What are the customs and cultural significance of the Spring Festival?

The Spring Festival, also known as the New Year, is a custom festival evolved from the ancient "year-end blessing festival".

From the perspective of ancient civilization, the origin of the Spring Festival is not only the crystallization of ancient wisdom, but also a festival containing ancient civilization and culture. Especially after the continuous development and evolution of dynasties, the Spring Festival is not only a festival, but also a symbol that can carry the Chinese cultural heritage.

People living in ancient times thought that the Spring Festival was a very important festival for sacrifice. On this day, people will hold a large-scale sacrificial ceremony, the main purpose is to thank God and pray for a smooth life in the future.

In ancient times, when people celebrated the Spring Festival, they usually made preparations for the upcoming Spring Festival from the 23rd or 24th of the twelfth lunar month. In ancient times, there was a saying that "officials, three people, four boatmen and five". On the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the government began to prepare for the Spring Festival, while ordinary families began to "sacrifice stoves" on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, and houses and boats held a ceremony to sacrifice stoves on the 25th. Generally speaking, ancient people celebrated the New Year until the 19th day of the first month.

In many parts of our country, on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, we eat sweets, offer sacrifices to stoves or clean the dust. Say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new year. "Pangu Wang Biao" and "San Tong Ming Hui" both contain: "The Emperor of Heaven began to establish the main branch name to determine the year." Actually, it's the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month. I want to see the Jade Emperor and drive away the chaos.

1. Spring Festival custom paste Spring Festival couplets: According to the provisions of the ancient calendar, the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month is called "New Year". Get up in the morning on New Year's Day, you need to stick a door god and paste Spring Festival couplets. Spring Festival couplets are unique folk symbols in China. Sticking Spring Festival couplets is a very grand project. The so-called "Spring Festival couplets" are made of red paper and then beautiful blessing words are written on the red paper. In fact, this is also the organic integration of culture and Spring Festival. When people put red Spring Festival couplets on both sides of their own doors, that is, "every family always trades new peaches for old ones", it actually means that the prelude of the Spring Festival has been officially opened. Sticking Spring Festival couplets can also be called "Sticking Year Red" in ancient times, including not only the Spring Festival couplets on both sides of the gate, but also the scarlet letter "Fu" on the gate. Regardless of posting Spring Festival couplets or the word "Fu", it is actually to express people's good wishes for the New Year. In some places, two "door gods", Qin Qiong and Wei Chijingde, are labeled, believing that families can ward off evil spirits and avoid disasters.

2. Setting off firecrackers: The custom of setting off firecrackers on New Year's Eve has a history of over 2,000 years. Although this custom has been basically banned in many places for environmental protection reasons, it still exists in some remote areas. Legend has it that firecrackers are set off on New Year's Eve to drive away the "Nian" beast. At this critical moment of "the yuan of the year, the yuan of the month, and the yuan of the time", when firecrackers resound through the land of China, it can not only scare away the "year" beast, but also mean that the new year will be more prosperous. Today, there are still many places that light a pile of "prosperous fires" on New Year's Eve. I hope that when we bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year, the whole family will have all the best luck and good luck. In the sound of firecrackers, the old year has passed and the new year has arrived. After the Spring Festival, it is the vernal equinox. People should start preparing for spring ploughing, and everything is developing in the direction of prosperity. In fact, the main function of the custom of setting off firecrackers on New Year's Eve is that ancient people wish good luck after the New Year to drive away bad luck. On New Year's Eve, besides setting off firecrackers and offering sacrifices to ancestors, there is also a very important custom of "observing the old age", which is also called observing the old age fire or taking photos of the old. On New Year's Eve, all the candles in the house should be lit, and the whole house should be brightly lit. And this custom can be called "wasting photos". The main purpose is to add wealth to the family in the new year.

3. New Year's Eve and lucky money: In many areas of China, "New Year's Eve" actually means that the whole family, regardless of age, does not sleep on New Year's Eve. And I don't go to bed until after eight o'clock in the first day. The main moral is that I hope my family will be safe and healthy. Children, in particular, can grow up healthily only on New Year's Eve. Many areas will give the younger generation "lucky money" before eating the New Year's Eve dinner. Younger children need to bow and kowtow to their elders to get their own "lucky money" The so-called "lucky money" can play the role of "eliminating evil spirits" and is a kind of care and blessing from the elders to the younger generation. Get the lucky money and you can spend the first year safely. Lucky money has the meaning of exorcising evil spirits and keeping peace in folk culture. The original intention of lucky money is to suppress evil and drive away evil. Because people think that children are easy to be invisible, they use lucky money to suppress evil spirits. Countdown to the New Year, the elders will give it to the younger generation, indicating that they have lucky money. It contains the concern and sincere blessing of the elders to the younger generation.

4. New Year's Eve: In fact, the highlight of the Spring Festival night is "New Year's Eve", also known as reunion dinner, reunion dinner and so on. No matter whether the family is rich or poor, we should prepare a sumptuous "New Year's Eve". It is a very happy thing for the family to sit around and eat jiaozi and rich dishes, recall the past and look forward to the future. In the south, the New Year's Eve dinner is usually dominated by seafood and vegetables, while in the north, big fish and big meat are put on the table. At the end of the year, families get together for a reunion dinner, which is actually one of the most worthwhile customs in the Spring Festival. There are usually fish and chicken on the dinner table, indicating that there are plans for more than a year. The so-called plan refers to people's livelihood, and people's livelihood is the most important thing in the new year. Lettuce and raw garlic mean making money and calculating. Southerners can also make a plate of sausages, hoping that the family will live a long and healthy life forever.