The origin of the Spring Festival, customs, poems, couplets and so on.

I. The origin of the Spring Festival:

The origin of the Spring Festival is related to the ancient primitive beliefs, rituals, calendars and other humanities and natural culture. The concept of "year" comes from the ancient calendar, "the emperor's began to make the name of the stem and branch to determine the location of the year", "year" is a general term for the four seasons of the year, according to the different seasons of the year, the ancients set out the year of the year.

The original "year" of ancient folklore was the "Lichun" of the 24 solar terms, but with the change of dynasties and calendar changes, the date of the New Year was not the same in all Chinese dynasties. For example, during the Xia Dynasty, the first month of the lunar calendar was January; during the Shang Dynasty, the first month of the lunar calendar was December; during the Zhou Dynasty, the first month of the lunar calendar was November; during the Qin Dynasty, the first month of the lunar calendar was October, etc. Nowadays, we say that the Spring Festival is the first month of the lunar calendar. And now we are talking about the Spring Festival, it was at the first plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference that the use of the world's common Gregorian calendar was established and it was proposed to designate the first day of the first month of the Lunar Calendar as the Spring Festival.

Two, the Spring Festival customs:

1. dust sweeping

"The 24th day of the lunar month, dust sweeping the house", according to "Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals" records, our country in the era of Yao and Shun on the Spring Festival dust sweeping custom. According to folklore: because the "dust" and "Chen" consonant, dust sweeping in the New Year has "in addition to the meaning of Chen Bu Xin", the intention is to all the poor luck, bad luck, swept out the door. This custom is a symbol of people's desire to break away from the old and bring in the new and their prayers for the old and the new. Whenever the Spring Festival comes, every household has to clean up the environment, wash all kinds of appliances, dismantle the bedding curtains, sprinkle clean the courtyard, dust dust cobwebs, dredge the nullahs and ditches. Everywhere overflowing with joyful health, clean and welcome the new year's atmosphere of joy.

2. Posting Spring Festival couplets

Spring Festival couplets, also known as door-to-door, spring stickers, couplets, couplets, peach symbols, etc., it is neat, couplets, concise, sophisticated text depicting the background of the times, expressing the best wishes, is unique to China's form of literature. Every Spring Festival, whether urban or rural, every family has to select a large red spring couplets posted on the door for the festival to increase the festive atmosphere. This custom began in the Song Dynasty, began to prevail in the Ming Dynasty, to the Qing Dynasty, the Spring Festival couplets of ideology and artistry have been greatly improved, Liang Zhangzhu prepared the Spring Festival couplets monograph "Threshold Lian series of words" on the origins of the couplets and various types of works of the characteristics of the discourse.

There are many types of spring couplets, which, according to their place of use, can be divided into door centers, frame pairs, horizontal phi, spring strips, doufang, etc. "Door centers" are the most common type of couplets. "Door" in the upper center of the door panel; "frame" on the left and right door frames; "Phi" on the horizontal wood of the door winks; "Chunzhi "According to different contents, posted in the corresponding place;" bucket catty "also called" door leaf "for the square diamond-shaped, mostly posted in the furniture, shadow wall.

3. window decals and upside down "Fu" character

In folklore, people also like to put all kinds of paper cuttings on the window - window flowers. Window flowers not only set a festive atmosphere, but also decorative, appreciative and practical in one. Paper cutting in China is a very popular folk art, for thousands of years by the people's favorite, because it is mostly affixed to the window, so it is also known as "window flowers". Window flowers with its unique generalization and exaggeration of auspicious events, good wishes expressed in the best, the festival decorated with red hot and rich.

At the same time as the Spring Festival couplets, some people have to put large and small "Fu" characters on the doors, walls and lintels of their houses. The Spring Festival sticker "Fu" character, is China's folk custom from a long time. The character "福" refers to good fortune and good luck, and it expresses people's desire for a happy life and their wish for a better future. In order to more fully reflect this yearning and wishes, some people simply stick the word "Fu" upside down, indicating that "happiness has arrived" and "good fortune has arrived". Folk will also be "Fu" word fine as a variety of patterns, patterns have the star, longevity, carp jump Dragon Gate, the five valleys, the dragon and phoenix, and so on.

