National holidays, time and origins in China and foreign countries

1. The origin of the Spring Festival. The first day of the first month of the lunar calendar is the Spring Festival, also called the lunar (lunar) year, commonly known as the "New Year".

This is the most solemn and lively ancient traditional festival in our country.

The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Han people.

However, our country is a multi-ethnic country. In addition to the Han, there are more than a dozen ethnic minorities such as Manchu, Mongolian, Yao, Zhuang, Bai, Gaoshan, Hezhe, Hani, Daur, Dong and Li who also have the custom of celebrating the Spring Festival.

The Spring Festival has a long history. It originated from the activities of worshiping gods and ancestors at the beginning and end of the year during the Yin and Shang Dynasties.

There are also many legends about Nian.

The ancient Spring Festival was called "Yuan Day", "New Year's Day" and "New Year".

After the Revolution of 1911, the first day of the first lunar month was officially named the Spring Festival.

The long history has made the annual customs activities extremely rich and colorful.

Among them, those superstitious contents that worship heaven and worship gods have been gradually eliminated, while those contents that are full of life interest, such as pasting Spring Festival couplets, pasting New Year pictures, pasting the word "福", cutting window grilles, steaming rice cakes, making dumplings, burning firecrackers, New Year's Eve vigil,

Customs such as New Year greetings are still very popular today.

The earliest Spring Festival couplets in our country were written on peach boards by Meng Chang during the Five Dynasties period: "New Year's greetings are celebrated, and festivals are celebrated in Changchun."

Writing Spring Festival couplets on red paper began in the Ming Dynasty.

New Year pictures originated from the door gods of the Tang Dynasty. Like burning firecrackers, they were used to drive away ghosts and ward off evil spirits in ancient times, but now they have become a custom designed to increase the festive atmosphere.

Pasting the word "福" existed before the Song Dynasty. People would deliberately stick the word "福" written on red square paper upside down on doors, windows and furniture, taking the meaning of "luck has arrived (fallen)".

Staying up late on New Year's Eve is the most important annual custom, which was recorded in the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

On the night of New Year's Eve, family members, old and young, stay up late, gather together, drink, and enjoy family happiness. This is a custom that descendants of the Yan and Huang Dynasties still attach great importance to today.

After the first rooster crows, the new year begins. Men, women and children, all dressed in festive costumes, first pay New Year and birthday wishes to the elders in the family, and then visit relatives and friends to congratulate each other.

At this time, the land of China is sparkling and colorful. From the first to the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, people are immersed in the joyful, peaceful and civilized festival atmosphere.

◆The origin of New Year's Eve, commonly known as "New Year's Eve", is the 30th day of the Lunar New Year (29th in some years), which is the last day of the lunar year.

In the afternoon of that day, every household cleans the courtyard, tidies up the indoor and outdoor environment, then puts up Spring Festival couplets, door gods, half curtains, hangs yellow coins, burns incense to worship ancestors, and sets off firecrackers to express the removal of the old.

In the evening, every family eats green rice noodle stew, called "Cang Cang", which means family reunion and longevity.

After the whole family, old and young, has had enough to eat, some leftovers are meant to "live a prosperous life and have more than enough every year."

It's night, and the whole family is completely sleepless, which is called "staying up for the New Year" or "keeping up the New Year's Eve".

The younger generation kowtows to their elders to bid farewell to the new year, and the elders give "lucky money" to the younger generation, also called "lucky money".

2. The origin of the Lantern Festival The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival (also known as the Lantern Festival).

According to the "Collection of Five Liang Kao and Six Virtues? Wuwei County Chronicles" compiled by Zhang Shaomei in the 14th year of Qianlong's reign: "On the Lantern Festival, there were vertical squares in four cities, hanging lanterns, flower drums, stilts, and hundreds of plays." In the old days, the golden pagoda

There is a Yellow River Lantern Festival in the temple and other places, and the scene is also very spectacular.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the lantern festivals held during the Lantern Festival were better than ever.

Before the festival, employees of enterprises and institutions tie colorful doors and hang lanterns one after another.

There are flower lanterns, animal lanterns, Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea lanterns, and Journey to the West story lanterns, all of which are spectacular and colorful.

Some enthusiasts install micro motors in the lamps, which are better than revolving lanterns.

The most eye-catching thing is the golden dragon lantern that soars into the clouds and rides the mist, which is more than 1 meter long.

That night, residents in the city and suburbs came in droves, thousands of people, and the flow of people was like a tide.

According to Wuwei custom, when viewing lanterns, one must crawl under the dragon lantern to pray for the safety of the family and all the best.

It is also said that the dragon is a mascot. If you wear a dragon lantern, your population will be prosperous.

Rural lantern festivals are unique and interesting, with simple and elegant lanterns and a rich local flavor.

There are torch lanterns made of corncobs, and lanterns made of yam eggs and radish heads.

There are lights everywhere on the walls and under the stables, and they are brightly lit.

According to historical records: Wuwei Lantern Festival has been a grand event since the Tang Dynasty and is famous in Chang'an.

Therefore, there is a legend that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty and Taoist priest Ye Fashan visited Liangzhou Lantern Festival at night and never returned.

The Wuwei Lantern Festival, regardless of new or old customs, is held for three days, namely the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth of the first lunar month.

3. The origin of February 2 has an ancient saying that "the dragon raises its head on February 2".

According to old records: On this day, urban and rural residents offered sacrifices to the soil to pray for a good harvest, and each family fried beans and hemp seeds to eat them, which was meant to kill fleas and insects.

Nowadays, the activities of worshiping soil and praying for good years no longer exist, but there is still the custom of frying wheat beans in the countryside.

4. The origin of Qingming Festival Qingming is one of the twenty-four solar terms in the lunar calendar.

On this day, graves are swept to worship ancestors, which is called "Spring Festival".

It is customary in urban and rural areas of Wuwei that those who have tombstones must go to the tomb to offer sacrifices, burn paper money, and add soil one or two days before the Qingming Festival; those who do not have tombstones must go to the suburbs or in front of their homes or streets on the night before the Qingming Festival.

Paper money was burned in the alley.

It is taboo to visit graves and burn paper on Qingming Festival.

Legend has it that the paper money burned on that day becomes iron money and cannot be used by the deceased.

5. The origin of the Dragon Boat Festival The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanyang Festival.

In the early morning of that day, willow branches were placed at the door of every house to summon Qu Yuan's spirit and ward off the plague.

Children tie five-color cotton or silk ropes on their wrists, wear sachets and purses on their bodies, and apply realgar wine on their mouth, nose, and ears. It is said that this can avoid the five poisons (namely snakes, scorpions, geckos, toads, and centipedes).

There is a saying in Wuwei that "the Dragon Boat Festival comes out in May". Young men and women wear fashionable summer clothes and have fun. Young women pay attention to embroidering vanilla purses, embellished with tassels, and giving them to relatives and friends.