The Pulse of Tradition: Millennium Heritage of Festivals and Folklore in Putian (Xinghua)
Did you know the people of Putian celebrate New Year twice? I didn’t believe it either. Then I opened the Xinghua Prefecture Putian County Chronicles and found the line — 1562 AD (41st year of Ming Jiajing). Japanese pirates stormed Xinghua city on New Year’s Eve. People hadn’t even gotten up from the dinner table. The next year Qi Jiguang fought back. Refugees returned home only to realize they’d missed the New Year. Their solution: celebrate a “Great New Year” on the 4th day of the 1st lunar month. ...