In the eyes of many people, the Lantern Festival marks the end of the Spring Festival and the return to daily life. However, according to traditional Chinese customs, the Spring Festival does not end until the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, so the sixteenth day of the first lunar month is also called "closing the end of the year", also known as "sending the new year". As the saying goes: "If you don't send a year for sixteen, it will be difficult for a year to go well." So, how can the Spring Festival be successfully sent away? According to traditional customs, the sixteenth day of the first lunar month has many particularities such as "one pick and four to touch the old cat", so let's take a closer look.
1 "One flirtation".
"One flirtation" refers to "sultry and scolding" or "scolding bad luck", which is actually "provoking and scolding", and eliminating bad luck through scolding. Therefore, on the 16th day of the first lunar month, some young people are keen to engage in some small pranks to cause others to scold, but in fact this is just a transitional act to relieve emotions. Due to the many rules of the New Year, it is strictly forbidden to use foul language or quarrels, even if you are unhappy in your heart, you can only endure it until the sixteenth day of the first month, which is considered to completely release negative emotions and start the new year's study, work and life.
2 "Four sends".
"Four sends" include sending ancestors, sending plague gods, sending all kinds of diseases and sending cattle piles, as the saying "on the twenty-ninth day of the lunar month to the grave please make a big offering" reflects this. It means that on the 29th day of the lunar month, people worship devoutly to welcome their ancestors home to share the reunion year, and on the 16th day of the first month, the year is over, and the ancestors must be sent back.
After the early morning ceremony, the ancestor sending ceremony begins, the ancestors are placed and the incense is burned, paper money is burned, and prayers are prayed; At the same time, it includes burning all kinds of tablets and lantern sheds built during the Spring Festival, which is called "sending ancestors", and follows the principle of "receiving and sending".
It is especially important to remember to carry out the "send away all diseases" activity, that is, to go out of the house for a short walk to symbolize the sending away of diseases; This custom has the meaning of avoiding disasters and praying for happiness and well-being. On the day of the festival, both men and women, young and old, are willing to go out for a walk and walk towards the small bridges around the town. Families who can afford it may ask the elderly to bring cypress branches for their children before they go out and discard them in the middle of the bridge, in the hope of eliminating all diseases. They hope that through this ceremony, the whole family will be healthy and free from illness in the new year.
As for the so-called "cattle stake", it is derived from the concept of preference for sons over daughters in the past, hoping that on the 16th day of the first lunar month, the family that gave birth to a son will invite eight young men with different surnames to the house with a son in the village to steal some small items and put them on the bed of the inviter, hoping to have a son as soon as possible. Although this practice lacks scientific evidence, it has good implications. It is worth noting that the Spring Festival couplets and lanterns pasted during the Chinese New Year hindered the arrival of evil qi and the surface was contaminated with bad luck, so they must be taken off and burned on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, that is, the so-called "sending the plague god".
3."Touch the old cat".
Touch the old cat", this "old cat" is not a pet cat raised at home, but the common name of the black tiger of the God of Wealth. On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, people go to the Temple of Wealth to pray for good fortune and wealth in the New Year. During the worship process, the black tiger "old cat" is usually touched, hoping that he can stay away from diseases, which means health and safety throughout the year.
4."Wear Day": It is not advisable to open a position
In some areas, the 16th day of the first lunar month is regarded as the "day of wear", and it is not advisable to open a granary to avoid the loss of grain and the outflow of money, so it is recommended to make sure that the rice jar and barn at home are full on the 16th day of the first lunar month, so as to show abundance and happiness.
5."Black Ash Day": Don't wash your face
In some ethnic minority areas, the 16th day of the first lunar month becomes the "Black and Gray Day", and the habit of "not washing your face" is understood as a black day on this day. People smeared paint on each other and left traces in order to pray that wealth would not be lost. However, this behavior is usually limited to siblings or close friends, not to elders.
6.To eat noodles
Eating noodles" is a necessary ritual on this day. The phrase "put on the lantern and drop the lantern" vividly describes the customs after the end of the Lantern Festival. According to the old custom, on the night of the 16th day of the first lunar month, people need to take off the lanterns. Then, the whole family sits around the dining table and shares the noodles, which are smooth and long, symbolizing a smooth new year and smooth development of life and work.
The above are the six customs and avoidances of the sixteenth day of the first month, I believe that everyone's hometown will have their own unique customs on the sixteenth day of the first month, looking forward to hearing your story, welcome to leave a message in the comment area below to share. In the new year, I wish you all peace and happiness every day.