Like in other regions, the Spring Festival holds the highest importance in the hearts of people in Huaibei, as it is the top priority after a year of hard work. The Spring Festival is called “Da Nian”. Before the New Year, in addition to taking a shower, one also needs to have a haircut, commonly known as “not leaving a gap between the two years”. Whether you have money or not, shave your head to celebrate the Chinese New Year, whether you have money or not, go home to celebrate the Chinese New Year. This is both a folk belief and a social belief that people cannot ignore. The Chinese New Year is simply the top priority for people after a year of hard work. It is called the “New Year” and has been passed down for many years and spread in many places. People who are too old cannot escape. Before the New Year, in addition to taking a shower, one also had to have a haircut, commonly known as “not leaving a gap between the years”. Whether you have money or not, shave your head to celebrate the Chinese New Year, whether you have money or not, go home to celebrate the Chinese New Year. This is both a folk belief and a social belief that people cannot ignore.
Nowadays, during the Spring Festival travel rush every year, people are rushing like a tide, and the number of people rushing home for the Chinese New Year almost breaks records every year, even becoming a unique scenic spot on Earth. In the old days, those debt collectors, although sitting at the borrower’s house with a dull expression, would immediately put on a smiling face and bow to their master for the New Year as soon as the welcoming firecracker sounded, and then “walk back home”. In ancient times, on New Year’s Eve in Huaibei, there was a custom of placing a horizontal stick in front of the door, called the “door blocking stick”, which said to block gold and silver treasures from flowing out. Years have accumulated too much history and culture, heavy and weighty. No matter in traditional society or modern society, Nian is so sacred to Chinese people, and its color is blurred. In the old days, those debt collectors, although sitting in the borrower’s house with a dull expression, would immediately put on a smiling face and bow to their master to celebrate the New Year as soon as the welcoming firecracker sounded, and then “walk back home”. In ancient times, on New Year’s Eve in Huaibei, there was a custom of placing a horizontal stick in front of the door, called the “door blocking stick”, which said to block gold and silver treasures from flowing out.
In the old days, rural areas in Huaibei would gather every other day or several days, but after the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, it would become a daily gathering called “chaotic market”. Large households often slaughter pigs and sheep after the beginning of the twelfth lunar month. Grinding noodles is essential for every household, usually around 100-200 kilograms. On the 26th or 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, every household cooks, cooks, and fries to prepare New Year’s dishes. In particular, it is necessary to steam Mantou, which is enough to eat for ten days and a half months, and steam several large Mantou, with some dates in it, which will not be eaten until February 2. Every household also needs to fry burnt leaves, grasshopper legs, and fried dough sticks. Each household buys fabrics and prepares new clothes according to their own economic situation; Buy red paper and prepare couplets; Buy fruits for consumption; Buy incense to represent the God of Wealth and prepare for worship; Buy firecrackers and prepare to set them off… Poor families can borrow or borrow money, and also prepare some New Year’s goods.
On the day before the Spring Festival, many people in Huaibei do not call it New Year’s Eve, but rather “New Year’s Eve”. In ancient times, there were many elegant names for Chinese New Year’s Eve, such as “Jie Nuo”, “Jie Ye”, “Zhe Chu”, “Sui Chu”, “Da Chu”, and “Da Ju”.
The events of the New Year are very rich, such as couplets, firecrackers, and fireworks. The predecessor of modern Spring Festival couplets was called “Peach Talisman”, which was made of peach wood plates. It did not have calligraphy on it, but rather painted portraits of gods and beasts, with the intention of exorcising ghosts and evil spirits. The current Spring Festival couplets are intended to create a festive atmosphere and wish for good luck and prosperity, but they have lost their traditional role in promoting prosperity. Spring Festival couplets have become a unique literary style in China and have been thriving for a long time.
Firecrackers, like couplets, were originally a tool of witchcraft, used to ward off demons and monsters. Setting off firecrackers to celebrate the Chinese New Year, China has a history of over 2000 years.
