Introduction to the origin of traditional festivals

The formation of traditional festivals is a process of long-term accumulation and cohesion of the history and culture of a nation or country. Chinese traditional festivals are diverse and are an important part of China's long history and culture. The Chinese traditional festivals developed from the ancient times of the first people clearly record the rich and colorful social life and cultural content of the Chinese nation.

Traditional Chinese festivals include New Year's Eve (the 30th day of the Lunar New Year), Spring Festival (the first day of the first month of the lunar year), Lantern Festival (the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar New Year), Qingming Festival (April 5), Dragon Boat Festival (the 5th day of the 5th month of the Lunar New Year), Tanabata Festival (the 7th day of the 7th month of the Lunar New Year), Mid-Autumn Festival (the 15th day of the 8th month of the Lunar New Year), Chrysanthemum Festival (the 9th day of the 9th month of the Lunar New Year), and Lunar New Year's Day (the 8th day of the 12th month of the Lunar New Year), etc.

In addition, China's ethnic minorities have also retained their own traditional festivals, such as the Water Festival of the Dai, the Naadam Conference of the Mongols, the Torch Festival of the Yi, the Dannu Festival of the Yao, the March Street of the Bai, the Song Wei of the Zhuang, the Tibetan New Year and the Wangguo Festival of the Tibetans, and the Flower Jumping Festival of the Miao, and so on.

Traditional Chinese festivals are diverse and rich in content

Zhu Xuanxian's Chinese Painting "Dragon Boat Festival"

Rich in content, they are an important part of the long history and culture of the Chinese nation. It is the legal system of the "civilized society based on the rule of law". It is the basic framework of a regional civilized country.

The origin and development of festivals is the "gradual formation of human society, the gradual perfection of the cultural process", is from ape to human, the evolution of civilization and development of the product.

China's traditional festivals are characterized by myths, legends, astronomy, geography, numerology, calendars, and other humanistic and natural cultural contents.

Documentary records can be traced back to at least "Xia Xiaozheng", "Shangshu", to the period of the Warring States period, the division of the year into twenty-four festivals, has basically completed, and later on, the traditional festivals, and these festivals are all closely related.

Each traditional Chinese festival has its own origin and the necessary conditions for its formation.

Development

The festivals provided the prerequisites for the creation of the festival, and most of the festivals had already appeared in the pre-Qin period, but the enrichment and popularization of the customary content of these festivals required a long process of development. The earliest customary activities were related to primitive worship and life taboos; myths and legends added a touch of romance to the festivals; there was also the impact and influence of religion on the festivals; and some eternal remembrance of historical figures seeped into the festivals, all of which merged and cohesively integrated into the content of the festivals, making Chinese festivals have a deep sense of history.

By the Han Dynasty, China's major traditional festivals had already been finalized, and it is often said that these festivals originated in the Han Dynasty, which was the first period of great development after the unification of China, characterized by political and economic stability, and a great development of science and culture, which provided good social conditions for the final formation of the festivals.

Festivals developed into the Tang Dynasty, which had been liberated from the atmosphere of primitive worship and forbidden mystery. Turned into entertainment ceremonial type, become a real festival of good times. Since then, the festival has become joyful and festive, colorful, many sports, enjoyment of the content of the activities appeared, and soon became a fashionable popular, these customs have continued to develop, enduring.

Inheritance

It is worth mentioning that, in the long history, the generations of literati, poets and ink masters, for a festival composed many ancient masterpieces, these poems and texts are popular, was widely celebrated, so that China's traditional festivals permeated with deep cultural heritage, wonderful and romantic, the great vulgarity in the great elegance, elegance and vulgarity **** appreciation. China's festivals have a strong cohesion and broad inclusiveness, a holiday, the country celebrated together, which and our nation's long history of long-flowing lineage, is a valuable spiritual cultural heritage. "positive" that is, the first month of the "positive")

Commonly known as the "New Year"

Introduction of the Spring Festival

The Spring Festival, the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, also known as the "lunar year", commonly known as the "Chinese New Year". Lunar New Year, commonly known as "New Year". It is one of the grandest and most lively traditional festivals in China. The Spring Festival has a long history, which originated in the Yin Shang period at the end of the year to sacrifice to the gods and ancestors. [3]

Origin

The Spring Festival refers to the Lunar New Year traditionally celebrated in the Chinese character culture circle, traditionally known as New Year, Dainian, and Xinyue, but also known verbally as Dusu, Qingxin, and Nianxian (过年). In ancient times, the Spring Festival used to refer exclusively to the first day of the Lunar New Year, which was also regarded as the beginning of the year, but was later changed to the first day of the first month of the Lunar New Year, and it is generally believed that the New Year does not end until at least the fifteenth day of the first month of the Lunar New Year (Shangyuan Festival). The concept of Spring Festival and New Year's Day originally came from agriculture. In ancient times, people called the growth cycle of grains "Nian" (年), which means "year" in Shuowen (说文). The ancient people called the growth cycle of grain "Nian" (年), which means "year" (年). It's hard to say when the Spring Festival (Summer New Year) originated, but it's generally believed to have originated in the Yin and Shang dynasties in China, where sacrifices were made to the gods and ancestors at the end of the year (the La Sacrifice).

