Research On The "Round Lock" Ceremony In Changzhi Area

Round lock is a folk rite of coming of age integrating personal family social network,which reflects people’s values and codes of conduct.Before the 1950 s,due to the traditional concept of male superiority and the limitation of economic conditions,round lock ceremony was a rite of coming of age exclusively for men.In the 1960 s and 1970 s,the ceremony was held in secret under the pressure of the political environment,and the process was simple.After the reform and opening up,as people living standard enhancement and the liberation of the ideological concept,round lock ceremony gradually developed into a grand process of equality between men and women adults’ round lock ceremony held in early life space is your own yard,is now developing space for two,first in your yard,and then go to hotel to have a meal,caused the ritual process of separation and fracture;In the early years,the connotation of ritual was only to pray for good health.In the early years,it was only for family members,with a maximum of more than ten people.Now,it is extended to relatives,friends and neighbors,with hundreds of people at a time.In the early years,the ceremony was simple and simple,but now it has developed into a grand and tedious.Round lock ceremony contains selected day visit grandma put sweets and offerings padlock worship the gods lock in the home fete guest,seven aspects such as participants including their parents recipients recipients peers and relatives the process full of religious ceremony,to worship the gods,and home to the old woman god save space into a sacred space of the coexistence of the offerings and the phenomena in the process of symbolic ceremony,The meanings of the clothes are auspicious protection and reward to the gods,beating children with peach branches,removing evil spirits,Shouting "open heaven","open earth" and "open heaven",and "open earth" and "open heaven".These patterning tool languages and actions all contain people’s gratitude to the gods and blessings to the recipients.As a local coming-of-age ceremony,the round lock ceremony marks the soul’s physical and psychological maturity.The round lock ceremony endows the recipient with a new identity,and the recipient has to assume the responsibility and obligation of being the master of the family.Ceremonies strengthen the feelings between people,obligatory mutual help and interpersonal exchanges and after-dinner celebration and entertainment activities have increased the relatives and friends between the villagers family friendship.