In Pu 'er, we sow in spring, grow in summer, harvest in autumn and reserve in winter. Spring, summer and autumn hard work, in the winter to enjoy the fruits of labor, our ancestors is to follow this rule of life for generations. Spring Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, is in winter.

Dust Sweeping

As soon as it enters the twelfth month, our Pu 'er family will go to the old man and calculate the most suitable day for dust sweeping according to the animal sign and birthdates. On that day, the food was ready before dawn, and only after being carried to the main room for sacrifice could we begin to carry furniture and clean the house. Cleaning the house is not an ordinary broom, but a kind of branches and leaves called white pig chestnut cut back from the mountain that day. The branches and poles are about three to five meters long and the leaves are luxuriant. Cleaning is usually done by the person in charge, but also by chanting incantations, from top to bottom, from the inside to the outside, only from the inside to the outside. Then the whole family worked together to scrub every item up and down outside the house, put it at the door to dry, and then move it back to its original position.

Killing Pigs

Killing Pigs is the highlight before New Year's Eve. Bring relatives and friends together and use Nian pork to make dishes of various flavors. Folk chefs compete to perform and eat special delicacies. Many friends who have been separated for a long time take this opportunity to get together. Everyone has a good drink. After eating this one, they still want to eat. The beautiful women have forgotten the word "weight loss" completely.

New Year's Eve

After killing the New Year pigs, every family has prepared delicious food, bacon, sausage, cured meat, red meat, sour meat, fried meat... Too many delicacies are dressed up on New Year's Eve. In addition to these, there are several dishes that must be eaten on New Year's Eve. One is the big rooster raised by yourself, and the longer you raise it, the better, the bigger the cockscomb, the better, and it is usually boiled into soup; the second is longevity dishes, which are usually cooked with green vegetable moss, the longer the better, from one end of the vegetable basin to the other, symbolizing longevity; the third is all kinds of tricks and flavors of fish, symbolizing more than one year after year. Our total New Year's Eve meal is not less than eighteen bowls, and the main course is not less than eight bowls. The whole family began to prepare dishes at noon, and the young and strong had to go up the mountain to pick pine leaves and scatter them all over the floor of the main room. The New Year's Eve dinner was eaten around the pine leaves of the main room. By the way, firecrackers should be set off before dinner. The firecrackers will ring first, and the firecrackers will be more vigorous.

Watching the New Year

After eating the lively and round-the-table New Year's Eve dinner and watching the wonderful Spring Festival Gala, we began to watch the New Year. Every family has to cook 20 bowls of rice to make the retort full, symbolizing a bumper harvest in the coming year. We also need to prepare a big and long chestnut dry wood, which will not be burned until dawn, symbolizing the fat head of the pig raised in the coming year. The whole family sat around, roasted and caught fire, or the old people told stories, or everyone played word-picking games until dawn. Young people also have to "steal" vegetables from other fields. Generally, they only "steal" cabbage, which symbolizes that the bags are full in the coming year. Another essential thing is to take a bath. Everyone has to wash from head to foot and put on new clothes and pants. Underwear should be red. Listen to the old man said, feet wash more white people, the better the next year. The children set off firecrackers until dawn. Every family is beaming and immersed in the festive atmosphere.

On the first day of the new year, men cook and women carry water. It is said that the first load of water is Xianshui. Whoever picks the first load of water can bring peace and health into the home, so everyone is scrambling to get ahead of each other, one earlier than the other. After picking water, pasting couplets, and the god of wealth, blessing, door god, etc., window grilles should be pasted on the windows to exorcise evil spirits and avoid disasters. Two sugar cane stands on both sides of the door, representing the rising career and learning, and the sweeter the days pass. Two big incense sticks were ordered on both sides of the door, and two strings of red chili pepper hung in front of the door, symbolizing the house.

The first day of the new year is also the day to pay New Year's greetings. The family members are beaming with each other. Children pay New Year's greetings to adults and less to the old. Accompanied by auspicious words, red envelopes are given and blessings are full. On this day, the whole family also went to the temple to burn incense and pray.

Be a "Spring Guest"

Our Pu 'er custom is that on the first day of the new year, we do not move a knife, axe, needle and thread, sweep the floor, dry clothes, borrow money, or go out. Therefore, we did not start visiting relatives and friends to be a "Spring Guest" until the end of the 15th day of the first month. During this period, the more you walk around, the more visitors, the more popular and the better your popularity.

Lantern Festival

Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th of the first month. There is less big fish and meat in the meal, mainly dumplings and tangyuan. The main activities are lantern riddles and dragon boat races.

On the 15th of the first month, the Spring Festival will be over. People will begin to walk into the farmland again and work hard, waiting for the arrival of the next New Year. (Luo Meiyan)