February 5 is the fifth day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Tiger. Folklore says that the fifth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of the god of wealth, and on this day, the family holds a banquet to celebrate the god of wealth. Especially when businesses open the market, firecrackers should be set off early in the morning to welcome the god of wealth. The Qing Jia Lu records that "the five days are the birthday of the god of the road, the golden gong and firecrackers, the cattle are drunk, and the city is profitable, and it will be greeted early, which is called the road head." How much do you know about the traditional customs of the fifth day of the first lunar month?
"Break Five"
The fifth day of the first lunar month, commonly known as "breaking the fifth". Folklore experts explain that "breaking the fifth" means to send the New Year, and after this day, everything slowly returns to the state before the Chinese New Year's Eve.
Folklore expert Zhang Zhong said that in the old days, from the first to the fifth day of the first year, there were many superstitious taboos, such as not cooking with raw rice, women could not move needles and threads, could not clean, could not break things, and so on. After the fifth day of the first year, these taboos are lifted, so this day is called "breaking the fifth". At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the People's Republic of China, the Tianjin poet Feng Wenxun wrote in the "Ying Yin Tianjin Bamboo Branch Words": "Xinzheng women are afraid of too much, raw rice even can not be put down the pot, cups and bowls must be held cautiously, be careful that 'breaking the five' has not passed." ”
Eat dumplings
On the fifth day of the Chinese New Year, the common folk food custom is to eat dumplings, commonly known as "pinching the mouth of a villain". Because when making dumplings, you have to pinch along the edge of the dumplings with your hands one by one. It is said that this avoids the surrounding rumors. In addition, on this day, women have to find a few old clothes to dismantle, which is called "dismantling villains". It is said that this will save you from bad luck.
Send poor god
The god of wealth invited him to enter the door, and naturally invited the poor god out. According to folklore experts, the fifth or sixth day of the first lunar month is the day of sending the poor, which is a very distinctive custom of the mainland folk.
Among the many taboos during the Spring Festival, not taking out garbage is the most prominent. Folklore believes that the Spring Festival to the fifth day of the first day do not take out the garbage, can accumulate wealth, otherwise it will pour "blessings". However, there are more garbage piles, after all, it affects health, so it must be poured out on the fifth day of the first year, called "sending the poor". People send them to the poor by taking out garbage, so that they have nothing to do with poverty for a year, and of course they are rich and noble.
There are also many other names for sending the poor, such as "sending the five poor", "catching up with the five poor", "sending the poor soil", and "sending poor clothes". There are also many ways to send poverty, and the simple point is to throw the garbage out of the door in the early morning with firecrackers.
Folklore experts said that in the New Year' season, whether it is to receive the god of wealth or "send the god of poverty", it is to seek wealth and wealth, this custom reflects the Chinese generally hope to leave the old and welcome the new, send away the poor and hardship, and pray for a rich life.
Synthesis: Xinhua Net, China Youth Net Editor/Sun Zili