Shanghai New Year Customs Watching Lights in City God Temple

The Spring Festival has lasted for thousands of years in China. But for a long time, the name "Spring Festival" refers to the "beginning of spring" among the 24 solar terms a year. It was not until the Revolution of 1911 overthrew the rule of the Manchu Qing Dynasty and after the founding of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen ordered the whole country to change to the Gregorian calendar. Subsequently, the New Year should also be changed to New Year's Day in the Gregorian calendar. However, after all, the Lunar New Year has become a traditional festival celebrated by all people, and its solid and profound customs and national culture are difficult to change. The celebration of the Lunar New Year is still endless and strong every year. Due to the emergence of a new Gregorian New Year's Day, in order to show the difference, since the Republic of China, the Lunar New Year has been renamed "Spring Festival" in the solar terms.

In the old days, the "New Year" began on December 23 of the lunar calendar, and it lasted until the Lantern Festival on the 15th of the first month. It also formed a set of fixed routines. Let's take a look at how Shanghai celebrated the New Year in the old days.

The 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, namely, the 24th day of December, is the day when the "Kitchen God" goes to heaven to make a memorial. Therefore, on the night of the 23rd, every household has to "deliver the stove" and "sacrifice the stove", thus starting the celebration of the New Year. Every household may worship the kitchen god in the hall at night. More often, on the kitchen stove with the statue of the kitchen god, wine, fruits, water chestnuts, rice mushrooms, and good fish and meat must be provided. There is a bamboo poem that says: "Prosperity and fame are prosperous and less right and wrong, and all the gods are blessed and interdependent. Today, I have nothing else to offer, just buy fresh meat and fat."

The Kitchen God went to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor the good and bad things in the world and the mistakes of people during the year. In order to avoid him going too far, people also provided sugar ingots made of caramel when "delivering the stove". It is said that in order for him to eat them, they stuck to his teeth and couldn't speak clearly, so that he could speak less or speak ill of the world. When "delivering the stove", each family ordered incense and candles. It was night, cigarettes surrounded the house and various offerings were dazzling, and the atmosphere of celebrating the New Year suddenly arrived.

The 25th day of the twelfth lunar month is the day when the gods descend to the lower world. According to tradition, every household will be dusted and cleaned inside and outside to remove the accumulated ash for a year and clean up the usual clutter. This move is quite serious. In today's terms, it can be called a positive, well-organized mass health campaign. After this day's work, every household has become more filthy, the supplies are cleaner than before, and the inside and outside show a fresh appearance, like a new year.

From this day on, every household began to be busy with all aspects of the Spring Festival. The first thing is to buy and prepare enough food for the New Year. Each household also has to grind flour to make glutinous rice balls, and some families also knead flour to make homemade rice cakes. The former means "round and round", while the latter can be "happy" and "taller every year" after eating. The second is to prepare new clothes, new hats, and new shoes. People may generally wear old things throughout the year, but they must review their "costumes" during the New Year; once again, they start to buy Spring Festival couplets, New Year paintings, and "door gods" to post them on the door, door front, upstairs and downstairs. During this period, in order to supply the needs of the public, there were many varieties of these things sold on the market. Each family also takes what it needs. For example, when buying Spring Festival couplets, the store chooses "prosperous business connects all over the world, and prosperous financial resources reach three rivers", while the average household chooses "The days increase the life of people, and the spring fills the garden with blessings".

This period is also the busiest time for stores in the middle of the year. On the one hand, it is the season when business is booming and sales are the strongest. On the other hand, the end of the year is the time when each family clears up the current accounts for the year and claims the accumulated arrears from the debtors. So each family sent special personnel to handle this matter, and a large-scale "debt collection" team appeared in the city: "Carry the account slips and bags in your hands and walk across the east street to the west alley. Step into the main door and call for answers. Sir, you must return home." Some people repay their debts very readily, but there are many who cannot repay their debts on time for various reasons. Debt collectors bear important responsibilities and pursue them endlessly. They often act day and night, regardless of the cold of the fifth watch at night.

