How did the ancients "make trouble" on the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month? When did the Lantern Festival begin to be noisy?

According to legend, the Lantern Festival was celebrated by Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty to commemorate the suppression of the "Zhu Lu Rebellion". He deeply felt that peace and prosperity were hard-won, and designated the 15th day of the first month to quell the "Zhu-Lu Rebellion" as the day of having fun with the people. Since then, the fifteenth day of the first month has become a folk festival celebrated all over the world-the Lantern Festival.

Lantern Festival has been passed down for more than 2,000 years, also known as Shangyuan Festival, Yuanye and Lantern Festival, and it is the last important festival of China Spring Festival. The Spring Festival, from the closing of New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival, is a process in which people constantly expand their activities and interpersonal relationships.

The fifteenth day of the first month is Lantern Festival.

1, eat Yuanxiao

Eating Yuanxiao on the fifteenth day of the first month is a material way to make Yuanxiao. As a kind of food, Yuanxiao has a long history in China. Legend has it that eating Yuanxiao began in the Song Dynasty. It's called Yuanxiao in the north and Tangyuan in the south. A novel food called "Floating Zi Yuan" was very popular in the Song Dynasty, which was specially eaten during the Lantern Festival. Merchants called it "Yuanbao", and later it was officially renamed "Yuanxiao".

Step 2 hang lanterns

There is a folk proverb, "Thirty nights of fire, fifteen nights of lights", which refers to the grand occasion of hanging lights everywhere on the fifteenth night of the first month. This is why the Lantern Festival is also called the Lantern Festival.

According to the folk tradition in China, the moon is hung high on the fifteenth night of the first month, and all kinds of lanterns are hung in the streets, meeting places and doorways, whether in cities or rural areas. There are many kinds of lanterns in the Lantern Festival, or image lanterns made by imitating things, such as dragon lanterns, tiger lanterns and rabbit lanterns. Or according to folk stories, such as Cowherd and Weaver Girl, Twenty-four Filial Piety, etc. To show the national spirit of loyalty, filial piety and righteousness; There are palace lanterns, animal lanterns, lanterns, flower and bird lanterns, dragon and phoenix lanterns, fish and insect lanterns and so on. All kinds of lanterns are beautifully made, showing the wisdom and skills of craftsmen, and using lanterns to show the "excitement" of the Lantern Festival to the fullest!

The custom of hanging lanterns began in the Eastern Han Dynasty and was popular in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. During Yongping period, Emperor Hanming advocated Buddhism, which coincided with Cai Mao's return from Indian seeking Buddha. He said that in Mohatuo, India, on the fifteenth day of the first month, monks gathered to pay tribute to the Buddhist relics, which was an auspicious day to participate in Buddhism. In order to promote Buddhism, Emperor Hanming ordered "burning lamps to show Buddha" in palaces and temples on the fifteenth night of the first month. Later, the custom of putting lights on the Lantern Festival spread to the people.

The folk hanging lanterns originated from a beautiful legend. In ancient times, a hunter shot and killed a god goose. The Jade Emperor was furious when he heard the news. He wanted to avenge the God Goose and prepare to burn the world on the fifteenth day of the first month. A kind fairy came to the world in secret to tell people the news. People decided to hang red lanterns and set off fireworks in every household around the fifteenth day of the first month. When the heavenly soldiers came down to earth and saw the fire, they thought it was already burning, so they stopped going down to the underworld and directly visited the jade emperor, and the world was spared. Since then, every household hangs lanterns and sets off fireworks every day, and the urban and rural areas are brightly lit all night.

3. Look at these lanterns

Watching lanterns is one of the most important traditional entertainment activities in the Lantern Festival. In ancient times, no matter in urban or rural areas, every household hung lanterns on the fifteenth day of the first month, and decorated with lanterns everywhere, which was an unprecedented scene of prosperity. At this time, no matter the royal family or ordinary people, they can break the routine and enjoy the lights everywhere without restriction. Watching lanterns is also called watching lanterns, which means seeing all kinds of lanterns hanging everywhere in the air.

