On the fifth day of the first lunar month, the pillar incense is widely available throughout the year; On the fifth day of the first month, touch the ingots, and the big money and the small money can't be used; On the fifth day of the first month, please invite the God of Wealth, and every household has a lot of money; At the beginning of the first month, the five gods enter the door, and the five grains are full of blessings. ”
"Shangzhu incense" and "touching ingots" are the customs and habits of "receiving the God of Wealth" on the fifth day of the first month.
In the north, the fifth day of the first lunar month is also commonly known as "breaking five". Why do the north and south call the fifth day of the first lunar month differently? What were the "tricks" for seeking wealth in ancient times?
In this regard, Xiaoqiao invited Huang Jingchun, professor of the Department of Chinese of the School of Literature of Shanghai University, and Zhang Bo, a researcher at the Institute of Beijing Studies of Beijing Union University, to "solve the mystery" for everyone.
Huang Jingchun. Professor of Chinese Department, School of Liberal Arts, Shanghai University.
The record of "welcoming the God of Wealth" on the fifth day of the first month was first seen in Feng Menglong's ** collection of "Warning Words" in the Ming Dynasty: "On the fifth day of the first month, Suzhou customs, every household in the day, sacrificed to the god of the five roads, called the city of Yaoli. "The local chronicles of the late Ming Dynasty also have records of receiving the God of Wealth on the fifth day of the first lunar month.
The difference in attitudes between the north and the south towards the fifth day of the first lunar month is related to the difference in regional development between the north and the south. During the Song and Song dynasties, China's economic center of gravity shifted southward, and the urban commodity economy developed rapidly. The people's prayer for life is no longer satisfied with "sending the poor", but directly expresses the pursuit of "prosperity".
Relatively speaking, in the old days, many areas in the north continued the tradition of agrarian society, so "sending the poor" was the main tone on the fifth day of the first lunar month. The northern region refers to the fifth day of the first lunar month as "breaking the five" is also related to this.
The ancients believed that there were many taboos during the New Year, and on the fifth day of the first month, people believed that after the New Year, they would start working in the fields. Therefore, the fifth day of the first lunar month also means that the taboo is "sent away". Sending away all kinds of taboos and sending the "poor" out of the house is the main content of "Breaking Five".
Zhang Bo. Researcher at the Institute of Beijing Studies, Beijing Union University.
In North China, Northeast China, Southwest China, and Northwest China, the fifth day of the first lunar month is often called "breaking five", "five poor days" and "five busy days". There are also called "separation", such as Keelung, Taiwan, on the fifth day of the first month of the first month, it is commonly known as "separation", which means that the new is over, and the rice cakes, spring rice, orange towers, and sweets offered to the gods should be removed.
On this day, there is a practice of sending the poor in many places, but the specific rituals and titles are different. In Gaocheng, Hebei, paper cannons are fired in the morning, which is called "sending the poor". In Zhaozhou, sweeping away the filthy soil and placing it outside the door is called "sending the poor".
In Handan, Hebei Province, when the morning is not clear, it is necessary to send a little coal ballast to the outside of the village with "a basket of coal ballast, and when it returns, it is changed to loess, and the name is 'send the poor soil and take the rich soil'." ”
In Datong, Shanxi, at dawn on this day, families have to sprinkle and sweep the courtyard and send garbage to the door. In Datong, Shanxi, at dawn on this day, families have to sprinkle and sweep the courtyard and send garbage to the door.
In Linxian County, Henan Province, on this morning, families sent some firewood ash to the crossroads, which is called "sending poor ashes". In Santai, Sichuan, on the fifth day of the first lunar month, families carry the garbage they have swept away to a secluded place and bury it, which is called "sending the poor".
In Tianshui, Gansu Province, on the morning of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the garbage accumulated from the first to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year was put in a bamboo dustpan, and the head was lowered, bent over, and retreated from the house to the gate with the dustpan in his hand, in order to block the oncoming wind and avoid blowing the garbage down. If you drop a little, you have to go back to the gate, and then turn around and can't look back, and run to the place where you take out the garbage in one go, and the dustpan can't be taken home, and you have to burn it with the garbage, which means that you have burned the five poor, and the family will definitely be rich this year. And on this day, people are not at ease after burning the five poor, and at noon they have to eat thick paste made of cornmeal (called loose rice by the locals), which means that the five poor are covered with thick paste.
In Yichuan, Shaanxi, breaking five taboos to go out, the so-called "breaking five to go out, a lifetime of poverty". Eating wontons at noon on this day is called "filling the poor", and you must be full on this day, which means that you will not go hungry for the rest of your life.
In some southern regions, such as Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and the southern part of Henan, the fifth day of the first month is often regarded as the birthday of the God of Wealth or the birthday of the God of Wealth on the fifth road.
For example, "Shanghai County Chronicle" contains: "On the fifth day, the God of Wealth was picked up, and the fresh carp and fish were called for sale, and they were called 'send ingots fish'." To the twilight of the drink, called 'God of Wealth Wine'. ”
In addition, according to the 1961 "Shanghai Historical Materials Series" and "Waigang Chronicles": "On the fifth day of the first month, the five roads are worshipped, which is called 'Yaoli City', in order to pray for the wealth of one year old. ”
In Suzhou, Jiangsu, when taking the road, it is necessary to hang the God of Wealth painting scroll in the middle of the guest hall, put five wine cups, five pairs of chopsticks in front, and five dry and five wet offerings, in addition, it is necessary to add four bowls and four plates, three livestock plates in the middle: two golden roosters, one side of pork ribs, one live silver carp and one pomfret each. The chicken should be tied into an ingot-shaped, with a green onion in the mouth; Press a kitchen knife on top of the fish. Another plate contains one large and five small pig intestines, one pig trotter, five eggs, and two sides of pig blood. Another water basin was prepared to feed a carp and release it after the sacrifice.
Merchants also open around the fifth day of the first month, worship the God of Wealth, and recruit people to drink, called "the head of the road". On this day, the beggars also came to have fun, and made a dance shape with a lion of paper, and begged for money from the shops. It's called "Drop the Lion".
In Hangzhou County, Zhejiang, this day also has to pick up the road. In Jiaxing, Zhejiang, the fifth day of the first month gets up early to make devout offerings to the gods, which is called "Qili City".
What are your family's customs on the fifth day of the first lunar month?
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*: China Overseas Chinese Network (ID: qiaowangzhongguo).
Author: Liu Yang.