Ancient and Modern Customs, Proverbs and Legends

The Dragon Raises its Head on February 2

Folklore has it that on the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, the Dragon King, who is in charge of clouds and rain in the sky, raises his head; from then on, the rain will gradually increase. Therefore, this day is called "Spring Dragon Festival". In the north of China, there is a widely spread folk proverb: "February 2, the dragon raises its head; the big barn is full, the small barn flows." The folk proverb.

The second day of the second month of the lunar calendar is a "festival" that has been passed down in the old capital. Not only in the capital, but also in all of China and the world's Chinese people still retain this "talk".

Folklore has it that the dragon opens its eyes on the first day of February, the dragon raises its head on the second day of February, and the dragon sweats on the third day of February. Since the year before and after, "spring hit six nine head" at the time, the old streets and old neighborhoods meet on a quasi recite the "February 2" this day, recite the "February 2" this day mouth of the speakers, The "February 2nd" day mouth talk, rituals and orders. The winter three months of the "commission winter child", really let the stifled in the hut of the young and old heart panic, itchy.

Said, sleeping in the mud of the dragon are idle, can not sleep, that people still waiting for what? Then don't be bored in the house chatting about gossip, go outside the house to get some air! As the thunder of "hibernation" rattled the windowpapers of the eight chairs and eight chairs, they began to tell the younger generation what the dragon looked like, how it opened its eyes, and how it raised its head The dragon's eyes open, the dragon's head up, the dragon's sweat, the dragon's turn over!

At this juncture, the women in charge of the family, grabbed the first day of February in the head of the children, young and old for the family took off a head of winter clothing busy. According to the old rituals, the first to the third can not do work, can not use scissors and needle and thread. Kind women, especially the old lady, the first few days, the whole family up and down the people must not move the knife and cut things, and even behind the back of the family's old and young, the taboo things a bunch of children put away. Sensei you have how urgent and how annoying, how important, from that old lady's mouth is certainly not set out where things are shelved, forced, the old lady annoyed, will be regardless of the Yangzi a scolding: "move the family why, you are not afraid of blinding the eyes of the dragon? Scratch the dragon skin?" And then forced, her old man will bet: "I which, are hidden in the rat hole, you look for it!" Do you have any idea what to do? The rat can talk?

Cotton pants into pants, cotton jacket into jacket, it is really difficult for the family to the main thing of the women, a family of seven or eight people, just after the New Year under the, have not slowed down, and then busy rushing to the first of February in the change of seasons, needless to say, get up early to take the night, lamps and oil is a thing that can not run away!

To be honest, this old woman is very concerned about the February 2nd issue.

It is said that on February 2, when you hit the beams of the house, the scorpions will not go down the wall.

Ancient old capital, the courtyard house should have a few hundred years, the old house, for the warmth of the insects and ants to provide a place, who is not afraid to stay in the house well, the beams fell down something, even if it is a scorpion fell down to pull the tiger (gecko), but also enough to scare you off the soul. Knocking, muttering, knocked awake the living thing on the beam, is to let you move place, do not sleep too much a smart fall down! "February 2, sweep the bottom of the pot, save firewood and fire does not cost rice".

The old capital of the old kang burning wood pot, a winter down, heating cooking fire leaves, firewood and smoky coal, the bottom of the pot will be stained with a very thick black ash, taking advantage of the seasonal time, cleaning a back is not a bad thing, as for the cost of the rice does not cost, that is presumably in order to say that smooth, your family has a large population, the bottom of the pot to sweep the thin, but also how much to eat a little bit can not be less! "The first thing you need to do is to get your hands on some of the most popular products and services in the world, and you'll be able to do it all on your own.

