Legends about traditional festivals in China.

Legend has it that there was a monster named Nian in ancient China, with a long and sharp head and fierce beast. Nian lived on the seabed for many years, and climbed ashore every New Year's Eve to devour livestock and hurt people's lives. Therefore, on New Year's Eve, villages and people in villages fled to the mountains to help the elderly and young people avoid the injury of the year. On New Year's Eve this year, the villagers were busy packing their bags and fled to the deep mountains. At this time, an old man with white hair came to the east of the village and told an old woman that he would drive Nian beast away as long as he was allowed to stay in her house for one night. People didn't believe the old woman's advice, so they went up the mountain to hide. The kind old man insisted on staying, but when they saw that he couldn't stop, they went up the hill to hide. When the "Nian" beast was ready to break into the village as in previous years, suddenly there was firecrackers from the white-haired old man. The "Nian" beast trembled and never dared to move forward again. It turns out that Nian beast is most afraid of Rise of the Legend and explosion. At this moment, Daimon Masaru saw an old man in a red robe laughing in the hospital, and Nian beast fled in a hurry. The next day, when people returned to the village from the depths of the mountains, they found the village safe and sound. Only then did they suddenly realize that the white-haired old man was a fairy who helped everyone drive away the "Nian" beast. At the same time, people also found three magic weapons for the white-haired old man to drive away the "Nian" beast. Since then, every year on New Year's Eve, every family has posted red couplets and set off firecrackers. This custom is becoming more and more popular and has become the most solemn traditional festival in China.

◆ Legend of Tomb-Sweeping Day

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Zhong Er, the son of the Jin Dynasty, fled abroad to escape persecution. He was so tired and hungry in an uninhabited place that he couldn't stand up anymore. I searched for it for a long time, but I couldn't find anything to eat. When everyone was anxious to go to a secluded place with Minister Jietui, I cut a piece of meat from my thigh and cooked a bowl of broth, gradually recovering my spirit. Zhong Er shed tears when he found that the meat was cut by mesons.

Nineteen years later, Zhong Er became the monarch, that is, the historical Jin Wengong. After Wen Gong ascended the throne, he first rewarded the heroes who accompanied him in exile, but forgot to recommend him. Many people advised him to seek rewards for his grievances, but meson tui despises those who seek rewards the most. He packed his bags and quietly went to Mianshan to live in seclusion.

Jin Wengong was ashamed when he heard that, so he personally took someone to invite meson to push. But meson has left home for Mianshan. Mianshan Road is high and dense, so it is difficult to find people. Someone came up with a plan to drive mesons out of Mianshan from three sides. The fire burned all over Mianshan, but there was no meson push. After the fire was put out, it was discovered that Jietui, who was carrying his old mother, had sat under an old willow tree and died. Jin Wengong wailed unceasingly. When I was buried, I found a bloody book in a tree hole, which said, "I hope your master will always be innocent." To commemorate meson tui, Jin Wengong ordered that this day be designated as Cold Food Festival.

In the second year, Jin Wengong led the ministers to climb the mountain to worship, and found that the old willow tree came back from the dead. He named the old willow "Qingming Willow" and told the world that the day after the Cold Food Festival was designated as Tomb-Sweeping Day.

◆ The Legend of Dragon Boat Festival

During the Warring States period, Chu and Qin fought for hegemony, and the poet Qu Yuan was highly valued by the King of Chu. However, Qu Yuan's ideas were opposed by the old school headed by the above officials, doctors and Shanxi merchants, and he constantly vilified Qu Yuan in front of Chu Huaiwang. Chu Huaiwang gradually alienated Qu Yuan, and Qu Yuan, who had great ambitions, was deeply distressed. With uncontrollable melancholy, he wrote immortal poems such as Li Sao and Tianxiang. In 229 BC, the State of Qin captured eight cities of Chu, and then sent envoys to invite Chu Huaiwang to make peace with the State of Qin. Qu yuan saw through the plot of the king of Qin and risked his life to enter the palace to state his interests. Chu Huaiwang did not listen, but expelled Qu Yuan from the capital. Chu Huaiwang attended the meeting as scheduled and was imprisoned as soon as he arrived in Qin. Chu Huaiwang fell ill with remorse and died in Qin three years later. Shortly after the king of Chu ascended the throne, the king of Qin sent troops to attack Chu, and the king of Chu retreated hastily, and Qin Jun captured Ying City. On the way to exile, Qu Yuan heard the bad news of death and the attack on Tancheng, so he sighed and turned to throw himself into the river.