Generally, after eating Yuanxiao, a family or a group of people stroll along the corner where lanterns are hung, and watch, appreciate and comment on lanterns, or go to the place where lanterns are hung, and watch, appreciate and comment on lanterns while enjoying the moon. Watching lanterns was not an exclusive activity of Lantern Festival at first. In the Han Dynasty, Emperor Hanming advocated Buddhism and ordered lanterns to be lit in palaces and temples to pay tribute to the Buddha. This was originally intended to promote Buddhism, but it was unintentional. As a result, it has become an entertainment for the people and the government.

Step 4 send lanterns

Sending lanterns is also called sending children lanterns, also called lotus lanterns, or "sending lanterns" for short. That is, before the Lantern Festival, the bride's family will send lanterns to her newly-married daughter's home, or ordinary relatives and friends will give them to her newly-married infertile family, so as to increase Ding's good luck, because lanterns are homophonic with Ding, and I hope that her daughter's home will be auspicious, imported and prosperous in the new year. If the daughter is pregnant, in addition to the big palace lantern, one or two pairs of small lanterns will be sent to wish her a safe pregnancy. This custom exists in many places. For example, in Xi 'an, Shaanxi, lanterns will be set off from the eighth to the fifteenth day of the first month. In the first year, a pair of palace lanterns and a pair of painted glass lanterns were presented. I hope my daughter will be lucky after marriage and have children early.

In addition, some people think that sending lanterns means that children are expected to have fun together in this national festival.

5, put the sky lantern

Setting off sky lanterns is a signal that people use to set off sky lanterns to report each other's safety after fleeing bandits. Because the day when people take refuge and go home is the Lantern Festival, people celebrate it every year with the ceremony of putting up sky lanterns, so it is also called "blessing lantern" or "safety lantern". Later, it gradually evolved into a folk activity of praying for the Lantern Festival and wishing for heaven. My heart was full of all kinds of prayers and good wishes, hoping that the sky lantern would go to heaven and bring people unlimited light and hope.

6. Solve the riddle on the lantern

Solving riddles on lanterns, also known as playing riddles, is a unique traditional folk activity with rich national style in China, and it is an elegant Lantern Festival custom spread since ancient times. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, lanterns and fireworks are hung in urban and rural areas. Later, those entertaining literati began to write some famous poems on it for people to watch.

Later, for entertainment, scholars made a fuss about poetry, improved ordinary poetry into works with riddles, wrote riddles on paper, stuck them on colorful lanterns for people to guess, and some of them were written directly on lanterns, and then let the guessing people guess, which not only made education entertaining, but also added a lot of festive atmosphere, and gradually became an indispensable custom of the Lantern Festival.

7. play with dragon lanterns

Playing dragon lantern is also called dragon lantern dance or dragon dance, also called dragon lantern dance. The dragon is an ancient god beast in China. Playing dragon lanterns has been very popular since ancient times, and its origin can be traced back to ancient times. Legend has it that during the period of the Yellow Emperor, in a large-scale song and dance called "Qingjiao", there was an image of a leading bird played by a man, and then six dragons were arranged to dance with each other. In the Han Dynasty, Zhang Heng vividly described the dragon dance when describing hundreds of operas in Xijing Fu. Since the Han dynasty, playing with dragon lanterns has continued until now.

Another legend is that there was a drought in the Tang Dynasty and many people drowned in Chang 'an. The Jade Emperor ordered Wei Zhi to cut off the head of the Dragon King. From then on, the Dragon King haunted the palace every night, which frightened Li Shimin, king of the Tang Dynasty. So he asked the ministers for advice, and they thought that he should cross over the Dragon King, so there was a folk custom of playing dragon lanterns on the Lantern Festival. Dragon lanterns are generally made of bamboo, colored paper and cloth. , and the number of sections is odd, up to tens of feet. One is called "Dragon Lantern" for saving energy and lighting candles, and the other is called "Bulong" for not lighting candles.

