The custom of sharing meals among the Zhuang people in Donglan

Guangxi
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In most towns and villages of Donglan County, the Zhuang people are enjoying a custom called "sharing meals". It is said that this kind of sharing meals has existed since ancient times. It is a microcosm of the Zhuang people's virtue of helping each other in times of difficulty. Sharing meals means that when someone in the same village or clan encounters a wedding or funeral, in addition to helping each other in terms of manpower, each household in the same clan will share two to three or five tables of guests for the host family according to their own ability. Each household will report on their own, and then the host family will call the heads of each sharing household to discuss and decide. On the day of the banquet, the host household only needs to provide the sharing household with three to five catties of pork and one or two catties of "Tu Maotai" local liquor for each table of food. The rest of the tobacco, alcohol, fish and meat will be provided by each sharing household. On the day of the banquet, a special person from each sharing household will go to the intersection in front of the village to welcome the guests. If it is a wedding, the host of the co-host will greet the guests at the front door, offer them wine and cigarettes, and say "thank you for coming" and "you've had a hard time on the journey", and then hold hands and walk into the house. After sitting down, the guests can congratulate the host family if necessary. If it is a funeral, the guests will first go to the host's house to express their condolences, and then the co-host will be led to their own home by the master of ceremonies. At the beginning of the banquet, if it is a wedding, the guests, regardless of age, will toast the host family with a glass of wine from the youngest generation, and wish the wedding a good luck; if it is a funeral, the guests will first pour a glass of wine on the table to show that they are seeing off the deceased, and then toast the host family with a glass of wine from the top to the bottom according to their seniority, and recite while passing: The noble man has become an immortal, and the descendants should not be sad. His merits and virtues will be left in the world, and he will be blessed and safe in heaven forever. Please be patient, be patient! After the banquet, the host of the host family will also see the guests off. According to local Zhuang customs, except for birthday banquets, weddings and funerals are usually held, and there are many guests from near and far. It is difficult to do it well by one's own ability. Uncles and brothers from the same clan share a little bit. Today you help me, tomorrow I help you. Not only is it easy to solve the problem, but also the hospitality can be thoughtful, so that the guests are not only warm and enthusiastic, but also return with satisfaction. Therefore, sharing meals has been passed down to this day. (No pictures, welcome to provide.) (No pictures, welcome to provide.)

Intangible culture related to the heritage

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