Origin and Customs of Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival is one of the traditional Chinese festivals, also called Shangyuan Festival, Xiaozhengmu, Yuanxi, etc. It is one of the traditional Chinese festivals, and takes place on the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar every year. The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar, the ancients called "night" for "night", the first month of the fifteenth day of the first month of the year is the first night of the full moon, so the first month of the fifteenth day of the first month for the "Lantern Festival "

The first day of the first month is the first full night of the year.

Customs of the Lantern Festival include: appreciating lanterns, eating soup dumplings, sending lanterns and playing lanterns, lantern balls and lantern wheels, guessing lantern riddles, releasing sky lanterns, setting off fireworks, dancing dragons and lions, stepping on stilts, sacrificing to the door, sacrificing to the household, and so on. Lantern Festival customs or more, but the origin of the Lantern Festival there are only three sayings widely circulated, the following with me to see it:

a.? The origin of the Lantern Festival?

? One of the origins of the Lantern Festival: commemorating the saying of Ping Lu?

Legend has it that the Lantern Festival was set up in honor of Pinglue during the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. After the death of Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, Liu Ying, the son of Empress Lu, ascended to the throne as Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty. Emperor Hui was weak and indecisive, and his power gradually fell into the hands of Empress Lu.

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After the illness and death of Empress Lu, all of them were afraid of being harmed and ostracized. So, they secretly gathered at the home of the general Lu Lu Lu and ****plotted a rebellion, so as to completely seize the Liu family's kingdom. The story reached the ears of Liu Xiang, the king of Qi, who decided to send an army to crush Zhu Lu in order to protect Liu's kingdom. He then contacted the founding ministers, Zhou Bo and Chen Ping, and designed to disarm Lu Lu, so that the "Zhu Lu's Rebellion" could finally be completely pacified.

After the rebellion was quelled, Liu Heng, the second son of Liu Bang, was crowned Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, and the Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, the second son of Liu Bang, was given the title of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. Since then, the 15th day of the first month has become a folk festival celebrated by all the people - "Lantern Festival".

? The origin of the Lantern Festival No. 2: began with the torch festival said?

The Lantern Festival originated from the "Torch Festival", in which people in the Han Dynasty held torches in the countryside and fields to drive away insects and animals in the hope of mitigating insect pests and praying for a good harvest. Until today, people in some areas of southwestern China still make torches out of reed wood or tree branches on the 15th day of the first month, and dance in groups holding the torches high in the fields or sunbathing yards. Since the Sui, Tang and Song dynasties, the festival has become even more popular. The dance was attended by tens of thousands of people, from dusk to dawn, to the obscure. When with the changes in society and the times, the Lantern Festival customs and habits have long had a big change, but is still a traditional Chinese folk festival, torches have gradually changed into colored lanterns.

The Torch Festival, is an ancient traditional festival that has continued for thousands of years. China's Yi, Bai, Naxi, Jinuo, Lahu and other ethnic groups have been continuously inherited a festival. Has a deep folk cultural connotation, known as the "Oriental Carnival". Different ethnic groups hold the Torch Festival at different times, mostly on the 24th day of the 6th month of the lunar calendar, and the main activities include bullfighting, sheep fighting, cock fighting, horse racing, wrestling, song and dance performances, beauty contests, etc. In the new era, the Torch Festival has been recognized as the most important festival in the world, and it is the most important festival in the world. In the new era, the Torch Festival has been endowed with new folklore functions and produced new forms. Legends about the Torch Festival of various ethnic groups in Yunnan also have their own distinctive contents.

Since the middle of the Tang Dynasty, the Lantern Festival has developed into a national carnival in China, so the Lantern Festival is the traditional festival custom of the Torch Festival which is the most thoroughly and typically embodied traditional festival.

? The origin of the Lantern Festival of the third: the origin of the "three yuan said"?

