1、1Taishans customs of going abroad in former daysIn former days, the main reason for most Taishanese went abroad was badly off. Some of them even became piglets. Those ancestors clearly realized that there would be a tough way to go abroad so they seriously did some ceremonies to farewell their homet
2、own. And these ceremonies became customs as time goes by. Offering a sacrifice to ancestors for farewell Mostly, overseas seniors regarded that the blood moving inside their bodies were from the ancestors who expected their descendants had brilliant prospects. For that reason, people would take some
3、 sacrificial offerings to the ancestral home or before the ancestral gave to pray for farewell and appreciate for good bless from the ancestors before going abroad. Some of them even walked around the village with sacrificial offerings to prostrate the village ancestral hall and the God of land or t
4、he God of grain as well as their own ancestors. Ask for Gods bless 2In former days, the men who went abroad were poor loweducated young peasants. Some of them were even illiterate people. They knew nothing about science at that time but ask for Gods save. The main idols they prostrated were Kwan-yin
5、, the Queen of heaven, town god, Guan-di, Plutus and Che-gong, especially the temple for the Queen of heaven in Nanwan Guanghai town. It was said that the Queen of heaven was from Fujian called Lin Mo who could save people on the sea. So fishermen, sailors, businessmen and overseas Chinese embraced
6、her. Formerly, Taishanese would go to the temple to pray before they leave. Reluctant to be away from home Senior overseas Taishanese thought that the water and soil from their hometown were the source of their lives. So they would use some bottles to store some water and soil of their hometown when
7、 they left and they called that “never forgot where their happiness came from”. Some even said that when they were not acclimatized on the trip, they would add some of the water into tea and drink and they just got well soon. According to the thought that making a living abroad was just like plantin
8、g a seed into soil, some seniors took some 3vegetable seeds from their hometown and seeded in foreign country so as to pray for good luck. Presents from relatives and friends Formerly, the farewell presents from relatives and friends were simple but practical. Usually, they were “foods”, such as pre
9、served eggs, dried small shrimps, preserved beancurd and fish cans, etc. or “fruits”, dried fruits, such as dried slice cherry, dried plum, dried longan, etc. People wished that these sweet things could bring them good luck. Also, some would give “lucky money” as traveling expenses. Give farewell fa
10、mily banquet A farewell family banquet would be held before go abroad. All the married aunties and sisters would come back home to bless. Some seniors could not help to cry when they associated that with the old saying “seldom people could return from battles through the ages”. After dinner, relativ
11、es would take out some remembrances, such as collected coin or silver dollar or jewelry, etc. And the wife would give her husband some 4clothes, beddings and ladys companion so as to keep him warm. On the date to move The date to move was very important. Usually, people would choose the date through
12、 the way of asking Gods advice. In order not to meet funeral arrangement or monks or nuns on that date, people would move before dawn. Because people thought that all these things were unlucky: funeral arrangement was unlucky, nuns had bitter lives and monks were bald. In case of an unexpected encou
13、nter of these unlucky things, people would just say some lucky words to avoid, such as “Nothing is taboo”, “Good luck”. Once stride over the doorsill, people must walk along and turn round is forbidden. Because that means shilly-shally or backtrack, thats unlucky. Moreover, people could not say any
14、unlucky words, such as “sick”, “loss”, “kill”, etc. on the road. Furthermore, people should say some lucky words while seeing a sight, such as, when its raining, they should say “money comes just like falling rain” or when seeing the tide rising on the dock, they should say “treasure rise just like
15、tide does”. 5Call back for successful arrival Usually, overseas Taishanese would write a letter for their relatives once they arrived. Thats called “the lucky letter of successful arrival”. It usually took more than two months that the relatives could receive the letter. Some new arrivals even loane
16、d some dear money and sealed back with the letter right on the time they arrived. It was called “the returned money letter”. There was an old ballad in Taishan:“if your daughter married an overseas Taishanese, your life would be 100% rich.” As for the former overseas Taishanese, this ballad was some
17、how a kind of black humor. Taishan has the fame of “the first hometown of overseas Chinese”.The customs about the overseas Taishanese are rich and varied. It should be one of the richest treasuries of overseas Chineses customs. Through these customs, one can know the history about the overseas Chinese and the moral concepts, believes and aspirations at that time. Its a crucial chapter of the history of overseas Chinese.
