Moving house, commonly known as moving house or moving house, is called "entering the house" or "moving house" in their local area.
Moving is a big deal no matter where you are.
This is especially true in their culture, where they are very particular, have many customs, and a strong sense of ritual.
At two o'clock in the morning, the Feng family's house was brightly lit, and everyone was up.
Carrying the incense, offerings, and firecrackers they had prepared beforehand, the group headed in a grand procession to the Mazu Temple.
According to local custom, people worship Mazu before moving to pray for peace and a smooth journey.
After walking along the winding road for more than half an hour, they finally arrived at the Mazu Temple.
The Mazu Temple is still under expansion and not yet completed, but the original two buildings are still there.
After Feng Xuan's family finished their worship, Feng Ye led Ye Qingling and Feng Xinan into the temple.
He placed the offerings he brought on the altar, lit the incense, and gave three sticks to each of his wife and son.
The three people held incense sticks high above their heads and bowed in respect to the statue of Mazu.
There are currently two statues of Mazu, so I offered three sticks of incense to each of them.
After setting off firecrackers, the three knelt on prayer mats and kowtowed three times and nine times to the goddess Mazu, making their wishes.
As the pillar of the family, Feng Ye first prayed to the Goddess Mazu for the family's safety and smooth sailing in all endeavors.
Then Ye Qingling and Feng Xinan each made a wish.
After the worship was completed, the offerings were left in the temple and not taken away.
Afterwards, they didn't linger and hurriedly went home to prepare for the move.
They usually move in the middle of the night, specifically between 3 and 5 a.m.
In the quiet of the late night, one can avoid being "bumped" by pedestrians and also avoid disturbing others.
Choosing to do so at dawn has a superstitious element to it.
According to folk belief, when the rooster crows at dawn, little ghosts return to the underworld, and entering a house at this time is the safest.
It was almost four o'clock when Feng Jiaqing, who had gone to the dock to inquire about the situation, finally returned late.
"Father, have all the ships left?"
They had to pass through the dock to move, and the dock was bustling with people coming and going in the early morning, all of them going out to sea.
To avoid encountering people during the move, we had to wait until all the ships had left.
"That's about it. Only three ships are left, and they probably won't be going to sea today."
"Then let's start moving."
As the eldest brother, Feng Xuan's family naturally moved first.
Around 4:30, Feng Jiaqing and Xiao Chunxiu, who had gone to help, returned, and Feng Ye began moving.
Two bamboo poles, a pair of lanterns, and two brooms are essential items for moving, each with its own unique meaning.
Like lanterns, bamboo poles are symbols indicating whether the owner lives in a particular place.
Long ago, people started using bamboo poles to dry their clothes.
When the bamboo pole and clothes are still there, it means that the owner is still living in this place.
Once the clothes are taken down and the bamboo pole is retrieved, it means the family has left.
When a bamboo pole is raised in a new place and clothes are hung on it, it means that a new owner has arrived.
At the same time, bamboo poles also symbolize a family's fortune rising step by step like bamboo.
The meaning of lanterns is similar to that of bamboo poles.
In the past, every household would hang a pair of large red lanterns at their door, with the surname of the homeowner written on them.
Once the lanterns are taken down, it means the family will be moving away from this place.
When people see the new lanterns hanging up, they know that a new owner has come to live in the house.
Therefore, hanging lanterns when moving has become one of the most traditional customs in their area.
The moving of the bamboo pole and lantern symbolizes the homeowner moving from the old house to the new house.
The two brooms to bring when moving should be one new and one old, and they must be traditional reed brooms.
One is the old broom from our old household, and the other is the broom from our new household.
Its significance is to clean up the old house where people used to live so that they can move in later.
At the same time, clean your new house thoroughly so you can live a clean and comfortable life.
In fact, the Four Treasures of the Study were once essential items for moving.
However, this custom has not been well preserved.
The reason for this may be related to the changes in the way writing has changed.
Both ends of the bamboo pole and the broom were wrapped with red paper used for Spring Festival couplets and tied with red ropes. Ye Qingling was carrying it.
Feng Ye was carrying two red buckets.
One red bucket was half-filled with water, and the other was filled with rice.
This bucket of rice will be used to fill the rice bucket in the new house later;
The water is used to boil water or cook food, and the family drinks it, symbolizing a change in the environment.
Moreover, you have to be careful not to spill the water on the way to the new house, otherwise it will be bad luck.
Even if there's only half a bucket of water, it generally won't spill.
However, the road surface was uneven, full of potholes, and it was late at night. I was afraid that if I lost my footing, I would fall and cause trouble.
Therefore, Feng Ye carefully avoided the potholes on the road, taking each step steadily to ensure that not a drop of water in the bucket was spilled.
The journey was uneventful, and we arrived at our new home without any incidents.
Feng Jiaqing set up a pile of straw at the door, and smoke filled the air.
People and objects must pass over the burning straw, somewhat like a fire-walking ritual, symbolizing the warding off of misfortune and the bringing of good luck.
Feng Ye stepped over the haystack, first carrying the bucket of rice inside, then the bucket of water.
Ye Qingling also carried a bamboo pole and a broom across the fire.
As for Feng Xinan, who was carrying two lanterns, he was carried over by Feng Jiaqing.
After the broom came in, Feng Ye used the new broom to sweep three times from the outside in, then closed the door and opened it again a minute later.
This symbolizes sweeping good fortune into the house and keeping it there.
Then, carrying a bamboo pole, they walked through each room and swept each room with a broom.
The final step is to sweep the door three times from the inside out with a broom, and then close the door for three minutes.
Next, they hung up the red lanterns and set off firecrackers, which marked the end of the entire moving process and meant that they had finished moving.
As for the things still left in the old house, we can move them over and put them away when it gets light.
After helping their two sons move, Feng Jiaqing and Xiao Chunxiu returned to their old house.
The new house has enough rooms, and Feng Ye had considered having his parents move in with him, and had even mentioned it.
But his parents absolutely refused, insisting on staying at the old house.
They say old houses can't be left empty; they need to be lived in to have a lively atmosphere, otherwise they'll fall into disrepair and collapse in just a few years.
Moreover, they are not so old that they cannot move, and they do not need their son and daughter-in-law to take care of them.
He knew what his parents were thinking, so he didn't force them.
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