余連祥

習(xí)俗，指的是在各地廣為流傳并且約定俗成的規(guī)范化流程。在江南，民間的蠶事習(xí)俗，歷史悠久，影響廣泛，是百姓文化生活的一種表現(xiàn)。

進(jìn)蠶香

陽春三月，杭嘉湖蠶鄉(xiāng)的西湖香市十分興盛。據(jù)清代范祖述的《杭俗遺風(fēng)》記載：

鄉(xiāng)下者，下至蘇州一省，以及杭嘉湖三府屬各鄉(xiāng)村民男女，坐航船而來杭州進(jìn)香……準(zhǔn)于看蠶返棹，延有月余之久……其進(jìn)香，城內(nèi)則城隍山各廟，城外則天竺及四大叢林。

“上有天堂，下有蘇杭”，春天的杭州，正是桃紅柳綠、百花爭艷的時(shí)節(jié)，江浙一帶的蠶農(nóng)正可以利用這一空閑時(shí)間，借佛游春，祈求蠶花豐收。為了祈求當(dāng)年的蠶花豐收，燒香客可謂廣結(jié)善緣，幾乎是見廟就燒香，見佛就磕頭，真誠祈求釋道各神靈客串當(dāng)一次蠶寶寶的保護(hù)神。

烏鎮(zhèn)一帶的香客還有一種奇怪的習(xí)俗。據(jù)茅盾的散文《陌生人》描述：杭州岳墳前跪著秦檜和王氏的鐵像，上杭州燒香的鄉(xiāng)人一定要到“岳老爺墳上”去一趟，卻并不僅為瞻仰忠魂，還要摸跪在那里的王氏的鐵奶;據(jù)說經(jīng)此一摸，蠶花能夠茂盛。

祛白虎

杭嘉湖自古就有“五日寒食共清明”之說，即自清明前四天的寒食節(jié)起，蠶農(nóng)就忙著過清明了。蠶農(nóng)照例要上墳祀祖，不過是在寒食節(jié)至清明前日進(jìn)行。

還在寒食節(jié)，杭嘉湖蠶鄉(xiāng)的蠶農(nóng)就開始家家包粽子，而且要包上好多。粽子既方便又美味，是上墳、軋蠶花和招待客人的必備品。清明粽子品種多樣，有棗子粽子、赤豆粽子、咸肉粽子，還有一種只有糯米沒放其他東西的粽子，俗稱“白肉粽子”。招待客人時(shí)，要放上一碗糖。當(dāng)?shù)赜嘘P(guān)粽子的謎語為“青殼田雞活剝皮，白糖沾沾好東西”，其出典就在于此。

除了包粽子，還要做“甜麥塔餅”和清明圓子，后者形如蠶繭，外加一只名為“白虎”的像形圓子。

蠶農(nóng)把有害于蠶寶寶的“白虎”之類的鬼邪和病毒、蟲害之災(zāi)稱為蠶祟。當(dāng)?shù)亓?xí)俗，臘月十二祭蠶神是為了得到蠶花喜氣，祈求來年蠶花豐收，而清明前一天的諸種儀式，意在祛除蠶祟，保佑蠶寶寶平安無事。這一天主要通過挑青、趕白虎、畫灰弓和貼門神來祈求祛除蠶祟。

俗云：“清明螺，賽只鵝?！鼻迕鲿r(shí)的螺螄最肥，且沒有幼螺，其味極為鮮美。不過吃清明夜飯時(shí)，吃螺螄的方法非同一般。那天的螺螄是不能剪去屁股的，得用針或洗帚篾絲把肉挑出來吃，俗稱“挑青”。吃罷清明夜飯，要把螺螄殼拋撒在瓦楞上。據(jù)說，“沙拉”“沙拉”的聲響能趕走躲在瓦楞中的老鼠，而老鼠是蠶寶寶的大敵。夏天，瓦楞上會(huì)生長一種俗稱“瓦蛭”的毛毛蟲，這種“瓦蛭”冷不丁掉到人身上，刺得人既痛又癢，自然也會(huì)傷害蠶寶寶。瓦楞上有了完好無缺的螺螄殼，“瓦蛭”就會(huì)躲進(jìn)去做窩，也就不會(huì)掉下來傷害到蠶寶寶。那晚的螺螄殼不剪去屁股，原因就在這里。