4. Stickers

The Spring Festival hanging stickers in urban and rural areas is also very common, thick black colorful paintings to thousands of families added a lot of prosperity and joy of the festive atmosphere. New Year's paintings are an ancient folk art in China, reflecting the people's simple customs and beliefs, and holding their hopes for the future. New Year's paintings, like spring scrolls, originated as "door gods". With the rise of woodblock printing, the content of the New Year's paintings has not only limited to monotonous themes such as the God of the Door, become colorful, in some of the New Year's paintings in the workshop produced the "Three Stars of Fortune and Longevity," "Heavenly Officials Provide Blessings," "Five Grains and a Plentiful Harvest," "Six Animals Prosperity," "Welcoming the Spring to receive the blessings of" and other classic colorful New Year's paintings, in order to satisfy people's joyful prayers for the New Year's good wishes. There are three important production areas of Chinese New Year paintings in China: Taohuayu in Suzhou, Yangliuqing in Tianjin and Weifang in Shandong Province; three major schools of Chinese New Year paintings have been formed, each with its own characteristics.

China's earliest collection of Chinese New Year paintings is the Southern Song Dynasty "with the fairness of the country's face" woodcut New Year paintings, the painting is Wang Zhaojun, Zhao Feiyan, Banji and green beads of the four ancient beauties. The most widely circulated folk painting is the one of "The Mouse Marrying Her Marriage". It depicts an interesting scene of a mouse marrying a bride in accordance with the customs of the earth. In the early years of the Republic of China, Zheng Mantuo of Shanghai combined the lunar calendar and New Year's paintings. This is a new form of New Year's paintings. This combination of two and one of the New Year's paintings, later developed into a wall calendar, and is still popular throughout the country.

5. Year-keeping

New Year's Eve year-keeping is one of the most important New Year's activities, and the custom of year-keeping has a long history. The earliest record is found in the Western Jin Dynasty Zhou Chu's "Land and Customs": on New Year's Eve, each with the gift, known as "feed the year"; wine and food invited, known as "don't year"; young and old get together to drink, wishing to complete, known as "share the year"; all night long, we all have a good time. "

The first time I saw this is when I was a young man and I had to wait for the day to dawn, so I called it the "New Year's Eve".

"One night even double the year, five nights divided into two days", New Year's Eve, the whole family gathered together, ate the New Year's Eve dinner, light up candles or oil lamps, sitting around the fireplace chatting, waiting for the time to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new, the all-night vigil, symbolizing all the evil plague and disease, according to the run away, and look forward to a new year of good luck. This custom gradually prevailed, to the early Tang Dynasty, Tang Taizong Li Shimin wrote a "year-keeping" poem: "cold resignation from the winter snow, the warmth of the spring wind". Until today, people are still accustomed to the New Year's Eve to welcome the new year.

Anciently, there are two meanings of year-end vigil: the elderly year-end vigil for the "resignation of the old year", there is the meaning of the treasure of time and light; young people year-end vigil is to extend the life of their parents. Since the Han Dynasty, the time of the transition between the old and new year is usually the middle of the night.

6. Firecrackers

Chinese folk "open door firecrackers". That is, the arrival of the new year, the first thing that families open the door is to set off firecrackers, to beeping and blazing firecrackers to get rid of the old and welcome the new. Firecrackers is a Chinese specialty, also known as "firecrackers", "cannonballs", "firecrackers". Its origin is very early, so far has a history of more than two thousand years. Firecrackers can create a festive and lively atmosphere, is a kind of festival entertainment, can bring people joy and good luck. With the passage of time, the application of firecrackers is more and more widely used, varieties and colors are also increasingly numerous, every major festival and joyous celebration, and marriage, building, opening, etc., are to set off firecrackers in order to show the celebration, Figure a good luck. Now, Hunan Liuyang, Guangdong Foshan and Dongyao, Jiangxi Yichun and Pingxiang, Wenzhou, Zhejiang and other areas is China's famous hometown of firecrackers, the production of firecrackers colorful, high-quality, not only sells well across the country, but also exported to the world.

