财运当头

财运当头

岭 南 的年俗，带 着浓厚的商 业 文明特色 。

一 年 之初，岭 南 人用各种各样的年俗活动祈求财运 ，既保留下 代 代相传的风 俗 ，也成了 一 方经济发展 的 体现。

春节时期，岭南的民俗活动最为丰富。

在《广东新语》记载的年俗中，很多离不开一个“火”字，因为根据中国五行之说，火主南方。广州著名的南海神庙，所祀奉的就是火帝祝融。春节时，广东人既要拜司火之神“灶君”，又要“卖冷”，就连“卖冷”时用的鸡蛋也要特别染成红色（火的颜色）。

“卖冷”就是把寒冷捉起来卖之意。粤语里，“冷”“懒”字相近，到了清末，“卖冷”的习俗就变成了“卖懒”。除夕夜，孩子们装着煮熟的红鸡蛋，拿着点着的香，一起穿街走巷，一边走，一边齐声高喊 ：“卖懒卖懒！卖到年三十晚，人懒我唔（不）懒！”走累了，便剥开鸡蛋吃掉。从“卖冷”到“卖懒”，体现了广州人的进取，也反映了民间发达的商业意识。在他们看来，冷也好，懒也好，都是可以捉起来卖的。

一年一度的花市，也是岭南人重要的年俗活动。汉初时，由西域引进的素馨花、茉莉花，被广州妇女当作首饰追捧。到南宋时，形成了专卖素馨花、茉莉花的花市。明、清时期，一年一度的除夕花市形成，成为一种由花农、花商们策划形成的早期“营销”性质年俗活动。

在潮州地区，还有一项习俗叫送橘（桔）。新春时，走亲戚带的礼物，必要有橘 ,以示新年大吉。主人不能收客人的礼物，要留着与回礼一起带回。春节时，由于岭南人对橘子的需求量大增，在一些地方还形成了专门的“橘市”。

在过年的舞狮游神活动中，也穿插着不少求财运的环节，比如狮子采青。多给钱的人家，可以请狮队专门表演狮子这个环节，舞狮者爬到高处取下一株生菜 (生财的谐音 )及红包，象征主人家明年“生财”运旺。

PIG SHOW, CHENGHAI DISTRICT

澄海赛大猪

On January 18th of the lunar calendar, Chenghai hosts the annual pig show where over hundreds of pigs lay on a special wooden rack with their owners' name written at the front, each with an orange in its mouth. Later, the swine chosen as “the pig of the year,” usually one over 500 kilos, will wear a red fl ower and sit in the front and its owner will be the envy of the year.

FLOWER MARKET, GUANGZHOU

广州花市

Originated from “Hua-Du-Tou” (Flower Ferry) Area in Guangzhou, the fl ower market can be dated back to the Ming dynasty and was listed as one of the “Guangzhou Four Markets” in the history. Until the Mid-Qing dynasty when the fl ower market extended to the inner city, it run 24 hours and started to sell other fl owers besides jasmine.

LION DANCE, FOSHAN

佛山醒狮采青

During the lion dance, “cai-qing” (literally, pluck the green) is the climax. The move that a “lion”successfully bites the lettuce hung up high is seen as a sign of good fortune since the lettuce has a homophone for fortune in Chinese. The lion dance in Foshan is especially famous for performers' supreme techniques—sometimes several “lions”will pile up as a pyramid to pluck a red envelop, another symbol of good fortune.

DEITIES PARADE, CHAOZHOU

潮州游神赛会

During the fi rst month of the Lunar calendar, Chaozhou will hold the annual deities parade activity. In Chinese traditions, prefectural cities and villages have their own deities, and therefore, people will hold the status of deities and parade in the streets to pray for good fortune in the year.

GUA-FAN, SHANWEI

汕尾渔船挂幡

At the ports at Shanwei city during the Chinese New Year, fi shermen hang red fl ags and paste pictures of the god of fortune on their boats to pray for good harvest and fortune in the new year.