What does the god of heaven mean?

The 25th day of the first month, commonly known as "Valley Irrigation Festival", is a festival symbolizing the harvest of the Han people in the new year. The "Warehouse Filling Festival" is also called "Tiancang Festival" because of the homonym of "filling" and "sky". There are two kinds of warehouses in Xiaotian. The 20th day of the first lunar month is Xiaotian Cang, and the 25th day of the first lunar month is God Cang, which is a traditional folk festival. Some people say that Tiancang Festival is a day of offering sacrifices to stars, while others say it is a day of offering sacrifices to the earth or grinding the gods. The so-called warehouse filling is to fill up the barn.

English name

FillpositionsInsection

background introduction

Gathering festival

In the Song Dynasty, Mr. Meng Yuan wrote in Dream of China in Tokyo: "On the 25th day of the first month, people go to the market for mutton, but it is difficult for guests to stay. After all, they left and they were appointed to fill the position. " "Filling positions" means filling positions. According to legend, there has been a drought in the north for three consecutive years, with thousands of miles of bare land and no crops. However, regardless of the lives of the people, the emperor still forced the imperial grain, which led to famine and starvation for years, especially at the end of the year, when the poor were cornered. In this way, the granary official who showed the emperor food resolutely opened the royal granary to help the victims and set fire to the granary on the 25th day of the first month. In order to commemorate this granary official, later generations scattered plant ash into a circular granary every morning, some of which were decorated with lace and auspicious words, and sprinkled grains in the granary to symbolize the bumper harvest of grains, in order to express people's deep affection for filling the granary and saving the granary official. Now these customs have disappeared, but the story of filling warehouses has been passed down from generation to generation, reminding people to clean warehouses, dry seeds, renovate farm tools and prepare for spring ploughing from this day. The 25th day of the first lunar month is the day of replacement. On that day, grain merchants and rice vendors offered sacrifices to God. Farmers sprinkle firewood ashes on the ground, put seeds of various crops in them, and cover them with tiles, praying for good weather and good harvests in Man Cang. There is also the custom of filling small warehouses on the twentieth day of the first month. The festival of filling is divided into two festivals: small filling and big filling. Small positions will be filled on the 20th of the first month, and large positions will be filled on the 25th of the first month. Nowadays, many places, big or small, celebrate the Lantern Festival on the 23rd day of the first month. At dawn on the 25th day of the first month, every household in their yard or threshing floor uses screened cooking ash to evacuate grain depots of different sizes and put some grains in them, symbolizing a bumper harvest. According to folklore, the filling of warehouses on the 25th day of the first month is to commemorate a kind and unknown warehouse official. Gathering festival

The 25th day of the first month, commonly known as "Valley Irrigation Festival", is a festival symbolizing the harvest of the Han people in the new year. The so-called warehouse filling is to fill up the barn. At the dawn of this day, every household scatters grain hoards of different sizes in their own yards or threshing floors, and puts some whole grains on the screened cooking ashes, symbolizing a bumper harvest of grains. According to folklore, the filling of warehouses on the 25th day of the first month is to commemorate a kind and unknown warehouse official.

The origin of festivals

In ancient times, the filling position sin section was a grand festival. Whenever festivals come, people exchange food with friends, and they get drunk. In the Song Dynasty, Mr. Meng Yuan wrote in Dream of Tokyo: "On the 25th day of the first month, cattle and sheep in other cities were feasting on the sun. Guests will leave after a long stay. This is called filling positions. " On the 25th day of the first month of every year, people in the north of China will celebrate the Buyang Festival. In rural areas in northern China, there is also a proverb; "Make up the position, millet dried rice noodle soup." On this day, we should eat delicious rice and noodle soup and celebrate the festival with smooth and tough filaments. It can be seen that people in the north live frugally. Gathering festival