7. New Year's Day

The first day of the New Year, people get up early, put on the most beautiful clothes, dressed neatly, go out to visit friends and relatives, each other, wishing good luck for the coming year. Worship a variety of ways, some of them are the same patriarch led a number of people to go door to door to pay tribute to the New Year; some colleagues invited a few people to pay tribute to the New Year; there are also get together to congratulate each other, known as the "group worship". Because of the time-consuming and labor-intensive door-to-door New Year's greetings, some of the upper-class people and the scholarly community used the posters to congratulate each other, which developed into the later "New Year's card".

The Chinese New Year, the late generation should first pay tribute to the elders, wishing the elders a long life and well-being, the elders can be prepared beforehand the New Year's money to the elders, it is said that the New Year's money can be pressed to stop the evil spirits, because the "age" and "Soun" harmonized, the elders to get the New Year's money can be a year of peace and security. It is said that the New Year's money can keep evil spirits at bay because "year" and "spirit" sound alike, and if the younger generation gets the money, they will be able to spend the year in peace. There are two kinds of New Year's money, one is a colorful rope threaded and braided into the shape of a dragon, placed at the foot of the bed, which is recorded in the "Yanjing Yearly Record"; the other is the most common, that is, wrapped in red paper by the parents of the money given to the children. New Year's money can be rewarded in the evening after the New Year's greetings in public, can also be in the New Year's Eve when the child is asleep, by the parents secretly placed under the child's pillow. Now the elders for the younger generation to send the custom of New Year's money is still prevalent.

8. Spring Festival food customs

In the ancient agricultural society, about since the eighth day of the lunar month, housewives will be busy opening the New Year's food.

Northern New Year's Eve dumplings are often wrapped and eaten to harmonize the meaning of the word "New Year's Eve". Some put sugar in the dumplings to pray for a sweeter life in the coming year; some pack a coin in individual dumplings, and whoever eats it will be rich in the new year. In the south, New Year's Eve is usually eaten yuanniao and rice cakes. Lantern, also known as "dumplings", "dumplings", "round", the center of the package sugar for more, take the meaning of family reunion and sweetness. Rice cakes are made of glutinous rice to harmonize with the meaning of "yearly high". Until today, the custom of making dumplings for New Year's Eve in the north and soup dumplings for New Year's Eve in the south is still extremely common.

Three, the Spring Festival poetry:

1, "New Year's Day"

Song Dynasty: Wang Anshi

Blazing firecrackers in the sound of a year, the spring breeze sends warmth into the Tu Su.

A thousand doors and tens of thousands of tels, always changing the new peach for the old one.

2. New Year's Greetings

Ming Dynasty: Wen Zhengming

It is not necessary to meet with you but to pay a visit to you, and the famous paper comes to you in the morning and fills my hut.

I also cast a few papers with people, the world is too simple not too false.

3. "Snow on the Night of the New Year"

Song Dynasty: Lu You

The north wind blew the snow at the beginning of the fourth shift, and Jiarui Tianjiao and the year of the new year.

Half a cup of butcher's tassel has not yet been raised, and the grass in front of the lamp is written with peach symbols.

4, "New Year's Eve"

Tang Dynasty: Gao Shi

The hotel cold lamps alone do not sleep, what is the matter of the guest to turn miserable.

This is the first time I've ever thought about my hometown, and I'll be thinking about it tonight, and I'll be thinking about it tomorrow. (

Tang Dynasty: Meng Haoran

Last night, the bucket returned to the north, and this day, the age of the east.

I am already strong in my years, but I have no salary to worry about farming.

