A sacrifice for traffic safety? It feels like doing something like this might bring a curse upon you. I’m sharing this because a video of a vehicle delivery ceremony—filmed in front of a car dealership in Sanming City, Fujian Province, China—has been going viral on social media, sparking quite a stir.
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Tradition and Deviation in the “Festival Car” Vehicle Delivery Ceremony
In China, there is a long-standing custom of warding off bad luck and praying for safety when taking delivery of a new car; practices such as setting off firecrackers—known as “opening-the-door firecrackers”—and tying red ribbons to the vehicle are common across the country. In places like Weifang (Shandong Province) and Wuxi (Jiangsu Province), rituals involving offerings of chicken, pork, and fruit placed in front of the new car are also performed, demonstrating that such delivery ceremonies are deeply rooted in Chinese society.
However, regarding the incident filmed in Chengjiao Town, Ninghua County, Sanming City (Fujian Province), a local government official commented that it was a “personal act” and that an investigation had already been launched; this indicates that the behavior was viewed as going beyond the scope of traditional offerings. In China, footage depicting animal cruelty has consistently sparked public backlash, and the rapid spread of this particular video can be seen against the backdrop of that history of public sentiment.
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