Among those who cannot repay their debts on schedule, many are actually completely unable to repay their debts. In addition to the debts owed to the store, these people may also have personal debts. The end of the year is also when most debts are repaid, so these people face the pressure of asking for money from two aspects. However, according to usual practice, debt collection and debt collection can only be collected until New Year's Eve, and cannot be collected during the New Year. If you don't blame yourself, it is already unlucky. Therefore, for those who evade accounts and debts, New Year's Eve is the last hurdle. If they escape this hurdle, next year will be a different story. Therefore, they have been dealing with debt collectors and debt collectors, and tried every means to get through this New Year's Eve pass: "The creditors who are full of holes come, but they have no plan and are difficult to return. I have to go on stage today to avoid it. If I dodge it today, I will get rid of it."

However, except for the above-mentioned poor people, on the whole, when the New Year approaches, everyone is inevitably very jubilant and cheerful. After all the preparations mentioned above, the New Year's Eve that we have been looking forward to every day has finally arrived, and the New Year's celebration has entered a climax.

The beauty of New Year's Eve is at sunset. That evening, the elders and young of all families gathered together at home. Even those who traveled far away should try their best to return home before celebrating the New Year with their families. Everyone sat together under the lights and ate the "New Year's Eve dinner" together. They ate and drank, chatted and laughed. The meal lasted for a long time. This is a year-long period of hard work to enjoy family happiness, so it is called "family fun".

This night follows New Year's Eve, so many elderly people in families do not go to bed after New Year's Eve dinner and watch the New Year around the stove. He also laughed while talking and eating miscellaneous food. People will not feel that this night is longer and longer. At midnight, some people will go to the temples in the city to burn the "first incense".

When the rooster first crowed and the sky began to dawn, men, women and old from all households put on new clothes, new hats and new shoes, and worshipped heaven and earth and ancestors in the hall where offerings had already been prepared. Then the young and young people paid New Year greetings to their parents, and the parents distributed to the children the New Year's money they had prepared before the New Year. This was the hope that the children had been talking about for a long time, and they finally got it into their pockets with joy. Then open the door and set off explosions to welcome the new year, and neighbors meet and celebrate the new year.

Every day after the first day of the lunar new year is the time for relatives and friends to return and pay New Year greetings. Guests bring more gifts, and guests must drink "Yuanbao Tea" to put green fruits in the tea or put a green fruit on top of the tea lid. He also used gold lacquer plates to pack fruits to present to customers, and said,"Congratulations, how happy you are."

He also invited him to eat wine and rice. At that time, all elders who saw their young people had to give New Year's money, which was a considerable burden for those with financial difficulties. However, this kind of New Year greetings style had been simplified in Shanghai in the late Qing Dynasty. Those who have a lot of connections go out to pay New Year greetings often don't enter the door, but only send a name to celebrate the New Year. This way, they can save entertainment and expenses: "Change it into a new peach charm and a shorter robe to the door. Who is most afraid of breaking his waist frequently and throwing thorns in a hurry to celebrate the New Year?"

In addition to walking around each other to celebrate the New Year, the rest of the New Year is "celebrated" with various tours and entertainment activities. Some people go out for sightseeing, and the places they visit most are the City God Temple and the connected West Garden (i.e. Yu Garden):"Enjoy your happiness without having to do in the New Year, and walk across the Jiuqu Bridge in the garden. I suddenly heard the children clapping together, and whose kite was shaking for a long time." However, since the establishment of the modern Concession, the colorful Shili Western-style Market has unlimited charm and has become a good place for the New Year, especially for people living outside the Western-style Market: "People in the city love to go to the Western-style Market, but people outside the city compete to enter the temple garden. At the same time, people generally see that they are happy, but everyone is speechless "; some go out to see a theater, listen to books, and drink tea. After the opening of the port, there was a lot of promiscuity inside and outside Shanghai's foreign markets, and some people took this period to go on romantic tours, so they ruined the fireworks parks everywhere: "The New Year's weather mirror is freshly sharpened, and money is thrown like a shuttle. There are thousands of Chu Guan and Qin Lou buildings, and there is a lot of laughter at the opening of the fruit plate."Of course, more people often stay at home, and the entertainment inside can be found, such as inviting relatives and friends to build a" square city ", playing drums and piano, singing and singing, etc.:" Good food and fresh clothes are happy to celebrate the New Year's Eve, and a beautiful person throws a thorn to borrow a general name. Each house is closed for three days (referring to merchants), and it is either the sound of cards or the sound of drums."

