What are the traditional Chinese holidays, and does the Chinese New Year's Day count?

Chinese New Year's Day Of course it is

◆Legend of New Year's Day Spring Festival - the first to the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar

Legend: In ancient China, there was a monster called "Nian" with a long, sharp head and ferocious abnormality, "Nian" beasts live under the sea all year round and every New Year's Eve, climb up to the shore to devour livestock and hurt people's lives. to come ashore to devour livestock hurt people, so every New Year's Eve villages and cottages of people help the old and the young to flee to the mountains to avoid the harm of the "year". This year's New Year's Eve folks are busy packing up things to escape to the mountains, when the east end of the village came a white-haired old man, a family of old women said that as long as he let him live in her house for a night, he will be able to "year" beast away. The people did not believe the old woman, or go to the mountains to hide, the good old man insisted on staying, the people see that he could not persuade him to go to the mountains to hide. When the "New Year" beast as in previous years, ready to break into the village to wreak havoc, suddenly came the white-haired old man burst of firecrackers, "New Year" beast trembling no longer dare to come forward. It turns out that the "New Year" beast is most afraid of red fire and explosions. At this time, the door opened wide to see an old man wearing a red robe in the courtyard laughing, "the year" the beast was terrified and fled in fear. The next day when people from the mountains back to the village, found that the village is safe and sound, it suddenly realized that the original white-haired old man is to help us expel the "New Year" beast of the gods, people also found the white-haired old man to expel the "New Year" beast of the three magic treasures. Since then, every year on New Year's Eve, every family is sticking red couplets and burning firecrackers, and every household is brightly lit to keep the year. This custom has become the grandest traditional festival of Chinese folklore, the "New Year".

◆The Legend of Qingming Festival April 5

Duke Chong Er of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period went into exile to escape persecution, and on the way to exile, he was tired and hungry in an uninhabited place and could no longer stand up. Suechen looked for half a day can not find a little to eat, is everyone anxious Suechen meson walked to a secluded place, from their thighs cut off a piece of meat to cook a bowl of broth gradually recovered the spirit, when the heavy ear found that the meat is meson pushes the person's own leg cut off when shed tears.

Nineteen years later, Chong Er became the king of the country, the historical Duke Wen of Jin. After the throne, Duke Wen heavily rewarded the ministers who had accompanied him into exile, but forgot about Jie Zi Tui. Many people were angry with Jie Zi Tui and urged him to face the king to ask for rewards, but Jie Zi Tui despised those who competed for rewards. He packed his bags and quietly went to Mianshan Mountain to live in seclusion.

Duke Wen of Jin heard about this and was so ashamed that he went to ask Jie Zi push in person, but Jie Zi push had already left his home and went to Mianshan Mountain. However, he had already left his home to go to Mianshan Mountain. It is not easy to find someone in Mianshan Mountain, which is very high and dangerous, and there is a plan to burn Mianshan Mountain from three sides to force Jie Zi push out of Mianshan Mountain. The fire burned all over the Mianshan Mountain, but did not see the figure of mesoteric push, after the fire went out people realized that the back of his mother's mesoteric push has been sitting under an old willow tree died. Jin Wendong see this mournful cry. Embalming from the hole in the tree found a book of blood written on: "cut meat to serve the king's heart but hope that the Lord is always clear. To commemorate Jie Zi Tui, Duke Wen of Jin ordered that this day be designated as the Cold Food Festival.

The next year, Duke Wen of Jin led his ministers on a mountain hike to pay tribute to the old willow tree, and found that it had risen from the dead. He gave the old willow tree the name "Qingming Willow" and told the world that the day after the Cold Food Festival should be designated as the Qingming Festival. Li Sao", "Heavenly Direction" and other immortal poems. In 229 B.C., Qin captured eight cities in Chu, and then sent an envoy to ask King Huai of Chu to go to Qin to negotiate peace. Qu Yuan saw through the Qin king's plot and risked his life to go to the palace to explain the advantages and disadvantages, but King Huai of Chu not only refused to listen but expelled Qu Yuan from Ying. King Huai of Chu went to the meeting as scheduled, and was imprisoned as soon as he arrived at Qin. King Huai of Chu died in Qin after three years of remorse and depression. Chu Haixia Wang soon after the throne of Qin sent troops to attack Chu, Haixia King hastily withdrew from the capital Qin soldiers captured Ying. The first time I heard the news of the death of King Huai of Chu and the destruction of Ying City, I was disillusioned and sighed to the sky and threw myself into the Bioluo River, which is a torrent.