After spring, there will be a Lantern Festival in the north. In the Song Dynasty, Meng Yuan's Dream of Tokyo recorded: "On the 25th day of the first month, the people's market was crowded with mutton. When guests came to stay, they would leave unexpectedly, which was called filling the warehouse." Another legend about this festival, it is said that a long time ago, the northern part of our country suffered from drought for years, and the land thousands of miles away was bare and the grain was not harvested. The feudal emperors, regardless of the lives of ordinary people, exacted miscellaneous taxes as in previous years, complained everywhere, and were hungry and cold. It is said that an official guarding the granary witnessed this tragic scene and couldn't bear it anymore, so he opened the granary to help the people. He knew that this violated the king's law, and the emperor would never forgive him, so he let the people carry the food away, set fire to the warehouse and burn himself alive. It happened on the 25th of the first month. Later, in order to commemorate this kind official, people rebuilt the burned "Tiancang", which became a custom. This day became "Tiancang Festival" and later became Bencang Festival. However, later, the meaning of complement expanded and people gave it various other meanings. In Beijing, the 23rd day of the first month is "small irrigation" and the 25th day is "big irrigation". This custom is very popular all over the country, especially in the north. There are three theories about filling position. The first way of saying this is to eat enough on this day, so that you will not be hungry for a year, and you will be very satisfied. In fact, it is to fill the position with food and drink. The Year of Yanjing written by Dunchong in the Qing Dynasty quoted Lu in the Ming Dynasty as saying: "On the 25th, people ate beef and mutton in the market and went crazy. If the guests stay for a long time, they will leave full. Call it a complement. " The second said that this day we should accumulate rice and collect coal, which is called "filling the warehouse". In Qing Dynasty, Pan Rongbi said in "Ji Sheng at the Age of Emperor Jingdi": "The people in the capital don't plow or dig, and they cover less, so they are easy to go out for daily use." As soon as this new festival is over, the granary will be empty and needs to be replaced and realized, so it is called filling the warehouse. "In fact, it is to remind people that it is not easy to live at home. We should always pay attention to accumulating things necessary for life, and don't ignore tomorrow after today. This is the unique virtue of thrift in China. The third argument is that in rural areas, on this day, a little ash is sprinkled on the yard floor, painted into the shape of a grain depot, and a little grain is put in to symbolize the warehouse, which is called "filling the warehouse". This is a ceremony to look forward to a bumper harvest. Of these three statements, people prefer the first one, which is more practical. Gathering festival

The folk custom of the bunker filling festival pays attention to the joy of entering and the dislike of leaving. On this day, food should be added to the store, water should be added to the tank, and some coal should be put at the door to curb the house, so as to achieve a smooth and prosperous year. Farmers also avoid selling food on this day, but grain shops like to buy food on this day to get a good omen. In order to attract customers who sell grain, the grain store specially arranged wine and held a banquet to warmly entertain those who came to sell grain. Some farmers forced by life choose to sell grain on this day, no matter how lucky they are, they can earn a good meal anyway. Until now, some elderly city residents are still used to buying rice and noodles during the Lantern Festival. There are many stuffing activities among the people, which are closely related to eating habits. Especially in Shanxi and northern Shanxi, it is customary to steam oat noodle nests, which are shaped like grain shops. Using buckwheat noodles as pills and putting them in the hollow of the oat noodle nest is called stuffing. In the southeast of Shanxi, millet flour is put in the granary as dough, and in the Jinzhong area, it is filled as dough. Luliang area likes to eat cakes. Wenshui county takes a part of the wall soil smoked by lights in the granary, which is called filling the warehouse. In the south of Shanxi, pancakes should be spread thin, wrapped in plates and rolled up to eat. If the people marry a new wife, the new wife will personally put the pancakes in the granary. In most parts of the province, lights are lit at night to worship God. Lights should be put on all places related to diet. Commonly known as "lights are everywhere, incense is everywhere, and every family has food in Man Cang." Luliang area is the most typical. According to the number of families, everyone belongs to the zodiac, and the flour is kneaded into the corresponding lantern with the core of life. Then pinch two dogs, a chicken, a fish, a population plate, a barn official, a small handleless wine cup, a hip flask, silver money, a silver ingot, a donkey carrying charcoal and so on. At night, oil these lamps and light them. The core of life is the lamp on the kang at home, the dog at the gate, the chicken in the yard, the fish floating tank, the donkey in the barn, the barn official hanging in the skylight, and the rest at home. When placing the surface lamp, you should also shout out the corresponding auspicious and rich words, such as "Cang Guan delivers food"! "Chickens lay more eggs" and so on. Gathering festival

