In China, each traditional festival has its own different cuisine, but each place has its own unique representative of local cuisine. Due to different local customs and food customs, there are often differences in festival food customs between the South and the north. The new year is coming soon. We eat dumplings in the north of China, while we mainly eat dumplings in the south of China. Why? Why do southerners eat dumplings for the new year? What's the meaning of eating dumplings in the new year? Let's talk about the reason and moral of eating Tangyuan in the south for the new year.
Custom of Spring Festival: why eat dumplings during the new year
It is said that during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there was a maid in the palace named 'Yuanxiao'. She was quiet in the palace for many years, missed her parents and washed her face with tears all day. Minister Dongfang Shuo was determined to help her, so he lied to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that the God of fire was ordered by the Jade Emperor to burn Chang'an on the 15th day of the first month. The only way to escape the trouble was to let the 'Lantern girl' make a lot of dumplings loved by the God of fire on the 15th day of the first month, and all the subjects put lanterns on it. Emperor Wu must gather together and the 'Lantern girl' finally saw her family. Since then, the Lantern Festival has been formed.
There are many theories about the formation of the Lantern Festival custom, but it generally took shape in the Han Dynasty. When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was recorded in history, the Han chamber offered sacrifices to a God called Taiyi. It is said that Taiyi was a very prominent God at that time. He was above the five emperors and was kind to the Han Emperor. Therefore, his worship was prosperous. It is said that another Han Dynasty emperor, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, was also related to the Lantern Festival.
Custom of Spring Festival: why eat dumplings during the new year
Yuanxiao is also called tangyuan. In history, there are many other names' flour cocoon, powder fruit, Yuanbao, soup cake, round without falling corners' and so on. It was not officially named 'Yuanxiao' until the reign of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty. Yuanxiao is divided into two kinds: filling and no filling. The stuffing free ones are small and sweet. They are seasoned with white sugar, longan, osmanthus, lotus root Ding and preserves. They are also called 'pearl dumplings'. The stuffing ones are large and look like walnuts. Yuanxiao in the north is mostly filled with sweet fillings, including white sugar, bean paste, sesame, hawthorn and so on. In the south, it is sweet, salty, meat and vegetable. It is especially famous for Ningbo Tangyuan and Guiyang Wujia tangyuan. " Sweet scented osmanthus stuffed with walnuts, rice like pearl, washed in well water. See that the Ma family drops powder well, try the lamp and sell Yuanxiao in the wind. " This song "Shangyuan Zhuzhi Ci" of the Qing Dynasty reflects Beijing's habit of eating dumplings on the Lantern Festival long ago, and there was a famous brand name for selling dumplings at that time.
The Lantern Festival is coming on the fifteenth day of the first month. Lantern Festival is the Lantern Festival. In China, the custom of watching lanterns on Lantern Festival left over from the Tang Dynasty has been circulating among the people. In addition, the custom of eating glutinous rice balls on the Lantern Festival has been retained until now, because when people eat glutinous rice balls on the night of Shangyuan Festival, people are used to calling glutinous rice balls' Yuanxiao '.
During the Lantern Festival, Beijing's restaurants, pastry shops and even stalls are set up on both sides of the road to sell dumplings. Every family eats a bowl of steaming dumplings on the 15th day of the first month, symbolizing Tuan Tuan Yuan