Min Nan (Hokkien) Traditional Customs (Taboos) (閩南民间禁忌)

Traditional “Min Nan” (Hokkien) Customs (Taboos)

 

客人在座时扫地，被人认为是逐客，有失礼仪；

 

When there’re guests around, never sweep the floor, this shows that you are trying to chase the guests off.

婚庆筵席上，客人不慎打破碗碟汤匙等餐具最为犯忌，被视为不吉祥的征兆；

 

During dinners (for all Happy Occasions), when someone break any items, this is considered as not prosperity.

与亲友进餐时，筷子不要插在饭上，因祭祀时往往在饭上插香。这是对人的不敬；

 

While having meals (with other people around), never stick (up-right) the chopsticks into the rice-bowl, this considered as disrespect to other people.

招待客人时，最忌讳摆六盘菜，因为依清朝旧例，死囚临刑前才食以六盘菜肴；

 

While serving guests, never prepared 6 dishes (only), cos according to Qing Dynasty Records, 6 dishes are mend for Prisoners who had been sentenced to death (different from the Teochew Customs, for Teochew, never used 3 dishes). 

在婴儿面前不要谈猴，认为谈猴会招致婴儿多病难养；

 

In-front of new-born babies, never used the word “Monkey” in any of the conversation, cos the folks believed that, by saying this word, it will bring “illnesses” to the babies.

也不要夸婴儿肥胖，要说“好看”、“好养”。

 

Never make praises like “Very Good Looking”or “So easy to take-care-off” in-front of any new-born babies.
 

Customs for making “Stove”

 

筑灶前，必择一吉日良辰，一般于深夜子时，由泥水匠将灶间的屋顶的瓦片掀开，然后才动工砌造，此称砌"见天灶"。

 

Before the folks can start to work on constructing the “Stove”, an auspicious date (according to Lunar Calendar) must be chosen.

 

On that day, usually at around 11pm-1am, the Masters for constructing the “Stove” will have to open a hole on the roof-top directly above the “Stove” area, then only the construction allowed to be commenced.

 

This is to allow the “Stove” to face the Heaven, known as “Jian Tian Zhao (hkk: Ghee Thian Zao)”

 

先砌好灶的底部，再切灶面。

 

The construction will start from making the base of the “Stove” first and then the whole “Stove”.

 

在里面放置五谷种子，再置灯火一个，即在瓦片一小凹碟里，斟满生油和置灯芯五条，再取"乾隆通宝"铜钱二枚，一正一反压于灯芯之上，然后用红砖粘灰浆把小方格封固，再于其上继续砌筑烟囱，直至屋顶为止。

 

While constructing the chimney for the “Stove”, a few stuffs needed to take note:

 

1.     open a small square slot on the chimney wall

2.     inside the slot, 5 types of grains must be put into that

3.     light a lamp near the chimney

4.     inside the slot, placed a small saucer and in the saucer, it must be filled with cooking oil, lamp-bud and 2 ancient coins (1 facing up and 1 facing down)

5.     after everything is ready, seal the small slot up

 

Only after sealing the slot, then the Masters can continue to construct the other parts of the chimney.
　　

砌完灶后，当晚必蒸一锅米饭，俗称"炊灶饭"，然后将灶饭盛入饭壶中，又备小三牲及五味碗以及酒瓶酒盏，排列灶前，并用红纸书写"灶君司令"或"东厨司令灶君"，贴在排楼式的烟囱座上，主人焚香供奉灶君，祈求保庇，少顷烧金放炮。

 

After the constructing of the whole “Stove” is completed, on that night, the owner of the house will have to cook a pot of rice on the new stove.

 

In Chinese, it’s called “Chui Zhao Fan (hkk: Cui Zao Pheng)”.

 

After the rice is cooked, the owner will have to prepare the other offerings, together with the rice, pay respect to the Kitchen Deity.

 

之后宴请筑灶师傅，以徵来日大发之吉兆。

 

After the paying of respect, the owner will have to give the Construction Masters a treat.