“年例”： 比春節(jié)還熱鬧的節(jié)日

陳李茂

對生活在廣東西部湛江、茂名地區(qū)的民眾來說，年例是眾多海島上最熱鬧的節(jié)日。所謂“年例”，即“溯古例今、年年有例”，是每年定期（主要在新年期間）舉辦的大型祭祀活動。關(guān)于其來源，眾說紛紜，有說是古代驅(qū)除瘟疫的一種產(chǎn)物，有說是本地的元宵節(jié)，有說與冼（Xiǎn）夫人（冼英，古代粵西的女民族英雄，在湛江、茂名、海南有廣泛的影響力）有關(guān)。

For the locals living in the Zhanjiang and Maomingareas of western Guangdong， Nianli （literally： YearlyTradition） is the liveliest festival on this island. Thename of the tradition comes from the locals’ beliefthat one should “trace ancient customs and celebratetraditions every year”. It is a large-scale sacrificialceremony held regularly （mainly during the New Yearperiod）. ere are various tales about its origin. Somesay that it can be traced back to ancient practices toward off diseases， while others say that it is a localversion of the Lantern Festival. In addition， somebelieve that it is related to Madam Xian （Xian Ying），a female hero in ancient western Guangdong whohad extensive influence in Zhanjiang， Maoming， andHainan.

在年例這天，海島上的人們要“敬神”：家家戶戶都會準(zhǔn)備好豐盛的貢品，有些擺放在寺廟，有些則集中放到一片開闊的空地上。貢品一般是煮熟的整雞和整鵝等，下面還會墊放一掛熟五花肉；此外，還有本地特色的點心、蘋果或橘子等寓意好的水果；再配上斟滿的酒杯和茶杯。各家各戶的貢品擺放在一起，琳瑯滿目。

On the day of Nianli， people on the islandspay homage to the gods： every householdprepares sumptuous offerings， some placed intemples， others displayed in openspaces. The offerings generallyinclude cooked whole chickens andgeese， accompanied by a rack ofcooked pork belly; moreover， thereare local specialty snacks， applesor oranges （symbols of well-beingand good fortune in China）， andother auspicious fruits， along withfilled bowls of wine and tea cups.The offerings from each family aredisplayed together， presenting adazzling array.

除了“敬神”，還有“游神”。游神是指用專門定制的轎子抬著從廟里請來的本地神仙或祖公，按預(yù)先規(guī)劃好的路線（一般是繞行本村）游行。游神隊伍一路敲鑼打鼓，所到之處，人們都會準(zhǔn)備好貢品、線香、紙錢等并燃放炮竹。有些人家為了好兆頭，會準(zhǔn)備特別長、特別響的炮竹。

In addition to the presentation of offeringsto the gods， there is also “the parade of gods”.Statutes of the local deities or ancestral spiritsare carried according to a pre-planned route（usually around the village） on speciallycustomized sedan chairs. e procession clangsgongs and drums along the way， and whereverthey go， people take out offerings， incense，paper money， and set off firecrackers. Somefamilies even prepare particularly long and loud recrackers， wishing for good luck.

提及年例，還少不了“吃年例”。年例宴席的豐盛程度堪比婚宴，不同的是，來吃年例的賓客不需要給主人禮金，只需帶一點水果或禮品，或者給主人家的小孩一個紅包。海島上的年例飯菜甚為豐富，海鮮大多是直接從海里捕撈上來的，有蟹、蝦、鮑魚、魷魚、墨魚、生蠔等。海島上的人喜歡保留食材原本的鮮味，通常都是用水煮好，然后蘸醬料食用。年例時，各家各戶的賓客不一定是本家的親戚，也可以是朋友、同學(xué)或朋友的朋友等，賓客越多，家里越熱鬧，面子上越光彩。

ere is also the indispensable practice of “EatingNianli”. The feast of Nianli is as extravagant as awedding banquet. However， unlike those who attend awedding banquet， guests who come to eat Nianli do notneed to give the host gi cash. Instead， only a little fruitor a present， or a hongbao （red envelope） to the host’schildren will do. The food at Nianli on the islands isabundant. Most of the seafood is freshly caught from thesea， including crab， shrimp， abalone， squid， cuttlefish，and oyster. People on the islands prefer the originalfreshness of the ingredients; therefore they usuallycook them in the simplest way： boil them in water andthen dip them in sauce before eating. During Nianli，gatherings are held not only for relatives， but also forfriends， classmates， or even friends of friends. e moreguests there are， the more lively the atmosphere is， andthe more honored the host is.

除了吃年例，還可以“睇年例”，即看年例。在年例這天，除了可以吃到豐盛的美食，還有節(jié)目可以看。有些海島上還會有飄色表演——指將選出的村民的子女（一般是小孩）精心化裝成歷史人物的形象，并安置在特制的游車上，到街道或廣場上巡游。這些精彩紛呈的活動，讓海島年例更為熱鬧、更加精彩。

In addition to Eating Nianli， one can also “WatchNianli”. On the day of Nianli， in addition to abundantdelicacies， there are also performances to watch.Some islands organize performances called piaose（literally： oating color）： selected villagers’ descendants（generally young kids） are carefully dressed up ashistorical figures and placed on specially made cartsto parade through the streets or plazas. ese splendidactivities make Nianli on the islands even more livelyand spectacular.

海島上的民眾除了長年日出而作、日落而歸的海洋牧場勞作，還有年例這樣熱鬧的節(jié)日，全島同慶，其樂融融，令人向往。千百年來，在茫茫的大海上，眾多海島默默地矗立其間，島上的人們以自己的方式生活著，也敞開胸懷，歡迎遠(yuǎn)方的客人。

Nianli gives the locals， who work from dawn to dusk all year round， a breakfrom their labor at the marine ranch. It gives the whole island the opportunity tocelebrate and enjoy themselves. For thousands of years， the inhabitants of theseseemingly lonely islands have found their own ways of living with a heart thatopens to everyone， always welcoming visitors from afar.