Pig and chicken calendar

The Spring Festival is very important for China people. It is not only the end of the old year, but also the beginning of a new year. In fact, every day in the first month has a specific meaning. People often predict good luck and bad luck in the first month and the harvest next year. There is also a folk saying: "two dog is the first chicken, three pigs and four sheep, five cows and six horses, seven people and eight valleys". What kind of attention is there in this sentence? This proverb means: the first day of the first month is rooster day, the second day is dog day, the third day is pig day, the fourth day is sheep day, the fifth day is ox day, the sixth day is horse day, the seventh day is human day, and the eighth day is valley day.

The ancients thought that the weather these days could represent the harvest of the new year, and certain customs must be followed in these days. The ancients thought that chickens had five virtues, similar to mascots, and golden roosters could bring good luck at dawn, so they couldn't eat chickens on the first day of the New Year. Moreover, the homonym of chicken is "Ji", which means good luck. Some places can't use scissors and wash clothes on the first day, and there are many taboos. The next day is dog day. Legend has it that this day is unlucky, which is not conducive to people's travel, so the custom in many places on this day is to stay at home instead of visiting relatives. Of course, you can't eat dog meat on this day. But in some places, girls return to their parents' home on this day, and different local customs may be just the opposite.

The third day of the first lunar month is the Year of the Pig. Legend has it that Nu Wa created a pig on this day. Never kill pigs, let alone eat pork. If the weather is fine this day, your pig will grow fat and strong next year. The fourth day of the Lunar New Year is Sheep Day. This day is the day when the kitchen god returns to the people, so we should not only worship the kitchen god, but also put honey on his mouth and let him put in a good word for himself. Three yang (sheep) opens Thailand. Sheep belong to the mascot on this day, and you can't eat sheep on this day.

The fifth day of the Lunar New Year is the Year of the Ox, and it is also the day for Nuwa to be a cow. On the fifth day, people will offer sacrifices to the god of wealth, hoping that the new year will bring more money, but they can't eat beef. Many places will thoroughly clean their homes and sweep away dust on this day to welcome new things. The sixth day of the first month is horse day. On this day, people will clean up the feces in toilets and corners of their homes to offer sacrifices to the toilet gods. In ancient times, many farmers also started farming on this day. The seventh day of the first month is Human Day, and Nu Wa created human beings on this day. Nu Wa created chickens, dogs, pigs, sheep, cows and horses from grade one to grade six, and created people on the seventh day.

If the weather is fine this day, you will be healthy and have a smooth life next year. In modern times, this ancient custom has long since disappeared, and most people sacrifice to the kitchen god and the god of wealth, while other estimates have long been forgotten. These animals and people were not created by Nu Wa, but the result of gradual evolution. However, from the establishment of Xiaoyue to the present, this custom reflects the life of the ancients and their views on farming, and it is also the good wish of the working people for a bumper harvest.