What are the traditional beginning of spring customs in ancient China?

beginning of spring custom-compassionate probation

In ancient China, before beginning of spring, there were acts of reducing or exempting prisoners' punishment and giving them pity and pension. In the Book of Rites and the Moon Order, it is written: "The fate of Bude and the order, the celebration and the benefit, and the trillion people. Sacrifice is useless, logging is forbidden, nests are not allowed, children, insects, fetuses and birds are not killed, and eggs are not allowed. " When Emperor Wen, Emperor Zhang and Ming Di were in power in the Han Dynasty, they often issued imperial edicts to support prisoners, reduce punishment and relieve loneliness. For example, in the second year of Emperor Yuanhe of the Han Dynasty, he once issued an imperial edict for three days: "Fang Chun gave birth to a child, and everything should be improved. It is advisable to help Mengyang, so as to educate things at the time. It is necessary to have a division, and the crime is not fatal. Don't check the case, tell the officials about it, and don't listen to it. I hope to make peace and respect the weather." The ancients believed that the sun be the spirit in spring, everything began to grow, if only human beings were excluded, it would be unreasonable, so the Book of Rites has the sentence of "Soliton in Spring". In the Spring and Autumn Period, there are also five elements of water control: "beginning of spring went out to be light and complicated, went to detention, except tied oranges, opened and closed worshippers, blocked obstacles, kept young and lonely, and regretted being alone." These all have the meaning of education according to the times.

Therefore, in the custom of ancient beginning of spring, officials at all levels often deal with all the backlog cases one by one one one week before the beginning of spring, and according to the seriousness of the case, some criminals who are guilty of "non-lethal crimes" will be given a reduced punishment as appropriate, in order to cheer people up and increase the population. Those who turn themselves in are allowed to repent and turn over a new leaf as a sign of renewal.

beginning of spring custom-welcoming the spring

In beginning of spring custom, the day before beginning of spring, it is necessary to welcome the spring first. Spring brings everything to life. The ancients called farming spring and busy farming spring. "Book Biography" records: "Nothing happens in the cold winter, and people get along with each other. Since spring is on, Ding Zhuang is successful." Huang Tingjian wrote in a poem: "The countryside is just busy in spring." Spring is also the season of sowing, so when it comes to cultivated land, it should also be called spring ploughing.

beginning of spring's customary cultivation welcomes the spring

China is an agricultural country and attaches great importance to festivals. The etiquette of welcoming the Spring was recorded in the Moon Order, which was gradually perfected by the time of Emperor Han Ming in the East, and later generations even listed it as a ritual. Local officials also held a Spring Festival ceremony in beginning of spring the day before. In the folk, the ceremony of welcoming the Spring is even more grand and enthusiastic. On the one hand, its purpose is to persuade farming and pay attention to the birth of June 1 ST, on the other hand, it shows that people should cherish the glory and not live up to the best season of the year.

Spring custom-horse riding

Horse riding in beginning of spring custom is horse racing, which was popular in Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty. At that time, someone said, "You don't need to know words when you are born, and fighting cocks will win the study." Northerners have been fond of riding horses since ancient times because of their geographical terrain.

beginning of spring custom-Cuju

Cuju was very popular in ancient times. According to legend, it originated from the Yellow Emperor and was also a custom in beginning of spring. "Historical Records": "When you are behind, you will bow." "Later Han Dynasty": "Six Bo Cuju." There are twenty-five articles about at bow in History of Arts and Literature, and Yan Shigu wrote in his notes: "Bowing with Wei (leather) is a matter of fact, and kicking is a play. The matter of cuju Chen Li was attached to the art of war in the past. " "Tai Ping Yu Lan" quoted "Sancang Jiehua" as saying: "Bow, hair pill, can play."