The Xia calendar, which was created during the Xia and Shang dynasties, takes the cycle of the moon's waxing and waning (now known as the lunar month, or "yin month") as the month, and divides the year into twelve months, with the day when the moon is not visible (the solstice) as the first day of the month, as well as the cycle of the return movement to the winter solstice (now known as the return year or the solar year, or "yang year"). "The year was divided into twelve months, with the day of the missing moon (the solstice) as the head of the month, and the cycle of the return movement of the solstice (now called the return year or solar year, which is described later) as the year, with intercalary months to adjust the yin and yang years. Taking the first day of the first month of the first day of the Zi Shi (midnight) as the first day of the year, i.e., the beginning of the year, the end of the year and the beginning of the year to carry out the celebration of the old year's harvest and the prayer for a good harvest in the new year, so a series of offerings to the gods, ancestor sacrifices, celebrations, and prayers, and other activities.

The name "year" began in the Zhou Dynasty. As for the first (the beginning of the year) to determine the time (in other words, the arrangement of the lunar calendar) is also related to the astronomical calendar (as mentioned above), the legend of the summer in the month of Yin (now the first month of the lunar calendar), the Shang in the month of ugly (now the twelfth month of the lunar calendar), Zhou in the month of Zi (now the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, that is, the winter solstice is located in the month), the Qin in the month of Ohi (now the tenth month of the lunar calendar), the Western Han Dynasty only to restore the summer is the fixed month of Yin (now the first month of the lunar calendar) as the first of the year, and has been in use since then.

But it's not the same thing.

But the first day of the first month in ancient times was called New Year's Day, New Year's Day, New Year's Day, and so on, until after the victory of the Xinhai Revolution in modern China, the Nanjing Provisional Government, in order to comply with the agricultural season and facilitate statistics (in fact, the guide to the agricultural season is the solar part of the summer calendar - the twenty-four seasons), the provisions of the summer calendar in the civil use of the summer calendar (the lunar calendar) in the government agencies, factories, mines, schools, and organizations in the implementation of the calendar (the calendar is not used to use the AD chronology, but to use the Republic of China). (instead of the AD calendar, the Republic of China (ROC) calendar was used). On the eve of the founding of New China, on September 27, 1949, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference officially designated the summer (lunar) New Year as the "Spring Festival", and many people still call the Spring Festival "New Year".

In fact, the Spring Festival in ancient times referred to the "Lichun" of the 24 solar terms in the lunar calendar.

Related Legends

In ancient China, there was a monster called "Nian", which had tentacles and was very fierce. The Nian lived at the bottom of the sea for many years, and only climbed ashore on New Year's Eve to devour livestock and harm the people.

Therefore, every New Year's Eve, people from villages and hamlets fled to the mountains to avoid the harm of the Nian beast.

This New Year's Eve, Peach Blossom Village, people are supporting the old and young to take refuge in the mountains, from the village came a begging old man, see his hand on crutches, arm with a bag bag, silver beard flowing, eyes like a star. Folks have sealed the windows and locked the door, some packing, some cattle and sheep, everywhere people shouting and horse neighing, a scene of panic in a hurry. The first thing I'd like to say is that I don't know what to do, but I'd like to know what I'm doing.

Only the east end of the village, an old woman gave the old man some food, and advised him to go to the mountains to avoid the "year" beast, the old man stroked his beard and laughed: "Granny, if you let me stay at home for a night, I will certainly be the "year" beasts out of the way. The old woman looked closely, see his hair, hale and hearty, extraordinary. But she still continue to persuade, begging the old man smiled but did not say. The old woman had no choice but to leave her home behind and take refuge in the mountains.

In the middle of the night, the "New Year" beast broke into the village. It found that the atmosphere in the village was different from that of previous years: the old lady's house at the east end of the village had a big red paper on the door, and the candles in the house were burning brightly. The beast shivered and gave a strange cry. Nian" stared angrily at the old lady's house for a moment, and then pounced on her with a wild cry. Close to the door, the courtyard suddenly came "bang, bang, bang, bang," the sound of explosions, "year" trembling, and no longer dare to come forward.

It turns out that Nian is most afraid of the color red, fire and explosions. At that moment, the door of the mother-in-law's house was wide open, only to see an old man wearing a red robe in the courtyard laughing." Nian was terrified and fled in disarray.