The Lantern Festival originated from the Taoist "Three Elements"; Shangyuan, which means the first full moon of the new year. The origin of the Lantern Festival, as recorded in the Miscellaneous Records of the Times and Years (年時杂记), is due to the stereotypical rules of Taoism. Taoism used to call the first day of the first month of the year the Shangyuan Festival, the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the year the Zhongyuan Festival, and the fifteenth day of the tenth month of the year the Xiaoyuan Festival, collectively known as the "Three Elements". At the end of the Han Dynasty, an important sect of Taoism, Wudoumidao, worshipped the gods Tianguan (Heavenly God), Diguan (Earthly God) and Shuiguan (Water God), saying that Tianguan bestowed blessings, Diguan pardoned sins, and Shuiguan solved problems. In this way, the 15th day of the first month was called the Shangyuan Festival.

Wu Zimu of the Southern Song Dynasty said in Mengliang Records, "The Yenxu Festival on the 15th day of the first month is the hour when the Heavenly Officer of the Upper Yuan bestows blessings." It says that the heavenly officials bestow blessings and the earthly officials forgive sins, and that the real impetus for the Lantern Festival custom is because it is at a new point in time, and people take full advantage of this special phase of time to express their wishes for their lives.

Two? Customs of the Lantern Festival?

? The Lantern Festival customs one: enjoy lanterns?

Lantern Festival customs since ancient times to warm and festive Lantern Festival customs, Lanterns are related to God, so also give a lot of symbolic meaning. In ancient times, in order to expel the fear of darkness, lanterns were derived from the meaning of exorcism and praying for light. In Minnan language, "lantern" and "ding" have similar pronunciation, so lanterns are also used to seek children, to get success, and to avoid evil spirits and peace of mind.

Legend has it that Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty encouraged reading, and people sent their children to school. The first program of the school is called "open lamp", which is to bring the lanterns made in advance to the school, and ask a learned old man to light them up, symbolizing a bright future. Once upon a time, most private schools opened later on the 15th day of the first month, so the lanterns for the opening of the school have also become a decoration of the Shangyuan Festival.

Song Dynasty, the Song Dynasty Lantern Festival, in addition to "women out on the streets, since the night up to Dan, men and women confused" revelry, there are officials handing out lai see, the king and the people to enjoy the Lantern Festival; and even horror, prison institutions will use lights, images of rendition of the story of the prison inmates, or display prison equipment, and so on. Lantern Festival in the Song Dynasty developed into the most lively secular carnival, Lantern Festival is more colorful, Lantern Festival Lantern Appreciation lasts for five days, the lamps of the style of the complex and diverse, stroll Lantern Market is a very pleasing to the eye. The poet Xin Qiji wrote: "the east wind at night flowers, more blown down, stars like rain", said the Song Dynasty Lantern Festival lanterns countless, fireworks like a rain of stars.

The festival of lights in the Ming Dynasty lasted even longer, from the eighth to the seventeenth day of the first month for ten days to show that the festival was a celebration of song and dance.

The Qing Dynasty, the Manchus dominated the Central Plains, the court no longer run the lantern festival, but the folk lantern festival is still spectacular. Lantern Festival Qing Dynasty is only three days, but the lights are bright, lights are also more exquisite fantasy, still very attractive.

? Lantern Festival customs of the second: guess the riddle?

Lantern riddles in the Spring and Autumn Period, then called "cryptic language", to the Han Wei began to be called "riddle", the Southern Song Dynasty, some people will be riddles written in the lamp, in the Lantern Festival for people to guess the riddles. After the Southern Song Dynasty, lanterns and riddles made the Lantern Festival lively and cozy. Because lantern riddles are difficult to guess, just as a tiger is difficult to shoot, they are also called "lantern tigers" (also known as Wenhu). The production of traditional lantern riddles requires a certain format and the use of ingenuity to produce very clever lantern riddles, which is an original Chinese literary art.

One year during the Lantern Festival, the Qianlong Emperor took a group of civil and military ministers, excited to go to watch the lanterns. Left to see a variety of colorful lanterns, beautiful; right to see a variety of lanterns chic fun, intriguing. See happy, the Qianlong emperor accompanied his ministers also out of the riddle, let everyone guess a guess. University scholar Ji Xiaolan thought for a moment, on the palace lanterns wrote a couplet: "black is not, white is not, red and yellow is not. And foxes, wolves, cats and dogs as if, neither livestock, nor beasts. Poetry is not, words are not, The Analects of Confucius is not. I'm not sure what I'm talking about, but I'm not sure what I'm talking about, and I'm not sure what I'm talking about."