The fishermen on the river and the people on the bank heard that the Qu Yuan doctor threw himself into the river have come to the river to salvage the body of the Qu Yuan, have brought the dumplings, eggs into the river, there is this Langzhong also poured into the river in order to drug faint augur water beasts so that the body of the Qu Yuan doctor free from harm. Since then every year at the beginning of May - Qu Yuan martyrdom day, the people of Chu are to the river dragon boat cast zongzi to commemorate the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan, Dragon Boat Festival customs are so passed down.

◆The Legend of Tanabata The seventh day of the seventh month

A long time ago, there was an orphan who lived with his brother and sister-in-law, who was both smart and hardworking, but his sister-in-law still disliked him, and drove him up to the mountains to herd cows before dawn, and everyone called him Cowherd. From then on, Cowherd spent the daytime herding cows and chopping wood, and at night he slept with the old cow in the dilapidated house. One day, Cowherd drove his ox into a strange forest, where the mountains were green and the water was beautiful, and the birds and flowers were fragrant. The cowherd saw nine fairies riding on auspicious clouds landing on the grass by the river, and then took off their colorful neon clothes and jumped into the crystal clear river, and the cowherd stared at one of the youngest and most beautiful fairies. The old ox suddenly spoke: "She is the Weaving Maiden in the sky, as long as you take away the colorful neon dresses, she will be your wife." The cowherd quietly walked along the tree and took away the colorful dress of the Weaving Maiden. At noon, all the other fairies wore their colorful neon dresses and rode away on the auspicious clouds. Only the Weaving Maiden, who could not find her colorful neon dress, stayed behind. At this time, the cowherd from behind the tree out of the request for the weaving maiden to do his wife, the weaving maiden to see the cowherd faithful and honest, hard-working and robust pulse shy nodded. Cowherd and Weaving Maiden were happily married after the man plowed and weaved with mutual respect and love. Two years later, the Weaving Maiden gave birth to a boy and a girl. However, the Emperor was furious when he heard that the Weaving Maiden had married on earth. On the seventh day of the seventh month, the Queen Mother was ordered to bring the heavenly soldiers to catch the Weaving Maiden, and the grief-stricken Cowherd, with the help of the old ox, chased her children up to the sky with the help of a basket of roses. Seeing that they had caught up with the Queen Mother, the Queen Mother plucked down a golden hairpin and scratched the Cowherd's feet, and immediately there appeared a raging river in the sky. The weaving maiden and picking children of the cowherd a in the east of the river a in the west of the river, sobbing and crying moved the magpies all of a sudden countless magpies flew to the heavenly river to build a magpie bridge the cowherd and the weaving maiden can finally in the magpie bridge, the queen mother had no choice but to allow the cowherd and the weaving maiden the seventh day of the seventh month of July every year, in the bridge to meet once.

◆The Legend of Chung Yeung Festival The ninth day of the ninth month

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a plague in the River Ru, and as long as it appeared, there were people who were sick and died every day, and the people in the area suffered from the ravages of the plague. A plague took away Hengjing's parents, and he himself was almost killed. After he recovered from the disease, Hengjing left his wife and relatives and resolved to visit the immortals to learn the art of ridding the people of the plague. Hengjing traveled to all the famous mountains and finally found out that there was an immortal on one of the oldest mountains in the east who had infinite power. Under the guidance of a crane, the immortal finally took Hengjing in and taught him the art of demon-slaying sword and gave him a demon-slaying sword. Hengjing was sleepless and practiced hard, and finally developed his martial arts skills. This day, the fairy chief called Hengjing to the front and said: "Tomorrow, on the ninth day of the ninth month, the plague demon will come out to do evil again, you have learned your skill and should go back to do harm to the people." The fairy chief gave Hengjing a bag of cornelian cherry leaves and a cup of chrysanthemum porcupine wine, and secretly taught the usage of evil spirits, so that Hengjing rode the crane and rushed back to his hometown. Hengjing returned to his hometown in the morning of the 9th day of the 100th lunar month, he followed the fairy chief's instructions to lead the townspeople to a nearby mountain and then gave each person a piece of cornelian cherry leaves and a cup of chrysanthemum wine. At noon with a few strange screams plague demon rushed out of the Ru River plague demon just swooped down to the mountain suddenly blew a burst of cornelian cherry odd fragrance and chrysanthemum wine gas. The plague demon stopped abruptly face suddenly changed Heng Jing holding a demon sword chased down the mountain to a few in the combination of the temperature of the demon stabbed to death under the sword from the first nine days of September to climb high to avoid the epidemic of the custom year after year to pass down.