The custom of filling warehouses is called "filling poor pits", which is mainly popular in Shaanxi. In Tongchuan area. On the fifth day of the first month of the lunar calendar, people must have a full breakfast. It is said that this can fill the poor pit and attract rich resources. Guanzhong, Longxian county, the fifth day of the first month, the county eats jiaozi, saying that it is necessary to use this mushy food to stick everything that goes wrong. In some places in the Weihe River valley, people also eat jiaozi in New Year's Day, but not on the fifth day, but on the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month, such as Sanyuan County and Wugong County. This is the same as Longxian County. There are three Chinese New Year holidays in Longxian County, the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month, the fifth day of the first month and the seventh day of the first month. Binxian also eats jiaozi on the fifth day of the first month, saying that it is "eat poor food and go to the poor roots", and it is also called "paste the poor pit" and "fill the poor pit". It is also suitable for pasting and filling with food like mixing dough. People in Binxian said that wine and meat can't be eaten anyway. Chunhua County, located in Weibei Plateau, also eats jiaozi on this day. It is said that it is also used to fill the poor pit, and it is said that relatives can't go out to visit relatives on this day, saying that they can't be poor.

Written record

The ancient warehouse filling festival was a grand warehouse filling festival.

Festival. Whenever festivals come, people will have friends and relatives, eat delicious food and get drunk before going home. In the Song Dynasty, Mr. Meng Yuan wrote in Dream of Tokyo: "On the 25th day of the first month, cattle and sheep in other cities were feasting on the sun. Guests will leave after a long stay. This is called filling positions. " On the 25th day of the first month of every year, people in the north of China will celebrate the Buyang Festival. In the rural areas of North China, there is also a proverb: "Fill the warehouse, millet dry rice mixed with noodle soup." On this day, we should eat delicious rice and noodle soup and celebrate the festival with smooth and tough filaments. It can be seen that people in the north live frugally.

Related legends

The warehouse filling festival is to commemorate a warehouse official. Who's Guan Cang? There are two kinds of folk legends: one is that Yuyan Chun worked as a granary official in the Western Han Dynasty, was framed, sentenced to death and imprisoned, and was pardoned by his daughter's complaint. In order to commemorate him, later generations designated the 25th day of the first month as Tianzang Festival. Another legend is that, according to legend, a long time ago, the northern part of China suffered from drought for years, and the bare land was thousands of miles away, and no grain was harvested. However, the royal family does not care about the lives of ordinary people. The imperial grain is still levied, which makes people complain. The warehouse officer guarding Li granary witnessed this tragic scene; Unbearable, he resolutely opened the imperial warehouse to help the victims. He knew that doing so violated the king's laws and the emperor would never forgive him. So he asked the people to carry the grain away, burned the imperial warehouse with a torch and burned himself alive. This day happens to be the 25th day of the first lunar month. In order to commemorate the unknown warehouse official who released food to help the people, future generations filled the warehouses inside and outside the courtyard with fine cooking ashes on this day to show their memory of the warehouse official and pray for a good harvest in the new year. In this way, the custom of filling positions has been passed down from generation to generation. In order to commemorate this granary official, later generations scattered plant ash into a circular granary every morning, some of which were decorated with lace and auspicious words, and sprinkled grains in the granary to symbolize the bumper harvest of grains, in order to express people's deep affection for filling the granary and saving the granary official. Now these customs have disappeared, but the story of filling warehouses has been passed down from generation to generation, reminding people to clean warehouses, dry seeds, renovate farm tools and prepare for spring ploughing from this day. However, later, the meaning of complement expanded and people gave it various other meanings. Gathering festival

On the other hand, the sky-mending festival is also called the sky-piercing festival. Before the Song Dynasty, the 23rd day of the first month was regarded as the wearing day. It is said that this day is the goddess' day to mend the sky. In ancient times, the volcano erupted in floods, and the beast eagle ran wild to feed the refugees, and the people were in dire straits. At this time, Nu Wa, known as the ancestor of mankind, collected five-color stones and smelted them day and night. After 7749 days of smelting, the broken sky was finally restored on the 25th of the first month. Nu Wa also cut off the four legs of the giant turtle to support the sky in all directions, and killed the beast, the giant eagle, and put the flood back, making the people live and work in peace and contentment. To commemorate Nu Wa, people eat pancakes and pancakes on the 25th day of the first month, tie them up with red silk thread and throw them on the roof, which is called "mending the sky". Su Shi once wrote a poem: "A cake fills the sky", so the 25th day of the first month is also called "Tianchuan Festival" and "Tiancang Festival". About this festival, different times and regions have different festival times and customs. Yu, A Qingren, recorded in Gui Si and Shi Yi Ji that the 24th day of the first month of Jiangdong custom is the day to wear it. ..... Chiyang wears the 20th day of the first month and throws red ribbon cakes in the house, which is called mending the sky. "It is also recorded in the Chronicle of Jingchu that the 30th day of the first month in the south of the Yangtze River is the day of mending the sky, and HongLing pancakes are put on the house, which is called mending the sky. Su Shi said in his poem: "A cake fills the sky. "Explain that this festival has a long history.