The kang in winter is warmer than the open air, and there are money bugs and tide bugs hiding in the cracks, nooks and crannies, and underneath the quilts in the kang. From time to time, the old men and women would scare the children who did not know any better and who were still young, and they would talk about the worms crawling here and there, in order to scare the children who were not afraid of anything and who dared to play with anything. However, after this February 2, the bugs are active, in case they are stung and bitten, the beginning of the year, how to say what is bad luck. There are two kinds of bugs must be eliminated at this time, that is, in the wall, the bright pillar seam, the bed was broken cotton wool hiding hibernation and bedbugs, do not look at them one is hungry without a look, one is starved into the two layers of skin, do not believe it, but they are alive and have the gas it, in a couple of months, the turtle, the male with the wings to fly, the female ran away quickly. That bedbugs, change the way in the middle of the night to climb to the people suck blood, eat into a soybean grain size bulging small red lanterns. The six-six powder, which has long been discouraged, is their fatal nemesis.

"February 2" this inside the mother on the child, speak child, gift child is really too much, the old people but like to endless, young people also like to enjoy, or how will the dragon in the year of the dragon added that many of the dragon children and grandchildren it!

In fact, the dragon is a spiritual heritage, the people are not just looking for something to say. Besides, eat well in order to talk about the energy, have to say.

The first month of the lunar calendar 23, after eating the last meat soup under the year meat dishes, it should be calculated on February 2 how to live.

In the first month, no matter how many chickens, ducks, fish and meat in your home, save to eat or not, fee to eat or not, to the twenty-third of this day, the nimble children have to "clean up" clean, want to figure out a good luck? Or the heat up can not stay? Anyway, I can't tell. But there is a pile, you have to understand, February 2 is not a few days away, what to eat on that day, year after year, do not have to think about it is clear.

"February 2, the dragon raised its head", both said, we have to add color to the dragon is not, why first say eat, eat well, the body bone hard to take off. You see, the old ladies, the eighteen martial arts are used.

Yuanxiao, is the dragon's eyes; noodles, is the dragon's whiskers; corset burns, is the dragon's tongue; dumplings, is the dragon's ears; pancakes, is the dragon skin; rice, is the dragon's son; steamed bread, is the dragon's egg. The most puzzling thing is to set up a few pairs of chicken claws, rashly said to be dragon claws. Cheerful dishes are: mustard coma fried soybean mouth, mustard resonance is "borrowing money", soybean mouth (not soybean sprouts) on behalf of the "Golden Bean"; the old pickled children's eggs cut oil, called "Fortune rolls in! "; on a plate of tofu, a name called "Toufu"; specially left behind the head of cabbage, the leaves of the whole peeled off and washed, used to put the table dishes, rice wrapped up to eat, which is called "Bao Cai". Eat "Baozai" never say loose, hold hard to eat a good story.

Customs

Whenever the Spring Dragon Festival, most of northern China in the morning, families with lanterns to the well or the river to pick water, back to the house will light, burn incense, offerings, haircut (there are customary first month of the haircut dead uncle). In the old days, people called this ceremony "cited Tianlong". On this day, every family will also eat noodles, fried cakes, popcorn, than as "picking the dragon head", "eat gentian", "golden bean blossom, the Dragon King ascends to the sky, Xingyunbu rain, the five grains of abundance! "to show auspicious celebrations.

Related Records

This custom has been seen in the Ming Dynasty. Shen Bang "Wan Department Miscellany" records: "Wan people call February 2 for the dragon head. The townspeople from outside the door of the ash euphemistically cloth into the house kitchen, spinning around the water tank, called for attracting the dragon back." Ming Yu Yizheng, Liu Dong, "Imperial Beijing Scenery" Volume II, spring field records: "February 2, the dragon carries the head, pan-fried New Year's Day Festival Yu cake, smoked bed bed, said smoked bugs, said to attract the dragon, the bugs do not come out also." Dragon in the minds of the Chinese people have an extremely high status, the ancient belief that the dragon is a symbol of the son of heaven, is auspicious, but also the master of the wind and rain. Therefore, the proverb "February 2, the dragon raises its head" indicates the arrival of spring and the revival of all things. The stinging dragon began to move, signaling the start of the year's agricultural activities.