The next day was the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, and the people who had returned from their refuge were very surprised to see that the village was safe and sound. At this point, the old lady just suddenly realized, rushed to the villagers described the promise of the old man begging the villagers flocked to the old lady's home, only to see the old lady's home with red paper on the door, a pile of unburned bamboo in the yard is still in the "crackling" explosion, a few red candles in the house is still glowing with the afterglow of the ...... ecstatic townsfolk in celebration of the arrival of the good luck, have to The new clothes and hats, visiting friends and relatives. This incident soon spread in the surrounding villages, people know the way to drive away the "New Year" beast.

From then on, every year on New Year's Eve, every family puts up red couplets and sets off firecrackers; every household keeps the candles burning brightly and keeps watch for the new year. Early in the morning on the first day, but also to go to friends and relatives to say goodbye. This custom has become more and more widespread, and has become the grandest traditional festival of Chinese folklore.

Applicable areas

The Spring Festival is the most important festival of the Han Chinese people, but the Manchu, Mongolia, Yao, Zhuang, Bai, Gaoshan, Hezhe, Hani, Daur, Dong, Li and other dozens of ethnic minorities also have the custom of the Spring Festival, but the form of the festival is more of their own national characteristics, more flavorful.

Customs

Firecrackers to keep the New Year's Eve, sticking Spring Festival couplets to pay homage to the New Year, eating dumplings, eating sausages and bacon, and watching the Spring Festival Gala (only in recent years)

Folk songs

Laqi, Laxi, Laxi 8, and congee, sweet porridge, to get rid of the dust, and to welcome a new year

Twenty-three to the New Year, and sugar melons to offer to the King of the Zao before the festival

Twenty-four to the ancestor's house to pay homage to the New Year, with incense

Twenty-five to the great blessings, and blessing the sages before the door. The first day of the New Year is the first day of the first month of the new year

The first day of the new year is the first day of the new year. "

The first day of the new year is the first day of the new year, and the first day of the new year is the first day of the new year, and the first day of the new year is the first day of the new year, and the first day of the new year is the first day of the new year, and the first day of the new year is the first day of the new year, and the first day of the new year is the first day of the new year, "Spring Dragon Festival", is a traditional Han Chinese folk festival. It is a traditional festival in China's urban and rural areas. It is the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar every year, commonly known as the Green Dragon Festival, which is said to be the day when the dragon raises its head. People celebrate the "Dragon Head Festival" to honor the dragon and pray for rain, so that the old heavenly blessings to ensure a good harvest.

Lantern Festival

Lantern Festival

Lantern Festival

When: 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar

English: Lantern Festival

It is an important traditional festival in China. The fifteenth day of the first month is the first full moon of the year, but also the night of the restoration of the first yuan, the earth back to spring, people celebrate this, but also to celebrate the continuation of the new year, and therefore also known as the "Festival of the New Year", that is, the fifteenth day of the first month of the Lunar Calendar. In ancient books, this day is called "on the Yuan", the night called "Yuan night", "Yuan Xi" or "Lantern Festival". The name "Lantern Festival" has been used until now.

Customs

Because the Lantern Festival has the custom of opening and watching the lanterns, it is also known as the "Festival of Lights". In addition, there are customs such as eating Lantern Festival, stepping on stilts, guessing lantern riddles, removing all kinds of diseases, dancing dragons, enjoying lanterns, and dancing lions. [4]

Evolution

The ancient Chinese calendar and the phases of the moon were closely related, and the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, when the first full moon of the year was celebrated, was rightly regarded as an auspicious day. As early as the Han Dynasty, the fifteenth day of the first month was already used as a day to worship the emperor and pray for blessings. Later, the ancients called the 15th day of the first month "Shangyuan", the 15th day of the 7th month "Zhongyuan", and the 15th day of the 10th month "Xiayuan". At the latest, in the early North and South Dynasties, Sanyuan was already a day to hold a grand ceremony. Among the three elements, the first element was the most important. Later, the celebrations of the Middle and Lower Yuan were gradually abolished, while the Upper Yuan has endured.

Social Day Festival

(the south is "social day", the north is "dragon head-raising" festival)

Social day is divided into spring and autumn society, spring society according to the establishment of the spring after the fifth day of the fifth day of the e, usually in February around the second, autumn society according to the establishment of the fifth day of the e, around the first two days of the year. Autumn Society according to the establishment of the fifth day after the e, about the new valley in August.

Chunshe:

Chunshe

China's history for a long period of time, its social form is a typical traditional agricultural society. In such a social form, people have extremely deep feelings for the land. Love, inevitably deified, so the land is very early in the people's worship object, called "social"; and focus on the day of worship, is the "social day".

