Along with the sound of firecrackers, almost every household was playing Zhuo Yiting's happy New Year song. At that time, she was very popular in Asia. Regardless of whether it was men or women, old or young, they were all her loyal fans. Anyone could hum a part of the popular songs that she had sung. She was everyone's idol and had accompanied a generation of people as they grew up. She had also witnessed the changes of an era. No matter what year it was, whether she was alive or dead, she would always live in people's hearts. The times could erase her youth, but they could not hide her talent. These were the classic old songs that were reflected in her memory.
The Spring Festival in the countryside was lively. There was joy everywhere. From the first day of the first lunar month to the Lantern Festival, the pace of celebrating the Spring Festival never stopped, and there were endless ways to celebrate. The adults had their own ways of celebrating, and the children had their own ways of finding joy. However, the most lively and most common were the dragon lanterns and flower drums. This was the essence of China that had been passed down for five thousand years, and it was also a long-standing folk custom in China. However, due to the passing of history, the various places were incomplete. They were roughly the same, but they also incorporated the local characteristics.
For example, the dragon lantern in our town, as the times changed, in addition to celebrating the Spring Festival, it was given a new meaning: It was no longer just a celebration, but also a symbol of hope.
Back then, the countryside was relatively backward. There were no wide asphalt roads, no high-rise buildings, and no developed industrial zones. Except for some families who had become rich from business and lived in small houses, most people still lived in red bricks and green tiles, with starlight in their hands and jade stones and yellow leather under their feet. There were even some people who could only cover their bodies with a mat or wrap their stomachs with chaff. After the Lantern Festival, many people stayed behind to guard the old, weak, young, and young. The young people went to the sea to work, leaving them to guard that inch of land.
Compared to them, we are lucky. Not only me, but Luo Feng is even luckier. He is not very rich, at least he doesn't have to be like the fish without delicious food. I once heard that the children of families who didn't have good food could eat an old hen in one meal. I didn't believe it. Because my family doesn't eat much. After I ate it once, I didn't even touch it. How could a child eat so much? But once, by chance, I witnessed the fish eating a big hen, so I was convinced.
Actually, other than shock, I felt pity, and I couldn't understand. Children can't understand the poverty of others. After I grew up, I realized that it wasn't just Yuli's family that was like this. Most of the people around me were like this. Their family had too many idle people and insufficient labor, so they were living on a tight budget. My family had some savings because my father worked in Guangdong in his early years. Luo Feng's father had gone into the sea to do business in his early years and had made a name for himself since then, so he was different from others. Zhu Li's parents were away all year round. They had only one daughter at home, and only their elderly grandmother was left, so their family background was still passable. Su Xiao's parents were both teachers, so she never had to worry about food and clothing.
The people in our circle are relatively happy. We can eat and play as we please. We're carefree. But no matter what, it could not change the fact that the countryside was poor. We, the so-called happy children, are still far from the children in the city. Our interests and hobbies are not specially cultivated like the children in the city. We only learned them because it was convenient. My grandfather was an old scholar in the past. He never used a pen or ballpoint pen to write. Until he passed away, the letters he left behind were all written with a brush. Since I was young, I have been influenced by him and his strong coercion, which has made me unconsciously practice my calligraphy. Su Xiao and the others also mastered a skill for various reasons. However, not every child was so lucky. Most people were still like fish sauce. They didn't eat well, wore well, and used well. Therefore, the dragon lantern dance during the Spring Festival began to have the meaning of nurturing a new atmosphere for the new year.
There were two types of dragon lanterns in the countryside during the Spring Festival: the "embedded dragon lantern" during the day and the "dragon lantern" at night. The " dragon-embedded lantern " usually came out during the day. It was formed by a dragon pearl and a dragon's body. The dragon's body was made up of bones, and the outer layer was covered with a layer of artificial dragon scales. From the dragon head to the dragon tail, there were about ten handles inserted, arranged in order, at the same intervals, and inlaid in a line, so it was called "embedded dragon lamp". Starting from the morning of the first day of the first lunar month, each team would form their own " dragon lantern " and start " playing with lanterns." The young and middle-aged men in the team followed suit and held up the lanterns. A few of them even beat gongs and drums to clear the way. Some even carried the local Bodhisattva statues to the place where the dragon lanterns went. Generally, there had to be a name for the " lantern show ", and most of them were named after the construction of bridges and roads. Therefore, the dragon lantern had a pattern to it. Before the New Year, they had already discussed who would beat the gongs and drums to open the way, who would carry the sedan chair, who would hold the lights, and who would be the reserve…There was a special kind of person among them. The person who sent the congratulatory card was commonly known as the "receiver". They brought the well-written congratulatory cards and sent them from house to house. The owner had to give a certain amount of money as the cost of repairing the bridge and paving the road. Of course, this was different from those swindlers who were known as " Liunian ". They would use account books to record their names and how much money they had paid. When the bridge was opened, they would be engraved on the merit monument and be remembered forever. Therefore, the host was generally very willing, but there were also a few who did not want to pay. It might be that they really did not have it, or it might just be that they did not want to. The Dragon Lantern Society would arrive shortly after the person who placed the " receiving stones ". The Dragon Lantern Society would turn around, chase the dragon balls, roll around, and jump in the air…After the Dragon Lantern left, the host would light firecrackers and burn joss paper as a form of farewell. The money raised by the " collectors " was used to repair the bridge and pave the road after deducting the food and salary of the workers.
The dragon lantern was another kind of dance that was performed at night. Its head, body, and tail were all broken. Each person held a small section, and each section was woven with a whip and pasted with red paper. The production process was similar to ancient lanterns. Because the middle was hollow, a kerosene lamp was placed inside, leaving only a hole for oil. It was very troublesome and easy to burn. After all, it was made of paper. Also, if the weather was bad, the lights would be easily blown out. Later, he slowly upgraded the technology of making dragon lanterns. He used electric lamps instead of kerosene lamps. It was energy-saving and convenient, and it was very popular. The dragon lanterns were purely for celebration, and there was no other meaning. Of course, it was not as lively as the " embedded dragon lanterns."
Flower drum lanterns were another type. They were made up of lamps of various shapes, one for each person. In comparison, it was more expensive and more troublesome to produce, so it was rare now. However, if there were flower lanterns, the scene would be extremely lively. In my impression, only a few old ladies know how to make flower drum lanterns. This skill is almost lost. After all, this was a technical job, and young people nowadays were not willing to learn it. However, in order to prevent this culture from being lost, the province listed it as a cultural heritage. As a result, it was valued even more. At the same time, they also set up a flower drum lantern class and held competitions every year. Because the flower drum lanterns were very beautiful, and the people who participated were of all ages, they were very popular.
There were also some more prominent ways of celebration, such as children performing lion dances and girls forming groups to sing flower songs...
The culture of the Celestial Empire is extensive and profound, and it has a long history.
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