The fifth day of the Lunar New Year
On the fifth day of the first lunar month (from 23 o'clock on the fourth day of the first month to 1 o'clock in the morning on the fifth day of the first month), Shanghainese people have "received the God of Wealth". The God of Wealth is also known as the "God of the Five Roads", the so-called Five Roads, referring to the east, west, north, south, and middle, which means that you can get wealth by going out on the five roads.
Gu Lu of the Qing Dynasty "Qing Jialu" cloud: "The fifth day of the first month is the birthday of the head of the road. Golden gongs and firecrackers, livestock and liquor, in order to compete for the first benefit of the city, will get up early to welcome it, called the road head. He also said, "The head of the road today is the god of the five rituals." The so-called five roads, at that time, east, west, north and south, middle ear. "The five rituals are the sacrifice to the household god, the stove god, the earth god, the door god, and the line god. The so-called "road god", or "walking god", is originally the god of the road that people travel to worship. Since the acquisition of wealth depends on circulation, the god of the road is transformed into the god of wealth.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Shanghai Xiaoxiaochang New Year's painting "Five Roads God of Wealth"
The God of Wealth is "wealth", everyone is related, especially the business is opened for wealth, so their celebration is the most varied. Shanghai has long been a prosperous business town in the southeast, and commercial shops can be seen everywhere, and the celebration on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year can be imagined. The store receives the God of Wealth ceremony, usually on the fourth night of the new year, and the fifth child grabs the road to welcome the God of Wealth. Merchants will also hang five pieces of the God of Wealth in the middle of the house, hang paper lanterns on the left and right sides of the storefront, and the lanterns will be pasted with the number of the store, and the table will be surrounded by embroidered red silk tables, on which three animals (pig heads, carp, and roosters) will be enshrined, or five animals (plus beef and sheep's trotters).
"The Phenomenon of the New Year in Shanghai: Receiving the God of Wealth" in the Picture Daily of the Late Qing Dynasty
Shanghai people are more particular about the offerings, the fish generally use golden carp, because "carp" and "profit" are homophonic, called "ingots fish"; chickens use hens, take their raw eggs, in order to get the lip gloss of "can get gold"; meat with fresh meat, indicating "this year to get fat (profit)". Among the offerings, there is also chicken blood jelly in the shape of gold and silver ingots, called "ingots", or ingots made of powder, called "sugar ingots", in order to ask for the lip gloss of "fortune and treasure".
"Riding a Dragon" (Shao Dan's work, courtesy of the Municipal Artists Association)
Some merchants will keep live carp in the tank, called "living ingots", the next day after the sacrifice to the God of Wealth, the fish will be released in the Huangpu River, Suzhou Creek, or in the lotus pond of Yu Garden, implying that the ingots will be like flowing water. Some merchants dye eggs purple or bright red, which is called "dyeing ingots eggs", which means that "ingots are like chickens laying eggs, and they come in a steady stream". During this period, people's various "welcoming the God of Wealth" tricks can be described as brain-opening and creative.
Source: Shanghai Hongkou