cuju is playing football today. In the Han Dynasty, when playing this kind of game, you had to dig a hole in the ground and kick the ball into it. Because the ball easily ran to other places and needed to be chased hard, you had to dig a boundary line to show the limit. (See Biography of Lady Qi and Biography of Huo Qubing in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty.) There were special stadiums in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, which were wide and flat, no different from today's stadiums. When making a bow, insert two bamboo poles with a height of several tens of feet into the ground, and use a net to net the bamboo poles as the goal, and the one who can kick the goal will win. The players are divided into left and right teams and play against each other. There is also an entertainment called stepping on the ball, that is, stepping on the ball with your feet and running around the corner. "Tang Yulin Volume 5": "Today, musicians have the scene of playing the ball, making colored wooden balls, which are one or two feet high, and female prostitutes climb to the top. The ball turns around and goes back and forth, and all goes well, which is also the legacy of Gaigu. " In the Ming Dynasty, Wang Yuncheng wrote "Cuju Atlas", and the rules listed above are very detailed, involving many detailed rules such as dividing left and right teams, goals, social rules and kicking methods. By Lin 'an in the Southern Song Dynasty, all clubs had played cuju.

beginning of spring custom-Chuntai Opera

Various recreational activities are held by people all over the country to welcome the spring, which bodes well. People set up a stage in an open place, gather funds to invite a troupe to perform, and pray for prosperity, which is called Spring Stage Play. After selling beginning of spring in spring, the weather is getting warmer and warmer, which often makes people easy to sleep with and feel lazy. Children should get up early on the day of the beginning of spring, shouting, "Selling Spring Sleepiness!" To cheer up. In the Song Dynasty, Lu You wrote the poem "Old Potato": "You don't need to sell it from now on, but sleep until the sun rises three feet." In addition, there is "Book of the Year", "Selling sleepy children starts from the fifth watch", and after the poem, there is a self-explanatory note: "beginning of spring is unknown, and it is also old-fashioned to call for' selling sleepy spring'.

beginning of spring custom-the son of heaven plows

In ancient times, the son of heaven and the princes all had the etiquette of plowing their fields, which was also one of the customs in beginning of spring. Precision field is a field cultivated by the emperors of ancient times who requisitioned people's power. According to ancient books, the son of heaven has a thousand acres of refined fields and a hundred acres of princes. "The Book of Rites and the Moon Order" contains about Meng Chun: "It's the moon, and the son of heaven prayed to God for the moon. Yuan Chen was chosen, and the son of heaven personally carried him to rake him, so he took measures in the imperial room of the insured interface, and he was handsome, a doctor of three princes and nine princes, and devoted himself to the emperor. The son of heaven pushes three times, and three times and five times. Qing princes pushed nine times. " Baojie, that is, armor; Ginseng is the horse you ride. Warriors wear armor to protect the king, and farm tools are placed between horses and drivers. When Emperor Wendi and Emperor Jingdi were in the Han Dynasty, imperial edicts were issued one after another, announcing that the whole country "joined hands in ploughing to give Su Sheng to the ancestral temple" and said that "joining hands in ploughing is the best in the world".

from then on, the emperor Yu Lichun personally cultivated in the refined fields, offering sacrifices to the first farmers, and also built refined grain warehouses, and used all the collected grains as sacrifices, that is, food for sacrifice. Since then, generations have followed this rule, with only a small difference in time, either in the first month or in February. Emperor Zhang of Han Dynasty, Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty and Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty all used the first month, while Emperor Han and Emperor Wu of Qi used February.

in the Qing dynasty, from the fifth year of Yongzheng, the capital and all the governments, prefectures and counties had to choose clean and lush fields in the eastern suburbs of the local area to build the first agricultural altar. There are four acres and nine cents in the altar, a head of oxen and a pair of farm tools. Two hardworking and cautious farmers are selected, exempted from their duties, given rations as appropriate, and let them guard irrigation in the agricultural altar. The income from the field is used as a sacrifice, thinking that Su Sheng. Every February, choose a auspicious day, at dawn. The local venerable elders and farmers' representatives, led by officials, paid homage at the Xiannong altar. After the sacrifice, the officials took off their embroidered robes and made nine gifts in accordance with Jiuqing's farming regulations. The farm tools were red, the cows were black and the seed boxes were blue. In the county, the magistrate of a county helped plough, planted the classics, and one venerable old man led the cows, playing the ceremony and music to celebrate the bumper harvest. Finally, the farmer plowed all the fields, and all the seeds used should be carefully selected according to the local land nature. The ceremony was very grand.

