Abolishing the Spring Festival in the Republic of China _ Abolishing the Spring Festival in the Early Years of the Republic of China

On June 1 91265438+10/day, the provisional government of the Republic of China made a legislative decision to designate this day as the new year and began to use the Gregorian calendar to mark the year. After Yuan Shikai took office as president, while retaining the Gregorian New Year, he approved the first day of the first month as the "Spring Festival" and stipulated a national routine holiday. 1 929 65438+1October1,after the victory of the Northern Expedition, the new government of the Republic of China issued a decree in the name of revolution to use the Gregorian calendar nationwide, abolish the old calendar and ban the old calendar.

The government of the Republic of China, as a new political power after the feudal society in China, has a strong consciousness of innovating and changing customs, especially those newcomers who have studied in the government of the Republic of China, and they are determined to learn and promote the western lifestyle. Therefore, promoting the use of the Gregorian calendar and abolishing the old calendar and the Spring Festival have become the first task of the government of the Republic of China.

According to the new decree of the government of the Republic of China at that time, from the first year of the Republic of China (19 12), the old calendar was abolished, the Spring Festival was abolished, and the Gregorian calendar was used as the national calendar; It is stipulated that 65438+1 October1to 4 are New Year's Day holidays, and 65438+February 3 1 is New Year's Eve to hold New Year's Eve. 65438+1 October1is the New Year's Day, and a spring banquet is held; 65438+1October 15 is the Lantern Festival, which is a day of "beating gongs and drums and patrolling the city for lighting".

In order to fully implement the laws on the use of the Gregorian calendar and the abolition of the old calendar and the Spring Festival, the National Government not only used the media to vigorously publicize it, but also called on local governments at all levels to send people to the countryside for strict inspection and supervision, and punished those who valued the old calendar over the new one. For example, a number of enterprises that manufacture and sell old almanac books were closed, school principals who took vacations according to past practices were punished, and owners of shops and grain depots that closed during the Lunar New Year were severely investigated. Even some vendors selling Spring Festival couplets, door gods and sacrifices in the market were driven away or taken to the police station for short-term confinement. Some local governments even took violent actions to forcibly ban all folk celebrations and entertainment activities during the Spring Festival, and the festive lanterns hung by households were also forcibly confiscated.

However, the people's psychology and customs accumulated for thousands of years have not changed rapidly because of the measures of the government of the Republic of China, such as changing customs, abolishing the old calendar and the Spring Festival. At that time, except for government agencies, schools, organizations and a few urban residents, the vast majority of urban and rural residents still used the old calendar as usual, but they were indifferent to the Gregorian New Year advocated by the National Government.

After several years of compulsory implementation by the government of the Republic of China, the use of the Gregorian calendar in units of years began to be gradually accepted by government organs, schools and people's organizations at all levels, and gradually became popular. However, the abolition and prohibition of the old calendar have never been recognized by the people, so the government of the Republic of China had to finally give up this ban against folk customs and restore the folk tradition of the old calendar.

Now, it seems that the government of the Republic of China abandoned the old calendars and banned the old ones, which was too westernized, which went against the actual situation of the people in China at that time, and also deviated from the traditional folk customs and general public opinion. Therefore, it is also a historical necessity to get no response and support from the people.

Until now, our Spring Festival is still full of rich traditional flavor, with fireworks and firecrackers; Eat jiaozi, wear new clothes, and children receive lucky money; When adults go out to pay New Year's greetings, the old people still turn over their old calendars and count the days. These are the cultural heritage of a nation, and no one can take them away.

(Excerpted from Taicang Daily)