The fishermen on the river and the people on the shore heard that Dr. Qu Yuan threw himself into the river and came to the river to try to salvage Qu Yuan's body. One by one, they brought zongzi and eggs into the river, and some of them even poured realgar wine into the river, so that the medicine could make dragons and water beasts unconscious and prevent Qu Yuan from being hurt. Since then, at the beginning of May every year, when Qu Yuan died in the river, the people of Chu have rowed dragon boats and thrown zongzi on the river to commemorate the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan, and the custom of the Dragon Boat Festival has been handed down.

◆ Qixi legend

A long time ago, there was an orphan who lived with his brother and sister-in-law. She is clever and diligent, but her sister-in-law still doesn't like him. Before dawn, she drove him up the hill to herd cattle. Everyone calls him Cowherd. A few years later, her brother and sister-in-law separated, and the heartless sister-in-law only gave him a broken tile house and an old cow. Since then, the cowherd has been grazing cattle and chopping wood during the day, and sleeping with the old cow in the broken tile house at night. One day, the cowherd drove the cow into a strange forest, where the mountains and rivers were beautiful and the birds were singing and the flowers were fragrant. Cowherd saw nine fairies driving Xiangyun on the grass by the river, so he took off his colorful clothes and jumped into the crystal clear river. The cowherd stared at the youngest and most beautiful fairy. When the old cow saw God, she suddenly said, "She is a weaver girl in the sky. Just take away the colorful clothes and she will be your wife. " Cowherd quietly walked along the tree with Weaver Girl's colorful clothes. Near noon, other fairies put on colorful dresses and drove away in Xiangyun. Only the weaver girl in colorful clothes can't be found. At this time, the Cowherd came out from behind the tree and proposed to the Weaver Girl. Seeing that Cowherd was honest, hardworking and strong, Weaver Girl nodded shyly. After the cowherd and the weaver girl tied the knot, the man plowed and the woman weaved mutual respect and love. Two years later, Weaver Girl gave birth to a boy and a girl. However, when the Emperor heard that the Weaver Girl was married, he was furious. On the seventh day of July, the heavenly queen ordered the heavenly soldiers to descend from the sky and seize the weaver girl. With the help of the old cow, the sad cowherd caught up with his children in her basket. Seeing that she caught up with the Queen Mother, she pulled out the golden hairpin, and a rough Tianhe appeared at the foot of the Cowherd. The grieving Weaver Girl and Cowherd Girl, one in Hedong and the other in Hexi, looked at each other from a distance, crying and crying and moving magpies flew to Tianhe to build a magpie bridge. The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl can finally meet on the Magpie Bridge, but the Queen Mother has no choice but to allow the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl to meet on the Magpie Bridge once a year on the seventh day of July.