When dancing the dragon, the leading dancer holds the tap, and dozens of people hold wooden sticks and are closely connected with the dragon body. Then, the whole dragon runs along the prescribed route and queues up with the music. The dragon seems to be alive, and the people beg for good weather and abundant crops.

Lion dance, also known as lion dance and lion dance lantern, is often performed in festivals and festive activities. In the eyes of China people, the lion is an auspicious animal, symbolizing good luck, and pinning the people's good wishes to eliminate disasters and seek good luck. The lion dancer is covered with a lion quilt, wearing green lion pants and golden claw boots of the same color as the lion's body. People can't recognize the lion dancer's body, and its shape is very similar to that of a real lion. The lion guide dressed as an ancient warrior, holding a spinning hydrangea with Beijing gongs, drums and cymbals to tease the lion. Under the guidance of "Lion Lang", lions perform somersaults, jumps, climbs, bows down and other techniques, as well as some difficult movements such as walking plum blossom piles, jumping on tables and stepping on bowling balls.

The Chinese nation advocates dragons and lions. Both the dragon and the lion are mascots in China, such as the lion rolling hydrangea and the two dragons playing with pearls. Lion and dragon dancing is actually a blessing activity. During the Lantern Festival, people not only play with dragon lanterns, but also dance with lions, only in the way of dancing, there are differences between civil and military. Folk dance shows the gentleness of the lion, shaking its hair and rolling, while Wushu lion shows the fierceness of the lion, prancing, pedaling and rolling colored balls. The ancients used this to pray for the blessing of dragons and the protection of lions, to eliminate disasters and seek happiness, to ensure good weather, happiness and well-being, and to increase happiness and prosperity.

Step 8 walk on stilts

Walking on stilts is a popular folk performance, which is called Liu Mu Leg in some places. It is one of hundreds of ancient dramas in China, which appeared as early as the Spring and Autumn Period. Liezifu said: those who had orchids in the Song Dynasty used their skills to dry the Song and Yuan Dynasties. Summoned in the Song and Yuan Dynasties to see their skills. This is the earliest stilt walking book in China. It is said that stilt walking is a kind of stilt walking activity developed from the picking work that the ancients tied two long sticks to their legs in order to collect wild fruits from trees for food.

Every Lantern Festival, people will organize a group of people to walk on stilts to increase the festive atmosphere. Before the performance, the performer should tie a long wooden stick to his leg, not only to stand and walk as usual, but also to perform some difficult movements such as jumping and sword dancing. Stilts are generally divided into three forms: stilts, middle stilts and running stilts.

9. Row a dry boat

Rowing a dry boat, also known as running a dry boat, is to imitate a boat and perform various stories on land. Dry boats are very popular in many areas of China. In the past, most people who performed roller skating were girls, and now there are also men who perform roller skating.

According to folklore, canoeing is a folk performance gradually developed to commemorate Dayu's meritorious service in water control. Rowing is not really rowing on land, nor is it a real boat. Generally, two thin wooden boards are sawn into a boat shape, tied with bamboo and wood, covered with colored cloth and tied around the performer's waist, just like sitting on a boat, rowing with paddles in hand, singing and jumping while running. This is boating. Sometimes another person will dress up as a boatman and perform with him. Most men dress up as clowns and amuse the audience with various antics. Dry boats are very popular in many areas of China.

10, yangko

Yangko is a representative form of folk dance. Mainly popular in northern China. Generally, dancers dress up as various figures and dance with fans, handkerchiefs or colored silk. In some areas, stilts, dry boats, bamboo lanterns, flower drums and other forms of song and dance are commonly known as yangko. Whenever the fifteenth day of the first month, many places in the north will dance yangko to celebrate, adding a lot of festive atmosphere.

1 1, fireworks

The custom of setting off fireworks on the fifteenth day of the first month is the same as the origin of hanging lanterns.

