What are the customs of February 2nd Dragon Heads Up?

Introduction of February 2 February 2, the traditional Han Chinese folk festival. Popular in most parts of the country, Miao, Zhuang, Manchu, Dong, Li, She, Buyei, Hezhe, Ewenke and other minorities also celebrate this festival. This festival has more customary activities, and also has a flower dynasty festival, the festival of the green, picking the festival, the spring dragon festival, the festival of the green dragon, the dragon head day called. Because of the time in the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, so called. This custom has been recorded in the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi "February 2nd" poem: "February 2nd new rain dark, grass teeth and vegetables a moment. Light shirt fine horse youth less, cross Zintou a word line." At that time and after the folk to knife ruler, a hundred grains, melon seeds, welcome the rich and noble fruit, etc., and ask the legacy, and pick vegetables, trekking, and welcome the rich and other activities. Yuan Fei Zhi "age Hua Ji Li spectrum": "February 2 Treading Green Festival, tough county people traveling to enjoy the scattered suburbs. ......", and Wang Hao "Guang Qunfang spectrum?6?1 Tianshi spectrum" cited "Hanmo record": "Luoyang custom, February 2 for the Flower Lang Festival, the public and the general public to play, but also for the picking vegetables festival." After the Ming Dynasty, February 2 and many customs on the dragon's head, such as scattering ash to attract the dragon, supporting the dragon, smoked insects to avoid scorpions, shaving the dragon's head, avoiding needles piercing the dragon's eyes and other customs, so called the dragon's head day. Qing Xianfeng "Wuding Fu Zhi": "...... to (February) 2nd for the Spring Dragon Festival, take the stove ash around the house as a dragon snake-like, called the attraction of money dragon, inviting the blessing of Xiang also." In addition, there are still on the work, test plows, fried scorpion beans, wear poncho, sacrifices to the Dragon King, respect for the land, visit the heir sacrifices, marrying a woman to live in the spring, children open the pen and other festivals and activities. The February 2nd festival of the Buyi ethnic group takes place for three days, mainly to honor the land god. On the day of the festival, every family kills chickens to honor their ancestors and eats two-color (black and white) glutinous rice, praying for the land god to bless the whole village with peace and quiet. There are many activities about the dragon on this day, so it is called Dragon Heads Up Day. February 2 dragon head custom, as early as in Ming Liu Dong, Yu Yizheng, "the emperor Beijing Jingliu?6?1 volume two spring field": "February 2, said the dragon head, put the New Year's Day festival Yu cake, Kaoru bed bed, said Kaoru bugs, said the lead dragon, bugs do not come out also." Qing dynasty still follow its custom. Fuchsia Dunsun "Yanjing yearly record": "February 2, the ancient Chinese and the Festival. People call for the dragon to carry the head. This is the day to eat the cake is called the dragon scale cake, food noodles is called the dragon beard noodles. Boudoir stop sewing, fear of injury to the eyes of the dragon." The dragon is the ancient Chinese culture in the status of a prominent deity, is auspicious, but also the master of the wind and rain. Common saying "the dragon does not raise his head day does not rain", the dragon raises his head means that the clouds Xing rain for, and heaven and earth, the clouds Xing rain for is the condition of all things fertility. Also, the ancient thought that the dragon is the essence of scale insects, the long of the insects, the dragon out of the insects hidden. Early February is at the beginning of spring, the beginning of agriculture, and is a hundred bugs out of the stings, when the stupidity, so the folk have to help the dragon, lead to the green dragon, shaving the dragon's head, but also have to eat the dragon skin, the dragon's beard, the dragon, dragon, the dragon scale cake of the custom, and also stop the needle, taboo grinding and other taboos. The origin of February 2 folk proverb says: "February 2, the dragon raised its head." Around the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar is the hibernation, one of the 24 solar terms. It is said that after hibernation of the dragon, to this day, was rumbled by the spring thunder awakening, then raised his head. So the ancients called the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar for the Spring Dragon Festival, also known as the Dragon Head Festival or Green Dragon Festival. Therefore, on this day, people go to the river to worship the Dragon God. The Chinese national customs - Shouchun yearly record "cloud:" the second day of February, incense burning water, to sacrifice to the Dragon God." People **** know, the dragon is the Chinese nation since ancient times faith totem. So we proudly proclaimed: the yellow children are the descendants of the dragon. For thousands of years, people regard the dragon as an auspicious object with mysterious color. "February 2" is the day of the dragon's head, naturally become an important folk festival, many customs are also related to the dragon. In fact, "February 2, the dragon raised its head" and ancient astronomy. Ancient China used twenty-eight lodges to indicate the position of the sun, moon and stars in the sky and to judge the seasons. Twenty-eight hosts in the corner, hyper, 氐, room, heart, tail, Kei seven hosts to form a complete dragon-shaped constellations, the corner of the hosts is similar to the dragon's horns. Every February after the spring winds, dusk when the dragon horn star from the eastern horizon, so called "dragon head". February 2nd Spring Dragon Festival has a long history. Leaving many customs. Ming Shen list of "Wan Department Miscellany" in the cloud: "February lead dragon, smoked hundreds of insects. ...... Villagers from the door of the civil gray euphemistic cloth into the house kitchen, circling