Festival activities

Yan Zhi food

Jiexiu uses cake powder to knead lanterns of various shapes, such as ingots, buns, pots, chickens and dogs. , and fill them with cooking oil. Light it at night, put it indoors, and eat fried or fried food the next day. I wish you all prosperity and good harvest. Steamed cereal noodles in Heshun and Yushe. Qixian is a kind of pocket-shaped pasta, which is steamed by every household and put with beans, dates or sugar. Zuo Quan steamed a kind of pasta called "Cang Gu Lian" and buried it in the grain depot. Xiyang county steamed yellow wheat into grains (ears of grain, ears of sorghum, Hosta, melons and fruits, etc.). ), but also steamed a humanoid barn official. Pingyao County is a kind of bread steamed with white bread and brown sugar into a pocket or ingot shape, commonly known as "cloth bag". Steamed food has different methods and the same purpose, all of which are to pray for good weather, abundant crops, adequate food storage, food and clothing, and prosperous population.

Handling and warehouse filling

On the day of Tiancang, residents in all counties should transport coal, soil and water, which means adding warehouses and looking forward to a bumper year. There are many irrigation activities among the people, all of which are related to irrigation festivals.

Eating habits are closely linked. In northern Shanxi, people are used to steaming oat noodle nests, which are shaped like grain hoards. Using buckwheat noodles as pills and putting them in the hollow of the oat noodle nest is called stuffing. In the southeast of Shanxi, millet flour is made into balls and put in the granary. Jinzhong area also uses grain flour as a group to fill positions. Luliang area likes to eat cakes. Wenshui county takes a part of the wall soil smoked by lights in the granary, which is called filling the warehouse. In the south of Shanxi, pancakes should be spread thin, wrapped in plates and rolled up to eat. If the people marry a new wife, the new wife will personally put the pancakes in the granary. An old song in Shanxi: "After the New Year, 22, fill the barn with rice and flour as a lamp. Take a broom, sweep the east wall, and pick up the year of insects. " It's about the folk custom of filling the position. Although the people in the town don't hold sacrificial ceremonies, on this day, they will go to temple fairs or grain and oil shops to buy some necessities such as rice, noodles, oil, salt, coal and firewood, which is a metaphor for adding warehouses. On that day, Tianjin must eat rice and fish soup. Eating fish is a metaphor for getting rich every year. Eating Shanxi yellow rice cake, the homonym of "cake" is "high", which means that life is getting better and better; Old Beijingers want the whole family to eat pancakes and pancake rolls. Eating cakes means satiety, bloating and filling position. Box lunch is a traditional way of eating in old Beijing, which is made and sold by cooked meat shops or pork strips (pork shops). At that time, the most famous shops in Jiu Si were Xidan Tianfu Sauce and Meat Shop and the Fuyun Building of Qianmen Food Store. Put sauce meat, sauce elbow, pork head, pork belly, pork liver, sauce mouth strips and other Beijing-style sauce meat. Put them into carved food trays respectively, and then put them into nine food boxes. The customer ordered it and was responsible for sending it to their home to eat. When eating pancakes, put some sweet noodle sauce and chopped green onion.

Di Hua Cang dun

On the day when Shouyang is in the old warehouse, he should draw a grain depot on the ground, put grain on it and hold it down with stones, symbolizing that the grain is full. Folk customs should be played in the yard or in the scene. Fill plant ash with a dustpan, beat it evenly with a stick, and spread three or five rings on the ground to indicate a granary or grain depot. People who pay attention will also draw patterns such as rakes, brooms and even fans next to the ash cellar. The small full-day ash cellar symbolizes the bumper harvest of summer grain, and a little summer grain should be put in the center of the circle; The ash cellar on the big irrigation day symbolizes the harvest of autumn grain, which is placed in the circle. Then cover the grain with bricks and stones, which is called pressing the warehouse. Then firecrackers are lit and explode in the circle, making the grain abundant.