Legendary Stories

Story 1

The proverb "February 2, the dragon raises its head" says that in ancient times, when Guanzhong was in a long drought and no rain fell, the Jade Emperor ordered the little dragon in the East China Sea to go and sow rain. Little dragon playful, head into the river no longer come out. There was a young man who went to the cliff to pick up the "Dragon Bucking Water" and stirred up the river. The little dragon revealed its head from the river and competed with the young man, and the little dragon was defeated and had to broadcast rain. In fact, the so-called "dragon's head" refers to the hibernation, the insects began to wake up. Therefore, as the saying goes, "On February 2, the dragon raises its head, and scorpions and centipedes show their heads."

Story 2

"On February 2, the dragon raised its head, and spring rain fell everywhere. The thunderbolt startled the world, how could I know that the Dragon King had sorrow in his heart." In this earthy nursery rhyme, there is a touching story.

A long, long time ago, the Dragon King of the East China Sea gave birth to three dragon sons, but lacked a dragon daughter. The king thought that it would be great if he had another princess and two sons and daughters! When the Queen Mother knew about this, she gave the Dragon Mother an elixir, and soon the Dragon Mother became pregnant. On the second day of the second month of the following year, the dragon mother did give birth to a white, chubby daughter.

The little princess grew up day by day, tired of her life in the Dragon Palace, and longed to go to earth to find true happiness. The mother of the dragon knew her daughter's heart, and she advised the princess, "My child, the dragon palace is carefree and has everything it wants, so why go to earth?" The dragon lady said, "The dragon children and grandchildren only know how to eat, drink and have fun, I must go to the earth and look for a life with real fun." The Dragon Mother saw that her daughter was determined. She quietly sent her out of the Dragon Palace and gave her a pouch.

The dragon maiden reluctantly bid farewell to her mother, flew over ninety-nine rivers, crossed ninety-nine mountains, and came to a big mountain, the princess looked around, only to see that the land near and far were dry and cracked their mouths, and the crops were hanging their heads low, and the sun was scorching hot and baking the earth, and not far from there, a young man labored strenuously in a field, and the princess went over, and asked, "In such a dry day , will you get any harvest from your farming?" The farmer smiled bitterly and said, "What can I do? My old mother at home still relies on me to feed her!" The dragon lady sympathized with him and took out a few red beans from her pouch and sprinkled them into the ground. In a while, a thick fog rose in the field, and the parched seedlings turned green. The farmer hurriedly bowed to her and said, "Fairy Goddess, there is a great drought for hundreds of miles around here, please save the poor people." The dragon lady was very touched, she thought, "He is really a good man, thinking of others. He is really my soulmate! So she grabbed a handful of red beans from her pouch and threw them up into the sky, and suddenly the electricity flashed and thunder roared, and a heavy rain fell soundly. After the rain cleared, the mountains were green, the crops were green, and people had a smile on their faces. The young man thanked the girl gratefully, the princess's face flew up red clouds, said: "Do not thank me, just pray for a hundred years of good relations between us." The young man heard this, and sweetly led the girl home.

Again, the princess left the Dragon Palace to run away from the matter was known to the Dragon King, the Dragon King is very annoyed, but also does not allow the dragon mother to go to see their daughters. The mother of the dragon misses her daughter every day, and every year on the second day of the second lunar month, she floats out of the sea and lifts her head in the direction of her daughter's departure and cries bitterly. Her cries turned into thunder and her tears into spring rain.

Story 3

There is another way of saying "February 2" is called the Spring Dragon Festival. Xu Shen's Shuo Wen Jie Zi (Explaining Characters in Chinese) recorded: "The dragon, the longest among the scales, can be dark and bright, fine and huge, long and short, ascends to the sky at the spring equinox, and dives into the abyss at the fall equinox." This is probably the earliest record of the custom of "Spring Dragon Festival".

