"The Journey of the Little Shrimp's Picture Book"｜0069 The Spring Festival in Beijing

Recommendation index: Theme: Festivals

The Spring Festival in Beijing (in Chinese)

Author: [中]老舍

[中]于大武 图

The Spring Festival is the grandest festival of the year. It lasts for almost two months, from the Lunar New Year's Day to the last day of the Lunar New Year. Starting from drinking Lapa congee on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, the New Year's activities come one after another, such as sacrificing stoves, doing New Year's shopping, putting up Spring Festival couplets, hanging up lucky charms, making New Year's dishes, and wrapping dumplings ...... These are not only the customs of the old Beijing, but also the centralized release and demonstration of the folk customs that have been gradually accumulated by the Chinese nation over thousands of years.

Mr. Lao She wrote this "Beijing's Spring Festival" is the memories of old Beijing, but also the Chinese collective memory of the year, stringing up one after another by the pace of modern life ignored the details and feelings. Even in the south, where there are many differences, there are many memories of the Spring Festival, and many people who have read the picture book will have some soft feelings in their hearts. Picture book author Yu Dawu's illustrations also take us back to Beijing in 1951, where we see all kinds of Chinese folklore and the bustling red-hot Spring Festival scene.

Chinese Romance

Looking forward, looking forward, the east wind is coming, the footsteps of spring are close.

Everything looks like it has just woken up and opened its eyes happily. The mountains are moist, the water is rising, and the sun's face is red.

The grass peeked out of the earth, tender and green. The garden, the field, look to go, a large area full of. Sitting, lying, playing two rolls, kicking a few feet ball, race a few times running, catch a few times hide and seek. The wind is gentle and the grass is soft.

-- Zhu Ziqing, "Spring"

The year of the tiger, the Spring Festival, is just around the corner.

Recently, Shrimp watched a program called "Spring Festival", which talks about the word "spring". The earliest way to write Spring is: Cao, Tuen, Sun, Tu represents the sprouting of grass and trees, gathering strength, breaking out of the shell, and giving birth. The original meaning of the word "spring" was "the spring sun shines on everything", and later the word "spring" was used as the name of the first season of the year. It also means "vitality" and "business" (e.g., "Yang and hibernation start, everything springs"). Shuo Wen Jie Zi" that "spring, push also", that is, "the spring sun caresses, everything nourishes and glorifies", so it can be extended to the vibrant, full of vitality and other meanings.

The word "stupid" is the character for spring on top, with two little bugs underneath, and was not meant to be a curse at first. It means that in spring, all the animals wake up and are eager to move. There is another festival in spring called hibernation, after the spring thunder, all things are sprouting.

Spring is a time when life is flourishing and growing, and the Spring Festival is also the most romantic and poetic expression of the Chinese people.

Lapa congee

What are the eight kinds of Lapa congee? Have you ever wondered.

In some parts of China, it is said that "children, children, don't be greedy, after Laha is the year", and Laha means that the prelude to the New Year has been drawn. Every Laha Festival, the northern region is busy peeling garlic vinegar, soak Laha garlic, eat Laha noodles Laha porridge.

Lapa congee, also known as "seven treasures and five flavors of congee", "Buddha congee", "everyone rice", etc., is a variety of ingredients boiled into a porridge. The earliest written record of Lapa congee was in the Song Dynasty. The Southern Song Dynasty Wu Zimu "Meng Liang Record": "The eighth day of this month, the temple is called Laha. Dasha and other temples, all set up five-flavored porridge, the name is Laha congee." The history of drinking Laha congee in China has been more than a thousand years. Every Laha this day, whether it is the imperial government, monasteries or the people's homes to do Laha congee. In the Qing Dynasty, the custom of drinking Laha congee was even more prevalent.

The earliest Laha congee is cooked with red beans, and then evolved, gradually colorful. Zhou Mi, a Southern Song writer, wrote "The Old Story of Wulin", which says: "Use walnuts, pine nuts, milk Qin, persimmons, chestnuts and so on for congee, which is called Laha congee." "Yanjing Times" said "Laha congee, with yellow rice, white rice, rice, millet, rice, chestnuts, peeled jujube mud, and water to cook, outside with red peach kernels, almonds, melon seeds, peanuts, hazelnut stalks, pine nuts, and sugar, brown sugar, Zuo Zuo grapes for coloring".