beginning of spring custom-managing farm tools

After beginning of spring, farming will begin soon. Farmers must sort out farm tools, tidy up those that can be used, and re-purchase those that cannot be used. In the Song Dynasty, Lu You wrote a poem: "beginning of spring was the first to manage agricultural machinery at the age of new drama." When farmers test farm tools, they beat drums to celebrate, which is called long seedling drum, in order to hope that the seedlings will grow well and the harvest will be rich.

beginning of spring custom-beekeeping

After beginning of spring. The weather is getting warmer and warmer, and plants are budding and blooming. At this time, the bees that had been lurking in the nest for the winter will gradually start to move. Therefore, it is necessary to check and tidy up the hive recently, and prepare all the appliances needed for cutting honey and packing, such as the hive, relay box, partition board, bee trap, bee broom, smoker, mask, gloves, honey cutter, queen bee cage and bait feeder, so that all the work can be carried out smoothly. As for those who just started beekeeping, they don't have much experience. Management is immature, and it is especially convenient to start in spring. Because of the mild weather, even a small negligence will not easily lead to failure.

beginning of spring custom-chewing spring

beginning of spring eats spring cakes and lettuce, commonly known as chewing spring, biting spring or tasting spring. In the Tang Dynasty, beginning of spring had the custom of making spring dishes on this day. "Four Seasons Treasures" contains: "On beginning of spring Day, people in the Tang Dynasty made spring cakes and lettuce, and the number was spring plate." Du Fu wrote in "beginning of spring": "Fine lettuce was served in spring, and suddenly I remembered that when two Beijing plums were served, the high gate was set out for White King, and the vegetable-handed hands fled the moss." There is a poem in Cen Can: "Runan looks far away and goes to the spring festival early." In the Song Dynasty, Su Shi said, "Green storage and Huang Fei try the spring festival." The Jin Dynasty Yuan also asked questions: "The Li Society is eager to compete in the spring, and the red glow moves Chun Qing." These poems are intended to welcome the new year.

In the past, on the day of beginning of spring, the imperial court presented it to the courtiers with a spring plate, which was exquisitely made. This was true in the Song Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty. (Song Shi Li Zhi) records: "beginning of spring gave a spring dinner." < Yan Dou Travel Notes: "Every beginning of spring Day, at the noon gate, give Baiguan spring cakes." According to the Records of the Years of Ganchun, the spring dishes made by Houyuan are worth tens of thousands of dollars each. Feng Yingjing wrote in "The Broad Sense of the Moon Order": "Spring pancake makers, thin agents melt vegetables and meat to wrap food." Jiangnan is commonly known as spring rolls, which are mostly fried in an oil pan, and some are baked into pancakes with flour and eaten by rolling things, so they are also called pancakes. "Suiyuan Recipe" has: "Shandong Kongfan Taiwan family, making pancakes, as thin as cicada wings, as big as a tea tray, soft and greasy." There is also: "Qin people make small Xixiong, which contains 3 cakes, one can for each guest. The cakes are as small as oranges, and the males have a cover. They can store stuffing, use fried shredded pork, which is as thin as hair, and onions are the same, and pigs and sheep can use it together." In recent years, sophisticated people use ham, shrimp, chicken, crab powder, winter bamboo shoots and shredded pork as fillings to make spring cakes for entertaining guests, which is particularly popular.

