Chinese culture

Spring Festival (Dragon Raises its Head)

According to folklore, every second day of the second lunar month is the day when the Dragon King, who is in charge of heavenly sexuality, looks up. After that, the rain will gradually increase. Therefore, this day is called "Spring Festival". It is widely circulated in northern China that "on February 2, the dragon looked up; The big warehouse is full and the small warehouse flows. " Folk proverbs.

Whenever the Spring Festival comes, in most parts of northern China, every family carries lanterns to fetch water from wells or rivers in the morning, and when they get home, they light a fire, burn incense and offer offerings. In ancient times, people called this ceremony "attracting dragons". On this day, every household will also eat noodles, fried cakes and popcorn, which are compared to "picking the dragon's head", "eating gentian" and "golden beans bloom, the dragon king ascends to heaven, clouds and rain rise, and the grains are abundant" to show good luck.

There is a fairy tale about the origin of the Spring Dragon Festival in northern China: Wu Zetian became emperor, which annoyed the Jade Emperor and told the Four Seas Dragon King that it was forbidden to rain on the earth for three years. Soon, the Dragon King, who was in charge of Tianhe, listened to the cries of the people, watched the people starve to death, and worried that human life would be cut off, so he went against the jade emperor's will and sent rain for the sky. When the Jade Emperor learned that the Dragon King had been knocked down to earth and was crushed under a big mountain to suffer, a monument was erected on the mountain: "The Dragon King's rain violated heaven and should be punished for eternal life; If you want to return to the Lingxiao Pavilion, unless the golden beans bloom. "

In order to save the Dragon King, people searched everywhere for golden beans in full bloom. On the second day of February of the following year, when people were drying corn seeds, they thought the corn looked like golden beans. It blooms when it's fried. Isn't it golden beans? Every household popped popcorn and put a case in the yard to burn incense for the flowering "golden beans". The Dragon King looked up and knew that it was the people who saved it. He shouted to the jade emperor, "The golden beans are blooming, let me out quickly!" ; As soon as the Jade Emperor sees the golden bean curd in the yard of every household in the world, he will send a letter to the Dragon King, asking him to return to the sky and continue to give rain to the world. Since then, people have formed a habit. On the second day of February, people eat popcorn.

In fact, after February of the lunar calendar, the "rain" solar term will come, and the lack of rain in winter will end, and the rainfall will gradually increase, which is originally the characteristic of the monsoon climate in North China.

The seventh day of the seventh lunar month: Qixi Valentine's Day

(The night on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month is called "Qixi". According to China folklore, the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meet at the Magpie Bridge in Tianhe tonight. Later, there were some customs, such as women asking Vega for a needle on this night. The so-called cleverness is to thread a needle through Vega with colored thread in the moonlight. It would be a "coincidence" if you could pass through seven pinholes of different sizes. The agricultural proverb goes: "On the seventh day of July, it is clear, and the sickle is used to cut rice." It's time to sharpen the sickle and get ready to harvest the early rice. )

The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month: Laba Festival

In ancient times, the sacrifice to "God" in December was called the twelfth lunar month, so the twelfth lunar month was called the twelfth lunar month. On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the old custom is to drink Laba porridge. According to legend, Sakyamuni became a Buddha on this day, so every time the temple cooked porridge for the Buddha on this day, the people followed suit and became a custom, which continues to this day. )

Spring Festival (Dragon Raises its Head)

According to folklore, every second day of the second lunar month is the day when the Dragon King, who is in charge of heavenly sexuality, looks up. After that, the rain will gradually increase. Therefore, this day is called "Spring Festival". It is widely circulated in northern China that "on February 2, the dragon looked up; The big warehouse is full and the small warehouse flows. " Folk proverbs.

Whenever the Spring Festival comes, in most parts of northern China, every family carries lanterns to fetch water from wells or rivers in the morning, and when they get home, they light a fire, burn incense and offer offerings. In ancient times, people called this ceremony "attracting dragons". On this day, every household will also eat noodles, fried cakes and popcorn, which are compared to "picking the dragon's head", "eating gentian" and "golden beans bloom, the dragon king ascends to heaven, clouds and rain rise, and the grains are abundant" to show good luck.

There is a fairy tale about the origin of the Spring Dragon Festival in northern China: Wu Zetian became emperor, which annoyed the Jade Emperor and told the Four Seas Dragon King that it was forbidden to rain on the earth for three years. Soon, the Dragon King, who was in charge of Tianhe, listened to the cries of the people, watched the people starve to death, and worried that human life would be cut off, so he went against the jade emperor's will and sent rain for the sky. When the Jade Emperor learned that the Dragon King had been knocked down to earth and was crushed under a big mountain to suffer, a monument was erected on the mountain: "The Dragon King's rain violated heaven and should be punished for eternal life; If you want to return to the Lingxiao Pavilion, unless the golden beans bloom. "

In order to save the Dragon King, people searched everywhere for golden beans in full bloom. On the second day of February of the following year, when people were drying corn seeds, they thought the corn looked like golden beans. It blooms when it's fried. Isn't it golden beans? Every household popped popcorn and put a case in the yard to burn incense for the flowering "golden beans". The Dragon King looked up and knew that it was the people who saved it. He shouted to the jade emperor, "The golden beans are blooming, let me out quickly!" ; As soon as the Jade Emperor sees the golden bean curd in the yard of every household in the world, he will send a letter to the Dragon King, asking him to return to the sky and continue to give rain to the world. Since then, people have formed a habit. On the second day of February, people eat popcorn.

In fact, after February of the lunar calendar, the "rain" solar term will come, and the lack of rain in winter will end, and the rainfall will gradually increase, which is originally the characteristic of the monsoon climate in North China.

Cold Food Festival

April 4th every year, the day before Tomb-Sweeping Day. Legend has it that this festival is to commemorate the Spring and Autumn Period.

Jie Zhitui was a virtuous minister of the State of Jin, who worked for Zhong Er (later Jin Wengong). There was civil strife in Jin, and his son Zhong Er was forced to flee abroad. Jie Zhitui went into exile with Zhong Er regardless of difficulties and hardships. Once I cut a leg to make soup and gave it to Zhong Er. After Zhong Er became a monarch, he remembered Jiezhitui at first, but after a long time, he was forgotten. Jie Zhitui felt very uncomfortable, so he returned to his hometown with his elderly mother and lived in seclusion in the mountains.

One day, Jin Wengong found himself without the help of an intermediary. He felt guilty when he remembered that he had forgotten to reward the sage. He personally ran to his secluded mountain to look for it. But I saw the overlapping mountains and trees, but I didn't see the shadow of the intermediary. Jie Zhitui is a dutiful son, he thought. If Yamakaji is released, he will definitely come out behind his mother's back. So, Yamakaji was ordered to be released, and the fire spread for dozens of miles. After three days, it didn't go out, but it didn't come out. After the fire went out, everyone went into the mountain to see, only to find that Jie Zhitui and his old mother were burned to death in the mountain.

As soon as it came out, everyone respected and missed Jie tui. I will remember him on the day he was burned to death, that is, the day before Tomb-Sweeping Day in April every year. Because Jie Zhitui was killed by fire, everyone couldn't bear to light a fire on this day, preferring to eat cold food, so this day was called "Cold Food Festival".