The mulberry field is in the hands of the plowman, and the hoe is with the shepherd boy.

The family of the field occupies the climate, and **** says that this year will be rich.

6, "New Year's Eve"

Song Dynasty: Wen Tianxiang

Qiankun is empty, the years go to the hall;

The end of the road is shocked by the wind and rain, and the poor side is full of snow and frost.

The life with the year is going to end, the body and the world are all forgotten;

No more Tusu dream, the night is not yet over.

7. New Year's Day

Tang Dynasty: Liu Changqing

The heart of the countryside is cut out for the new year, and the sky is alone and weeping.

The old man is living under the people, the spring return in the guest first.

The apes and the monkeys are together at dawn and dusk, and the river willows and the wind and smoke are all over the place.

It's already like Changsha Fu, and it's been a few years since then.

8, "New Year's Eve Taiyuan cold even"

Ming Dynasty: Yu Qian

Sending words to the end of the world, light cold bottom with worry.

Spring breeze is not far away, only in the east of the house.

9, "New Year's Day"

Tang Dynasty: Li Shimin

Gao Xuan ambiguous spring color, profound pavilion charming morning light.

The colorful pennants flew in the court, and the bright dangles in the green front.

This is the first time I've ever seen a man with a high degree of respect for himself, and I'm sure he'll be able to handle the eight worlds in his own clothes.

The frosty halberd is lined up on the Dan-ah, and the silk bamboo rhymes with the promenade.

Mu carry on the smoky wind is lush, and the emperor's way is prosperous.

Following the text to follow the track, according to the ancient identification of the former king.

Grass is the color of spring, the plum is the makeup of the past years.

The river is a huge river, but it's not a river that you can't sail on.

10, "New Year's Eve / New Year's Eve in Balsan Road"

Tang Dynasty: Cui Tu

Long way to Samba Road, detained in the danger of 10,000 miles body.

The night of the snowy mountains, the lonely candle, the stranger in a foreign land.

It's been a long time since I've had a chance to be with my family, but I've had a chance to be with the boys and the servants.

It's a good thing that I'm drifting away from the world, because tomorrow I'm going to be new.

Four, Spring Festival couplets

Previous couplet: Spring is full of flowers in the world

Next couplet: Fortune is in the courtyard, the four seasons are always safe

Crossword: Happy Spring Festival

Previous couplet: Five shifts in the two years of the year

Next couplet: One night, two years of the year, years of the will of the people

Crossword: Congratulations on the New Year

Previous couplet: Wo Shun Mendi The next couplet is: the family is happy to have a thousand lucks

Crossword: Celebrate the Spring Festival

The first couplet is: good luck in all seasons of the year

The next couplet is: treasures come into the family from all directions

Crossword: the family is happy with all the things

The first couplet is: spring is coming to the earth and the flowers are beautiful

The second couplet is: the festival comes to the earth and all the new things are happening

Crossword: All things are happy with you

All things are happy for you

All things are good for you

All things are good for you: All things go well

Previous couplet: Smooth sailing every year

Next couplet: All things go well every step of the way

Crossword: Auspicious star shines high

Previous couplet: High living in the treasure land of prosperity

Next couplet: Blessing shines on the door of the family to be rich and prosperous

Crossword: All things come true in one's heart

Previous couplet: Years pass through the world of prosperity in every family

Next couplet: The person meets the The year is full of joy

Crossword: All are happy

Previous couplet: Welcome the New Year with beautiful mountains and rivers

Next couplet: Resign the old year with brilliant things

Crossword: Spring is in full bloom

Previous couplet: Wealth rolls in with the spring

Next couplet: Joyfulness accompanies blessings

Crossword: Wealthy sources of income

Previous couplet: The wind turns the rain into rain Mountain green

Next couplet: policy return to the heart of spring everywhere

Crossword: spring wind and rain

Previous couplet: the earth flows gold all the way through

Next couplet: the winter is over and spring is coming, all the things are new

Crossword: celebrate the spring festival