The position and function of traditional festivals in China in daily life

Zhu Renqiu: The Spring Festival is approaching, and the streets and alleys are filled with festive joy. In recent years, when it comes to festivals, people's reaction is often one word: tired. What festival makes people feel tired? It is a traditional festival, such as Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival. But at the same time, foreign festivals are highly respected by young people, especially in cities. At Christmas and Valentine's Day, colorful Christmas trees, smiling Santa Claus, bright roses and affectionate lovers all make people feel a deep festive atmosphere. In China's native culture, why do people lose their own festivals, but pick up western festivals that are completely different from our cultural background?

Huang: An important reason is the influence of globalization. In terms of culture, when we talk about globalization, we are only deluding ourselves to find a grandiose reason for westernization. In the process of globalization, it is undeniable that China culture is in a weak position compared with western culture. Hollywood movies have changed people's views on life irreversibly. The warm and romantic depiction of western festivals in the film, and then rendered by fashion magazines, makes western festivals a symbol of savoring life. This impression is so deeply rooted in people's hearts that among young people in cities, foreign festivals have made people feel outdated and incredible.

Zhu Renqiu: The internal support of traditional festivals is farming culture and Confucian culture. But now, neither culture can firmly support traditional festivals. In an agricultural society, family relations are very important for a person's development. Traditional festivals often contain the desire for family reunion, which is an excellent opportunity to meet people of all colors in the family. However, in the ever-changing modern city, the social communication structure is completely different from the traditional society, and the relationship between colleagues and friends has a greater impact on people's work than the relationship between relatives. The Mid-Autumn Festival is sunny and suitable for family reunion. Christmas and Valentine's Day, being with colleagues and friends should be the best choice. The relaxed and happy western festivals just make up for the place where traditional festivals can't adapt to the modern social structure in interpersonal communication. In addition, the decline of Confucian culture and the impact of western culture have made the foundation of traditional festivals more and more fragile.

Chen Daoyuan: Except for the Spring Festival, there are no statutory holidays for other traditional festivals. For example, the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2004 was on September 28th, which was very close to the National Day. If the government advances the National Day holiday by a few days, many people will go home to reunite with their relatives and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Unfortunately, the National Day holiday still started at 10, and the wanderers could only "look up, I found it was moonlight, and then sank, and I suddenly thought of home". Traditional festivals are marginalized because of the west wind spreading eastward, but the government's neglect in this respect is also hard to blame.

Huang: It is precisely because the culture contained in traditional festivals is too profound and the inner spirit is too rich that people who are now pursuing relaxation instinctively avoid and choose western festivals. In fact, the western festivals they celebrate are not the original festivals, but western festivals that have removed the cultural and traditional connotations. This kind of formal festival actually makes impetuous people feel relaxed. Many people think that celebrating the foreign festival is just an excuse to have fun and relieve the pressure of work and life. In addition, visiting relatives and friends and numerous social activities during traditional festivals are also very troublesome. When people say that they are tired during the holidays, they actually mean this kind of fatigue.

Zhu Renqiu: The fast-paced life and the pursuit of utility have gradually alienated people from traditional festivals. Under the impact of fierce modern life, the artistic conception of harmony between man and nature created by traditional festivals and the inner peace and harmony brought by traditional festivals are gradually leaving us. Too many utilitarian things have seriously damaged the inner spirit of traditional festivals, and what modern people lack most is the pastoral cultural state of mind.

Chen Daoyuan: Yes! Nowadays, many people don't pay much attention to the humanistic significance of holiday culture itself, but pay more attention to the weight of holiday gifts. Festivals have become empty consumption, and those cultural things that used to be in festivals have become more fragile. The reduction of cultural significance during traditional festivals is also an important manifestation of cultural decline, because culture and inner spirit are the soul of festivals. The excitement of festivals can be transplanted, but the meaning of festivals cannot be transplanted.

The meaning and inner spirit of festivals.

Zhu Renqiu: As a grand commemoration and celebration held by all ethnic groups in a specific season, festivals are a typical comprehensive, collective and staged lifestyle for people to adjust their own life content and rhythm. Festivals have far-reaching significance and can meet people's physiological, psychological and social needs in many ways.

Chen Daoyuan: There are three types of festivals: religious, folk and political. For religious festivals, festivals have the significance of humanistic care; For folk festivals, festivals have the significance of hero worship; Political festivals reflect the preference of state coercion, who should be protected by state coercion and who should not be protected. Judging from the types of festivals and their corresponding meanings, festivals have a purely single direction and their own clear signs, and the connotation of festivals cannot be increased or decreased. The way to celebrate festivals is related to the changes of people and material environment. It is with the actual concrete people and things that the festival can be carried forward and the festive atmosphere can be rendered. In some festivals now, economic activities, rather than the meaning of festivals, play a leading role, reversing the connotation of the subject and object of festivals.