◆ The Legend of Double Ninth Festival

In the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a plague demon in Ruhe. As soon as it appeared, people got sick and died every day. People in this area suffered from the plague. A plague killed Hengjing's parents, and he almost died himself. After recovering from illness, Hengjing bid farewell to his wife and villagers, and decided to visit immortals to learn art, so as to eliminate the epidemic for the people. Hengjing visited famous mountains and rivers, and finally found a magical fairy on the oldest mountain in the East. Under the guidance of the crane, Xianchang finally took in Heng Jing Xian Chang, taught him how to fight the devil, and gave him a sword to fight the devil. Hengjing forgot to eat and sleep, and finally practiced martial arts. On this day, the immortal called Heng Jing to him and said, "At the beginning of September tomorrow, the plague god will come out to do evil again. You have learned your skills, and you should go back and kill pests for the people. " The immortal gave Hengjing a pack of dogwood Ye Yi Jijufu wine and secretly taught him how to ward off evil spirits so that Hengjing could ride a crane home. On the morning of the ninth day of the eighth lunar month, Hengjing returned to his hometown. He took the villagers to a nearby mountain according to the fairy's instructions, and then gave everyone a piece of dogwood chrysanthemum wine. At noon, with several strange cries, the plague demon rushed out of Ruhe River and just rushed to the foot of the mountain. Suddenly, there were bursts of strange fragrance of Cornus officinalis and chrysanthemum alcohol. Mo Wen stopped suddenly and his face suddenly changed. Heng Jing chased down the mountain with a demon-reducing sword and stabbed Mo Wen to death by the sword. Since then, the custom of climbing mountains on the ninth day of September to avoid epidemics has been handed down year after year.

◆ The legend of Mid-Autumn Festival

According to legend, in ancient times, there were ten suns in the sky, which made the earth smoke and the sea dry up, and ordinary people could no longer live. This incident alarmed a hero named Hou Yi. He climbed to the top of Kunlun Mountain, drew his bow with great strength, shot down nine redundant suns in one breath, and saved the people in from the mire. Soon after, Yi married a beautiful wife named Chang 'e. One day, while visiting friends in Kunlun Mountain, Yi met the Queen Mother passing by. He asked her for a bag of elixir. It is said that after taking this medicine, he can ascend to heaven immediately. But Hou Yi was reluctant to leave his wife, so he had to give the elixir to Chang 'e for collection. Unexpectedly, it was seen by Meng Peng, the doorman of Hou Yi. When Hou Yi went out, Meng Peng threatened Chang 'e to hand over the elixir. Knowing that Chang 'e was no match for Meng Peng, she immediately took out the elixir and swallowed it. Chang 'e swallowed the medicine and immediately flew from the ground to the sky. Because Chang 'e was worried about her husband, she flew to the nearest moon and became a fairy. When Hou Yi came back, the maids cried about everything. Hou Yi was heartbroken, looking up at the night sky and calling his wife's name. At this time, she was surprised to find that the moon was particularly bright tonight, and there was a swaying figure resembling Chang 'e. Hou Yi ordered people to put a table of incense and put on Chang 'e's favorite honey and fresh fruit to sacrifice to Chang 'e at the Moon Palace. After hearing the news that the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon became an immortal, people put an incense table under the moon and prayed for good luck and peace to the kind Chang 'e. Since then, the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival in Yue Bai has spread among the people.

◆ Legend of Lantern Festival

Lv Hou's son Liu Ying became Emperor Hui of Han Dynasty after the death of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang. Hui Di was born weak and indecisive, and power gradually fell into the hands of Lv Hou. After the death of Emperor Hui of Han Dynasty, he monopolized the state affairs and turned Liu's world into Lu's. Liu's imperial clan, a North Korean veteran, was deeply indignant, but they were afraid of cruelty and dared not speak out.

After Lv Hou's death, Zhu Lu has been in a state of anxiety, afraid of being hurt and excluded. So the general's family secretly assembled a rebellion in order to completely seize Liu's country. This incident reached the ears of Liu Nang, the king of Qi in the Liu clan. In order to protect Liu Jiangshan, Liu Nang decided to fight against Zhu Lv. Later, he got in touch with the founding elder Zhou Bo and Chen Ping, designed and lifted the "Zhu Lv Rebellion" in Lv Lu, and was finally completely put down. After the rebellion, the ministers made Liu Heng, the second son of Liu Bang, the Chinese Emperor. Deeply impressed by the hard-won peace and prosperity, Emperor Wen designated the 15th day of the first month of the first month, when the "Zhu-Lu Rebellion" was put down, as a day to have fun with the people, and every household in Beijing celebrated with lanterns and colorful decorations. Since then, the fifteenth day of the first month has become a folk festival celebrated all over the world-the Lantern Festival.