Inheriting Chinese excellent traditional festivals and folk customs

Custom is a behavior pattern or norm that people in the past dynasties followed in a specific social and cultural field. The diversity of customs is that people often refer to the differences in behavior norms caused by different natural conditions as "wind"; The differences in behavior rules caused by social and cultural differences are called "vulgarity". The so-called "different winds in a hundred miles, different customs in a thousand miles" appropriately reflects the characteristics of different customs in various places. Custom is a social tradition. Some popular fashions, customs and inappropriate parts of the original customs will change with the changes of historical conditions. That's what the so-called "changing customs" means. Custom is a kind of historical formation, which has very strong behavioral constraints on members of society. Custom is the basis and supplementary part of social morality and law.

Chinese traditional festivals are diverse in form and rich in content, which is the formation process of a traditional festival with a long history and culture of our Chinese nation and the long-term accumulation and cohesion of a nation or country's history and culture. The festivals listed below are all developed from ancient times, and we can clearly see the wonderful pictures of ancient people's social life from these festivals and customs that have been passed down to this day.

The origin and development of festivals is a process of gradual formation, subtle influence and gradual infiltration into social life. Like the development of society, it is the product of the development of human society to a certain stage. These festivals in ancient China were all related to the astronomy, calendar, mathematics and the solar terms divided later. 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.

Solar terms provide a prerequisite for the emergence of festivals. Most festivals began to appear in the pre-Qin period, but the enrichment and popularization of customs still need a long development process. The earliest custom activities were related to primitive worship, superstition and taboo; Myths and legends add a bit of romance to the festival; There is also the impact and influence of religion on festivals; Some historical figures have been endowed with eternal commemoration, infiltrated into festivals, and all of them have been integrated into the content of condensed festivals, giving China festivals a deep sense of history.

By the Han Dynasty, the main traditional festivals in China had been finalized. It is often said that these festivals originated from the Han Dynasty, which was the first great development period after the reunification of China. The political and economic stability and scientific and cultural development provided good social conditions for the final formation of the festivals.

By the Tang Dynasty, festivals had been liberated from the mysterious atmosphere of primitive worship and taboo, and turned into entertainment etiquette and a real festive occasion. Since then, festivals have become cheerful and festive, rich and colorful, and many sports and recreational activities have appeared, which soon became a fashion. These customs continue to develop and continue.

Spring Festival:

At the beginning of the year, Vientiane was renewed. The main activities are eating New Year's Eve, offering sacrifices and keeping it. In addition, the first day, the second day and the third day of the first month are the three days of the New Year, and sacrifices should also be made. These three days, I usually do nothing but cook, and I don't want to say anything unlucky. I must visit my close relatives and distinguished relatives. From the first day to the fifteenth day of the Spring Festival, various activities such as temple fairs, social fires and rural operas will be held in various places, which is the most lively and luxurious festival among traditional festivals.

Lantern Festival:

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival, also known as Yuanxi Festival, Shangyuan Festival and Lantern Festival. In festivals, there are customs such as eating Yuanxiao, watching lanterns, playing social fire and solve riddles on the lanterns. Besides eating Yuanxiao, there are many different ways to eat it in different places. Shaanxi people eat "Yuanxiao tea", that is, put all kinds of vegetables and fruits into noodle soup; Luoyang, Henan, Lingbao eat jujube cakes; People in Kunming, Yunnan eat more bean noodles.

February 2:

Commonly known as "the dragon looks up", also known as the Qinglong Festival, is a sign of the beginning of agricultural production in a year. Activities include throwing ash to attract dragons, smoking insects, picking vegetables and avoiding seams (in case of "hurting longan"). The record of this custom can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. As for eating and drinking on February 2 nd, don't eat or drink greasy food during the Spring Festival, and be vegetarian.

Cold Food Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day:

Sacrifice to sweep the grave, take a walk in spring and avoid fireworks.

April 8:

According to legend, it is Sakyamuni's birthday, and there are many temple fairs and mountaineering activities.

Dragon Boat Festival:

Also known as Duanyang Festival, it is said to commemorate Qu Yuan. There are mainly activities such as eating zongzi and dragon boat racing. In some places, such as Qinghai, there are customs such as tying ropes (twisted with five-color silk threads and tied on hands, feet and wrists), inserting willows and wearing sachets to drive away insects and pray for good luck and peace.

June 6th:

Also known as "Sun Insect Festival", there is a folk proverb "June 6th, Sun Silk". Dry the silk, silk, leather, wool and other clothes that you often don't wear at noon this day to prevent insects from eating. There are also "Jing Zhuan Party" and "Hanging robe Party". In Shaanxi, there are activities such as fishing river lanterns and pumping wine. In some areas, there is also a "June Fair" where young men and women seek love by singing, grabbing watches, throwing flowers and bags. June 6th is also an important festival for Buyi and Yao people.

Seven ingenious festivals:

Also known as the Qiaoqiao Festival, it is said that the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meet at the Magpie Bridge. Generally speaking, the people set up an altar that night, and the women were trying to please the good women workers. There are young men and women in love, also known as China's love story.

Mid-Autumn Festival:

Also known as Mid-Autumn Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, August Festival, Moon Chasing Festival, Moon Appreciating Festival, Moon Worship Festival, Daughter's Day or Reunion Festival, on this day, the whole family gets together to enjoy the moon and eat moon cakes. There are also "burning incense", "walking on the moon", "lighting", "lighting lighthouse lights" and "dancing dragons". This festival is more concerned by overseas travelers, and many ethnic minorities also celebrate this festival.

Double ninth festival:

Take the significance of the Double Ninth Festival. The main activities are mountain climbing, chrysanthemum appreciation and drinking. It is very popular with the elderly, so it is also called "Festival for the Elderly".

October 1st:

Commonly known as "Ghost Festival" and "Cold Clothes Festival", it is also a festival to worship ancestors. As the saying goes, "send cold clothes on October 1st". On this night, every family will go to the grave to worship their ancestors. People who can't go to the grave or leave home for some reason will draw a circle in the field or at the intersection and burn paper money.

Winter solstice:

The winter solstice is a very important solar term in China lunar calendar, and it is also a traditional festival. The winter solstice is commonly known as "Winter Festival", "Dragon Solstice Festival" and "Asian New Year Festival". The northern region has the custom of slaughtering sheep and eating jiaozi and wonton from winter solstice, while the southern region has the custom of eating glutinous rice balls and long noodles from winter solstice on this day. There is also the custom of offering sacrifices to heaven and ancestors in winter solstice in various regions.

Laba Festival:

People are used to calling December of the lunar calendar the twelfth lunar month and the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month the twelfth lunar month or Laba, and taking it as a traditional festival, namely Laba Festival. Many customs related to the twelfth lunar month or Laba are often labeled as "wax". According to legend, this day is the day when Sakyamuni became a Buddha. Laba porridge is eaten in many places, and Laba is actually the beginning of Spring Festival preparation.

In addition, there are traditional festivals with different folk customs in various places. Our ancestors have created many folk festivals in thousands of years, including food culture, etiquette culture and simple and magical scientific ideas, which have left us precious spiritual heritage and are worth carrying forward and inheriting.