Legend has it that when Wu Zetian became emperor, the Jade Emperor ordered that no rain should fall on earth for three years. But the Jade Dragon in charge of the Heavenly River could not bear to see the people suffer and starve, and secretly sent down a heavy rain, and when the Jade Emperor learned of this, the Jade Dragon in charge of the Heavenly River was knocked down from the Heavenly Palace, and pressed under a big mountain. A monument was erected under the mountain, which reads: The Dragon King violated the rules of heaven by sending down rain, and should be subjected to a thousand sins on earth. If you want to climb back up to the Spirit Pavilion, you have to do it when the golden beans are in bloom.

People searched everywhere for the blossoming golden beans in order to save the Dragon King. To the second day of the second month of the next year, people are turning golden corn seeds, suddenly remembered, this corn is like the golden beans, fried flowers, is not the golden beans blossom? So every family popcorn, and set up in the yard burning incense, for the "blossom of the golden beans", specifically for the Dragon King and the Jade Emperor to see. The dragon king knew that this is the people in the rescue it, shouted to the Jade Emperor: "Golden beans bloom, let me out!" The Jade Emperor took a look at the golden bean blossoms opening in every yard on earth, so he had to pass an order and edict the Dragon King to return to the Heavenly Court and continue to give rain to the earth by raising clouds and spreading rain.

Since then, the folk formed a habit, every February 2 this day, people will pop corn flowers, there are also fried beans. Adults and children also read: "February 2, the dragon carries the head, big warehouse full, small warehouse flow." Some places in the yard with the stove ash sprinkled into a large circle, the grains and cereals in the center, called "playing hoard" or "fill warehouse". The intention is to wish a year of grain abundance, warehouse hoard full. Festivals, the name of the food is also commonly added to the title of the "dragon". Eat dumplings called to eat "dragon ear"; eat spring cakes called to eat "dragon scale"; eat noodles called to eat "dragon beard"; eat rice called to eat "dragon child "

This is the first time I've ever seen a Chinese woman eat a Chinese food dish, and I've never seen one.

This day, there are many customs, before getting up, read "February 2, the dragon raised his head, the dragon does not raise my head." After getting up, but also hit the lantern to shine beams, while shining while reading: "February 2, shine beams, scorpions and centipedes nowhere to hide." In some places, women do not move the needle and thread for fear of hurting the eyes of the dragon; in some places, they stop washing clothes for fear of hurting the skin of the dragon, and so on.

From a scientific point of view, the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar is in the "hibernation" before and after the earth began to thaw, the weather is gradually warming up, the farmers said goodbye to idle farming, began to work on the ground. Therefore, in ancient times, the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar was also known as the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar. Therefore, the Spring Dragon Festival, which is prevalent in Chinese folklore, was also called the "Spring Plowing Festival" in ancient times. It is said that if you are not awake on this day, the rumbling of thunder will come to call you.

Folk activities

1, pick up the "aunt"

February 2 this day there is an important activity is to pick up the "aunt", that is, the mother's family to pick up married daughters, there are "The old Beijingers had a lot of rituals. Because the old Beijing people's etiquette, which in the first month of the "aunt" is not allowed to live in the mother's family, the second to the mother's family to pay tribute to the New Year, but also must be rushed back to the in-laws on the same day, especially newlyweds soon "aunt". But on the second day of February, the mother's family to pick up their daughters to go back, live for a few days or half a month, one is the first month of the busy work for a long time, more tired, to take back to the mother's home to take a good rest; two is the beginning of the new year, and to be busy, so to treat her. Usually, spring cakes, or pancakes, were used as a treat. In the days after they were brought back, the "aunties" would not only eat and drink, but also chat with each other, which was very relaxing and enjoyable.