“祛白虎”是在祭祀好灶神和蠶神后進(jìn)行的。蠶農(nóng)先將一白虎形的米粉圓子棄置于三岔路口，再在蠶室前后的稻場上用石灰畫上弧形的弓箭，意謂射祛白虎。最后是在大門上貼上門神，用意為神荼和郁壘把守大門，白虎之類的蠶祟不準(zhǔn)進(jìn)入蠶室。對(duì)于這種習(xí)俗，清周煌的《吳興蠶詞》作了很好的描述：

好是風(fēng)風(fēng)雨雨天，清明時(shí)節(jié)鬧桑田。

青螺白虎剛祠罷，留得灰弓月樣圓。

軋蠶花

當(dāng)?shù)刂V云：“清明圓子兩頭尖，吃了要發(fā)顛?！鼻迕鲿r(shí)節(jié)，正是蠶農(nóng)顛來顛去“軋蠶花”的日子。所謂“軋蠶花”，是指清明時(shí)節(jié)，蠶農(nóng)們競赴附近寺廟祭拜蠶神。由于人潮如涌，擁擠不堪，有了“軋”的情景。這種習(xí)俗在善璉、含山、新市、烏鎮(zhèn)等地十分盛行。茅盾的散文《香市》就回憶了那時(shí)的烏鎮(zhèn)普濟(jì)寺軋蠶花的歡快熱鬧的情景。

不過軋蠶花以含山最為熱鬧，近年來已演變成為聞名中外的含山“蠶花節(jié)”。含山位于湖州與桐鄉(xiāng)的交界處，高不足百米，但是，“山不在高，有仙則靈”。相傳蠶花娘娘在清明節(jié)化作村姑踏遍了含山土地，留下了蠶花喜氣，此后誰腳踏含山，誰就會(huì)把蠶花喜氣帶回去，得個(gè)蠶花廿四分。正是含山的仙氣，把方圓幾十里的蠶農(nóng)吸引來了。

含山軋蠶花時(shí)的重頭戲?yàn)辇堉鄹偠伞Ｋ螐埾鹊摹赌咎m花·乙卯吳興寒食》（上闕）：“龍頭舴艋吳兒競，筍柱秋千游女并。芳洲拾翠暮忘歸，秀野踏青來不定?！笨梢娫谒未陀星迕鲿r(shí)龍舟競渡的習(xí)俗。

正清明的含山，格外熱鬧，方圓幾十里的蠶農(nóng)匯集在這彈丸之地，其擁擠狀況可想而知。更何況，還有隨之而來的小商小販，耍猴的、變戲法和映西洋鏡的。

俗云：“含山灘上比老婆?！蹦翘?，蠶婦都要穿綢裹絹、簪銀戴金、面施脂粉，妝扮得格外俏麗。在德清新市，有一條“蠶花弄”，清明那一天，姑娘插戴許多蠶花，去這條弄中擠。如果哪位姑娘身上的蠶花被小伙子紛紛擠落，她就有資格成為“蠶娘”，且能養(yǎng)得好蠶;如果哪位姑娘沒人理睬，身上的蠶花完好無損，就沒有資格成為蠶娘，只能來年再去“蠶花弄”碰運(yùn)氣了。在練市一帶，軋蠶花時(shí)蠶婦要披上絹質(zhì)披肩，任男人拉扯披肩，俗稱“扯蠶花絹頭”。這類習(xí)俗都是上古時(shí)期性崇拜的遺風(fēng)。

“軋蠶花”時(shí)，最為搶手的要算是蠶花了。蠶婦們都爭相購買蠶花來插在頭上。相傳，西施離越適吳時(shí)，途經(jīng)杭嘉湖蠶鄉(xiāng)，把一種蠶花分送給蠶婦，預(yù)祝蠶花豐收。那一年，果然是家家豐收。相沿成習(xí)，杭嘉湖蠶鄉(xiāng)的廣大蠶婦就有了簪戴蠶花的習(xí)俗。

