Northern Shaanxi Yangge

Yangge is a kind of art that combined songs and dances together, the traditional large-scaled yangge is to sing after dance, as the ordinaries say that strike out and dance well then with singing out follow suit. The ecumenic process is that to start singing with the jacket collar. Basically speaking, they always create improvisatory depend on the scene presented with music followed and crowds chorus for the last sentence. Nowadays, the traditional form has been innovated and improved, new content added, new forms of yangge opera has created that popularized both local and nationwide. Regale on Kang Kang is the local name of bed, in order to show the locals’ hospitality, they always treat the guests on their “kang”, the kang here is not the same as the usual bed as we thought, but a hollow bed made of dust or slate that connected with kitchen range in order to keep warm. Such kind of warming method both economizes firewoods and avoids contamination to keep air clean. Crossing your legs to sit on the “kang”, you will feel warm deep in heart, not only because of the hot cushion on the top but also the hosts’ warm welcome. You will pertake the natives’ hospitality of the local snacks served on followed.

Customs of Noodles

It is widely known that Guanzhong and its surrounding area mostly take noodle s as their staple food, therefore various kinds of noodles have made in different cooking methods. Gradually, special kinds have possessed fixed meaning as a custom. Agglomerate Noodles: It is a kind of noodle for the whole family to eat together to express their blessing on the husband or son who will go of for a long distance. Longevity Noodles: Just as its name goes by, it is the noodle that congratulates the elders’ birthday.

Red Noodles:

Usually red noodles were eaten on the last day of a year, to express propitious and wish for a more thriving year to coming. Egg Noodles: The special noodle is made by mother-in-law for the newly married son-in-law to express her favor on him. Porridge noodles: It is the common saying “Laba rice porridge” that eats on the day of Laba. It indicates the gone of last year and a year of ample food and clothing is coming. Cold Noodles: As what we say it cooked without fire to commemorate incorrupt Jie Zitui in Jin Dynasty, people take it around Tomb-sweeping Day named “Cold Meal”. Nowadays, it is common eating such kind of noodle in hot summer.

Four-Colored Gift

The presents are sorts of cultured gifts from junior to senior in Xian. Four colors means four seasons of a year, intents the meaning of from beginning to the end, perfection and complete, blessed a lot to the elderships. For instance, after the engagement, the verile has to take the four gifts to the female’s family like tobacco, alcohol, meat, cans, fruits or else; as for the female part, thay also have to echoplex as convenance, such as shoes, socks, pens or notes etc. With increased income and improved living standard, gifts and the grades are also changed and elevated correspondingly.

Five Kinds of Beans

To eat the five kinds of beans is a folk custom in the Guanzhong area of Xian. On the 5th of the twelfth month of the lunar year， take soybean, tiny bean, mung bean, red bean and black bean together into the pan to seethe. The finished meal should be eaten by the whole family but there must be some left. To express their wishes that good harvest and superabound will be gained in the year to come. It is the day that after midwinter when daytime becoming longer and night shorter, so the five beans meal also signify the seasonal changes. At present, such custom has still been popular in villages.

Handle Affairs on the 100th

The affairs could be divided into completed two kinds as opposite; one is congratulation on the 100th day of a new lease of life while the other is to mourn for the death after 100 days. Celebration on the 100th is to show everybody’s blessing on the baby of 100 days, it is a happy occasion. The unhappy and serious situation is on the 100th day of the death. The death’s main relatives and neighbors are all come to join the sacrifice activity and the funeral family, as a kind of acknowledgement, has to junket the guests. Thereafter, the death’s relatives have to back to their normal work and life.

Source: xianjoy.com

Editor: Feng Hui