In addition, another legend of Lapa congee is to clean up the remaining grain crops in the barn and mix them together to make porridge, ready to meet the next year's harvest, so it is not obsessed with which eight, mainly on behalf of the old and welcome the new meaning.

Customs and precepts before the Spring Festival

Small year

Small year in the north and south of why the difference of one day?

The twenty-third or twenty-fourth day of the Chinese New Year is known in folklore as "Xiao Nian" (小年). The day is not exclusively referred to a day, due to local customs, known as the "small year" of the day is not the same. The main folk activities during the New Year include dust sweeping and stove worship. Prior to the Qing Dynasty, the traditional day of the New Year was the 24th day of the Lunar New Year. From the middle and late Qing Dynasty, the imperial family on the twenty-third day of the lunar month to hold a ceremony, and in order to "save money", the Zao Wang Wang also to worship, so the folk in the northern region to follow suit, more in the lunar month on the twenty-third day of the small year. And most of the South, still maintains the old tradition of Lunar New Year on the 24th of the lunar month.

There is also a statement is more interesting, said Zhu Yuanzhang was penniless, wanted to credit a pig's head for the New Year, but the boss refused, so he said that one day I became the emperor, to have two years. I can't imagine that he really became the emperor, for his own words, he ordered a small year, and then a big year, but I did not expect the transportation inconvenience, the north of the waxing twenty-third received the decree, but the south of the waxing twenty-four only received, so from now on the north of the small year is the waxing twenty-third, and the south of the waxing twenty-four over the small year.

Sweeping dust

Sweeping dust is one of the customs of the year before the old and the new. The proverb says, "On the 24th day of the Lunar New Year, dust off the house". Dusting is the end of the year cleaning, the north said "sweeping room", the south said "sweeping house". The Spring Festival is approaching, families have to clean up the environment, cleaning utensils, washing bedding curtains, sweeping the courtyard, dusting dust cobwebs, happy to engage in sanitation, clean and welcome the New Year.

According to folklore: "Dust" and "Chen" resonance, dust sweeping in the New Year and the meaning of "in addition to the new Chen Bu Xin". Sweeping the dust is intended to be all "poor luck", "bad luck" all sweep out the door to pray for the next year, clear and auspicious; this custom sends people to ward off evils and disasters, the old and the new, and welcome the prayers and aspirations of the auspicious and blessed.

Posting Spring Festival Couplets

Posting red, that is, the posting of Spring Festival Couplets, the God of the Door, New Year's paintings, Fukuji, crosses, window grills, etc., collectively referred to as the "posting of red," because these are the red festive elements of New Year's Eve posted. In ancient times, red fire could drive away wild animals and bring warmth in the cold winter, and this custom has been passed down. Our most famous Chinese beast, the Year, is also afraid of red and firecrackers.

New Year's Eve Dinner

New Year's Eve dinner, also known as New Year's Eve dinner, New Year's Eve dinner, reunion dinner, etc., refers to the end of the year on New Year's Eve (Lunar New Year's Eve) of the family meal. It originated from the ancient year-end rituals of worshiping the gods and ancestors and then having a reunion dinner. The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is not only colorful, but also very meaningful. The traditional New Year's Eve dinner before the worship of the gods and ancestors, and only after the completion of the worship ceremony to open the meal.

The meal is usually served with chicken (which means to have a plan), fish (which means to have more money every year), oyster sauce (which means to have a good market), hairy vegetables (which means to be rich), bean curd bamboo (which means to be rich), lotus root (which means to be smart), lettuce (which means to have a good fortune), and garlic (which means to be able to calculate), and so on, in order to make the meal more fortunate.

New Year's Eve dinner is a big meal for the whole family to mobilize. It is also the promise of a better life in the coming year. New Year's Eve dinner, eat is joy, taste is affection, wisps of rice smell is the flavor of home. New Year's Eve dinner is extremely important to the Chinese people, a family of respect and love, *** narrative family, sitting around the table, doubly happy.

The sound of firecrackers welcomes the New Year

New Year's Eve vigil

I don't know how many people still remember this custom, but when I was a kid, I used to sleep in a daze and be picked up by the adults to eat dumplings, and sometimes I would let the kids go to bed in the afternoon, so that they could keep watch for the New Year's Eve at night. Especially at twelve o'clock when the bell rings to pay tribute to grandparents, say a good luck, of course, does not exclude some bear child nonsense, but no matter what, the last is together happily take the red packet of New Year's money.