Clean the yard

On the day of Tiancang Festival, Qixian and other counties should use brooms to clean the courtyard walls, sweep insects and prevent insects, burn paper and incense as a memorial, eliminate disasters, and pray for prosperity and prosperity.

No loan

On Tianzang Festival, every household does not borrow things from other people's homes. Even if someone comes to borrow something, it has become an ancient folk custom to refuse it. Pay attention to the joy of entering and dislike of leaving. Add vegetables to the store, add water to the tank, put some coal at the door, and save the house. According to the old custom, it is taboo for farmers to sell grain on this day. Grain shops like to buy food on this day. On that day, the grain store will hold a banquet to warmly receive people who come to sell grain. Some farmers are forced by life and have to sell food on this day, and they can earn a good meal anyway. Until now, some elderly city residents are still used to buying rice and noodles during the Lantern Festival.

Light a lamp to worship the gods

In most areas, lights are lit at night to worship God. Lights should be put on all places related to diet. Commonly known as "lighting incense, every family food Man Cang." Luliang area is the most typical. According to the number of families, everyone belongs to the zodiac, and the flour is kneaded into the corresponding lantern with the core of life. Then pinch two dogs, a chicken, a fish, a population plate, a barn official, a small handleless wine cup, a hip flask, silver money, a silver ingot, a donkey carrying charcoal and so on. At night, oil these lamps and light them. The core of life is the lamp on the kang at home, the dog at the gate, the chicken in the yard, the fish floating tank, the donkey in the barn, the barn official hanging in the skylight, and the rest at home. When placing the surface lamp, you should also shout out the corresponding auspicious and rich words, such as "Cang Guan delivers food"! "Chickens lay more eggs" and so on.

Pay tribute to Guan Cang.

This is an important custom of the Lantern Festival. In memory of Guan Cang, people hold memorial ceremonies every day. Some people use fine charcoal ash or firewood ash to build warehouses inside and outside the courtyard, and some people burn incense and light lamps for the portrait of Guan Cang. On the night of Tiancang Festival, Pingyao residents lit lamps and burned incense to offer sacrifices to Tiancang officials, and shouted loudly that "Tiancang will bring Man Cang, and grain ingots will fill my house" and "Black boy, drive a car, and ingots will come to my house", hoping that the crops will be abundant and the life will be rich.

Local custom

Beijing area

In old Beijing, the first month of the lunar calendar is a festival almost every day, and there is also a festival to mend the sky.

Many allusions, legends and folk customs. After the fifth day of the first month, the sixth day is the day when shops open, the seventh day is the ancient "People's Day" (that is, People's Day, a day to pray for the safety of the whole family), the eighth day is "Shunxing Day" (to worship the stars and pray for their blessing), and the ninth day is dedicated to the Jade Emperor ... The Lantern Festival is celebrated seven days before and after the fifteenth day of the first month. The 25th day of the first month is a tonic festival. There is a folk saying in Beijing: "After the New Year, on the 23rd, the warehouse will be filled with rice and flour to make lamps. Take a broom, sweep the east wall, and pick up insects in good years. " He also said: "Tiancang, Tiancang, dried rice noodle soup." "The lights are bright, the incense is burning, and every family has food in Man Cang." These proverbs have been passed down to this day. On this day's breakfast, we should eat the best at that time, and eat millet dry rice and miscellaneous noodles, which is a metaphor for a rich diet and filling our stomachs with food, which means "filling our seats". Set off firecrackers and burn incense before eating. After eating, you should take away the bricks for pressing grain and let your chickens and dogs peck at them, indicating that Man Cang is not afraid of chickens and dogs. At that time, every grain store had to add some grain, fill it with water and put some coal at the door to save the town. At night, the farm yard should be filled with lanterns and candles to worship the gods, and lanterns or flashlights should be used to look for all kinds of recovered insects inside and outside the yard. The more signs you find, the better. At that time, it was called "Cangchong", and some people even cut out some colorful paper gourds and stuck them on doors and windows or felt hats, calling this day "Taishang Laojun's alchemy day", which could save a family from all diseases. This custom was still popular until the 1950s, and I still remember it vividly. According to some county records: "On the 25th day of the first month ..... spread the yard with firewood into a figure, or a square or a circle, and set off firecrackers to shock people inside. This is called hoarding, also called filling the warehouse." Gathering festival