the water tank, called the lead dragon back. Use the noodles to make pancakes. Smoke the beds and kangs to keep insects at bay." The Ming Palace History: "the second day of ...... each family with millet noodles date cake, fried in oil, or face and thin, spread as pancakes, called smoked insects." Qing Fucha Guo Chong in the "Yanjing Years and Years" also said: "February 2, ...... nowadays called the dragon head. It is the day of the food cake is called the dragon scale, food noodle is called the dragon beard face. Boudoir to stop the needle and thread, fear of injury to the eyes of the dragon." One of this custom has been inherited to the present day. 80's, in the north of Henan area still retains the custom of eating millet. On the morning of February 2, every family has to fry corn cake, which is called rice cake by the public, and there is also a song like this: "February 2, fry rice cake, fine fire, burn slowly, don't burn the old man's beard." At noon, all eat "old dragon cloth eggs". That is, corn molt commonly known as corn rice with noodles. In fact, people are concerned about the "dragon's head" in various forms to commemorate the fundamental reason is related to agricultural production. As the ballad said: "February 2, the dragon carries the head, big warehouse full, small warehouse flow." Because February is the season of sowing crops. In the era of underdeveloped science, the people through a variety of commemorative activities, sent a strong desire to pray for the dragon to give blessings, blessing the wind and rain, a good harvest. In folklore, there is also such a limerick: "February 2, the dragon raises its head, the son of heaven plowed the land and the minister drove the oxen; the Queen Mother came to send food, the minister of the dynasty threw the seed. Spring plowing and summer plowing rate of the world, the five grains of peace and prosperity in the fall." The court rate of the old man full of ministers to participate in the spring plowing production, see the importance of spring plowing does not miss the agricultural time. In the north, February 2, also known as the dragon head day, also known as the spring dragon festival. In the south, it is called Treading Green Festival, which is also known as Pick Vegetable Festival. Since the Tang Dynasty, Chinese people have had the custom of "February 2nd". According to records, the origin of this phrase is related to the ancient astronomical understanding of the operation of the stars and agricultural festivals. Why "February 2" dragon only raised its head? Because the lunar calendar in February has entered the mid-spring season, when Yang Qi rising, the earth recovery, grass and trees sprouting, farmers will be spring plowing, sowing, very much in need of soil wet, retaining water. At this time if the God of rain, really valuable, so there is a "spring rain is as expensive as oil" said. From the festival, the beginning of February is in the "rain", "hibernation", "spring equinox" between, this is a need for rain, but also the possibility of rainfall period, how people hope that through the act of praying to the dragon to realize the rain! How people hoped to realize the purpose of rainfall through the act of praying to the dragon. Why does the dragon "raise its head"? Because the beginning of February is around the time of the startling cushion, all kinds of animals that have been hibernating for the winter have regained their vitality, and it is time for them to be active. The dragon raised its head, meaning that the dragon also acted to fulfill its rainfall duties. However, this is the usual explanation for the "February 2nd Dragon Head Raising", which is easy to understand. However, there is also an ancient astronomical explanation for the "dragon raising its head", which is often overlooked. Ancient people thought that the earth is not moving, it is the sun in motion. As early as the Spring and Autumn period or even earlier, people regarded the sun's annual movement between the stars as a circle, called the ecliptic. Then using certain stars to divide this circle into 28 equal parts, forming 28 zones, called the twenty-eight lodges. The word "lodging" denotes residence. If you observe the orbit of the moon, it basically stays in one night a day, and when the 28 nights have finished taking turns, it will be about a month, so it is called "lodging". The 28 lodges are divided equally according to the four directions of southeast, west, north and west, and there are seven lodges in each direction. For these 28 lodges, they are given names. In the east of the seven hosts are called: horn, hyper, dibi, room, heart, tail, Kei, they form a group, called the East Dragon. Among them, the horn is a symbol of the dragon's horns, hyper is the dragon's neck, on the board is the dragon's chest, the room is the dragon's belly, the heart is the dragon's heart, tail, Kei is the dragon's tail. In winter, these seven constellations of the dragon are hidden under the horizon, and they cannot be seen after dusk. By the beginning of February, when dusk comes, the Horned Host emerges from the eastern horizon. At this time the whole body of the dragon is still hidden below the horizon, just the first reveal of the horns, so it is called the dragon head. Shuo Wen Jie Zi" in the explanation of the word "dragon" said: "dragon, scale insects of long. Can be dark and bright, can be fine and huge, can be short and long. It ascends to the sky at the spring equinox and dives into the abyss at the fall equinox." All of them refer to the hidden changes of this Canglong 7 hosts in the sky, not that there is really an animal dragon transforming. "Spring equinox and ascend to the sky" refers to the spring equinox period, the horns of the hosts began to appear in the sky, the East Canglong first showed its head, that is, the dragon raised its head. [edit paragraph] The development of February 2 The ancient Chinese belief in the worship of the dragon has been continued, the dragon as an animal god in charge of rain water is increasingly clear, so