Year-end vigil, also known as shine virtual consumption, guarding the fire, according to the year, etc., its long history, is one of the Chinese folk customary activities.

New Year's Eve night vigil, folklore activities are mainly manifested in the point of the year-old fire, keep the year-old fire. Shrimp shrimp when I was a child in Inner Mongolia once in the Spring Festival, the doorway of every house is surrounded by a fire circle, children around the edge of the fireworks on firecrackers, the lively scene that people still unforgettable.

New Year's Eve, every room should be brightly lit all night, the whole family reunion, to meet the new year; New Year's Eve, all burning lamps and candles throughout the night, known as the "light of the virtual consumption", it is said that so after the year after the illumination, will make the next year's wealth at home. Ancient north and south customs are different, some places to keep the custom of the year mainly for boiled New Year's Eve, that is, the all-night vigil; such as the Jin Dynasty, the Zhou Department of the book of the "customs" said: New Year's Eve night everyone with each other and gift, called "feed years"; young and old get together to celebrate, wishing the completion of the celebration, called the "sub-years"; the end of the year Not sleep, to wait for the dawn, called the "old age". In some places on New Year's Eve, the whole family gathered together, ate New Year's Eve dinner, lit candles or oil lamps, sitting around the stove chatting, all-night vigil, symbolizing all the evil plagues and epidemics Zhao run away, looking forward to a new year of good luck.

The first day of the New Year pull

New Year's Eve

When I was a kid, the first day of the New Year is to go to the elders and friends and family to pay tribute to the New Year's Day, the children put on new clothes, mom and dad took a family of New Year's Eve, come back to the red bag candy harvest full of. Now that the Internet is developed, it is more convenient to pay tribute to the New Year, but it is also less fun.

The New Year's Eve, is one of the ancient New Year's activities. In the morning of the first day of the New Year to welcome the new year, offering fasting dishes to worship the "age of God". Legend has it that the "year", also known as the "Regent", "Tai Sui", is the name of the star of the ancient era, but also folk belief in the deity. Years to sixty jiazi dry chronology for the operation of the cycle, *** sixty, each year there is a year-old god on duty, in the year when the duty of the year-old called "value of the year-old", is a year of the master, in charge of the year on earth's good fortune and bad luck. Such as the "three life" in the said: "Fu Tai Sui, is a year of the master, the leader of the gods". Paying homage to the New Year is the oldest traditional New Year's Eve custom, and it is still prevalent in Guangdong, especially in the Wuchuan area. On the first day of the new year, the traditional custom of welcoming the new year, worshipping the god of the year and receiving blessings has been passed down from generation to generation since ancient times.

Gathering wealth

Legend has it that on the first day of the first month of the new year is the birthday of the broomstick, the broomstick can not be used on this day, otherwise it will sweep away the luck and wealth, and the "broomstick" to attract, incurring bad luck. If you have to sweep the floor can not be, must be swept from the outside to the inside. This day also can not pour water out of the garbage, for fear of breaking the wealth. Many places still save this custom, clean sweep on New Year's Eve, the first day of the year is not out of the broom, not pouring garbage, a large bucket, to Sheng wastewater, the day is not outside the splash. There can not move the knife scissors, of course, but also because we are a peace-loving people.

The Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival

Many stores are closed until after the Lantern Festival, from the New Year to the Lantern Festival, which is traditionally the complete Chinese New Year. The Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar, and is also known as the Shangyuan Festival, Xiaozhengyue, Yuanxi or Lantern Festival.

The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar, and the ancients called the "night" "night", the fifteenth day of the first month is the first full-moon night of the year, so the fifteenth day of the first month is called the "Lantern Festival". According to the Taoist "three elements", the 15th day of the first month is also known as the "Festival of the first element".

The Lantern Festival is rooted in the ancient folk custom of turning on the lights to pray for blessings. The 15th day of the first month in the Western Han Dynasty has been attached importance, but the 15th day of the first month of the Lantern Festival as a national folk festival is really after the Han Wei. The rise of the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month is also related to the spread of Buddhism to the east. In the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism flourished, and the officials and the people "burned lamps for Buddha" on the 15th day of the first month, and Buddhist lamps were spread all over the people. So from the Tang Dynasty, the Lantern Festival lights become a legal thing.