The Qianlong Emperor looked at the pondering, civil and military ministers scratching their heads, how can not guess, and finally or Ji Xiaolan revealed the answer to the riddle: guess the riddle.

? Lantern Festival customs of the third: eating Lantern?

New Year's Eve to eat Lantern Festival customs, "Lantern" as food, in our country has a long history. Song Dynasty, the folk that is popular a Lantern Festival to eat the novelty of food. This food, the earliest called "floating yuanzi" later called "Lantern", the businessman also beautifully called "Yuanbao". Lantern that is "dumplings" to sugar, rose, sesame, bean paste, yellow cinnamon, walnuts, nuts, jujube paste, etc. for the filling, wrapped in glutinous rice flour into a round shape, can be meat or vegetarian, with a variety of flavors. It can be boiled in soup, deep-fried or steamed, and has the meaning of reunion. Shaanxi dumplings are not wrapped, but in the glutinous rice flour "rolled" into, or boiled Division or deep-fried, hot fire, reunion.

On the Lantern Festival to eat the origin of the Lantern, there is an interesting folk legend. Legend has it that: Lantern Festival originated in the Spring and Autumn period of Chu Zhao Wang. On the fifteenth day of the first month of a certain Chu Zhao Wang passed through the Yangtze River, see the surface of the river there are floating, for a kind of white inside red sweet food. King Zhao of Chu consulted Confucius, who said, "This is the fruit of floating ping pong, and it is an omen of revival for the Lord". Because this day is the 15th day of the first month, every day after this day, King Zhao ordered his men to imitate this fruit with the surface, and hawthorn made of red stuffing cooked and eaten, which is the prototype of today's Lantern Festival. Since then, the Lantern Festival to eat Lantern has become a traditional custom.

? The fourth custom of the Lantern Festival: lovers meet?

The Lantern Festival is also a romantic festival , Lantern Festival lanterns in the feudal traditional society, but also to unmarried men and women to meet to provide an opportunity, the traditional society of young girls are not allowed to go out to free activities, but the festival can be accompanied by a trip out to play, Lantern Festival Lantern Festival is just an opportunity to fellowship, unmarried men and women. The Lantern Festival is an opportunity for unmarried men and women to look for a partner for themselves by enjoying the lanterns. During the Lantern Festival, it is also a time for young men and women to meet their lovers.

In Taiwan, there are also unmarried women in the Lantern Festival night to pick onions or vegetables will be married to a good husband of the traditional custom, commonly known as: "Stealing onions, marrying a good inibs," "Stealing vegetables, marrying a good son-in-law," hoping that the marriage of the girl to be successful in the night of the Lantern Festival to the garden to steal picking onions or greens, and hope that the girl Stealing green onions or vegetables, looking forward to the future of family happiness, the lantern market in the Tang Dynasty also appeared in the music and dance performance, thousands of courtesans, folk girls singing and dancing under the lights, called singing, treading songs.

Ouyang Xiu (Sheng Chazi) cloud: last year's New Year's Eve, the flower market lights like a book; the moon on the top of the willow, people after dusk. Xin Qiji(The Case of the Green Jade) wrote: "I have been searching for it for thousands of degrees, and when I look back, the person is at the end of the lights". It is to describe the situation on the night of the Lantern Festival, and the traditional opera Chen San and Wuniang is in the Lantern Festival lanterns into the encounter and love at first sight, Lechang Gongwen and Xu Deyan in the Lantern Festival night to reunite the mirror, the Spring Lanterns Riddle Yuwen Yan and Ying Niang in the Lantern Festival engaged in love. So the Lantern Festival is also China's "Valentine's Day".

Traditional Chinese festivals and customs have adapted to the comprehensive needs of the general public in Chinese society in terms of material, spiritual, ethical and aesthetic aspects. At the level of material life, traditional Chinese festivals feature many foods unique to different festivals. During the Lantern Festival, the whole family eats soup dumplings together, which are similar in sound to the word "reunion" and symbolize reunion and harmony.