Today is beginning of spring. How should we welcome spring?

Beginning of spring is the first of the 24 solar terms, and beginning of spring marks the beginning of spring. Every year, on the day when spring begins, the whole world is celebrating, and all kinds of ceremonies to welcome spring are more grand than celebrating the Spring Festival. There is a folk custom of harvesting spring or spring cattle. In ancient times when the economy was underdeveloped, cattle were the best labor force for human beings. If the family receiving the spring is rich, they will hang a fireworks, solemnly take the spring cow home, and then give the person who sent the spring cow a red envelope. If the family is a little poorer, the family who receives spring simply gives the sender five cents or ten cents, and the sender doesn't mind, but still says: Spring is coming!

The custom of Hakka people worshiping the God of Spring in Sanming City, western Fujian Province is called "receiving spring". When spring comes, farmers put red notes on the gate, such as "Welcome to Spring", "Welcome to Spring Home" and "Come to Fu Lin in Spring", to welcome the arrival of the spring god. February 4th or 5th of the Gregorian calendar (also called "Gregorian calendar") every year, that is, around the "old calendar" of Hakka people in western Fujian, is the beginning of spring season. Beginning of spring is called "Spring in the Year" after the Lunar New Year, and beginning of spring is called "Spring Outside the Year" before the Lunar New Year.

Beat spring cattle

There has been a long-standing custom of "receiving spring" in Sanming, such as "inserting spring firewood" and "beginning of spring tree" in Yong 'an, "inserting spring flag" in Shaxian and "chopping spring firewood" in Taining, all in order to pray for a bumper year. * * * The same customs are "beating", "whipping" and "sending". The county magistrate took the spring cattle with red hydrangeas and carried the red plows to the suburban fields, symbolically ploughing several times to show the government's attention to farming activities and urge the people of the county to make preparations for spring ploughing as soon as possible. Folk artists, on the other hand, play suona in groups of 35 1 and 89 1, pull strings and walk from house to house, deliver a pair of mud cows from house to house, or send red paper with the words "Happy Spring Harvest" to announce the start of spring ploughing and express holiday wishes to their owners. Some people also follow old rules. At this time, after worshipping incense, he drummed a few times on each house column with an axe or sickle, and said while drumming, "You don't have to be afraid to drum a few times in the spring all year round;" The whole family is safe and the financial resources are rolling in! "

Eat spring vegetables

On the occasion of the Spring Festival in Yong 'an every year, Hakkas always put "spring firewood" in front of their houses and erect "spring trees" to welcome the arrival of spring gods. Sister Yong 'an Kejia prepares carrots, white radishes, celery and fried tofu strips to make fried food or cold salad, which is called "eating spring vegetables". When spring comes, every household puts on incense tables and fruits, writes down banners such as "Vientiane is renewed" and "Spring is harmonious" in red paper and presses them under the incense burner, burning incense, lighting candles and setting off firecrackers for worship.

Vertical banner

The so-called "spring banners" are long banners hanging high on long bamboo poles. In ancient times, the flag of spring was simple cyan. Later, although it was colored, it never used black and white. Hunting in spring, breezy, and people who worship Ju Mang, the god of spring, are in an endless stream, beaming, which is the characteristic of Shaxian Hakka traditional custom of welcoming the Spring.

The custom of "erecting the spring flag" is really rare, but even Hainan on the edge can be seen everywhere in the Song Dynasty. Su Shi's "Abbreviated Magnolia: A Spring Poem" says: "Spring cattle spring branches, infinite spring breeze comes to the sea. When I went to work in spring, I dyed it pink like meat. Spring is coming, and the spring breeze wakes you up. Unlike the end of the world, poplars are rolled up like snowflakes. " This word is written about the traditional custom of Danzhou (now Hainan Province), which is "whipping cattle and throwing beans". This ancient custom of persuading farmers is recorded in detail in the Records of Danxian County: "On the day of beginning of spring, big officials welcomed the Spring Festival, and all the shops in the workshop packed up and put on zaju. Inside and outside the city, men, women and children are competing to watch and sprinkle beans for cows. " "One day in beginning of spring, there was a company to meet Gou Mang and local cattle. Gou Mang's name is Chun Er. Wear a hat to keep warm in spring, otherwise it will be cold in spring. Red is dry and black is water. They competed to sprinkle it with red beans and five-color rice to eliminate the one-year-old disease rash. And whip the spring, and the people push the servants around for good luck. " In fact, this custom has been recorded in the Book of Rites of Sui Shu: "On the day of beginning of spring, five minutes before the night leak, all the officials in Kyoto were dressed in Tsing Yi, and all the county officials down to 100 officials were dressed in green flags, standing under them, and giving Niu Geng soil outside the door to show the people.