Social character from the show from the earth, "earth" is the land, "show" means sacrifice, then, the community is the sacrifice of the land. In the early days, the land god was just a deity, but later it was gradually personified and called society, commonly known as the land master, and there was a spouse god (she-mother, commonly known as the land grandmother). Sometimes the god of land and the god of grain were worshipped together, which was known as Shejiku in ancient times.

Comparing the spring and fall societies, the spring society has more activities. According to the fifth e day after the spring, it is usually around the second day of the second month, which is said to be the birth date of the God of Land, so the rituals on this day are particularly grand. Yuan Jinglan "Wu County years Hua Ji Sheng" recorded Suzhou this custom said:

February 2 for the earth god birthday, the city temples have a special shrine, animal music to pay. Countryside soil Valley shrine, farmers also furnished pots of pulp to wish, the God Ci commonly known as Tian Gong, Tian Pao, the ancient name of the She Gong, She mother. She Gong does not eat water, so the day of the community will have rain, said She Gong rain. Contribute to the meeting, said the community money. Stacked drums to pray for the New Year, said the social drums. Drinking wine to cure deafness, said the community wine. Mixed meat and rice, said the community rice. ...... field will rise, special worship society to pray for agricultural auspicious.

Ancient enjoyment of the day called the land god social day, generally spring and fall each one, and later there are occasionally four times to the sacrifice. Song Qiu Guangting "and Ming record" and other books, said: the general day of the community with the E day, after the spring of the fifth E day for the spring community, after the fall of the fifth E day for the autumn community, roughly before and after the vernal or autumnal equinox. Before the Han Dynasty, there was only the Spring Society, and after the Han Dynasty, there were two societies in spring and autumn. Spring and Autumn two society worship God's function separately, that is, the so-called spring prayers and autumn report. The main purpose of the Spring Society is to pray to the God of the land to bless a good agricultural harvest, while the Autumn Society thanks the gods with a reward for the harvest.

February 2 for the earth God's birthday, the city temples have special shrines, livestock music to pay. Countryside soil Valley God shrine, farmers also furniture pots of pulp to wish, the God Ci commonly known as the Tian Gong, Tian Pao, the ancient name of the She Gong, She mother. She Gong does not eat water, so the day of the community will have rain, said She Gong rain. Contribute to the meeting, said the community money. Stacked drums to pray for the New Year, said the social drums. Drinking wine to cure deafness, said the community wine. Mixed meat and rice, said the community rice. ...... field will rise, special worship society to pray for agricultural auspicious.

Northern region customs ------ lead to the dragon, in addition to insects, fumigation insects, shaving the dragon head (barber shaving), food customs, marrying a woman to live in the spring, taboos (taboo needle and thread, taboo water, taboo laundry, taboo grinding flour)

Southern region customs ------ festival of the community (the main activity is to worship the land and gather the community to drink, through the gods, entertaining God and entertainment)

Autumn society:

Began in the Han Dynasty, later in the fifth e day after the beginning of autumn. In ancient times, after the harvest, the government and the people all sacrificed to the gods on this day to thank them. In the Song Dynasty, the custom of eating cake, drinking wine, and women's return to peace. In later times, the Autumn Society was gradually reduced, and its contents were mostly merged with the Mid-Yuan Festival (July 30th). In Tang Dynasty, Han constrained's poem "Not Seeing" reads, "I would like to be a swallow of the king's family, but I won't return even when I return to the Autumn Festival." Song Meng Yuanlao (宋孟元老)《东京梦华錄-秋社》："Autumn Festival in August, each person presents a gift of social cake and social wine to the other. Noble relatives, the palace to pork and mutton, waist, you room, belly lungs, duck, cake melon ginger genus, cut into chess pieces, pieces of samples, flavors and blends, spread on the board, called the 'social rice', invited guests to feed. People's women are home, late return, that is, the grandfather's wife and uncle are new gourd children, jujube as a legacy, commonly known as Yiliang nephews. Mr. City School pre-convergence of all students money for social ...... Returning to each carry flower baskets, fruit, food, social cake and scattered. Spring Society, heavy lunch, heavy nine, is also so." Song Wu Zimei "Dream sorghum record - August": "Autumn social day, the court and the state and county sent officials to sacrifice the gods of earth and grain in the altar, cover the spring prayers and autumn report." Qing Gu Lu "qingjiazhu - July - zai tiantou": "in the yuan, farmers sacrificed to the god of the field, each with powdered rice balls, chicken and millet, melons and vegetables of the genus, in the field at the intersection of the worship and wish, so-called zai tiantou. Case: Han Changli's poem: '*** to the field to music She Shen.' And the cloud 'would like to be the same community, chicken and dolphin feast spring and fall.' ...... Then it is today's July 15 rituals, as if the ancient autumn society ear."

