What is the cause of the Lantern Festival?

Just after the Spring Festival, the land of China is still filled with the joyful atmosphere of the Spring Festival, and people are still in full swing. On the fifteenth night of the first month, the bright moon was in the sky and the ground was brightly lit. Although the cold wind is chilly in the early spring night, the recovered land is already a warm weather. Lanterns, songs and dances, jiaozi and fireworks are hung everywhere in urban and rural areas, and the festive atmosphere is everywhere. People especially cherish the good times at this time, which can be described as "a moment in spring is worth a thousand dollars." Lantern Festival is one of the most solemn folk festivals in China. The folk Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month has a long history in China. It is the most thorough and typical traditional festival with people welcoming the new spring. Lantern Festival began in the Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago. After the death of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, Lv Hou usurped power. After Lv Hou's death, Liu Heng proclaimed himself emperor after Zhou Bo, Chen Ping and others eradicated Zhu Lu's influence. Because the day when Zhu Lu was razed to the ground was the fifteenth day of the first month, every night, Emperor Wen of Han went out of the palace incognito and went to the market to "enjoy with the people" as a souvenir. In ancient times, night was the same as night, and the first month was also called January. Therefore, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty designated the fifteenth day of the first month as the Lantern Festival, and this night was called Yuanxiao, also known as Yuanxiao and Yuanxiao. Whether this statement is conclusive or not is still difficult to determine, but the fifteenth day of the first month is regarded as an auspicious day for praying to the gods, which began in the Han Dynasty. Lantern Festival is also called "Shangyuan Festival". Shangyuan means the first full moon night of the New Year. The origin of Shangyuan Festival is recorded as years old in Miscellaneous Notes, which is a Taoist stereotype. Taoism once called the 15th day of the first month the Shangyuan Festival, the 15th day of July the Zhongyuan Festival and the 15th day of October the Xiayuan Festival, which were collectively called the "Sanyuan Festival". The gods worshipped by Wudou Midao, an important school of Taoism in the late Han Dynasty, were celestial officials, local officials and water officials. They said that God bless the people, the local officials forgive sins, and the water officials relieve Eritrea. They used three yuan to match the three officials, saying that Shangyuan Tianguan was born on the fifteenth day of the first month, Zhongyuan was born on the fifteenth day of July, and Xiayuan Shuiguan was born on the fifteenth day of October. In this way, the fifteenth day of the first month is called Shangyuan Festival. Wu in the Southern Song Dynasty said in Liang Lumeng: "The fifteenth day of the first month is the day when God blessed the people of Shangyuan." Lantern Festival is also called "Lantern Festival". Every time you go to Shang Yuan, there is a folk custom of watching with lanterns. So when did the custom of decorating lanterns in Yuan Dynasty begin? In this regard, there have always been two views: Taoism and Buddhism. The former believes that Taoism had the custom of burning lanterns to worship the "Taiyi God" during the period of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty. Taiyi God is similar to the "God of Heaven" and "God" mentioned by later generations. The Old News of Quyi compiled by Zhu in the Southern Song Dynasty said: Since the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Deng in Shangyuan has followed the story of Taiyi Temple of Emperor Wu from fainting to the Ming Dynasty. However, according to the records of the historian, there is no mention that it is necessary to light a lamp to sacrifice Taiyi, and there is no record of the folk Lantern Festival in the Western Han Dynasty, so Song pointed out that this statement is not reliable in Rong Zhai Essays. Ming Langying's "Seven Manuscripts" also believes that the Lantern Festival in Shangyuan originated from Taoism in the Eastern Han Dynasty, saying that the 15th day of the first month is the day when three officials descended to earth, each with its own interests, and all the heavenly officials are happy, all the local officials are kind to the people, and all the water officials are good at lighting, so the Lantern Festival should be decorated with lanterns and enjoy themselves. However, in fact, there is no such thing as putting lanterns in Taoist teachings and rituals. The fifteenth day of the first month is the Shangyuan Festival, and there is no reason for the officials to put lanterns in the water in Yuan Dynasty. It can be seen that the custom of putting lanterns originated from Taoism in the Eastern Han Dynasty, which is far-fetched. According to Buddhist theory, Lantern Festival is related to the introduction of Buddhism into the East during the reign of Emperor Han Ming. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, An Cai obtained Buddhism from India, and modern Falun came to the East to preach. Emperor Han Ming ordered the Buddha to light a lamp on the fifteenth day of the first month, and personally went to the temple to light a lamp to show his respect for the Buddha. According to "A Brief History of Monks", Buddha Sakyamuni showed his magic on February 30, 65438, the 15th day of the first month in Dongtu. In order to commemorate the Buddha's change of god, it is necessary to hold a lantern burning ceremony on this day. In order to promote Buddhism, Emperor Hanming of the East ordered all the gentry and people to hang lanterns on the Lantern Festival to show their respect and piety to Buddhism. Since then, putting lanterns on the Lantern Festival has become a common custom. From this point of view, the custom of Lantern Festival originated from Buddhism, and it is more realistic to say that it began in the Eastern Han Dynasty. In this way, the Lantern Festival is not only a religious etiquette, but also a folk custom. After that, the Lantern Festival was loved by the people with its lively landscape of "flaming trees and silver flowers" and its "uncontrollable" free atmosphere, so the religious color gradually faded. Since humans learned to use fire, there have been lights. People usually think of lights inspired by fire. There is a touching legend about the origin of Lantern Festival lighting: It is said that when Emperor Wu was in power, there was a man named Dong Fangshuo, who was humorous and resourceful, and often made fun of Emperor Wu and was deeply loved by him. One year in the twelfth lunar month, it snowed heavily. Seeing that Emperor Wu was bored, Dong Fangshuo went to the Imperial Garden to fold plum blossoms for Emperor Wu. When he saw a maid in tears, he was very sad. He asked her why, and learned that the maid-in-waiting was called Yuanxiao, lived outside Chang 'an, and had elderly parents at home. Since being elected to the palace, I miss my loved ones every New Year, and my heart ached. It's almost the full moon in May, so I can't be reunited with my family. How can I not be sad? Dong Fangshuo relieved her and promised to try her best to reunite her with her family. After Dong Fangshuo left the palace, he made some arrangements at Yuanxiao's home. Then he returned to Chang 'an and pretended to be a wizard to sell divination. The income of all fortune tellers is a sign of "burning us on the fifteenth day of the first month", so they have asked him for help. Dong Fangshuo told them, "On the 13th day of the first month, Vulcan will become a girl in a red coat and ride a crimson donkey to Chang 'an to see the terrain. You can block the road and cry at the entrance of Chengbei Avenue, and the whole city may still be saved. " People believed Dong Fangshuo's words and told each other that they were waiting in the street on the 13th day of the first month. Dong Fangshuo invited a civilian, dressed as a girl in red, to ride a donkey slowly into the city. When the villagers saw that a girl in red really came, they stopped the way and begged. The girl in red said to the villagers, "I ordered the Heaven Emperor to set fire to Chang 'an. Now that I have accepted the intercession of my elders, please bring this news to the emperor. " Say and leave. The elders took the red post and presented it to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. I saw a poem written on the post: "On the fifteenth day of the fire, the emperor was robbed." Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was terrified out of her wits and asked Dong Fangshuo for advice. On second thought, Dong Fangshuo said, "Please send a message to people in Beijing to start making lanterns today." On the fifteenth night, every street and every household put up a red light, the whole city set off fireworks and firecrackers, and people outside the city were allowed to go into the city to see the lanterns. The son of heaven, courtiers, concubines and ladies-in-waiting all went to the Lantern Festival to have fun and take refuge in the people. "Hearing this, Emperor Wudi made the decree. On the fifteenth night, the whole Chang 'an city was brightly lit and fireworks were everywhere. Yuanxiao's parents also came to the city to see the lanterns. When they saw the big palace lantern with the word "Yuanxiao" written on it, they ran into Yuanxiao, which was a great surprise. The whole family got together and spoke their minds. In this way, after a night of lights, the capital is safe and sound. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was overjoyed and ordered to hang lights and set off fireworks every day. Since then, people have called this day Lantern Festival. This is the origin of the Lantern Festival in folklore. There are many folk legends about the Lantern Festival, and it is more credible to say that the Lantern Festival originated from the ancient custom of "rearing silkworms in the fields". The so-called field silkworm refers to the Lantern Festival night, when farmers hang lanterns on long bamboo poles and stick them in the fields to observe the fire color, so as to predict the drought and flood in a year and have a good year. Peng Fang's "Kunshan Zhi" records: Lantern Festival lights, red fire means drought, white fire means waterlogging. After that, collecting the lighted candle embers and putting them on the bedside can bring benefits to the sericulture production of the host family. Later, when shooting silkworms in the field, people competed with each other, and all kinds of colorful lights became more and more exquisite. In this way, the silkworm lost its original meaning and evolved into a colorful entertainment. According to legend, the appearance of Lantern Festival is also related to the ancient people's worship of fire. In the Han dynasty, people held torches in rural fields to drive away insects and animals, which evolved into the Torch Festival in the future. Therefore, the Torch Festival has a development process from holding the torch in the Han Dynasty to the lively Lantern Festival in the Tang Dynasty. This custom has been preserved by ethnic minority brothers in the southwest of the motherland to this day. On the Torch Festival, they sang and danced happily, showing their worship of fire. Through various forms, exorcise evil spirits, fumigate fields and expel insects, hoping to reduce pests and obtain a bumper harvest. Today, in Xinghua, Jiangsu, during the Lantern