◆The Legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival August 15

Legend has it that in the ancient times, ten suns appeared in the sky, which made the earth smoke and the sea water dry up, and the people could not live any longer. This incident alarmed a hero called Hou Yi, he climbed to the top of the Kunlun Mountains to use all the divine power to pull open the bow and shot down nine extra suns, to save the people in the fire. Soon Hou Yi married a beautiful wife named Chang'e. One day Hou Yi went to the Kunlun Mountains to visit his friends. One day Hou Yi went to the Kunlun Mountains to visit friends and seek Taoism coincidentally met this through the Queen Mother, then to the Queen Mother to ask for a packet of immortality pills, it is believed that under the drug can instantly ascend to heaven and become immortal, however, Hou Yi could not leave his wife had to be immortality pills given to Chang'e treasured. Unexpectedly, this matter was Houyi's client Peng Meng saw, Peng Meng and Houyi went out and then forced Chang'e to hand over the immortality drug, Chang'e knew that it was not Peng Meng's rival, and at the time of the crisis, she took out the immortality drug and swallowed it in a single gulp. After swallowing the medicine, Chang'e's body immediately flew away from the ground and headed for the sky. Since Chang'e was worried about her husband, she flew down to the moon, the closest place to the earth, and became an immortal. When Hou Yi came back, her maids cried and complained about everything. After the grief after the foreign look up at the night sky calling his wife's name, then she was surprised to find that tonight the moon is especially full especially bright and bright, and there is a swaying figure like Chang'e. Hou Yi busy ordering people to set up incense put Chang E's favorite honey food fresh fruit remote sacrifice in the moon palace Chang E. After the people heard the news of Chang'e's journey to the moon to become immortal, they set up incense under the moon to pray to the kind Chang'e for good luck and peace. From then on, the custom of worshipping the moon on the Mid-Autumn Festival spread among the people.

◆The Legend of Lantern Festival The 15th day of the first lunar month

Liu Ying, the son of Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, ascended to the throne as Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty after the death of Liu Bang. Emperor Hui was weak and indecisive, and the power gradually fell into the hands of Empress Lu.

After the death of Empress Lu, all of them were afraid of being harmed and ostracized. So they secretly gathered at the home of General Lu Lu Lu*** to plan for the rebellion in order to completely seize Liu's kingdom. This matter spread to Liu's royal family, King of Qi, Liu Sang, in order to protect Liu's kingdom, Liu Sang decided to start a military crusade against Zhu Lu, and then contacted with the founding minister, Zhou Bo, Chen Ping, and designed to disarm Lu Lu, and the "Zhu Lu's Rebellion" was finally put to rest completely. After the rebellion, the ministers of the state crowned Liu Heng, the second son of Liu Bang, as Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. Deeply impressed by the hard-won peace and prosperity, Emperor Wen set the 15th day of the first lunar month, the day when the "Rebellion of the Lüs" was quelled, as a day of happiness with the people, and every house in the capital was decorated with lanterns and colors to celebrate. From then on, the fifteenth day of the first month became a folk festival celebrated by all the people, the "Lantern Festival".