Cold Food Festival

When: one day before Qingming Festival

A festival in the old custom, one day before Qingming Festival (one way to say it is two days before Qingming) (now most of the custom and Qingming cold food together).

Origin

Cold Food Festival

In the Spring and Autumn period, Prince Chong Er of Jin, who had been out of the country for many years, returned to his throne [i.e., the Duke of Jin], and rewarded the ministers who had fled with him, but only Jie Zi Tui was left out. Jie Zi Tui then took his mother to live in seclusion in Mianshan Mountain [southeast of present-day Jiexiu City, Shanxi Province]. When Duke Wen of Jin learned of this, he wanted to reward him, but when he couldn't find him, he tried to burn the mountain to force him to come out. But Jie Zi Tui did not want to be an official, insisted not to come out, and as a result, both mother and son were burned to death. In order to commemorate Jie Zi Tui, Duke Wen of Jin changed Mian Shan to "Jie Shan", set up a shrine to worship Jie Zi Tui, and designated the day of burning as the Cold Food Festival, forbidding fireworks throughout the country, and eating only cold food. Later, the custom of eating cold food and sweeping tombs on this day was formed

Ching Ming Festival

(Time): The day of the festival Qingming, around April 5 on the Gregorian calendar

Interpretation

The Qingming Festival is China's most important festival of sacrifices, and it is the most suitable day for paying homage to one's ancestors and sweeping tombs. Tomb-sweeping is commonly known as visiting the graves, an activity to honor the dead. Most Han Chinese and some ethnic minorities sweep their tombs on the Qingming Festival.

Customs

According to the old custom, when sweeping tombs, people should bring wine, food, fruits, paper money and other items to the cemetery, offer the food to their loved ones' graves, then burn the paper money, cultivate new soil for the graves, fold a few young green twigs and stick them in the graves, then kowtow and worship, and finally eat the wine and food and go home. Du Mu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem entitled "Qingming": "The rain falls one after another during the Qingming Festival, and the pedestrians on the road want to break their souls. Where can I find a tavern? The shepherd boy points to the apricot blossom village." It writes about the special atmosphere of Qingming Festival.

The Qingming Festival, also known as the Treading Green Festival, according to the solar calendar, it is between April 4 and 6 every year, it is the bright and beautiful spring grass and trees spit out the green season, but also it is the people of the spring tour [called trekking in ancient times] a good time, so the ancients have the Qingming trekking, and to carry out a series of sports activities of the custom.

The origin and legend of Qingming Festival:

The traditional Chinese Qingming Festival began in the Zhou Dynasty, which has a history of more than 2,500 years. Qingming is a very important festival in the beginning, Qingming, the temperature rises, it is a good time for spring plowing and planting, so there is "before and after Qingming, planting melons and beans". "Tree planting, no more than the Qingming" proverbs. Later, due to the Qingming and cold food days close, and cold food is the folk ban on fire sweeping days, gradually, cold food and Qingming on the merger of one, and cold food has become a Qingming alias, but also become a custom for the Qingming festival, Qingming day does not move the fireworks, only to eat the cool food.

Duanwu Festival

Time: the fifth day of the fifth lunar month

English: Dragon Boat Festival

Another name: Dragon Boat Festival

Interpretation

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is the "Dragon Boat Festival", which is an ancient Chinese traditional festival. traditional festival. Duanwu" is originally called "Duanwu", and "Duan" means the beginning. Because people think "May" is a bad month, "the fifth" is a bad day, so avoid "five", changed to "Dragon Boat Festival Duanwu". The Dragon Boat Festival was recorded as early as the early Western Zhou Dynasty, and was not established in honor of Qu Yuan, but some of the customs after the Dragon Boat Festival were influenced by Qu Yuan.

Source

According to the Records of the Grand Historian (《史记》), Qu Yuan, a famous patriotic poet, was a minister of King Huai of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period, who advocated the promotion of the virtuous and the capable, the wealth of the country and the strength of the army, and advocated the alliance of Qi and the anti-Qin forces, which met with the strong opposition from the aristocrat Zi Lan and others, Qu Yuan was gluttonously dismissed from the post and expelled from the capital city, and was exiled to the Yuan, He was expelled from the capital city and exiled to the Yuan and Xiang valleys. During his exile, he wrote such immortal poems as "Li Sao", "Heavenly Questions" and "Nine Songs", which are unique and far-reaching (thus, the Dragon Boat Festival is also known as the Poets' Festival). In 278 B.C., the Qin army attacked the capital of Chu. Qu Yuan saw his motherland being invaded, and his heart was cut to pieces, but he could not bear to give up his motherland, and on the 5th of May, after writing his final poem "Huai Sha", he threw himself into Miluo River and died, composing a magnificent patriotic movement with his own life.