Huang: Religious festivals are a review of people and things that have disappeared, and people gain their own meaning in the review. In religious festivals, people's spirits gain a life experience and spiritual space through religious ceremonies. Folk festivals make every detail of the festival a manifestation of heroism. People are immersed in the joy of the festival, sharing heroic feelings and sharing the happiness brought by heroic feelings. Every activity feels like a hero. Political festivals reflect the coercive power of the country. The festivals mandated by the state all reflect the objects that the state wants to protect or care for, such as Teacher's Day, which reflects the state's emphasis on education and care for teachers.

Zhu Renqiu: There are various categories of festivals. As far as individual life is concerned, the growth of life is always accompanied by the memory of festivals. People have different identities and roles in every stage of life. From childhood to adulthood, they have experienced Children's Day, Youth Day, Father's Day or Mother's Day, and old age (Double Ninth Festival). Through these festivals, people can clearly feel their importance, and can also express the concern of society for children, the expectation of youth, gratitude to parents, respect for the elderly, themselves and others.

Chen Daoyuan: In terms of social division of labor, we have Journalists' Day, May Day (for workers, peasants and intellectuals), Army Day (for soldiers), Nurses' Day and Teacher's Day. People from all walks of life are very important and have their own festivals. These festivals show the sacredness of work and tell us that every industry deserves respect.

Huang: In terms of time, there are traditional festivals and modern festivals. In the spatial dimension, there are national festivals and world festivals (such as United Nations festivals), or there are "earth festivals" and "foreign festivals", which are also the two most common ways to divide festivals. No matter what kind of festivals, they bring us an atmosphere of joy, peace, excitement, celebration, relaxation and leisure. Festivals are the expression of individuality, the carnival of groups, and the adjustment and resistance to monotonous and tense daily life.

Zhu Renqiu: In a philosophical sense, festivals convey the feelings of life time and space. The traditional festivals in China are the concentrated form of our time and space experience, which is not only an individual experience, but also a national experience. It is not only the experience of national time, but also the experience of national space. Traditional festivals bring out the spiritual level of a nation, condense the spirit of a nation, show the pursuit of a nation and highlight the value of a nation. The reason why some traditional festivals are interrupted or even disappeared is actually the loss of their cultural spirit. People's needs for festivals are mainly spiritual and emotional needs, and emotional value is the most important core of festivals, which is more distinctive and distinctive for the Chinese nation.

Huang: Every festival has a unique cultural and historical background, and its significance depends on its cultural connotation. For example, the Cold Food Festival is to commemorate the noble integrity of meson Tui; Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate Qu Yuan's patriotic spirit. At the same time, inserting wormwood and sprinkling realgar wine can repel mosquitoes. Besides, the legend of the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon is very touching every Mid-Autumn Festival, which means harvest, reunion and harmony between man and nature. The romantic love story of Cowherd and Weaver Girl will be lit up every Qixi night, which has evolved into a Valentine's Day in China. The story of setting off firecrackers to scare away Nian is also one of the stories that children often listen to when they are young. Similarly, western festivals also have their specific cultural connotations. Their important festivals are usually related to religion, such as Easter and Christmas.

Chen Daoyuan: The traditional festivals in China are diverse in form and rich in content, and they are an integral part of the long history and culture of the Chinese nation. The origin and development of traditional festivals is a process of gradual formation, subtle influence and gradual infiltration into social life. From these festival customs that have been passed down to this day, we can clearly see the wonderful pictures of ancient people's social life.

Zhu Renqiu: The traditional festivals in China are related to the astronomy, calendar, mathematics and the solar terms later divided in Dachuan. This can be traced back to Zheng Xiao and Shangshu in Xia Dynasty at least in literature. By the Warring States period, the 24 solar terms in a year were basically complete, and later traditional festivals were also closely related to these solar terms.

Huang: Solar terms provide a prerequisite for the emergence of festivals. Most festivals in China began to appear in the pre-Qin period, and the earliest customs and activities were related to primitive worship and superstitious taboos. The main traditional festivals in China were formed in the Han Dynasty, and in the Tang Dynasty, they became entertainment and etiquette, and became real holiday occasions. China's traditional festivals are rich in cultural heritage, wonderful and romantic, appealing to both refined and popular tastes. They have strong cohesion and broad inclusiveness. After the festival, the whole country celebrates, which is in the same strain as the long history of the Chinese nation and is a valuable spiritual and cultural heritage.

Chen Daoyuan: National festivals are the most grand and eye-catching activities in national culture, and also the concentrated display of a nation's national culture and customs. Therefore, national festivals are not only valued by our own nation, but also by other nations. In modern society, the significance of national festivals lies not only in its carnival, but also in strengthening national cohesion, inheriting national culture and promoting economic and cultural exchanges among ethnic groups. There is no contradiction between culture and festival economy. Using the internal culture of festivals, such as engaging in special tourism and selling special food, can also create good economic benefits. In this way, economy and culture can promote each other, so why not?