◆The Origin and Legend of Winter Solstice December 22, 2007

The Winter Solstice is commonly known as the "Winter Festival", "Long Solstice Festival", "Yayu"

The Winter Solstice is the most popular festival in China. p>

The winter solstice festival originated in the Han Dynasty, flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties, and is still practiced today. Qingjiazhu" and even "winter solstice is as big as the year" said. This shows that the ancients attached great importance to the winter solstice. People believe that the winter solstice is the natural transformation of yin and yang, is a blessing from heaven. The Han Dynasty to the winter solstice for the "Winter Festival", the government should be held to congratulate the ceremony known as "He winter", routine vacation. The Book of the Later Han Dynasty has this record: "Before and after the winter solstice, the gentleman is in peace and quiet, all the officials are not listening to the government, choose the auspicious moment and then save the matter." So this day, the court up and down to take a vacation, the army on standby, the border closed, business, friends and family with food gifts, visit each other, happy to have a "quiet body" holiday.

Tang, Song period, the winter solstice is the day of sacrifice to the ancestors, the emperor on this day to the outskirts of the ceremony held in heaven, the people on this day to the parents of the elders of worship, and now there are still some places in the winter solstice this day to celebrate the festival.

One of the legends of the winter solstice

In the past, the old Beijing had "winter solstice wontons summer solstice noodles". According to legend, during the Han Dynasty, the Huns in the north often harassed the border, and the people had no peace. At that time, there were two leaders of the Hun tribe, the Huns and the Tuns, who were very cruel. The people hated them so much that they wrapped them into horns with meat and took the sound of "Hun" and "Tun" and called them "Hundun". Hate to eat, and seek to quell the war, can live in peace. Because the first made of wontons is in the winter solstice this day, in the winter solstice this day every family to eat wontons.

Eating "pinch frozen ears" is the winter solstice in Henan people eat dumplings commonly known. The reason for this custom? According to legend, the Nanyang medical saint Zhang Zhongjing was an official in Changsha, he returned home when the appropriate is a snowy winter, cold winds. He saw the villagers on both sides of the White River in Nanyang clothes, there are a lot of people's ears were frozen rotten, the heart is very sad, and asked his disciples in Nanyang Guandong set up a medical hut, with mutton, chili peppers and some cold-expelling medicinal herbs placed in a pot to cook, fish out and chopped up, wrapped in dough to look like an ear, and then put down in the pot to cook and make a kind of medicine called "Cold-expelling Ear Soup and then put down the pot to cook, making a kind of medicine called "Cold Driving Ear Correction Soup" to give to the people to eat. After serving, the folks' ears were cured. Later, every winter solstice people will imitate to do to eat, so the formation of "pinch frozen ears" this custom. Later, people called it "dumplings", and some called it "flat food" and "hot noodle dumplings", and people also have legends of eating winter solstice dumplings do not freeze.

Winter Solstice Legend No. 2

The custom of eating dog meat on the winter solstice is said to have begun in the Han Dynasty. According to legend, Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, ate dog meat cooked by Fan Kuai on the winter solstice and found the flavor particularly delicious and praised it. Since then, the custom of eating dog meat on the winter solstice has been formed in folklore. Nowadays, people have to eat dog meat, mutton and all kinds of nourishing food on the winter solstice, in order to have a good omen in the coming year.

The winter solstice legend of the third

In the water towns of Jiangnan, there is the winter solstice night the whole family gathered **** eat red beans and glutinous rice custom. According to legend, there is a person called **** Gong's, his son is not talented, evil, died on the winter solstice this day, after death into an epidemic ghost, continue to brutalize the people. However, this epidemic ghost is afraid of adzuki beans, so people cook and eat adzuki beans rice on the day of the winter solstice to drive away the epidemic ghosts, prevent disasters and get rid of diseases.

