The Wanluan Pig's Knuckle Street is full of popularity, fueled by the custom.

(Photo by reporter Chen Yanting)

[Reporter Chen Yanting/Pingtung Report] Our newspaper reported yesterday that in the leap month of the lunar calendar, there is a custom for married women to buy pig's knuckles to go home to honor their parents. Crowds of people flocked to the famous Wanluan Pig’s Knuckle Street in Pingtung to buy pig’s knuckles. Stores began to suspend home delivery and limit the number of takeaways. However, folklore expert Liao Dayi reminded that about two-thirds of February has passed, and people in need should do it as soon as possible. Buying, avoid dragging until the second lunar month.

In the current calendar, the lunar leap and February, known as "leap double moons", only occur once in about 19 years, but because this year is the rare "double-headed spring" that can be seen at the beginning and end of the lunar year, all of them have The meaning of "Shuangshuang is right, rich and honored for ten thousand years", and the custom of buying pig's feet to honor parents in the leap month also makes pig's feet very popular.

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All the shops in Wanluan Pig’s Knuckle Street have seen good business since before the Chinese New Year, and they have already suspended home delivery orders. Yesterday, some shops even announced that they would not even be able to take out the pig’s knuckles at the scene. At one time, it was suspected that even the pig’s knuckles were out of stock. However, other stores pointed out that there is not much difference in the overall supply of raw pig's knuckles, and the dealers did not say that they would raise prices, but the sales in the front were too good, resulting in tight inventory on site.

The custom of buying pig's knuckles in the leap month is also curious. Liao Dayi said that because the leap month has 13 months in a lunar year, it means that there are more than 20 days in a year. Daughter buys pig’s knuckle noodle thread to prolong their parents’ life for auspiciousness, and the ancient ceremony is to buy raw pig’s knuckles and wrap them in red paper with raw noodle thread as a filial piety for their parents. meaning.

Why only "target" pig feet?

Liao Dayi pointed out that pigs have been a gift of five animals since ancient times, but because the whole pig is expensive, most of them are replaced by pig feet, and there are differences in the front and rear feet, because in ancient times, boys were preferred to girls, and husbands were found in " The wife in the front is in the back, so if you want to buy pig’s knuckle noodles in the leap month to extend the life of your parents, if your parents are still alive, you should buy both the front and back of the pig. back foot.

There are also many people who are wondering whether the custom can be carried out before the end of the second month?

Or does it have to be held in the second month of the lunar calendar?

Liao Dayi explained that "the gate of ghosts is not opened twice in the seventh month of leap". He pointed out that it is customary to carry out these customs before the leap month. When encountering a leap month with special customs, it is traditional to "make the head and not the tail." , only in the first month, and the leap month will pass smoothly, but he also emphasized that the focus of the whole custom has always been filial piety from the heart.

During the 228 consecutive holidays, Wanluan Zhujiao Street was crowded with people.

(Provided by Haihong Hotel)