The origin of traditional festivals in China

First, the origin of festivals at the age of 18.

The 20-year-old festival mainly refers to a specific day that is established by people to adapt to the periodic changes of weather and phenology and has certain folk cultural significance.

Different festivals have different folk activities. For example, on the Dragon Boat Festival, we race dragon boats and eat zongzi. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, we enjoy the moon and eat moon cakes. On the Double Ninth Festival, we climb high and look far. These festivals also take the year as the cycle, and cycle back and forth year after year.

The traditional festivals in China are the wisdom crystallization of our ancestors' understanding and grasping the laws of natural movement. It is the product of ancient agricultural civilization, the unique intangible cultural heritage of our Chinese nation and the unique cultural symbol of China.

So, how did 18 years old come about?

1, the factor of ancient calendar.

This is the primary reason. The earliest primitive agriculture appeared in Yangshao culture six or seven years ago. There are also rumors that the selection and cultivation of wild plants and the reproduction and domestication of wild animals began in the earlier Fu era. In the earliest agricultural activities, we need to master the appropriate planting time to get the harvest. At this time, people make calendars by observing the weather.

According to legend, there were five senses in the period of the Yellow Emperor, including officials who checked ephemeris. Zhuan Xu has a fire official, and he has an official, which is "just bright", forming the concept of four seasons.

Later, with the passage of time, the method of chronology was formed. Taichu calendar was promulgated in the first year of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty. This calendar stipulates that a year has 12 months, 19 has 7 leap years, and leap years have 13 months.

In ancient times, for the sake of agricultural harvest, it was necessary to worship heaven and earth before spring planting and thank the gods after autumn harvest, so the Spring Society and Autumn Society appeared. At that time, a ceremony was held to offer soil, and the specific time was the fifth day after beginning of autumn in beginning of spring. This may be the earliest sacrificial festival in the history of China.

2. The factor of the round moon.

In the process of determining the festival date, the moon's full and short periods also play a particularly important role. There were no words and calendars in ancient times. We could only observe the sun, moon and stars in the sky. The sun rises and sets every day, which can be said to be unchangeable, while the stars are all over the sky, and the law is not easy to find. Only the moon, it not only has ups and downs, but also has roundness and lack. It is most suitable for people to watch it repeatedly.

Therefore, the concept of month appears in the age cycle. For example, the ancient Shuori and Yuanri are now the first day, and the full day is fifteen. Some festivals are held at the new moon or full moon. For example, the Shangyuan Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month, the Cold Clothes Festival on the first day of October, and so on.

3. Application of overlap number.

Our people have long formed the belief in numbers, especially when the numbers overlap, which is either auspicious or unlucky. For example, 1 month 1 day, February 2, March 3 and September 9 are considered auspicious days. May 5th was regarded as an evil month and day by the ancients. The famous Meng Changjun in Historical Records and Biography of Meng Changjun was born on May 5th. His father asked his mother not to have him, thinking that "a child born in May is longer than a family, which is not good for parents."

It is generally believed that the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate Qu Yuan. However, in history, the formation of the Dragon Boat Festival originated from avoiding "bad days" in ancient times. Afternoon and summer solstice are coming. During this period, the sunshine is the most abundant, and all kinds of mosquitoes appear. When it comes to "heavy five", five means the number of yang, and heavy five means "extremely yang". The traditional culture of China pays attention to the harmony between Yin and Yang. It is generally believed that this sunny day is unlucky and there are many diseases and plagues, so the custom of "hiding in the afternoon (fifth day)" has been formed. Later, it was rumored that it was the Dragon Boat Festival.

4. Belief factors in sacrifice.

In ancient times, due to people's lack of understanding of Xi Ran and the concept of animism. So the worship of nature was formed. Later, the worship of human beings and gods appeared. Chiyou mainly refers to the ancestor of national humanity, national heroes and various public figures.

For example, the ancestors of mankind are Nuwa, Huangdi and Yan Di, and the national heroes are Yue Fei and Qi Jiguang, or other public figures, such as Lu Ban, the granddaddy of craftsmen, Hua Tuo, the granddaddy of medicine, and so on. Because of their lofty position in people's minds, these people turned their birthdays, anniversaries or a special day into some kind of festivals, and some even formed local temple fairs.