The Customs of Chinese New Year in Chaozhou
by alywang
Spring Festival is the most important festival to Chinese. As China is a big country, the customs of Chinese New Year are different in different areas. I’m sure the customs of Chinese New Year in Chaozhou keeps a lot from the ancient times.
The days near New Year become very busy. People go back to their home town before New Year as possible as they can. Business about people’s living is very good during this time. We buy new clothes and have hair cut to greet the New Year. The markets are full of people busy with preparing the goods of New Year. Flowers are also very welcome during this time. They are brought to decorate the house. The Christmas trees are a part of Christmas while tangerine trees are a part of New Year in Chaozhou. People believe tangerines can bring auspiciousness.
We usually choose a good day before New Year to clean the house. On New Year Eve, the spring festival scrolls are changed on the door of every house. In the afternoon of New Year Eve, we hold the sacrifice for our ancestors. After the sacrifice, it’s the time for family reunion dinner. Distributing “Money Pouch” to the children and the elders is also a traditional custom. In the past, every household set off the firecrackers in front of their house for lustrating bad apparitions.
In the morning of the first day of New Year, people wearing new dresses visit their relatives and friends to pay New Year calls. Today in some villages of Chaozhou, you can still see that people exchanges the tangerines to every household they visit. It is believed that stands for auspiciousness. When the guests visit one’s home, the host presents the candies and the Chinese olives for the guests as the candies and the Chinese olives bring best wishes.
The Parade of Deities
by alywang
The parade of deities must be the local custom with most festal ambience during Spring Festival in Chaozhou. Today, these parades can still be seen in the villages of Chaozhou.
The day of the parade varies in different villages. But it is usually among the first month of Chinese traditional calendar. Some villages have a changeless day for the parade. Some villages choose a good day variously every year. the route of the parade is the main roads of the village.
The elders with noble character and high prestige of the village walk in front of the parade. They take a barrel of water with some branches of pomegranate in it and use the branches to asperse on both sides of the road. The next part following the elders is the procession of colorful flags. Besides the small flags, there are still some big colorful flags with Chaozhou embroidery. Behind the procession of colorful flags, here comes the leading actor of the parade- the images of the deity sitting in the litters which look magnificent. When the images of the deity are coming, villagers set off the firecrackers in front of their house to salute the deities. And it’s believed that touching the images of the deity can bring good luck. The following are all kinds of drama characters with play clothing. They are not played by the real actors but some of the villagers :) these plays bring people a lot fun. Sure the Chaozhou Gong and drum are indispensable in such activity. They are in the last of the parade and add great jollification for the parade.
The Festival Of Ghosts
by alywang
It’s said that the Yama gives an order to open the gate of the hell from the first day to the fifteenth day of the seventh month for ghosts. Therefore, people call the seventh month ghost month. They believe this month is unlucky. There are no marriages and moves in this month. And the fifteenth day is the festival of ghosts. This festival is because of the filial piety. On this day, every family offer kinds of sacrifices to ghosts. In the evening, people cense in front of their houses and infix the incenses the more the better on the ground. It signifies bumper harvest. And shops are closed early to make way for ghosts.
Taijiquan-A Good Way to Health
by alywang
There are not a few people playing Taijiquan in the West Lake Hill and West Lake Park. I think Taijiquan is a good way to health, especially for the elderly. Though it’s slow and takes patience, after you playing Taijiquan, you will get sweaty.
Hehe, do you think my mom playing Taijiquan is kind of cool :)
One of the Chaozhou snack-Rice Peaches!!!
by alywang about Roadside food stalls
Rice peach is a kind of Chaozhou cakes. Both the cover and the filling are made of rice. Because this cake is made into a peach shape, local people call it Rice Peach. Rice peaches are usually used to serve the forefathers.
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The Chaozhou cuisine
The Qingming Festival
The Green Cantus-Chaozhou music
Chaozhou Embroidery
