蒸個“花饃”求吉祥

在山東省莒縣至今還流傳著這么一種風俗：每年春節前后或夏日麥收之后，家家就開始蒸花饃、祭祖先、祈平安、求吉祥。

至于蒸花饃的來由已無從考證，但從現代人蒸“花饃”的風俗看，已不再是為了祭祖求神的目的了。據莒縣小店鎮公家莊的黃慶雪大嫂介紹，老輩人蒸花饃，可能是因為那時物品稀缺，錢糧困窘，所以只能用僅有的“面粉細糧”做成“花饃”來寄托對幸福日子的向往。現在做“花饃”，則完全是種“閑情雅趣”了。

黃嫂還講，現在蒸花饃也不只限于逢年過節了，平時也做，就是為了圖個樂。

其實原先蒸的“花饃”品種很多、很雜，時令不同蒸出的“花兒”也不一樣。

每年的大年三十下午，要蒸“魚型”的花饃，百姓叫“壓鍋”。寓示來年家有余糧、生活富足、年年有余。正月初一吃第一頓飯時，要有家里的長者先把“魚花饃”的“魚頭”吃掉，圖個開頭吉祥。

農歷臘月二十三，民間說法叫“小年”，是春節這個“大年”的前奏。從這天開始就要進入春節的“節前準備”，其中百姓蒸“棗饃”就是準備工作的主要事項。這種“棗饃”俗稱“棗山”。“棗山”是用一小條揉好的面將紅棗的小部分裹住，然后再將這些裹好的棗由多到少一層一層的排成小山一樣的“花饃”，表示下一年里不僅有飯吃，而且日子一天會比一天紅火，就像登山一樣步步高。

夏天收割麥子時，要蒸小鳥、小刺猬等小動物的“花饃”。因為夏天是各種小動物最歡快的季節。莊稼豐收了，用“百鳥呈祥”來歡慶豐收的喜悅心情。不過，蒸熟的“小鳥”要先祭拜天神、祈求年年豐收。

兒女結婚時蒸一對“魚”花饃，不僅預祝小兩口日子過得寬綽，而且還有恩愛的祝福。

今年春節前后，黃嫂也和其他人家一樣，蒸了很多“花饃”，今后的日子當然會越來越好的。

In Juxian County of Shandong Province， until now， a folk custom is very popular. Every year， before and after the Spring Festival as well as after wheat harvest in the summer， every family steams \"Huamo，\" a kind of bun with special patterns， to offer sacrifices to ancestors， pray for safety and luck in the next year.

Nobody can tell when the custom started though nowadays the local people don't steam \"Huamo\" for offering sacrifices to ancestors and praying for luck any more. According to analysis of Huang Qingxue， a lady of Gongjia Village， Xiaodian Town， previously， since people were poor， and wheat flour was scare， people steamed \"Huamo\" with the rare flower to express their wish of happy life. Now， people steam \"Huamo，\" different from the previous decades， just for fun.

Lady Huang also tells that with the improvement of life， people don't steam \"Huamo\" on occasion of festivals any more. For fun， \"Huamo\" is steamed at any time.

Usually， the patterns of \"Huamo\" vary a lot. In according to festivals and seasons， the patterns of \"Huamo\" are changed.

In the afternoon of the last day of the lunar year， people steam fish-shaped \"Huamo\" to imply bumper harvests and rich living in the next year. During the first dinner of the first day of the lunar year， the eldest person in the family will eat the \"fish head\" on the \"Huomo\" to be after a propitious beginning.

According to Chinese lunar year calendars， the 23rd of the twelfth month of the lunar year is the Preliminary Eve before eve of the lunar year. From this day， Chinese people are used to making preparation for the Spring Festival. In Junxian， steaming \"Zaomo\" (Date Bun) takes important position in the preparation. People call the bun \"Zaoshan\" (Date Mountain) instead of \"Zaomo.\" When making \"Zaoshan，\" people wrap a small part of a date with dough， then laying a mountain-like bun with the wrapped dates to imply that in the next year people will not only have enough food but also will make their lives improved as a mountain towering higher and higher.

In summer time， when harvest wheat， people steam animal-shaped \"Huamo，\" such as bird- and hedgehog-shaped. Since summer is the most joyful time for various animals. On occasion a bumper harvest， people celebrate their happy emotion with the bird-shaped \"Huamo.\" Of course， people first offer the steamed \"birds\" to the heavenly god as sacrifices to pray for bumper harvests every year.