Legend has it that after Qu Yuan's death, the people of Chu were in mourning and flocked to the Miluo River to pay homage to him. Fishermen rowed up their boats and salvaged his real body back and forth on the river. A fisherman took out for Qu Yuan prepared rice balls, eggs and other food, "flop, flop" thrown into the river, said that the fish and lobsters and crabs eat enough, will not go to bite the body of Dr. Qu. People see have followed suit. An old physician to bring a altar of yellow wine poured into the river, said to be drug stunned dragon water beasts, so as not to harm Dr. Qu. Later, for fear that the rice ball for the dragon to eat, people came up with a neem leaf wrapped rice, wrapped around the colorful silk, the development of dumplings.

Customs

Suspended Zhong Kui statue: Zhong Kui to catch ghosts, is the Dragon Boat Festival custom. In the Jianghuai area, the family is hanging Zhong Kui statue, used to suppress the house to drive away evil spirits. Tang Minghuang Kaiyuan, from the Lixan lecture martial arts back to the palace, malaria, dreaming of two ghosts, a small, small, small ghosts wearing red crotchless pants, steal Yang Guifei's scent bag and Minghuang's jade flute, around the temple and run. The big ghost is wearing a blue robe and hat, caught the little ghost, gouge out its eyes, swallowed. Ming Huang asked, the big ghost said: my surname Zhong Kui, that is, the martial arts not first, would like to remove the demons for His Majesty, Ming Huang woke up, malaria cured, and then made the painter Wu Daozi, according to what I saw in the dream painted Zhong Kui to catch the ghosts of the portrait, through the order of the world in the end of the day, all posted to drive away the evil spirits.

Hanging Ai leaves, calamus, banyan branch: in the Dragon Boat Festival, families are to calamus, Ai leaves, pomegranate, garlic, dragon boat flower, banyan branch, made of humanoid known as Ai people. Ai leaves hanging in the hall, cut for the tiger or cut color for the tiger, stick to the ai leaves, women scrambling to wear to seclude the evil and drive away miasma. Calamus as a sword, inserted in the lintel, has the divine effect of driving away demons and ghosts.

Dragon Boat Race: At that time, the people of Chu could not bear to see Qu Yuan, a wise minister, die, so many people chased after the boat to save it. They scrambled, chased to the Dongting Lake when no trace, is the origin of the dragon boat race, after the May 5 every year to commemorate the dragon boat rowing. Rowing dragon boats to disperse the fish in the river, so that the fish do not eat the body of Qu Yuan. Racing habits, prevalent in Wu, Yue, Chu. In the 29th year of the Qianlong reign in the Qing Dynasty, Taiwan began to have dragon boat races, and at that time, Taiwan's governor, Mr. Chiang Yuan-jun, presided over a friendly race at the Half Moon Pond of the Fahua Temple in Tainan City. In modern Taiwan, dragon boat races are held every year on May 5th. Hong Kong has a race, the British have also followed the Chinese practice of organizing the ghost team, the competition activities.

Eat zongzi: Jing Chu people, in May 5 cook glutinous rice or steamed zongzi cake into the river, in order to worship qu yuan, fear that the fish ate, so use a bamboo tube loaded with glutinous rice thrown down, and later gradually use zongzi leaves instead of bamboo tube.

Duanwu Festival

Drinking Xionghuang wine: this custom, in the Yangtze River Basin area of the family is very prevalent.

Swimming for a hundred diseases: this custom is prevalent in the Dragon Boat Festival in Guizhou.

Pei Xiangbao: Dragon Boat Festival children Pei Xiangbao, not only has the meaning of the evil spirits to drive away the plague, but also the lapel head embellishment of the wind. Incense capsule inside the cinnabar, andrographis, incense medicine, wrapped in silk cloth, fragrant: and then the five-color silk string buckle into a rope, for a variety of different shapes, knotted into a string, colorful, delicate and eye-catching.

The Tanabata Festival

Time: The seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar

Source

The evening of the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar is known as "Tanabata". Chinese folklore has it that the Cowherd and the Weaving Maiden meet on this night at the Bridge of Magpies in the River of Heaven. Tanabata Festival was originally known as the Begging Festival, the so-called Begging, that is, in the moonlight to the Weaving Maiden star with a colored thread through the needle, such as through the seven different sizes of the eye of the needle, even if it is very "tricky". Farmer's proverbs say "the seventh day of the seventh month, clear and bright, grinding sickle cut good rice." This is the time to sharpen the sickle to prepare for the early rice harvest.

Customs

Customs such as women threading needles and begging for coquettish objects from the star Vega on the night of the seventh day of the seventh month have been influenced by the West, and more and more couples in China regard that day as Chinese Valentine's Day.