beginning of spring custom-biting the spring

Radishes for spring consumption are mostly sown in the late autumn of last year. Radish root hypertrophy, sweet and crisp, red color can also wake up with qi, phlegm and heat, fitness and beauty. Radish is best eaten raw. The more juice, the better the effect. Suffering from stomach acid, it is best to eat raw carrots every meal, especially fresh and tender ones. In northern China, eating radish is popular in beginning of spring, which is said to relieve the spring sleep. "Notes on Poems Collected in the North of the City" says that Beijing's customs all eat radishes in beginning of spring, which is called biting spring. At this time, often in the middle of the night, there are still people selling radishes in the market and shouting "Better than crisp pears!" Peng Yunzhang's "Youzhou Folk Songs Bite Spring" reads: "Radish is pungent, and its name is biting spring. This is the root meaning of the ancient people's dishes. You can be ashamed to eat ten thousand dollars, eat ten thousand dollars, and play games. You are drunk when you are singing, and you can't go to the water's edge of the mountain village, and you are asleep in ninety years. Spring people who know the taste of spring. "

beginning of spring custom-connecting spring

Cinnamomum camphora leaves are the leaves of Cinnamomum camphora, which are warm and fragrant. Burning camphor leaves can ward off evil spirits, remove moisture and kill insects. Today, people in eastern Zhejiang burn camphor tree leaves in the courtyard, making them squeaky. It is said that it can dispel yin evil, commonly known as receiving spring, also known as beacon spring.

beginning of spring custom-simmering spring tea

is mild and bitter in nature. Drinking tea can clear away heat, reduce fire, promote digestion, wake up, cure diseases and sores, facilitate urination, remove phlegm and heat, stop dampness, make people sleep less, and treat fatigue neurasthenia. Decocting tea into thick juice can help spit out wind-heat phlegm and saliva. Tea juice has a powerful bactericidal function, and drinking it often can prevent infectious diseases. Cooking tea today is intended to reach the sun's spirit and cheer up, commonly known as simmering spring.

beginning of spring custom-cutting flowers and colors

Trimming colored paper to take it as the image of flowers and fruits was very developed in the Han Dynasty. Wang Fu in the Eastern Han Dynasty once ridiculed the cost of colorful flowers in "On the Hidden Husband", which shows that the ribbon-cutting was popular at that time. Xinyejun clan in Jin Dynasty cut flowers, made hibiscus flowers from dyed silk, twisted wax into the shape of lotus root, and the cut plum blossoms were more like real things. Emperor Hui of Jin once ordered the maids to insert colorful medulla tetrapanacis into the bun as decoration. The folk customs in Jingchu area are all cut out and put on their heads on the day of the beginning of spring. Under the system of the Tang Dynasty, officials in beginning of spring who were officials of the Japanese Langguan and the Imperial censor or above were given "a win in spring" and "a win in gold and silver" for Zaifu, the prince and the near minister, and they could take them home after they entered the palace to pay their respects. Folk ribbon-cutting is made into a spring pan to replace it on the head. Between Tang Zhongzong and the Year of the Loong, beginning of spring cut the ribbon at sunrise; Beginning of spring, the eighth day of the first month of the fourth year of Jinglong. Zhongzong ordered the courtiers to welcome the Spring Festival, and Ouchi sent colored flowers, and each person was given one. "Youyang Miscellaneous Sister" contains: "beginning of spring Day, the home of scholar-officials, paper-cutting is a small broadcast, or hanging in the first place of beauty. Or put it under the flowers, and cut it for the spring butterfly, spring and money. " The custom remained unchanged until the Song Dynasty. Ouyang Xiu wrote in a poem: "* * * I'm happy that the swallow has come." Wang Zeng wrote in "Spring Post": "Caiyan Yingchun people fly." On this day in beginning of spring, Lin 'an, Southern Song Dynasty, women all like to sow in spring and win in spring, with golden thread and different colors. Made into Ziyan Huang Die and so on, for giving to relatives and friends.

beginning of spring custom-pasting the word "Spring"