所謂蠶花，是一種用紙或絹剪扎而成的彩花。蠶花形如月季或玉蘭，插在竹制的花簞上出售。茅盾的小說《春蠶》就寫了四大娘簪戴蠶花之事。含山灘上盡管有眾多的小吃攤，但蠶農(nóng)為了省錢，一般是自帶粽子的，唯有買蠶花的錢，蠶農(nóng)是決不會(huì)省的。蠶花為蠶婦平添一分嫵媚，也增強(qiáng)了她們養(yǎng)好春蠶的信心。于是簪戴蠶花成了蠶婦的一種特殊裝飾習(xí)俗，朱恒《武原竹枝詞》寫道：

小年朝過便焚香，禮拜觀音渡海航。

剪得紙花雙鬢插，滿頭春色壓蠶娘。

“軋蠶花”的重頭戲是在含山塘的河面上上演的。當(dāng)?shù)匦Q農(nóng)稱寬大的河流為“塘”。含山腳下古運(yùn)河俗稱“含山塘”，寬闊的河面給蠶農(nóng)競展雄姿提供了水鄉(xiāng)特有的舞臺(tái)。但見塘河里大小船只摩舷撞艄;擂臺(tái)船上，各路拳師雄姿勃發(fā)，或一人表演，或兩人對(duì)打，或舞刀弄棍，大顯身手;標(biāo)竿船上，以高高豎起的粗壯毛竹為標(biāo)竿，爬桿者輕舒猿臂，表演各種驚險(xiǎn)的雜技動(dòng)作，令人驚嘆;快船捉對(duì)賽快，緊鑼密鼓，浪激飛舟。含山上、塘岸上、山塘橋上，擠滿了圍觀者。他們或呼喊加油，或拍手叫絕，或歡呼勝利，或扼腕嘆息，其情緒之激動(dòng)，不下于球迷觀看足球賽。

桐鄉(xiāng)市芝村一帶的“龍蠶會(huì)”，其盛況不下于含山“軋蠶花”。此俗又稱“芝村水會(huì)”。每年清明節(jié)，蠶農(nóng)用兩只農(nóng)船并列，搭成一體，船上搭佛臺(tái)，將芝村龍蠶廟中的蠶花娘娘抬置其上，以千張、豆腐干等素食作供品。蠶農(nóng)們則從四面八方搖船匯集于芝村漾，向蠶花娘娘朝拜，祈求蠶花茂盛。祭畢，再將蠶花娘娘抬回龍蠶廟。隨后，各地來的船只就在水上表演各種節(jié)目，如“搖快船”“龍燈船”“臺(tái)閣船”“標(biāo)竿船”“打拳船”。三五天會(huì)期后，蠶農(nóng)們才盡興而返。

嘉興近郊的“鬧清明”另有一番熱鬧情景。此俗又稱“劃船會(huì)”，每逢清明日，各村出一條“踏白船”，用松毛做棚，鳴鑼鼓，在船上作各種表演。有的人簪戴蠶花，作婦人裝束，先翻葉仙詩，預(yù)卜葉價(jià)高下;有的則把蠶、稱繭、繅絲等事，以卜蠶絲之豐歉。還有人作田夫裝，表演栽秧、踏車、耘苗、割稻、打稻等農(nóng)事，以卜田歲之豐歉。也有人在船上表演拳腳功夫的。

各地“軋蠶花”以正清明為最盛，一直要持續(xù)到谷雨邊。

杭嘉湖蠶鄉(xiāng)的蠶農(nóng)把賽龍舟安排在清明時(shí)節(jié)，自有其道理在。當(dāng)?shù)刂V云：“小滿動(dòng)三車?！薄叭嚒笔侵附z車、油車和水車。在機(jī)械化繅絲沒有興起以前，當(dāng)?shù)匦Q農(nóng)都是自家繅絲，且那時(shí)種的又是單季稻。所以，端午前后，當(dāng)?shù)匦Q農(nóng)正忙于做絲、榨取菜油和車水種田，沒有工夫像外地人那樣忙乎過端午節(jié)。而清明時(shí)節(jié)，蠶鄉(xiāng)已是桃紅柳綠、百花爭艷、春意盎然了。加上清明時(shí)節(jié)相對(duì)空閑，利用蠶忙前的空閑時(shí)間，借助明媚的春光，大家借蠶嬉春，樂上一樂，豈不是賞心樂事？于是，樂觀、務(wù)實(shí)、善于變通的蠶鄉(xiāng)人也就隨機(jī)應(yīng)變，將端午節(jié)的樂事提前到清明時(shí)節(jié)了。清明節(jié)，實(shí)在是蠶鄉(xiāng)的狂歡節(jié)。更何況，如此狂歡，還是宜于蠶事的呢！