Mid-Autumn Festival

Time: 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar

Mid-Autumn Festival

English: the mid-autumn festival

Origin

On the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, which is right in the middle of the autumn season, it is called "Mid-Autumn Festival". "Mid-Autumn Festival. In the evening, the moon is full and the fragrance of laurel, the old custom people see it as a symbol of reunion, to prepare a variety of fruits and cooked food, is a good festival to enjoy the moon. Mid-Autumn Festival also eat moon cakes. According to legend, at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, in order to overthrow the brutal Yuan Dynasty, the people wrote the date of the riot on a slip of paper and put it in the mooncake filling, so as to pass it to each other secretly, calling for an uprising on August 15th. Finally, a nationwide peasant uprising broke out on that day, overthrowing the corrupt Yuan Dynasty. Since then, the custom of eating mooncakes at mid-autumn has spread more widely.

Customs

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, people would prepare all kinds of fruits, melons and cooked foods, especially mooncakes, and enjoy the moon in the courtyard while eating mooncakes and other foods.

The Double Ninth Festival

Time: The ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar

Interpretation

The Double Ninth Festival (The Double Ninth Festival) September 9 of the lunar calendar, for the traditional Festival of the Double Ninth Festival, also known as the Festival of the Elderly. Because the "I Ching" in the "six" as the number of yin, the "nine" as the number of yang, September 9, the sun and moon and Yang, two nine heavy, so it is called Chung Yeung, also known as Chung Kau. Chongyang Festival has been formed as early as the Warring States period, to the Tang Dynasty, Chongyang was officially designated as a folk festival, and since then it has been inherited by successive dynasties. Chongyang, also known as "Treading Autumn" and March 3 "Treading Spring" are all the family pouring out of the room, Chongyang this day all the relatives have to climb together to "avoid disaster", insert cornelian cherry, chrysanthemums. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the atmosphere of the Chung Yeung has become increasingly rich, for generations of writers and writers to sing the most of one of the several traditional festivals.

Evolution

The ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar is the traditional Chinese Chongyang Festival. It is also the Chinese Festival of Respect for the Elderly. In 1989, China designated the ninth day of the ninth month of the year as the Day of the Elderly, a skillful combination of tradition and modernity, which has become a festival for the elderly to honor, respect, love and help them.

Customs

Whenever it comes to Chung Yeung Festival, people will think of Wang Wei's words: "Being a stranger in a foreign land, I think of my relatives twice as much at festivals. I know from afar where my brothers are climbing up to the top of the mountain, and there are fewer dogwoods to plant all over the place." This poem. Since ancient times, the Chung Yeung Festival has been a day for people to honor and love the elderly, miss their parents and long for reunion. The specific customs are listed as follows:

①, climbing high

Chongyang Festival

②, eating chrysanthemum cakes

③, enjoying chrysanthemums and drinking chrysanthemum wine

④, inserting cornelian cherry and hairpin chrysanthemums

⑤, drinking chrysanthemum wine

But there was also a saying that the thirteenth day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar is the day of honoring the elderly, but it was changed to September ninth in 1989, and the day of honoring the elderly is also the day of honoring the elderly. September 9th.

Time: September 9 on the lunar calendar.

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice

Time: December 21 or 22 on the solar calendar

In ancient China, the winter solstice is very important, the winter solstice is treated as a large festival, there was "winter solstice is as big as the year", and there are customs to celebrate the winter solstice. The book of han said: "winter solstice yang qi up, jun dao long, so congratulations." People think: after the winter solstice, the day is longer than one day, Yang Qi rise, is the beginning of a cycle of festivals, is also an auspicious day, should be celebrated. The Book of Jin" on the record "Wei Jin winter solstice day by all the countries and bureaucrats to congratulate ...... its instrument subdivided into the first day." This shows the importance of the winter solstice in ancient times.

Customs

In China's northern regions have the winter solstice slaughter sheep, eat dumplings, eat wontons custom, the southern region in this day have eaten the winter solstice rice ball, the winter solstice long thread noodle habit. There is also the custom of offering sacrifices to the sky and ancestors on the winter solstice in all regions.

The winter solstice is a very important festival in the Chinese lunar calendar, but also a traditional festival, there are still many places have had the custom of the winter solstice festival. The winter solstice is commonly known as the "winter festival", "long solstice festival", "YaYu", etc. As early as two and a half thousand years ago, the winter solstice is the most important festival in China. As early as two thousand five hundred years ago in the Spring and Autumn Period, our country has used the earth to observe the sun to determine the winter solstice, it is the twenty-four solar terms in the earliest development of a. The time in December of each year, the solar calendar. The time is between December 22nd or 23rd on the solar calendar every year.