the "Zuo Zhuan" Huan Gong five years said: "Dragon now and summer rain", is that the dragon is about to appear after the hibernation, when the rituals to pray for rain will be held. The Warring States period of geography, mythological works, "Classic of Mountains and Seas", also said, should be in the south dragon in the south, "so the south more rain", and the candle dragon "do not eat, do not sleep, do not rest, the wind and rain is to pay a visit to", that is, often invites the wind and rain. Because of the imaginary dragon can fly in the clouds, so the superstitious belief that the dragon can bring people auspicious, come to earth can be incarnated as the emperor son of heaven, so that the emperor called the true dragon son of heaven. The earliest record of the rain-making activities held directly with the image of the dragon is found in Dong Zhongshu's "Spring and Autumn Dew" of the Western Han Dynasty. The book mentions the activity of dancing dragons to seek rain. In the Han Dynasty, there is also a dance scene of "playing with dragons" engraved on the picture stones. These can be regarded as the later generations of dragon lanterns. People in the Tang Dynasty have taken the second day of February as a special day, said it is "welcome the rich and powerful" day, in this day to eat "welcome the rich and powerful fruit", that is, to eat some snacks food. Song dynasty court in this day also have specialized activities. Song Zhou Mi in the "Old Wulin" described the Southern Song Dynasty, the second day of February this day in the palace, "picking vegetables" imperial banquet activities. Banquet, in some small dendrobium (mouth small bottom large measuring vessel) in the planting of lettuce and other fresh vegetables, write their names on silk, pressed under the dendrobium, let everyone guess. The names were written on silk and pressed under the dendro for everyone to guess. This activity is not only "fresh children", but also entertainment, so at that time, "the royal palace and noble residence is also more effective". However, the Tang and Song Dynasty, these "February 2" activities are not associated with the "dragon's head". In the Yuan Dynasty, February 2 is clearly "Dragon Head Raising". When describing the customs of the Yuan capital, the Analyzing Jin Zhi mentioned that "February 2 is called Dragon Carrying Heads". On this day, it was popular to eat noodles, called "dragon's beard noodles"; but also pancakes, called "dragon scale"; if the dumplings are wrapped, it is called "dragon's teeth". In short, all to the dragon body parts named. February 2 legend proverb "February 2, the dragon carries the head", legend has it that in ancient times, Guanzhong area drought is not rain, the Jade Emperor ordered the East China Sea small dragon to go to sow rain. The little dragon was so playful that he dove into the river and never came out again. There was a young man who went to the cliff to pick up the "Dragon Bucking Water" and stirred up the river. The little dragon revealed its head from the river and competed with the young man, and the little dragon was defeated and had to broadcast rain. In fact, the so-called "dragon head-raising" refers to the hibernation, the insects began to wake up. Therefore, as the saying goes, "February 2, the dragon raises its head, and scorpions and centipedes show their heads." There is another way of saying "February 2nd" is called the Spring Dragon Festival. Xu Shen's Shuowen Jiezi (Explaining Characters in Chinese) records: "The dragon, the longest of the scales, can be dark and bright, fine and huge, long and short, ascends to the sky at the spring equinox, and dives into the abyss at the fall equinox." This is probably the earliest record of the custom of "Spring Dragon Festival". According to legend, when Wu Zetian became emperor, the Jade Emperor ordered that no rain should fall on earth for three years. However, the Jade Dragon, who was in charge of the Heavenly River, could not bear to see the people suffer and starve, so he secretly sent down a heavy rain, and when the Jade Emperor found out about it, he knocked the Jade Dragon down from the Heavenly Palace and pressed it under a big mountain. A monument was erected under the mountain, on which it was written: The Dragon King violated the rules of heaven by sending down rain, and should be subjected to a thousand sins on earth. If you want to climb back up to the Spirit Pavilion, you have to do it when the golden beans are in blossom. In order to save the Dragon King, people searched everywhere for the blossoming golden beans. To the second day of February of the next year, people are turning golden corn seeds, suddenly remembered, this corn is like a golden bean, fried flowers, is not a golden bean blossom? So every family popcorn, and set up in the yard burning incense, for the "blossom of the golden beans", specifically for the Dragon King and the Jade Emperor to see. The Dragon King knew that this is the people in the rescue it, shouted to the Jade Emperor: "Golden Bean blossomed, let me out!" The Jade Emperor took a look at the golden bean blossom opening in the courtyard of every house on earth, and had to pass an order to the Dragon King to return to the Heavenly Court, and continue to make clouds and rain for the earth. Since then, the folk formed a habit, every February 2 this day, people will pop corn flowers, there are also fried beans. Adults and children also read: "February 2, the dragon carries the head, big warehouse full, small warehouse flow." Some places in the yard with the stove ash sprinkled into a large circle, the grains and cereals in the center, called "playing hoard" or "fill warehouse". The intention is to wish a year of grain abundance, warehouse hoard full. Festivals, the name of the food is also commonly added to the title of the "dragon". Eat dumplings called to eat "dragon ear"; eat spring cakes called to eat "dragon scale"; eat noodles called to eat "dragon beard"; eat rice called to eat "dragon child "; eating wontons is called eating "dragon's eyes".