Introduction to the origin of setting off firecrackers during the Spring Festival

Introduction to the origin of setting off firecrackers during the Spring Festival

During the Spring Festival, every household will set off firecrackers. Do you know the origin of setting off firecrackers in the Spring Festival? The following is the origin of setting off firecrackers during the Spring Festival. Welcome to read!

The origin of setting off firecrackers during the Spring Festival

Legend has it that a long time ago, there was a very fierce beast called Nian in the forest. Every year on New Year's Eve of the twelfth lunar month, it comes out and makes a hullabaloo about, eating people and livestock. No one could subdue it at that time. In order to avoid the disaster of "Nian", people should kill pigs and sheep to worship Nian on New Year's Eve, so as to make it complete, so as not to hurt people and animals.

On New Year's Eve in December of the lunar calendar, people forget to kill pigs and sheep to commemorate the New Year. Over the years, they shouted to eat people. People had no choice but to close the gate and climb to the bamboo building to hide. Walking from house to house, wandering around looking for something to eat. When he saw nothing in the empty place, he couldn't help howling angrily. At this time, a nearby bamboo building caught fire, and the fire was so strong that the bamboo crackled. I heard a sudden sound and fled back to the forest in fear.

The people hiding upstairs discovered the secret. On New Year's Eve of the twelfth lunar month, they cut a lot of bamboo to burn. Nian was scared away when the bamboo crackled. At the same time, people also found that Nian was bright red, so they dyed red boards and hung them on both sides of the gate. This is an endorsement. After the invention of firecrackers and paper, firecrackers replaced firecrackers and red couplets replaced symbols.

The history of setting off firecrackers during the Spring Festival

Wang Laihua, a professor at Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences, said that firecrackers, like Fu Tao and Spring Festival couplets, were originally used to drive away evil spirits and ghosts. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it was a custom to set off firecrackers during the New Year. This custom is recorded in the Chronicle of Jingchu: "The first day of the first month is the day of three yuan. It is said that at the end of the month, chickens crow and firecrackers are burned in front of the court to eliminate mountain evils. " This is also the origin of people setting off firecrackers during the Spring Festival. It can be seen that the original meaning of the word "firecrackers" is to burn bamboo and explode.

After the invention of gunpowder, people no longer burned bamboo, but filled it with saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal. Burning in a bamboo tube, causing "explosion". However, until today, people still use the word "firecrackers".

In the Song Dynasty, people used paper tubes instead of bamboo tubes, loaded with gunpowder and made new firecrackers. To this day, we still use this method, but we have improved the technology and renovated the pattern. In the Song Dynasty, some people used hemp poles to weave paper firecrackers into strings, which was called "weaving guns". Because the string of firecrackers lasts for a long time and is as crisp as the sound of a person throwing a whip, it is called "firecrackers".

The implication of setting off firecrackers in the new year.

Setting off firecrackers in the Spring Festival has a history of more than 2,000 years in China. The earliest firecrackers were firecrackers, that is, burning bamboo exploded. Setting off firecrackers in the New Year comes from legend. Legend has it that a long time ago, there was a beast called Nian, which was very fierce and would come out to harm the people before New Year's Eve. Later, it was found that the animals in 2000 would burn bamboo knots at home (or stick red objects outside the house) and be scared away. Since then, every year on New Year's Eve, every family has posted red couplets and set off firecrackers. It has become the most solemn traditional festival for every household to light candles and wait for the arrival of the New Year. With the invention of gunpowder, gunpowder firecrackers replaced bamboo firecrackers in the past, so many people used to set off firecrackers during the New Year.

Setting off firecrackers is said to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new year, which means a beautiful yearning for the new year.

Introduction of Spring Festival custom

First, the northern Spring Festival customs

1, shou sui.

Northerners have the custom of keeping the old age, that is, the family stays up until the new year, and then the family has a New Year's Eve dinner, which means to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year.

2. Sweep the old.

When the Spring Festival comes, every household cleans up and cleans up the house inside and outside, which means welcoming the Spring Festival and sweeping away bad luck.

3. Paste the New Year pictures.

Northerners like to paste New Year pictures during the Spring Festival, which adds a lot of festive atmosphere to the Spring Festival.

5. Post Spring Festival couplets.

In the north, during the Spring Festival, every household will stick auspicious Spring Festival couplets on both sides of the home, bringing a festive atmosphere to the festival.

6. Sacrifice.

During the Spring Festival, people will prepare tributes to express their memory of their deceased relatives and hope that they will bless their families in the new year.

7. Happy New Year.

Northerners have the custom that the younger generation pays New Year greetings to their elders. On the morning of New Year's Day, young people go to their elders in droves to pay New Year's greetings.

Second, the southern Spring Festival customs

1, dust removal

Generally speaking, since the 25th day of the lunar calendar, every household has started a general cleaning inside and outside the house. Every household should do a great job, take on a new look inside and outside, greet the New Year with the latest look, and the New Year will have a new atmosphere.

Step 2 supply oranges

In the south, especially in Hainan, Guangdong, during the Spring Festival, people put oranges at home, which is called "offering oranges" because "oranges" are homophonic with "auspiciousness". So every household will buy pots of oranges or bundles of oranges. There are usually pots of oranges in the living room, and some people will stick the word "Ji" in red paper and black on the pots.

3. ancestor worship

In many areas in the south, before eating New Year's Eve, ancestors should be worshipped first. People will go to the ancestral temple to worship their ancestors first, or at home, light lamps, burn incense and put on rich dishes. Parents who are in charge of the family will take the lead in kneeling down and burning incense to worship their ancestors. We sincerely invite our ancestors to come and enjoy it, and wish the whole family peace and prosperity. Some places will burn gold foil paper money for ancestors. After that, we lit the firecrackers we had already prepared and began to eat New Year's Eve.

4, lion dance

During the Spring Festival, lion dancing is also one of the ways people celebrate. Southern lion is popular in Guangdong, so it is also called Guangdong lion. Guangdong lions are performed by one person dancing the lion's head, one person dancing the lion's tail, and one or two people wearing big-headed Buddha masks to lead lions, dance lions and perform solo dances. Lion dancers wear colorful knickerbockers and Tang lantern sleeves or tight vests.

5. On New Year's Eve, the farmer's water tank should be filled with water and the rice tank should be filled with rice.

In Hainan and Chaoshan areas, farmers' tanks should be filled with water, rice tanks should be filled with rice, and the lights should not be turned off to symbolize the good omen of "more than one year old" and "more than one year old".

6. Post Spring Festival couplets

On New Year's Eve, every household takes out the Spring Festival couplets that they have bought for a long time or are interested in, brings their own paper and ink, writes down their own or selected couplets on the spot, and posts them when the ink is dry. The content of Spring Festival couplets is often based on making a fortune and auspicious celebrations. In addition, people will put up all kinds of New Year pictures, and their homes will be decorated with these Spring Festival couplets and New Year pictures. Of course, magic is an indispensable treasure for rural people, which has the meaning of exorcising evil spirits, restraining evil spirits and ensuring peace. The goalkeepers who are often invited are generally Qin, Li, Li.

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