The word "Yichun" is pasted on the lintel to indicate the good fortune of the New Year.

beginning of spring custom-shaping local cattle

Children sculpt small local cattle, which is intended to praise the diligence and strength of spring cattle.

beginning of spring custom-tug-of-war

tug-of-war, that is, towing a hook, is a towing hook. Originally, it was a custom in Jingchu area. In the Tang Dynasty, I was berthed, and I heard about it: "Tug-of-war is called pulling the hook in ancient times. The custom of Xiang Han is often to look at the sun in the first month. According to legend, Chu will attack Wu to teach war. In ancient times, cables were despised, but today people use hemp ropes, which are forty or fifty feet long and are tied with hundreds of small ropes at both ends. Divide into two friends, and hold each other together. When you are in the middle of the rope, set up a flag as the boundary, beat drums and shout, so that each other can pull, and those who give up will win, and those who lose will be called tug-of-war. " It flourished in the Jin and Tang Dynasties. Soldiers, ladies-in-waiting, prime ministers, generals, etc. in the Tang Dynasty used this as a play. "Book of the Tang Dynasty, Volume 5, Military Records": "The six armies are all residents of the city. The rich sell and add color and eat pulp, while the strong are the plays of corner-to-corner, tug-of-war, lifting wood and carrying iron. And Lushan rebellion, you can't accept armor. " "The Book of the Tang Dynasty, Volume 4, Zetian Benji" has: "Jinglong was ugly in February of the third year, and the queen was fortunate to announce Wumen, watching the palace maid tug of war and playing for the palace market." In four years, Jinglong "tugged at the tug-of-war with the queen's concubine and the palace master, and watched more than three products." By the time of Zhongzong and Xuanzong, the tug-of-war was even larger, with as many as a thousand people holding ropes, and the voices were loud and the viewers were horrified. Hedong Xue Sheng, who was admitted as a scholar at that time, wrote Tug-of-War Fu, which was used to record the spectacular scene at that time and was circulated by everyone.

tug-of-war in beginning of spring custom

beginning of spring custom-Spring Rebellion

People in ancient times held weddings. Mostly in the spring, the Book of Songs has the sentence "Peach dies" and "It is appropriate to stay at home". Beginning of spring is the day when everything is rejuvenated. Those who have lost their time in getting married before can hold a wedding today, in order to bring spring to the world and bring forth all things. Guangzhou area is commonly known as the Spring Chaos.

beginning of spring custom-crown ceremony

Crown ceremony is the beginning of etiquette, so we must be respectful and cautious. In ancient times, a man was crowned at the age of 2, indicating that he was qualified as an adult. You can get married or be an official. As for folk customs, when a man reaches the age of fifteen, he can hold a crown ceremony at the beginning of the year, the Qingming Festival and the winter solstice, and pay homage to the ancestral hall of heaven and earth and the monarch. For the sake of convenience, those who have reached marriageable age and are about to get married can also hold a crown ceremony at the same time as the wedding season. Therefore, it is also possible to hold a crown ceremony on beginning of spring Day, which means that the three suns will open up Thailand and everything will be renewed, and it also places good wishes on young men to be brave and enterprising.

beginning of spring custom-plum blossom letter

This month it is commonly known as plum blossom letter. Twenty-four times a year in Hua Xinfeng, Meixin was the earliest. Chun Mei's opening hours vary from place to place because of the climate and land, and it began to bloom after beginning of spring. In modern times, Luofu Mountain in Huizhou, Guangdong, Dagengling in Nanxiong, Fujian, Meihua Mountain in Quanzhou, Guilin, Guangxi, Caotang and Baihuatan in Chengdu, Sichuan are all famous for plum blossoms. In addition, in the cemetery in Nanjing, Meiyuan in Wuxi, Dengwei Mountain in Suzhou, and Gushan and Chaoshan in Hangzhou, at the beginning of spring, plum blossoms are in full bloom, red, English and green, and so on. It can be called a fragrant country.