Building traditional festival culture in China.

Zhu Renqiu: As an ancient civilization with a long history, national traditional festivals are an indispensable part of China culture. They all have specific cultural connotations and embody the wisdom and spirit of the Chinese nation. They have played an important role in inheriting and spreading Chinese civilization for thousands of years. We should not despise the connotation of festival culture, ignore its decline and protect it, especially in today's strong infiltration of western culture. Rebuilding national traditional festivals is of greater significance.

Chen Daoyuan: Some people think that if a festival dies, it means that it has fallen behind the development of the times, and it is meaningless to save it. But I don't think so. In my opinion, traditional things cannot be left to their own devices, but need to be protected. More precisely, tradition needs the conscious protection of the government and people.

Huang: The more advanced the country is, the better the traditional things are protected. Modernity and tradition go hand in hand. In Britain, I see people preparing for Christmas, which can be described in two words: earnest.

Zhu Renqiu: The government should first attach importance to traditional festivals, and increase traditional festivals such as Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and winter solstice into legal holidays, and vigorously publicize the origin, customs and customs of festivals. Under the current circumstances, there must be a form first, and then the internal culture of the festival will have a chance to be understood and accepted by people.

Huang: There is a premise for people to understand and accept traditional festivals, that is, to have a peaceful and pure heart and a childlike innocence. Although different places celebrate festivals in different ways, they have one thing in common, that is, they are full of gratitude for nature and good expectations for life during the festival. This seems to be something that people in the city can hardly feel during their holidays. People just celebrate festivals for the sake of festivals, lacking a heart to perceive nature and thank life.

Chen Daoyuan: With the great changes in society, the traditional festivals of China people are being updated and upgraded in form and connotation. From visiting relatives and friends to traveling around the world, from eating and drinking festivals to happy festivals, traditional festivals have faded, such as making zongzi on the Dragon Boat Festival, eating moon cakes on the Mid-Autumn Festival, eating dumplings on the Lantern Festival and celebrating reunion in the Spring Festival. With the improvement of consumption capacity and the convenience of transportation, people's cultural life is rich and colorful, which also adds many fashionable factors to traditional festivals, and the times have given them new connotations.

Zhu Renqiu: the transformation of society from tradition to modernity. Many festivals arranged according to the solar calendar let us feel the influence of foreign cultures, such as Christmas and Valentine's Day in the west. These foreign cultures have expanded the scope of life and enabled us to share some common ideals with residents all over the world.

Huang: We emphasize the traditional festivals in China here, and we are not opposed to China people celebrating western festivals. "foreign festivals" have the beauty of "foreign festivals" and "earth festivals" have the artistic conception of "earth festivals". Among them, if you don't celebrate the holidays seriously, you will not feel the taste.

Chen Daoyuan: With the development of economy and society, culture should also develop accordingly; Keep pace with the times, so does festival culture. How to bring forth the old and bring forth the new, inherit and develop the excellent elements of traditional festival culture, and endow them with new contents and forms is a problem that needs to be studied and solved.

Huang: Facing the traditional festivals in China, each of us should "celebrate" the festivals and take part in them to ensure the festive atmosphere.

Zhu Renqiu: The inheritance of festival culture plays a vital role in maintaining a nation's culture and spirit. According to experts in folklore, it needs the joint efforts of the whole society to make our traditional festivals well-known and carry forward their cultural connotations. For example, adding more fashion factors to traditional group activities such as dragon boat race and Lantern Festival Lantern Festival will make the festival activities gain a greater sense of identity and more participants, and set off a strong festive atmosphere. Family harmony, good harvest and reunion, and respect for the elderly are important spirits of China traditional culture and important themes of traditional festivals, and it is still of positive significance to advocate this spirit at present.

Huang: This spirit must be expressed in daily life. In fact, the national spirit can only be expressed more thoroughly in the environment of daily life. Therefore, we should learn to find inspiration from life and try to build a connecting station where time and space meet.

Chen Daoyuan: The efforts to revive traditional festivals also reflect people's special feelings for traditional culture. For example, the Mid-Autumn Festival is always the most romantic and poetic festival in the tradition. At this time, you can enjoy the moon together like the ancients, or you can send acacia and the moon alone. At this time, we might as well consider a new way of life in the future. In short, romance is eternal, the times are changing, life is changing, and the way of expressing romance is changing.

Zhu Renqiu: The purpose of building traditional festival culture and restoring traditional festivals in China is not to have two more holidays and a so-called "golden consumption week", but to restore people's perception and experience of traditional time and space and their ability to understand the value and significance of traditional culture. Only by establishing the cultural identity and cultural consciousness of the whole nation can this effect be achieved.