In springtime in Jiangnan， a series of rituals and festivities will start as silkworm farmers begin to prepare for the start of their annual work. Silkworm farmers and their family members from the north of Zhejiang and the south of Jiangsu flock to the West Lake in Hangzhou and visit all temples there， even including the City God Temple and General Yue Feis Memorial Temple. The springtime pilgrimage to Hangzhou is of course supposed to seek blessings from heaven.

In Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Plain where sericulture thrives， silkworm farmers celebrate the Qingming Festival as if it were Spring Festival. Some even go so far as to say that some silkworm farmers even consider the Qingming Festival more important than the Spring Festival. The festivities for the Qingming Festival start on the Cold Food Festival， four days before the Qingming Festival in early April. To entertain visiting relatives and friends， families make ， a rice dumpling （a pyramid-shaped mass of rice glutinous rice and stuffing wrapped in bamboo leaves）.

One day before the Qingming Festival， a set of rituals is held to exorcize evils and vermin that might damage silkworm farming. The rituals are supposed to keep silkworm rooms free of bad things.

Around the Qingming Festival， silkworm farmers go to local temples to pray for blessings from Goddess of Silkworm. The best known celebration centers around Hanshan， a hill on the border between Huzhou and Tongxiang. Local legends have it that the goddess disguises herself as an ordinary village woman and visits Hanshan， leaving footprints which emit the aura of good luck all over Hanshan. Attracted by this belief， silkworm farmers flock to Hanshan. They walk all over the hill， to get the aura from the footprints left by the goddess.

The crowd is the biggest on the day of Qingming. Residents from all over the region gather there. The large gathering is also a fashion show for wives. They wear best silk garments and jewelry to show off how their husbands love them. For young women who are not yet married， it is also a day to find young men they want to date. On the day， women wear a silk or paper flower in their heads. The flower is called Silkworm Flower. These women， married or single， may be thrifty about other things， but they never hesitate to open their purses to buy a good handmade flower and wear it in a showy manner on their heads.

An ancient canal by Hanshan gives an opportunity for big boats moored there to form a performance stage of all sizes. People perform Kungfu and stage acrobatic shows on boats. Boat races on the canal draw large crowd of spectators. They excitedly cheer the competitors from the canal banks. The atmosphere is electrifying.

In Tongxiang， Dragon Silkworm Festival attracts large groups of visitors. The spectacle is all the hustle and bustle in Hanshan. A statue of Silkworm Goddess is placed on a platform consisted of two boats roped together. Silkworm farmers from all over the region come to pray to the goddess. After the ceremony， the statue is carried back to the Dragon Silkworm Temple. Then boat shows begin and last about three to five days.

The Qingming Boat Show in Jiaxing features a special celebration. A village sends one boat out to participate in the show. All these boat shows are about silkworm farming and rice farming. Actors who are men can dress up like a woman featuring a silk flower in the head. They pray to the god of mulberry tree leaves and seek a divination on the prices of mulberry leaves. Some performers put on a show illustrating the whole process of silkworm farming. They seek a divination about whether the raw silk they reel from cocoons can sell a good price this year. Some people are dressed up like rice farmers imitating the manner of working in rice paddies for a divination about a bumper harvest. Kungfu performances are also part of the boat shows on the Qingming Festival.

The Duanwu Festival on May 5th on the lunar calendar is largely ignored in the sericulture region in the north of the province as silkworm farmers dont have time for the Duanwu festivities. That is why they organize their boat races around the Qingming Festival.