Is it a solar term to raise the head of a dragon? What festival is February 2nd?

Is it a solar term to raise the head of a dragon? What festival is February 2nd?

The faucet is not a solar term. China has 24 solar terms: beginning of spring, rain, sting, vernal equinox, Qingming, Grain Rain, Changxia, Xiaoman, Mangzhong, Summer Solstice, Xiaoshu, Dashu, beginning of autumn, Chushu, Bailu, Autumnal Equinox, Cold Dew, Early Frost, beginning of winter, Light Snow, Heavy Snow and Winter Solstice.

Corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms:

Spring rains shake spring and clear valleys,

Summer is full of mountains, and summer is connected.

Autumn dew and autumn frost,

It snows in winter, it snows in winter, and it's a little cold in winter.

In terms of solar terms, the first day of the second lunar month is between "rain", "fright" and "vernal equinox", and many places in China have begun to enter the rainy season. The ancients believed that this was due to the "dragon". In addition, the dragon has a very high status in the minds of China people, and it is not only regarded as an auspicious thing, but also regarded as the master of wind and rain. Therefore, there is a saying that "on February 2, the dragon looks up." In addition, on the second day of the second lunar month, spring returns to the earth and everything recovers. Insects, snakes and wild animals dormant in the soil or caves will wake up from hibernation, and the legendary dragon will wake up from deep sleep and ascend to heaven on this day. Therefore, people have the belief of "Dragon Head Festival", also known as "Spring Dragon Festival".

What is the festival when the dragon looks up on February 2?

Dragon heads up every year on the second day of the second lunar month. Legend has it that this is the day when dragons look up. It is a traditional festival in urban and rural areas of China. Celebrate the "Dragon Head Festival" to show respect for the dragon and pray for rain so that God can help ensure a bumper harvest. It is said that Yao Wang was born on February 2nd. In the south, such as Hakka area, it is the birthday of land father-in-law, which is called "land birthday". In order to "warm his life", some places have the custom of holding a "land meeting": every household raises funds to celebrate the birthday of the land god, burns incense and sacrifices at the land temple, beats gongs and drums and sets off firecrackers. At the same time, in the north, February 2 is also called "Dragon Head-Up Day", also known as "Spring Dragon Festival". It is called "Walking Festival" in the south and "Picking Vegetables Festival" in ancient times. Since the Tang Dynasty, China people have had the custom of February 2nd.

Originated in the Fu era, Fuxi "attaches great importance to agriculture and mulberry, cultivates fields", and on the second day of February every year, "Huang Niang delivers meals and cultivates them". When I arrive in Zhou Wuwang, every year on the second day of February, a grand ceremony will be held to call on all civil and military officials to work together.

People in the Tang Dynasty have regarded the second day of February as a special day, saying that it is a day to welcome wealth, and eating "fruit to welcome wealth" on this day means eating some snacks. The court of the Song Dynasty also had special activities on this day. When the Song people carefully recorded the Southern Song Dynasty in Old Wulin, there was a "Cai Cai" royal banquet in the palace on the second day of February. At the banquet, fresh vegetables such as lettuce are planted in some small hooves (measuring instruments with small mouths and big bottoms), and the names are written on silk and placed under the hooves for everyone to guess. According to the result of the guess, there are rewards and punishments. This activity is both an early adopter and an entertainment, so at that time, "the palace is also more effective." However, these "February 2" activities in the Tang and Song Dynasties have nothing to do with "Dragon Rising".

February 2 of the Yuan Dynasty was clearly "the dragon looked up". When describing the customs of Dadoucheng, Analysis of Tianjin Annals mentioned that "February 2nd is the day when the dragon rises". On this day, people eat noodles, which is called "Longxu Noodles". There are pancakes called "Longlin"; If it includes jiaozi, it is called "dragon tooth". In short, it should be named after the dragon body.

After the Yuan Dynasty, there were more records about various folk activities of "Dragon Rising on February 2". In the Qing dynasty, this day was called "the dragon looked up" because the second day of the second lunar month coincided with the "shocking" solar term. Many animals, such as snakes, earthworms and frogs. In winter, if you don't eat or drink, you will go into hibernation, which is called "entering the sting". By February 2nd, the weather was getting warmer, and some insects and animals seemed to be awakened from their sleep by the sunshine and thunder in spring, so this festival was named "Jing Zhe". In fact, there is no legendary dragon. That kind of dragon was created by our ancestors on the basis of snakes and earthworms. Around the second day of February, spring returns to the earth, and people expect dragons to kill all harmful poisonous insects and expect a bumper harvest.

In Beijing, there are many customs on February 2, such as "On February 2, look at the house beams, scorpions and centipedes have nowhere to hide"! On this day, people will drive away pests, light candles and drive away scorpions and centipedes according to the beams and walls. These insects will fall down and be destroyed at the sight of light. On this day, folk food is usually named dragon for good luck. For example, eating jiaozi is called eating "Dragon Ear", eating rice is called eating "Dragon Son", eating wonton is called eating "Dragon Tooth", and the surface of steamed cake is also shaped like a dragon forest, called "Dragon Forest Cake". On this day, women should avoid needlework so as not to hurt the dragon's eyes.

Why does the dragon look up and get a haircut?

"Blow the tap on February 2"

As the saying goes, "the dragon doesn't look up, it doesn't rain." The dragon is auspicious and the master of weathering rain. On the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, people pray for dragons to raise their heads to make rain and moisten everything, which is called "shaving the faucet on February 2" in history. It is generally believed in China that shaving one's head on this day will bring good luck. Therefore, the folk proverb says, "Blowing the tap on February 2nd will make you feel refreshed all year round". On February 2, every barber shop was full of customers and the business was booming.

In addition, there is a folk saying in our country that "my uncle died in the first month", so many people don't go to the barber shop for a month after cutting their hair in the twelfth lunar month until February 2. However, this folk taboo has gradually faded in recent years.

February 2 is the day when the dragon was stung to heaven. People in China always regard dragons as their totems. This day "shaving the dragon's head" reflects people's good wish to pray for the dragon's blessing.