The origin of firecrackers in the Spring Festival firecrackers in the Spring Festival which dynasties

The custom of setting off firecrackers on the Spring Festival began in the Han Dynasty. According to the South Liang people Zong懔撰写的《荆梦岁时记》记载："The first day of the first month ...... chickens crowed up, first in front of the court firecrackers from the mountain demon evil spirits." In ancient times, the firecrackers were put into the fire with bamboo to burn, as the air inside the bamboo is heated and expanded, it will make a "crackling" sound, in order to ward off evil spirits, and pray for good luck and happiness in the coming year.

The Spring Festival generally refers to New Year's Eve and the first day of the first month. But in folklore, the Spring Festival is traditionally celebrated from the wax festival on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year or the sacrifice of zaos on the 23rd or 24th day of the Lunar New Year until the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar.

Chinese New Year firecrackers origin of only three sayings widely circulated, by the way, in the introduction of the two Chinese New Year firecracker customs , the following with me to see it:

A.? The origin of the Spring Festival firecrackers?

? The first one of the Chinese New Year firecrackers: Jiang Ziya?　

Firecrackers are related to Jiang Ziya. Legend has it that when Jiang Ziya helped King Wu of Zhou to destroy King Feng of Shang, he went up to the God Sealing Platform to seal the gods. One by one, the meritorious officials were all sealed, but his wife Ma came running. When Jiang Ziya was fishing in the Weishui River waiting for King Wen of Zhou, his wife thought he was poor and stomped off. Now the world to seal the god, she came to ask for the god, said in a bad mood: seal you a broomstick, only thirty nights can go down to the world, where it is dark, where to drill. Later, the firecrackers on New Year's Eve is to collapse the broomstick, so that she has no place to hide.

In the southern minority areas, due to the local bamboo a lot, New Year's Eve on the burning of bamboo poles and branches, to make some noise. According to ancient books, firecrackers were originally called firecrackers, is to burn bamboo to make loud noise. After the gunpowder, especially after the improvement of paper-making technology, the paper to do the gun is fashionable. Especially strings of small whip, almost all paper and gunpowder made, braided together like a whip, so there is a firecracker.

? Spring Festival firecrackers origin of the second: "mountain shame"?

When it comes to the origin of firecrackers, we have to mention the animal called "Mountain Shame". When people slept out in the mountains, they would set up bonfires, and in order to prevent the attack of the "banshee", they would light bamboos in the bonfires, and the sound of the bamboos cracking would frighten away the "banshee".

Legend has it that the smell of the mountain will make people feel cold and suffer from fever and chills. Scare away the bile with firecrackers means to expel the plague and evil spirits, so that one can have good fortune and peace. Later, the emergence of gunpowder, people began to nitrate, sulfur and charcoal filled with bamboo tubes to burn, so the "firecrackers" came into being. Since the Song Dynasty, people have been using paper tubes and hemp stems wrapped in gunpowder to make strings instead of bamboo tubes, which became "firecrackers".

The Jing Chu chronicle recorded: "the first day of the first month, is the day of the three yuan. It is called the end of the month, the rooster crows and rises, first in front of the court firecrackers, burning grass, in order to ward off the mandrill evil spirits." This is also later people in the Spring Festival firecrackers origin.

? The third of the Spring Festival firecrackers: the "New Year" beast?　

Legend: China in ancient times there was a monster called "year", head long sharp horns, fierce and unusual. The beast of the year long years deep under the sea, every New Year's Eve, will climb ashore to devour livestock injury, so every New Year's Eve, people help the old and the young, fled to the mountains, to avoid the beast of the year harm. It is said that the beast of the year head big body small, body length of more than ten feet, eyes such as copper bells, come and go as the wind, wailing when the sound of "Nian Nian", so the name of the beast of the year.

The ferocious beast called "year", every Lunar New Year's Eve, will be scurrying from village to village, foraging for human flesh, mutilation of living beings. One night on the 30th day of the Lunar New Year, Nian arrived at a village where two shepherd boys were competing in a cattle prodding contest. When he heard the sound of a whip cracking in mid-air, he fled in fear.

People thus felt the "year" have fear of ringing, they thought of firecrackers to ward it off, so gradually evolved into today's New Year's Day to firecrackers, which is also the origin of the firecrackers in the Spring Festival.

The second? The custom of setting off firecrackers on the Spring Festival?

To the time of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, etiquette of the Chinese people also provide for the release of firecrackers many instructions. According to the time of burning, divided into "closed door firecrackers" and "open door firecrackers".

? The Spring Festival firecrackers custom one: "closed door firecrackers"?　

New Year's Eve after the evening sacrifice of ancestors and deceased parents, the family closed the door to the reunion dinner, to put "shut the door firecrackers", generally put 1-3 firecrackers, which hangs a gun means that all the unpleasantness of the old year are sent away, and then the family sits around together laughing and joking, and has been! The family then sits around talking, laughing and keeping watch until the bell rings for the New Year.

There is a story in Taizhou about "shutting the door and popping firecrackers" to drive away Japanese invaders, who were gathering in the sea off Taizhou. Although they have been beaten up by the Qi family army, they are prepared to attack Taizhou in the darkness of the night on the 30th night, when the army and people are partying and the defense is lax. Ladies and Gentlemen, you should know that thirty nights are reaching for the stars, and the bandits' sneak attacks, especially those without a clear target, are indeed easy to win.

To eleven o'clock in the evening, the robbers' boat approached the Taizhou Bay, and looked from afar at the shore of a quiet piece, these robbers one by one, thinking that they can again rob a loaded return. Who knows, they smiled crooked mouth has not had time to close when, suddenly the shore of the cannon roar, fire in the sky, this kind of earth-shattering battle scared the Japanese robbers piss, while with a crying voice 吚 wah la shouted "the ants dig that ants, the ants dig that ants," while panicked and turned the ship, hurry to escape.

The sound of cannons on the shore is still rising and falling, has continued until dawn, scared out of their wits Japanese robbers hiding in the outer sea shivering, but they can not dream of, to make them scared out of their wits just General Qi let the people burn the shuttering of the cannons. From then on, Taizhou people thirty nights to put the door cannon, so it has been passed down.

? Spring Festival cannon custom of two: "open door firecrackers"?　

Chinese folk "open door firecrackers" custom said. On the first day of the morning when the door opens or go out to pay homage to the New Year's Day will be put "open door firecrackers", also known as "open the door to wealth", like putting a firecracker. The moral is that the new year days are red hot, if you do not firecrackers to go out is a very harmless practice. After the sound of firecrackers, broken red all over the ground, brilliant as a cloud of brocade, known as the "full red". At this time, the street is full of auspicious, joyful.

The Jing Chu chronicle records that on the first day of the first month, when the chicken crows for the first time, everyone has to get up and set off firecrackers in their own yards to expel the plague gods and evil spirits. At that time there was no gunpowder, no paper, people will use fire to burn bamboo, so that the bursting sound, to expel the plague God. Later, the emergence of gunpowder, people began to fill the bamboo tube with saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal, etc. to burn, so the "firecrackers" came into being. Since the Song Dynasty, people have used paper tubes and hemp stems wrapped in gunpowder woven into strings instead of bamboo tubes, became "firecrackers" . This is the "open door firecrackers" from.

The origins of the Spring Festival firecrackers north and south are different, but one thing is basically the same, that is, the family reunion, visit friends and relatives, visit elders, etc., may we will be able to these full of strong affection and good wishes of the custom in mind, passed on from generation to generation.