2, the emperor plowed the field

February 2 this day another activity is the emperor plowed the field. Because every year on February 2 this day is almost in the hibernation before and after, "hibernation a plow soil, equinox gas through." Since then the north has come to the spring plowing busy time. In order to mobilize people to put into spring production, do not miss the farm, February 2 this day, the emperor should symbolically rate of officials out of the palace to his "one acre and three quarters of land" plowing loosening the soil. Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty emperors every year on February 2, have to plow the soil in the first farmland, from the Qing Dynasty Emperor Yongzheng began, every year on February 2 this day changed to out of the Yuanmingyuan, to the "mu garden" (now the west side of the Yuanmingyuan in Haidian) help plow plow plow field. In the past, there was a painting, called "the emperor plowing map", the painting is a crown, wearing a dragon robe of the emperor is hand-held plow plow handle plowing, followed by a minister, a hand-held bamboo basket, one hand in the seed, the cattle is wearing a robe of the seventh-grade magistrate, the far end of the basket to send the empress and the courtesan. The painting is also inscribed with a limerick: "February 2, the dragon raises its head, the Son of Heaven plows the land and the minister drives the ox, the Empress of the Palace sends the meal in old age, the minister of the dynasty throws the seed, plows the land in spring and plows in summer at the rate of the whole world, and the five grains are plentiful and peaceful in autumn." This painting also shows that people hope to have an enlightened emperor who can personally plough the land in spring and work in summer, so that the people will have plenty of food and clothing.

3, folklore dragon head

"February 2, dragon head, the dragon does not raise the head of the people." This old saying sets the tone for people's uplift. The dragon is a divine creature imagined by the people, the master of harmony and rain, "the dragon does not raise its head without rain", "dragon raised its head" is synonymous with rain. During this time, the average temperature in most areas, a steady rise to zero degrees Celsius above, due to the warming of the weather, due to convection and the formation of cumulus clouds gradually increased, precipitation naturally turned significantly more.

"February 2" is a day related to astronomy, climate, agriculture, health and so on, pay special attention to more. Since you want the dragon to carry the head, you have to try to draw the dragon out. Since the Ming Dynasty, there are scattered ash to attract the dragon, Shen Bang's "Wan Department of miscellaneous poems" wrote: "Wan people call February 2 for the dragon to carry the head. Villagers from outside the door of the ash euphemistically cloth into the kitchen, spinning around the tank, called for the dragon back." Every February 2, each family from the door to the house, and then to the kitchen around the water tank in a circle sprinkled with lime, this day is not allowed to sweep the floor, do needlework, said to be afraid of hurting the dragon. Sprinkle lime powder another layer of meaning is not to let the revival of insects in the house breeding. For this reason, we should use open fire to shine all over the walls, beams, nooks and crannies, "February 2 light beams, scorpions and centipedes have no place to hide". Some grandmothers say the "Rhyme of Knocking on the Bed" while holding a broom and knocking on the bed: "Knock, knock, knock on the bed, gold and silver will flow to the home, knock, knock, knock on the edge of the bed, scorpions and centipedes won't see each other!" In the countryside, on this morning, the croppers will draw five big circles in the yard with the ashes of the stove, and put the grains and cereals in the center, which is called "playing the hoard", wishing for good weather, abundant grains, and a full hoard in the barn that year. How to say "February 2, dragon head, big warehouse full, small warehouse flow" it.

In the north, the second day of February, has been the spring thaw, the formation of geese flying north, plowing cattle all over the ground, is about to be a good time for seeding. According to "Ancient and Modern Beijing": the Qing Dynasty customized, every year ZhongHai day, the emperor to the first agricultural altar to sacrifice to the gods of agriculture. After the salute, but also from the plough plowing to make the appearance, even if the Jade Emperor pro-plowing, and then, sitting on the viewing platform to watch the "people end mu". The emperor at this time to sacrifice to the gods of agriculture, the original intention is to call on the people to spring plowing, and then after some people's deification, become the February 2nd dragon heads up the beautiful legend.

There has always been a folk "haircut to the old", February 2 to get a haircut, is said to be able to bring a year of good luck. On this day, the hairdressing place, will be very busy, all because people have not had a haircut for more than a month. All the barbers, rested for a whole month, rushed to February 2 this day, open the door early, do not have to meet the guests, the guests naturally flocked to, "February 2, the dragon carries the head, children and adults to shave their heads."