The winter solstice is the day with the shortest day and the longest night in the northern hemisphere throughout the year, and after the winter solstice, the day will get longer day by day. Ancient people on the winter solstice is: the Yin pole of the arrival, Yang Qi began to grow, the day south to the shortest day to the longest shadow of the sun, so it is said "winter solstice". After the winter solstice, the climate around the world have entered one of the coldest stage, which is often referred to as "into the nine", China's folk "cold in the three nine, hot in three volts," said.

Modern astronomical science, the winter solstice, the sun shoots directly at the Tropic of Capricorn, sunlight on the northern hemisphere is the most tilted, the northern hemisphere, the shortest day, the longest night, after this day, the sun and gradually move north.

In our country in ancient times on the winter solstice is very important, the winter solstice is treated as a large festival, there was a "winter solstice is as big as the year," said, and there are customs to celebrate the winter solstice. The book of han said: "winter solstice yang qi up, jun dao long, so congratulations." People think: after the winter solstice, the day is longer than one day, Yang Qi rise, is the beginning of a cycle of festivals, is also an auspicious day, should be celebrated. The Book of Jin" on the record "Wei Jin winter solstice day by all the countries and bureaucrats to congratulate ...... its instrument subdivided into the first day." This shows the importance of the winter solstice in ancient times.

Now, some places still take the winter solstice as a festival. Northern regions have the custom of slaughtering sheep, eating dumplings and wontons on the winter solstice, while southern regions have the habit of eating winter solstice rice balls and winter solstice long thread noodles on this day. Various regions in the winter solstice on this day there is also the custom of sacrificing to the sky and ancestors.

Customs: The winter solstice has developed over thousands of years, forming a unique seasonal food culture. Such as wontons, dumplings, dumplings, red bean congee, corn cake, etc. can be used as the New Year's food. There were more popular "winter solstice feast" also has a lot of names, such as eating winter solstice meat, offer winter solstice plate, for winter solstice group, wonton winter worship.

The more common custom of eating wontons on the winter solstice. As early as the Southern Song Dynasty, Lin'an people ate wontons on the winter solstice, began to worship ancestors, and then gradually spread, folk "winter solstice wontons summer solstice noodles," said. Hundun development so far, more become a variety of names, production of different, fresh and tasty, all over the country, loved by the people of the famous snacks. Wonton name a lot of places such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang and most of the places called wontons, while Guangdong is said to be wonton, Hubei, said the bag of noodles, Jiangxi, said the soup, Sichuan, said the copious, Xinjiang, said Qu Qu and so on.

Eating dumplings is also a traditional winter solstice custom, especially prevalent in Jiangnan. "Soup dumplings" is the winter solstice necessary food, is a kind of glutinous rice flour made of round dessert, "round" means "reunion", "complete! "Round" means "reunion" and "complete", and eating soup dumplings on the winter solstice is also called "winter solstice dough". Folk have "eaten dumplings a year older" said. Winter Solstice Dumplings can be used to offer sacrifices to ancestors, and can also be used to give gifts to friends and relatives. In the old days, Shanghainese people paid most attention to eating soup dumplings. There is an old poem that says: "Every family pounded rice to make soup dumplings, knowing that it is the winter solstice day of the Ming Dynasty."

There are many places in the north, in the winter solstice this day have eaten dog meat and mutton custom, because the winter solstice after the weather into the coldest period, Chinese medicine that mutton and dog meat have yang tonic body has the effect of the folk so far there is the winter solstice have the custom of tonic.

In our country Taiwan also preserved the winter solstice with nine layers of cake ancestor tradition, with glutinous rice flour pinched chicken, duck, turtle, pig, cow, sheep and other symbols of good luck in the meaning of Fuk Luk Shou animals, and then steamed with a steamer layer steamed to ancestor, to show that we do not forget the old ancestors. The same family name with the clan on the winter solstice or around the agreed early, set to the ancestral ancestral shrine in accordance with the order of the eldest and youngest, one by one to pay homage to the ancestors, commonly known as "ancestor worship". After the ceremony, a feast is organized to entertain the ancestors. We all drink freely, and contact each other's feelings after a long period of separation, which is called "eating ancestors." The winter solstice festival has been passed down from generation to generation in Taiwan to show that one does not forget one's "roots".

The winter solstice is a rich festival, according to legend, the winter solstice in the history of the Zhou Dynasty was the New Year's Day, once a very lively day. In today's Jiangnan area there is still: eat the winter solstice night meal to grow a year, commonly known as "add years".　　

New Year's Eve

Time: the last day of the year in the lunar calendar, that is, December 29 or 30, December of that year is

Major traditional festivals mark

Smaller months in the twenty-ninth, in the big month in the thirty.