The Lantern Festival, mainly lanterns, eat dumplings, riddles, fireworks and other folk activities. In addition, the Lantern Festival in many places has increased the number of dragon lanterns, lion dance, stilt walkers, rowing dry boat, twisting rice-planting songs, playing drums and other performances.

The most important thing in the memory of the Spring Festival are two other things, children's favorite is of course the New Year's money, adults, especially business people more important is to welcome the God of Wealth, a few years ago when there is no ban on fireworks, in addition to the night of the eve of the firecrackers, the sound of firecrackers all night long is the early hours of the morning of the first day of the 5th. A foreign friend of Shrimp's once wondered if the Chinese New Year was already over, and why it was celebrated for so many days.

New Year's money

New Year's money is distributed by the elders to the younger generation, it is said that New Year's money can suppress the evil spirits, the younger generation to get the New Year's money can be safe and sound through the year; some people are parents in the night when their children are asleep, put under their pillows. In some families, parents put the money under their children's pillows at night when they are asleep. In folk culture, the New Year's Eve money symbolizes protection from evil spirits and blessings of peace. The original purpose of the New Year's money is to suppress evil and drive away evil spirits, because people believe that children are vulnerable to ghosts and spirits, so the New Year's money is used to suppress evil spirits and drive away evil spirits.

Welcome to the God of Wealth

In some parts of the south, the God of Wealth is welcomed on the fifth day of the first month. According to folklore, the God of Wealth is the God of the Five Roads. The so-called five road, refers to the east-west, north-south, north-south, meaning that out of the five road, all can get money.

As early as the Qing Dynasty, Gu Lu "Qing Jia Records" cloud: "the fifth day of the first month, for the head of the road God's birthday. Gong firecrackers, livestock sweet Bi Chen, in order to compete for the first for the benefit of the market, must get up early to meet, called the head of the road." Also said: "Today, the road head, is the five rituals in the line of God. The so-called five roads, when it is east-west, south-north ear." Shanghai has the custom of grabbing the head of the road in the old calendar year. On the fourth day of the first month of the night, ready to sacrifice animals, cakes and fruits, incense and candles and other things, and sounding gongs and drums burning incense worship, piety and respect for the God of Wealth. The fifth is rumored to be the God of Fortune birthday, in order to compete for the market, so first in the first four to receive, called "grab the head of the road", also known as "receiving the God of Fortune", "sacrificing to the God of Fortune".

One of the five sacrifices is to welcome the God of the Household, the God of the stove, the God of the soil, the God of the door, the God of the line. Where to receive the God of Fortune shall be for the sheep's head and carp, for the sheep's head for the "auspicious" meaning, for the carp is the figure "fish" and "Yu" resonance. People are convinced that as long as you can get the God of Fortune manifestation, you can get rich. Therefore, every New Year's Eve, people are in the first five zero hours and zero minutes (after 24:00 on the fourth day of the first month), open the door and windows, burning incense and firecrackers, fireworks, to the God of Fortune to express welcome. Received the God of Wealth, but hope that the God of Wealth will bring gold and silver treasures to the home, in the new year of great wealth.

2022 is the Year of the Tiger, China's ancient image of the tiger is very worship, especially in the military, for example, in the mobilization of troops on the top of the military talisman is engraved in gold with a tiger, known as the tiger symbol.

The tiger is one of the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac, ranked third, the earth's branch is c, known as the Yin Tiger. The tiger has been worshipped by the Han people, is a symbol of justice, courage and moderation, majesty. People in Han Dynasty regarded the tiger as the king of all beasts. The white tiger is one of the four sacred beasts in ancient times, and the immortals often take the white tiger to ascend to heaven, which is the beast of the west. Since the Han Dynasty, the tiger has become the working people's favorite God of protection, after a long history of evolution and development, the tiger's cultural awareness, has become the Chinese nation's **** the same cultural concepts!

The bell of the Spring Festival is about to ring, on the occasion of the New Year, I wish you all the Year of the Tiger, the tiger, the tiger leaps and rises, such as the tiger to add wings!

New Year's Folk Rhymes

New Year's Day,

Wear new clothes,

Wear new hats;

Dance the dragon lanterns,

Tread on the stilts,

Welcome the God of Wealth;

Everybody's happy,

Joyous,

Everybody's happy,

Welcome the New Year! We're all here to welcome the New Year!

This is the end of today's month-long shrimp picture book tour,

look forward to the next Picasso bar!

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"Shrimp's Picture Book Journey" 0066 "Bored, Bored, Bored.