12, Lantern Festival

Ouyang Xiu wrote in Yuan, a property inspector: "On the night of January last year, the flower market was full of lights. At the end of the month, it is about dusk. On the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month of this year, the moonlight and lights are still the same as last year. I didn't see it last year, tears wet the sleeves of the spring shirt. " Xin Qiji wrote in "Jade Case Yuan Xi": "Many people searched for it for thousands of times, and suddenly looked back, and that person was in the dim light." All of the above are descriptions of midnight snack. The Chinese opera Chen San and Wu Niang met at the Lantern Festival and fell in love at first sight. Princess Lechang and Xu Deyan were at the second supper. In "Spring Lantern Riddle", Yu and ying niang got engaged on the Lantern Festival. In fact, this is a kind of feeling that comes from meeting and getting to know each other during the Lantern Festival. We call it the Lantern Festival. Of course, some people call it Valentine's Day in ancient China.

13, walking all diseases

Walking away from all diseases, also known as roasting all diseases, dispersing all diseases, swimming all diseases and taking the bridge, is a custom in the north since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and is considered to be a blessing for disaster relief. During the Lantern Festival (some are on the 15th day of the first month, most of them are on the 16th day of the first month), women put on holiday costumes, walk together, go out of the house and play nine songs to get rid of all diseases. Or when you see the bridge, you must go to the suburbs, or cross the bridge to the countryside, or lean against the wall in the city and beg for children until midnight or even all night, and then go home, thinking that this can drive away diseases and disasters and prolong life.

14, providing doors and households

There were "seven sacrifices" in ancient times, and the door and the door were two of them. The method of sacrifice is to put poplar branches on the door, put a pair of chopsticks in a bowl filled with bean porridge, or put wine and meat directly in front of the door.

On the Lantern Festival, branches of poplars are inserted on the door, symbolizing the birth of yang. There is also a custom in ancient times, that is, on the day of Shangyuan Festival, poplar branches were inserted on the doors of every household, indicating that trees germinated in spring. "Yang" and "Yang" are homonyms with the same meaning. In this way, people greet this pure, selfless and innocent yang energy like babies, expecting that the yang energy between heaven and earth can continue to grow. With its pure energy, everything grows, grains and vegetables grow, trees and flowers grow for people to use, so as to better safeguard and preserve our lives.

15, mouse after mouse.

This was a very extravagant activity in ancient times. Because mice often eat silkworms in large areas at night, it is said that they can stop eating silkworms by feeding them rice porridge on the fifteenth day of the first month. So, these silkworm farmers cooked a big pot of sticky porridge on the fifteenth day of the first month. After the white rice is cooked, some of them cover it with a layer of meat, put porridge in bowls, put it on the ceiling and corner where mice haunt, muttering something and cursing mice. If you want to eat silkworm babies again, you will die a natural death!

It's interesting to think about this custom of the ancients now, but it's a pity that the food is glistening. Modern people have plenty of rat poison and rat traps!

16, Yingzi Valley

Zi Gu is a kind and poor girl in folklore. On the fifteenth day of the first month, Zi Gu died of poverty. People sympathize with her and miss her. In some places, it is convenient to have the custom of "welcoming the daughter-in-law on the fifteenth day of the first month". Every night, people tie a life-size portrait of purple aunt with straw and cloth heads. Women have stood beside the toilet, pigsty and kitchen where Zigu often works to meet her, holding her hand like sisters, telling her sweet words and comforting her with tears. This scene is very vivid and truly reflects the thoughts and feelings of the working people who are kind, honest and sympathetic to the weak.

Since ancient times, Lantern Festival has been dominated by warm and festive customs of watching lanterns, and its deepest significance lies in the national carnival behind these customs! It is the only traditional festival in China that has abolished all the bans since ancient times. In this festival, people can be crazy regardless of gender, class, wealth, officials and people, urban and rural areas and regions, and everyone can find their own happiness in it. It is a veritable carnival in ancient China!