Dongzhimen in old Beijing has many granaries, as many as fifteen in Qing Dynasty. Beijing still retains the names of Rumicang, Maritime Warehouse, Nanxincang and Beixincang, and the site of Nanxincang still retains its original appearance 600 years ago. In those days, on the 25th day of the first month, granaries and grain merchants decorated lanterns, offered sacrifices and burned incense to worship the Han Xin idol Cang Shen, whom the Association admired. Qing Shaogong said in Yanjing Old Customs Record: "According to legend, Cangshen is Han Xin, the founding father of the Western Han Dynasty, commonly known as Prince Han." Han Xin's first official position was Guan Cang, who once practiced plank road, and was later honored as the god of granary by the people, and Han Xin was honored as the ancestor of granary. In the Dongyue Temple in Beijing, there is a statue of Han Xin for people to worship, and there were many folk incense parties in the old society. On the night of irrigation festival, people in northern Shanxi are used to carrying lanterns and looking for "irrigation insects" (that is, various resurrected small insect ants) everywhere in the yard. The more they find, the better the omen.

northwest area

In some counties and cities in Linfen area, it is also said that this day is the day when mice get married. Don't light a lamp at night, it's called mousetrap. On the festival of mending the sky, Linxian and other places burn firewood at the door to express their grief for the first dead. Lingchuan and other places should use all kinds of rice to pay homage outside the door and send their ancestors with common names. In some villages in southern Shanxi, colored paper was cut and pasted on doors, and colored paper gourds were cut and pasted on hats. Call this day the alchemy day of Taishang Laojun, which can cure all diseases and be safe all year round. On the filling day, Hongtong County and other places are used to inviting their son-in-law to eat pancakes.

Tianjin area

On the 25th day of the first month, it is also the end of the month, but it still has a strong Chinese New Year flavor. On this day, the old people will have the saying of "filling the warehouse, filling the warehouse, eating rice and cooking fish soup" in order to have a bumper harvest every year, which is a good omen for more than one year. The hanging money posted on the New Year's Eve will also be torn off on the day of filling the warehouse, and the torn hanging money will be neatly folded and stored in the cupboard or under the bed for one year (but the pasted window grilles and blessings are not in the collection range because they don't have such a good omen of "losing money"), which also means that the cupboard is full of money.

Social customs and habits

In the past, people in the northern part of Shanxi held lanterns and searched everywhere in the yard for "bugs" (that is, various festivals) on the night of the Lantern Festival.

