quanzhou county, northeast Guangxi. On the eve of marriage, young men and women worship their ancestors in their own homes and receive lectures from their elders. The bride wears red ornaments and is accompanied by her classmates. She sat in the main room, singing "Weeping Wedding Song" softly, remembering her parents' kindness and expressing sisterhood. Sisters told the bride to be filial to the elderly and live in harmony with her brothers and sisters, and praised the groom for his handsome and hardworking. When the bride expresses her unhappy thoughts, the sisters comfort her in many ways. Singing late into the night, Yiyi said goodbye and presented gifts. The groom is also accompanied by his classmates sitting in his main hall, and is taught by his elders to be diligent and keep the house and obey the rules. After the teaching, the old man retired, and the boys joked and chased the groom, and the joy didn't end until late at night.

Ask for the key

Marriage customs of Han nationality. Popular in quanzhou county, northeast Guangxi. The bride's wedding key is in the hands of any of her siblings or nephews. Before meeting the bride, the groom sends a package to the bride-to-be, asking for the key, so that after meeting the bride, he can open the box and show Gu Mi's money, symbolizing a bumper harvest after marriage and a rich family. There were too few relatives to see me off, and the groom added many times. Farewell Lang took the parcel, and the groom got the key and went to see the bride happily.

Kanwu

One of the marriage customs of Han nationality is an important procedure of rural marriage negotiation. Also called housekeeping rounds. Popular in most counties and townships in Guangxi. At that time, accompanied by more than 10 relatives and friends, the woman and two girls called "accompanying aunts" went to that house (some women didn't go). The man gave a banquet to entertain. The matchmaker introduced the two parties to get married. When the woman's relatives and friends ask for gifts, the man will generally promise to give the guests "money" at that time. The next day, the two sides negotiated through the matchmaker. In some places, it is also allowed to enter the inner room of the man who is proposing marriage to check the real situation and then propose marriage through the matchmaker.

Stealing the bride in a dark room

Marriage customs of Han nationality. Popular in Guidong and Hexian counties. In the downtown mountainous area, after the bride cried and got married for two days and two nights, she hid in a dark room with her girlfriends early in the morning on the day of crossing the door. After the men and women arrived, the bride's brother (or cousin) and the young men in the pro-prestige broke into the house. The female companion threw sand and waved bamboo branches to resist. The robber tried to drag his girlfriend out of the door to eliminate interference. If you defeat two robbers, it will increase to four people even 10 or more until the bride is forced out. Then two (or four) women in the man's wedding team take turns to carry the bride to Lang's house. In the competition of stealing marriage, the man wiped the cigarette and ink for the woman, and the woman tore the man's clothes, which turned the legacy of ancient stealing marriage into a farce for young men and women.

Baitang Cai Yu

Marriage customs of Han nationality. Popular in most counties and townships in Guangxi. An important procedure in the wedding. Usually, the groom's uncle will light a pair of wedding candles on the altar and say some blessing words to express congratulations and prayers. For example, in the county of Guidong, colorful words are often used: "The dragon lantern shines alone, the flower hall shines high, the husband and wife live together, and the luck is in pairs", "Holding a bonus in hand, congratulations on the nephew's marriage to the bride, and the husband and wife and Tian Ming live a long life, and the husband and wife are harmonious for a hundred years." After the speech, the bride and groom worship the heavens and the earth and their ancestors and get married.

Xiangri

18 years old holiday customs of Han nationality. Popular in Guanyang area in northeast Guangxi. On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. According to local folklore, the weaver girl will meet the cowherd at night. During the day, she will dress up and rouge powder will be scattered all over the sky, hence the name. At that time, women would take out their clothes and boxes and expose them to the sun. They will put water in a basin, put some grass in the water as a symbol of various drugs, and let them bask in the sun outdoors. This is called "sunbathing perfume". It is said that wearing clothes aired on the "fragrant day" and washing "perfume" can prevent plague, promote health and make couples more harmonious and loving, just like cowherd and weaver girl. There is a folk saying that "July incense basks in a cage box".