Traditional Sacrificial Customs of Hakka People

Sacrificial customs of Hakka people are among a variety of folk customs in Shicheng County, and the highest filial tribute Hakkas pay to ancestors. Originated from rites of Zhou and rooted in the Central Plain, it took shape and thrived in the land of Hakkas, known for strong vernacular flavor and mournful atmosphere. I am a Hakka born and bred. My job deals with local cultural affairs. Since 17 I have been instructed by my uncle Xie Lishui in rites and rituals and developed an interest in folk culture and sacrificial rituals. Around 1980s I visited more than 300 seniors known for their longevity, teachers and craftsmen who organized, coordinated, cooked for or witnessed ritual banquets before 1949. The experience prepared me for organizing and studying Hakka folk culture and customs. To record and inherit Hakka folk customs I began editing and writing A Complete Manual of Traditional Hakka Customs, which was published by Jiangxi People's Publishing House in August, 2012 as the first book exploring "e;Jiangxi Customs"e;, and received the second place award of the 27th Distinguished Publications in Philosophy and Social Science in East China, 2013, the "e;3rd Jiangxi Province Distinguished Social Science Publication Award"e;, as well as acclaim from experts and scholars in and outside of Jiangxi Province. Those versed in traditional sacrificial customs and rites in Shicheng County have dwindled with time while young people interested in these customs are few. To ensure later generations of Hakka people can continue organizing properly the Hakka sacrificial ceremonies, liberate people's mind from the confining instruction and apprenticeship tradition, help more Hakka people understand the connotations of traditional sacrificial culture and master the procedure of organizing such rituals, promote the traditional Chinese virtues of filial piety, and transmit the expertise to Hakka households and future generations, I began this book in early 2011. In the past five years I plunged wholehearted into it, and with the help of my family, I managed to finish it. Its publication now fills me with gratification and pride. The 0.3-million-character book has 7 chapters. It is a guidebook to Hakka sacrificial customs with historical, regional, academic and practical features. I believe after its publication more people interested in sacrificial rites can participate in these rituals and rites, and develop a universal model for the entire county or for the entire Hakka population, so as to contribute to the inheritance, development and transmission of Hakka sacrificial customs.