The more insects and ants you find, it's a good sign. It is said that some counties and cities in Linfen area are also the days when mice get married. Don't light a lamp at night, it's called mousetrap. On the Filling Position Sinsection, Linxian and other places burn firewood at the gate to express their grief for the deceased. Lingchuan and other places should use all kinds of rice to pay homage outside the door and send their ancestors with common names. In some villages in southern Shanxi, colored paper was cut and pasted on doors, and colored paper gourds were cut and pasted on hats. Call this day the alchemy day of Taishang Laojun, which can cure all diseases and be safe all year round. On the filling day, Hongtong County and other places are used to inviting their son-in-law to eat pancakes. The custom in old Beijing is "small irrigation" on the 23rd and "big irrigation" on the 25th of the first month. In old Beijing, the first month of the lunar calendar is a festival almost every day, with many allusions, legends and folk customs. After the fifth day of the first month, the sixth day is the day when shops open, the seventh day is the ancient "People's Day" (that is, People's Day, a day to pray for the safety of the whole family), the eighth day is "Shunxing Day" (to worship the stars and pray for their blessing), and the ninth day is dedicated to the Jade Emperor ... The Lantern Festival is celebrated seven days before and after the fifteenth day of the first month. The 25th day of the first month is a tonic festival. Bunker Filling Festival is an ancient festival. People worship the god of bunkers in this festival, hoping for a bumper harvest next year. According to legend, many years ago, after years of drought, there were no crops in the field, but the court still urged the people to collect taxes and rents regardless of their lives. The bully landlords took the opportunity to act recklessly and the people were miserable. At this time, a warehouse official who showed the granary to the royal family, seeing the tragic situation in his hometown, resolutely opened the warehouse door and released food to help the people. People are very grateful to the warehouse official for getting life-saving food. When the emperor knew about it, he sent someone to accuse him. He set fire to the empty granary and died in the fire. This day is the 25th of the first month. Since then, in order to commemorate the granary official, people have painted (built) a granary inside and outside the courtyard with fine charcoal ash or firewood ash on this day, as a symbol of filling the granary, and also to commemorate the granary official, which means filling the granary. Therefore, this day is called "Filling Festival". This festival has been popular in the northern rural areas of China and the suburbs of Beijing. It is a custom in Beijing that the 23rd day of the first month is "small irrigation" and the 25th day is "big irrigation". There is a folk saying in Beijing: "After the New Year, on the 23rd, the warehouse will be filled with rice and flour to make lamps. Take a broom, sweep the east wall, and pick up insects in good years. " He also said: "Tiancang, Tiancang, rice noodles and Tongan dry rice", "Lights are lit all over, incense is burned all over, and every family has Man Cang food." These proverbs have been passed down to this day. Decades ago, I spent the Spring Festival in my hometown in the countryside. I saw and participated in the festival activities. On the 25th day of the first month, every farmer gets busy before the sun comes out in the morning, and draws several different round hoards like grain hoards with plant ash in the farmyard or yard. At that time, people first put plant ash in a dustpan, with a dustpan in one hand and a small wooden stick in the other, knocking and dusting, and gradually painting it into a circular hoard, with a cross in the middle and a stepped figure on the round edge. Sprinkle some grains such as wheat, sorghum, millet, beans or corn in each grid, and then press the grains with bricks, which is a metaphor for pressing the warehouse. In the center of the cross, put some noodles and copper coins to show that the grain is abundant and rich. Draw a ladder to show that the grain depot is high, that is, the big depot is full, the small depot is flowing, and the good days are better. Gathering festival