All the food on February 2 is related to the dragon, the rice is called dragon, noodles are called dragon beard, dumplings are called dragon teeth, wontons are called dragon eyes, spring pancakes are called dragon scales, and meat roll buns are called lazy dragons. Soy sauce meat must be eaten. It is a traditional Han Chinese custom to eat pig's head meat on February 2nd. In the past, people usually kill pigs and slaughter sheep on the 23rd day of the Lunar New Year, the first day of the month, broken five, fifteen are finished, the meat is basically eaten up, and finally left a pig's head. On February 2, the "dragon head" as an offering to enjoy.

February 2, in addition to the dragon's birthday, is also the birthday of the land master, the old days of every family to the land temple worship. It's not enough to just worship the land. There is also a custom in Beijing to offer incense to the gods. On February 2, men and women with gold characters pasted on their foreheads rode donkeys to the Bixia Yuanjun Temple in Zhuozhou to burn incense and send their best wishes, hoping to be favored by the gods. The name of the temple is to burn incense, but in fact it is a trip to the outside world. The record of the "Years of Hua Ji Li谱": "2月2日踏青节，初郡人游赏，散在四郊。".

Folk Food

Spring Cake

Spring cake is a Beijing folk food, a kind of thinly-breaded pastry, also known as pancake. Every year, on the day of the first spring, Beijingers eat spring cakes, which is called "biting spring". On the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, which is the day when the ancient Chinese proverb says that the dragon raises its head ("February 2, the dragon raises its head"), Beijingers also eat spring pancakes on this day, which is called "eating dragon scales".

Beijing spring pancakes

Spring pancakes than eating roast duck pancakes to be larger, and tough (Beijingers called to have "bone strength"), because to roll a lot of vegetables to eat. In the old days, when eating spring pancakes, it was important to go to the box store to call "Su Pan" (also known as box dishes). The box store is the meat store, the store sends people to deliver the dishes to the home.

The box is divided into compartments to put smoked tripe, pine nuts tripe, stove meat (a kind of hanging oven roast pork), clear sauce meat, smoked elbow, sauce elbow, sauce mouth strips, smoked chicken, sauce duck, etc., to eat when you need to change the knife and cut into thin threads, with a few other kinds of home-style stir-fried vegetables (usually shredded meat fried leeks and buds, shredded meat fried spinach, vinegar cooking mung bean sprouts, veggie fried vermicelli, eggs, etc., if you have a freshly marketed "pheasant neck leeks" fried lean meat, coupled with spread eggs, is more fresh and flavorful), rolled into the spring pancakes to eat. Accompanied by finely shredded green onions and soy sauce drizzled with sesame oil (roast duck with sweet noodle sauce).

When eating spring pancakes, the whole family sits together, put the branded spring pancakes in the steamer, eat as you take, in order to eat a hot. If you eat spring cake on February 2, Beijing people also pay attention to the married girl to take home.

Donkey roll

Donkey roll

A kind of bean flour cake, Beijing halal flavor snacks. Steamed yellow rice (or glutinous rice) kneaded into a ball, sprinkled with fried soybean flour, and then add a red bean filling, rolled into long strips, sprinkled with sesame, cinnamon and sugar to eat, due to the Qing Dynasty food stalls are now selling "donkey rolls", with the production of soybean flour, as if the countryside donkeys rolled on the ground to stick all over the yellow earth, so the name is this witty.

Old Beijing custom, people always like to buy "donkey roll" in the second month of the lunar calendar to taste, and therefore operate this food vendors and cart vendors, to the Tianqiao market, the white food stalls and "rice cake tiger" (Tiger Zhanfu) to do the most famous.

Climate

In the second month of the lunar calendar, the "rain" festival comes, the end of the winter phenomenon of little rain, rainfall will gradually increase up, which is supposed to be the characteristics of the monsoon climate in North China.