On the fifth day of the first month, it is the birthday of the God of Wealth (commonly known as the "Road Head God "). There are actions in various places to" receive the God of Wealth "," Five Paths of Wealth "(meaning five roads of east, west, north, south, middle)", and "Connect the Road Head God". The God of Wealth governs "wealth" and everyone is related to it, especially merchants who open businesses for wealth, so their celebrations are the most enthusiastic. Shanghai has long been a prosperous commercial city in the southeast, with shops everywhere. You can imagine how noisy the celebrations on the fifth day of the lunar new day were. The merchants received the God of Wealth and provided three more animals: raw pig heads, carp, and rooster. Carp people, with the homophonic pronunciation of "Liyu", are particularly popular. As early as a few days ago, villagers from rural areas in the streets and alleys sold fresh carp to each family. Carp was also called "ingot fish", so it was called "sending ingot."

On the fifth day of the first lunar month, a new portrait of Marshal Zhao was hung in the center of the Shang Clan Hall. Except for the three animals, the other offerings were extremely abundant. The incense candles lit up and shone brightly throughout the house. Then firecrackers were set off indoors and outside, one after another, and the whole city roared and the sound shook hundreds of miles. And it continues, and its sound and momentum are even stronger than the dawn of the first day: "The firecrackers can't be connected, and the God of Wealth is busy and fighting to welcome it. I just want business to be good this year, why not pick up and drop off to Wugan?"

Finally it's the 15th Lantern Festival. The full month of 15 coincides with the meaning of reunion and circle, which is good luck and good luck. On this day, every family must eat "Lantern Festival", or glutinous rice balls, which is also the meaning of reunion and good luck. But the prosperity of the Lantern Festival lies in the "lamp", so it is also known as the "Lantern Festival". On this day, every household and shop have their own lanterns hung in front of their own doors, and temples, gardens, squares and other public places are decorated with lanterns. After sunset, thousands of lights are on, connecting the city, and the red light shines in the sky. The shapes of lanterns are varied, including lanterns of various colors, plant lanterns, animal lanterns, character lanterns, story lanterns, etc. The most common ones in Shanghai are rabbit lanterns, ingot lanterns, and walking lanterns. The largest and most exciting ones are the "dragon lanterns": the dragon body has a head and a tail, and its scales are flashing. It is 9 sections long in total, with a long handle at the bottom and is controlled by the dragon dancer. Special personnel held large bead-like "rolling lanterns" to maneuver, chase, and even fight with the dragon bodies. They danced together in the streets and alleys of Shanghai City.

At that time, men, women and old will put out exterior lights in groups. The City God Temple and the West Garden are also the center of activities. The pavilions and pavilions are decorated with lanterns and are brightly lit inside and outside. In the garden, there is also a large rockery and high rock area, which is the most attractive. The audience who came here crowded shoulder to shoulder and all of them beamed with smiles. In addition to looking at the lanterns, this Lantern Festival also appreciates a special "popularity": the so-called "the pearl curtain of ten miles is not rolled, and the people who watch the lanterns look at the lanterns" is that kind of unique artistic conception. The chaos on the Lantern Festival night lasted until late into the night. When the lights were over, everyone began to slowly walk home. One way of saying, this day is also the day when the Kitchen God returns, so it is just time to catch the stove master when he goes home.

In the upcoming dawn, this year's Spring Festival celebration comes to an end.