With the development of firecrackers today, their shapes, colors, varieties, and technological content are all different from before. The custom of setting off firecrackers and fireworks has also developed and reached an unprecedented level. Whether in the city or in the countryside, every time we eat dumplings on New Year’s Eve, the deafening sound of firecrackers bursts and echoes throughout the sky, making the New Year’s flavor particularly strong.
In the Huaibei area, every New Year’s Eve, every family will chop dumpling filling, wrap dumplings, eat reunion dinner and New Year’s wine, and eat “late night snacks” (now known as “midnight snacks”). Nighttime is for keeping watch over the New Year. A plate of supper is placed on the table, and family members sit together, laughing, playing, or whispering, waiting patiently for dawn, which is called keeping watch. On New Year’s Eve, people regard it as the boundary day one year older (referring to the virtual year). Younger generations pay respects to their elders and bid farewell, while elders distribute “New Year’s money” (also known as the “New Year’s Eve line”) to younger generations. The New Year’s money is used to suppress evil spirits and help children celebrate the New Year. Because the child’s soul is incomplete, this is the reason for this action. However, modern New Year’s money is mostly a sign of family affection and love.
On the first day of the lunar new year, formerly known as the Day of the Gods’ Underworld, every household wakes up very early, unleashes their cannons, and ignites the annual whip, which means “all is well, and the family is peaceful.” For breakfast, make plenty of rice, flower, sugar, and tea, and serve “flat food” (vegetarian dumplings) to symbolize sweetness and auspiciousness. Some people also put a copper or nickel coin in the filling when making “flat food”, saying that whoever eats this flat food will have good luck for a year. After dinner, the younger generation pays New Year’s greetings to their elders. Then walk out of the house and pay New Year’s greetings to the elders in the left and right neighborhoods. Young children can receive “New Year’s money” during New Year’s greetings; At this moment, when familiar people meet on the road, they will greet each other and congratulate each other with “Happy New Year” and “Congratulations on getting rich”. Everyone is everywhere, exchanging New Year’s greetings and blessings with each other.
There are many folk beliefs and taboos during the Chinese New Year, covering a wide range of aspects. Such as avoiding shouting, beating and scolding, sweeping the floor, splashing water, taking out garbage, using needles, scissors, and staffs, making shoes (afraid of evil things), saying unlucky words (saying “break” when cooking dumplings, instead of saying “earned”), etc.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, it is an auspicious day to visit relatives and friends, often with sons in law visiting their father-in-law’s house, nephews visiting their uncle’s house, and nephews visiting their aunt’s house. Adults take their children to visit their relatives and friends. Every household has candies, peanuts, melon seeds, pastries, and tobacco and tea. Guests arrive, greet each other on New Year’s Day, and treat each other with hospitality. On the fourth day of the lunar new year in Huaibei, newlywed men often visit their father-in-law’s house with their wives to pay New Year’s respects. The father-in-law hosts a lavish banquet to entertain the “distinguished guests”. On that day, the couple must return and are not allowed to stay overnight, which is called ‘the wife of the first lunar month does not have a vacant room’. Starting from the first day of the lunar new year, we will pay our respects until the fifth or sixth day of the lunar new year. It is said that on the first and second days of the lunar new year, one should worship their family members, on the second and third days, one should worship their uncle, on the third and fourth days, one should worship their father-in-law, and on the fourth and fifth days, one should worship their aunt. If you don’t go then, you’ll be surprised. Even if it’s too late, it won’t be welcomed because the guests have finished their dishes. It is said that “New Year’s greetings include Mantou and meat on the fifth and sixth days of the lunar calendar; New Year’s greetings include the seventh and eighth days of the lunar calendar, with arms pulled outward”. During the festive period of New Year’s greetings, both urban and rural areas are bustling with people coming and going. This custom is still prevalent today. Some markets set up a stage to sing New Year’s opera, causing chaos for ten or eight days.