◆Nakazu Festival on the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar

On the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, it is commonly known as "Dragon's Head Raising". At this time around the hibernation, spring returns to the earth, everything recovers, insects, snakes and beasts hibernating in the mud or caves will wake up from hibernation, and the legendary dragon also wakes up from its slumber, so it is called the Dragon Carries Head. In ancient times, the dragon was a sacred symbol, so the dragon to expel pests. In the Ming Dynasty, it was popular to smoke insects, and on February 2, people would fry the remaining cakes from the New Year's Day sacrifice in oil to smoke the beds and kangs, which was called smoking insects. In the countryside, the people with grass ash winding around the house in a circle, and then into the yard around the water tank in a circle, in the lead back to the dragon. Interestingly, the food and drink on this day are also named after dragons. Eat dumplings called eat dragon ear, eat spring cake in eat dragon scales, eat noodles called eat dragon beard, now the "dragon beard noodles" is probably the name. Children shave their heads and cut their hair on this day, called "shaving the dragon's head". Women do not move the needle and thread on this day, it is said to avoid hurting the dragon's eye. There are also candles to light the walls of the house, "February 2, light the beams, scorpions and centipedes have no place to hide," the words. However, this festival has been forgotten, but the custom of eating spring cakes still exists today.

◆Midwinter Festival

On the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. It is the birthday of the legendary earth official, so it is also called "Ghost Festival". Buddhists on this day to set up the "Bon", fasting for monks, held chanting and Buddhist rituals, as well as water and land dojo, river lanterns and other religious activities. In China, the Bon Festival was first organized around the time of Emperor Wu of Liang (in the first half of the sixth century). Nowadays, it is rare to have "Bon" in folklore, but the custom of releasing river lanterns is still passed down in some areas.

◆La Ba, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month

The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is commonly called La Ba. Earlier, it was said that this day was the day when Sakyamuni became a Taoist priest, and monasteries had to cook congee for the Buddha, which later became a folk custom to show that the grains were plentiful.

There is a popular song; "Every year there is a family busy, twenty-three days to sacrifice the king of the stove. In the middle of the table set up a table offering, with two plates of sugar on both sides. A bowl of water with black beans and hay, and an incense burning in the stove. The head of the family comes over and wishes the Zao Wang good luck". It reflects the scene of Zaos worship in the past. This day is especially lively, some people even think that this is the "colorful rehearsal" of the Lunar New Year, so it is also known as the New Year's Eve. Now, although there is no more sacrificial stove, but every year before and after the 23rd of Lunar New Year to sell the Guandong sugar, is still a favorite traditional food.

◆ Chinese New Year's Day, the first day of the month

According to legend, one of the three emperors Zhuan Xu, more than 3,000 years ago. The word "New Year's Day" first appeared in the poem "The Book of Jin": "Zhuan Di took the first month of Meng Xia as the first month of the year, which was actually the spring of the first month of the year". During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Xiao Ziyun's poem "Jieya" also recorded "New Year's Day for the Four Seasons, and the First Spring Day for All Life".

Spring Dragon Festival (龙抬头) -- The dragon saves spring (the dragon raises head) ---- February 2nd

Cold Food Festival -- The cold food day is saved the day before Qingming Festival

Qingming Festival -- Qingming Festival April 5th

Risen Festival -- Magical birthday of road

Lixia Festival -- Beginning of Summer is saved One of the twenty-four solar terms. The Dragon Boat Festival -- The Dragon Boat Festival May 5

Tian Kuang Festival -- The day present saves June 6

Translates after festival -- translates after festival June 6

Auntie's Day -- the father's sister festival June 6

Auntie's Festival -- the father's sister festival -- the father's sister festival June 6

Torch Festival -- Torch Festival June 24

Seventh night of the seventh moon July 7

Obon Festival -- The jar orchid basin saves July 15

The day present saves basin saves July 15

Mid-Yuan Festival -- is hit by yuan of festival July 15

Ghost Festival -- spirit festival July 15

Dizang Festival -- The field hides festival July 30

Mid-Autumn Festival -- The Mid-autumn Festival August 15

Chongyang Festival -- Double Nineth Festival September 9

Ancestor Sacrifice -- Offer a sacrifice to ancestors section October 1

Winter Festival -- Winter is saved one of the 24 festivals. is saved One of the twenty-four solar terms. Winter Solstice

Broad season -- Broad season December 20

Laiba Festival -- The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is saved -- the eighth day of the twelfth month

Small year -- Festival that falls on the 23rd or 24th of the twelfth month of the lunar year Lunar New Year's Eve -- New Year's Eve December 30th, Lunar New Year's Day

Hui festival -- The Hui nationality festival