On this day's breakfast, we should eat the best at that time, and eat millet dry rice and miscellaneous noodles, which is a metaphor for a rich diet and filling our stomachs with food, which means "filling our seats". Set off firecrackers and burn incense before eating. After eating, you should take away the bricks for pressing grain and let your chickens and dogs peck at them, indicating that Man Cang is not afraid of chickens and dogs. At that time, every grain store had to add some grain, fill it with water and put some coal at the door to save the town. At night, the farm yard should be filled with lanterns and candles to worship the gods, and lanterns or flashlights should be used to look for all kinds of recovered insects inside and outside the yard. The more signs you find, the better. At that time, it was called "Cangchong", and some people even cut out some colorful paper gourds and stuck them on doors and windows or felt hats, calling this day "Taishang Laojun's alchemy day", which could save a family from all diseases. This custom was still popular until the 1950s, and I still remember it vividly. According to some county records: "On the 25th day of the first month ..... spread the yard with firewood into a figure, or a square or a circle, and set off firecrackers to shock people inside. This is called hoarding, also called filling the warehouse." Sacrificing the god of granaries was the custom of granaries and grain merchants in urban and rural areas at that time. Jin Shu? Tian said, "Tiancang, Lounan and Xingu have six stars." In the Qing Dynasty, Pan Rongbi's "Ji Sheng at the Age of Emperor Jingdi" also said: "This new festival is over, and the granary should be restored, so it is called filling the warehouse." Dongzhimen in old Beijing has many granaries, as many as fifteen in Qing Dynasty. Beijing still retains the names of Rumicang, Maritime Warehouse, Nanxincang and Beixincang, and the site of Nanxincang still retains its original appearance 600 years ago. In those days, on the 25th day of the first month, granaries and grain merchants decorated lanterns, offered sacrifices and burned incense to worship the Han Xin idol Cang Shen, whom the Association admired. Qing Shaogong said in Yanjing Old Customs Record: "According to legend, Cangshen is Han Xin, the founding father of the Western Han Dynasty, commonly known as Prince Han." Han Xin's first official position was Guan Cang, who once practiced plank road, and was later honored as the god of granary by the people, and Han Xin was honored as the ancestor of granary. In the Dongyue Temple in Beijing, there is a statue of Han Xin for people to worship, and there were many folk incense parties in the old society. Although the people in the town don't hold sacrificial ceremonies, on this day, they will go to temple fairs or grain and oil shops to buy some necessities such as rice, noodles, oil, salt, coal and firewood, which is a metaphor for adding warehouses. On that day, Tianjin must eat rice and fish soup. Eating fish is a metaphor for getting rich every year. Eating yellow rice cake in Shanxi province is homophonic, which means a better life. Old Beijingers want the whole family to eat pancakes and pancake rolls. Eating cakes means satiety, bloating and filling position. Box lunch is a traditional way of eating in old Beijing, which is made and sold by cooked meat shops or pork strips (pork shops). At that time, the most famous shops in Jiu Si were Xidan Tianfu Sauce and Meat Shop and the Fuyun Building of Qianmen Food Store. Put sauce meat, sauce elbow, pork head, pork belly, pork liver, sauce mouth strips and other Beijing-style sauce meat. Put them into carved food trays respectively, and then put them into nine food boxes. The customer ordered it and was responsible for sending it to their home to eat. When eating pancakes, put some sweet noodle sauce and chopped green onion. It is said that the custom of eating pancakes is related to The goddess patching the sky. According to legend, the ancient volcano erupted, the mighty flood, the beast eagle rushed to feed the refugees, and the people were in dire straits. At this time, Nu Wa, known as the ancestor of mankind, collected five-color stones and smelted them day and night. After 7749 days of smelting, the broken sky was finally restored on the 25th of the first month. Nu Wa also cut off the four legs of the giant turtle to support the sky in all directions, and killed the beast, the giant eagle, and put the flood back, making the people live and work in peace and contentment. To commemorate Nu Wa, people eat pancakes on the 25th day of the first month, tie them up with red silk thread and throw them on the roof, which is called "mending the sky". Su Shi once wrote a poem: "A cake fills the sky", so the 25th day of the first month is also called "Tianchuan Festival" and "Tiancang Festival". In addition, in some urban and rural areas, there is also the custom of using rice flour as a surface lamp, and some are made into the shapes of grain depots, warehouses and various livestock, with cooked jujube beans wrapped inside and cotton cores inserted. On the 25th night of the first month, the lamp was filled with oil, lit and placed indoors and outdoors on the stove of the grain depot. While lighting the lamp, he said, "Grandpa Guan Cang drinks horses and carries money and grain ..." In order to pray for good weather and a good harvest. There is also the custom of eating pancakes and looking for insects because the filling festival on February 2 is close to the dragon head festival. Women are also forbidden to do needlework on this day to avoid damaging the eyes of warehouse officials. In a word, the custom of the festival of covering positions all over the country has the intention of expecting bumper harvests, welcoming more and more prosperous days, and being auspicious and festive. Filling ceremony: It is also called "hoarding" at the filling position on the 25th day of the first lunar month in northern China. At dawn, the new wife or housewife first gives incense to the god of wealth, and then fills the kitchen with dust with a dustpan and scatters it in a circle on the flat ground in the yard. Sprinkle a gray cross in the circle, which is called "storing grain". Put the grain on the gray cross and press the brick on the grain, which is "filling the warehouse" Setting off firecrackers in the warehouse is called "collapse". At that time, chickens and ducks will be released as a symbol of the flood of hoarding Man Cang, the bumper harvest of crops and the prosperity of livestock. The festival of gathering together is also called "Gathering Day" and "Tiancang Day". In some places, such as Shanxi and Shaanxi, there are many small positions and many large positions. Small positions are replenished on the 20th of the first month, and large positions are replenished on the 25th of the first month. There are only once places, either 19, 20 or 23, and most people choose 25. This custom is mainly popular in the north. Different places have different ways to make up the position. In Xinxiang, Henan Province, on 19, "Tiancang" was held, and every household offered sacrifices to Cangshen. In Wu Yang, warehouses will be added on 19. At that time, people will light lamps and place sacrifices in places where grain is stored, hoping for a good year. On this day, lights should be lit inside the house, outside the door, at the head of the trough, in the henhouse, in the stone tablet and in the water tank. The newlyweds should light up the boxes, cases, beds and beds in the house and wish them an early birth. Gathering festival