What is the origin and development of New Year pictures?

New Year picture is a kind of Chinese painting, which originated from the ancient door god painting. With the development of woodcut technology in the Northern Song Dynasty, woodcut printed New Year pictures, commonly known as "paper pictures", came into being. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, New Year pictures matured.

New Year pictures often appear in the form of woodcuts, which are overprinted and painted with clear lines and bright colors. The theme of the content is often auspicious and festive things or folklore allusions, which pin people's wishes for the country and people's peace, good weather, blessing and welcoming guests, driving away disasters and avoiding evil spirits.

New Year pictures are widely distributed, among which the most representative ones are Tianjin Yangliuqing New Year pictures, Shandong Weifang New Year pictures, Henan Zhu Xian New Year pictures, Jiangsu Suzhou Taohuawu New Year pictures, Sichuan Mianzhu New Year pictures, Hebei Wuqiang New Year pictures, Shaanxi Fengxiang New Year pictures, Guangdong Foshan New Year pictures and Fujian Zhangzhou New Year pictures. According to different periods and regions, they have their own styles. Nevertheless, the themes and expressions of New Year pictures are mostly similar, with figures, flowers and birds and household utensils as the main ones. In addition to a large number of New Year pictures at the end of the twelfth lunar month, past festivals and major occasions were decorated with New Year pictures with different themes, forming a unique New Year picture culture in China.

Heaven and earth are full of energy.

In the past Chinese New Year, there was a custom of offering sacrifices to the gods of heaven and earth everywhere, which was a very common folk sacrifice. The so-called gods of heaven and earth include gods, land gods, human gods, ghosts and gods, Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism and folk gods. People believe in a variety of gods, forming a harmonious body, each in its place, and enjoying the fragrance of the world.