Festival, people don't burn or watch lanterns, but light torches and dance with them, and villagers in towns and villages certainly watch torches. Some of them use reeds as torches, others use branches, and so on. They held torches in droves and danced in the fields and threshing floors, which was very spectacular. Since the custom of decorating lanterns on the Lantern Festival was formed, the fifteenth day of the first month has been an important event in all dynasties. Emperor Wen of Liang Jian once wrote a poem "Li Edeng Fu": "The south is full of oil, and the west is full of paint. Su Zheng is resting in peace, and the wax comes out of Longchuan. " Oblique light sets each other off, and the reflection is clear. "It depicts the grand occasion of the court decorating lanterns during the Lantern Festival. During the reign of Yang Di, a grand banquet was held every year on the 15th day of the first month to entertain guests and envoys from all over the world. According to the Records of Music in Sui Shu, the Lantern Festival is very grand, with lanterns and colorful decorations everywhere, singing and dancing day and night, with more than 30,000 performers and more than 0.8 million musicians. The stage is eight miles long, and countless people are watching lanterns, staying up all night, enjoying themselves and being very lively. In the Tang dynasty, the rulers paid more attention to watching lights and fixed the time of lighting as a system. When Tang Ruizong was in Chang 'an Palace, he set up a 20-foot-high "lantern wheel", wrapped in colorful silk and decorated with golden jade, and hung 50,000 lanterns. The royal family also made a large-scale "light tree". Cui Ye, a poet, wrote a famous sentence, "Who can see the bright moon sitting around and smell the lights?" . In the Tang dynasty, a curfew was imposed, and it was forbidden to travel when drums were banned at night. Those who committed crimes at night were punished. Only on the Lantern Festival did the emperor grant a three-day ban, which was called "letting the night go". Later generations took this as an example. In the Song Dynasty, lanterns were extended from three nights to five nights. In addition to lanterns, fireworks were set off, and various juggling performances were held, making the scene more lively. "Tokyo Dream" records that during the Lantern Festival, on the Imperial Street in Kaifeng, 10,000 lanterns piled up into a lantern mountain, and the lanterns were fireworks, resplendent and magnificent. The girls in Kyoto are singing and dancing, and people are watching. "Tourists gathered under the two colonnades of the Imperial Street, with unique skills, singing and dancing, tangent scales and noisy music, stretching for more than ten miles." Streets and alleys, teahouses and restaurants, lights and candles are burning together, gongs and drums are loud, firecrackers are ringing, and hundreds of miles of lights are on. In the Ming Dynasty, after Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the throne in Jinling, in order to make the capital prosperous and lively, he also stipulated that the lights should be turned off on the eighth day of the first month and on the seventeenth day for ten consecutive nights. The lights depict all kinds of characters, singing and dancing, singing and dancing, dragons and dancing, lanterns and fireworks shining all night, drums playing and being very lively. This is the longest Lantern Festival in China, which was still in the Qing Dynasty.

Customs of Lantern Festival:

Colored lanterns

As a traditional folk art, lanterns have been inherited. Lamps in all parts of our country have many colors, different styles, exquisite workmanship and dazzling. Lantern Festival, many places will hold lantern exhibitions and lantern festivals. Lantern Festival lanterns include hanging lanterns, dragon lanterns, sedan chair lanterns, lanterns, water lanterns and ice lanterns. Such as palace lanterns in Beijing, lotus lanterns in Tianjin, pearl lanterns in Shanghai, glazed lanterns in Suzhou and Hangzhou, lotus lanterns in Guangzhou and ice lanterns in Northeast China, all have obvious local characteristics and unique artistic styles. On the night of Lantern Festival, children wander around with lanterns. Accompanied by the Lantern Festival night market, there have been many traditional customs and programs: building a community fire, playing dragon lanterns, dancing lions, boating, walking on stilts, dancing yangko and solve riddles on the lanterns. At night, lanterns are shining and people are walking in the street watching lanterns and playing games and having a good time. Building a social fire is a traditional folk entertainment activity with a long history. Confucius' concept of social fire was recorded in the Spring and Autumn Period. Broadly speaking, there are more than 70 kinds of social fire programs, such as playing dragon lanterns, dancing lions, boating, walking on stilts, bamboo horses, big-headed dolls, dumb old ladies and so on. , all belong to the category of social fire, in various forms. In a narrow sense, it refers to pistachios. Up to now, it includes Cherizi, Ma Yanli and Gao Tairui. It is mysterious and bizarre, giving people a breathtaking aesthetic feeling. There are many kinds of folk social fire performances all over the country, but their technical styles are different. Playing dragon lanterns, also known as dragon lanterns or dragon dancing. Its origin can be traced back to ancient times. Legend has it that as early as the Yellow Emperor, in a large-scale song and dance in the suburbs of Qing Dynasty, there was a leading bird image played by a man, and then a dance scene with six dragons interspersed with each other was arranged. The dragon dance recorded in writing is Zhang Heng's Xijing Fu in Han Dynasty. The author vividly described the dragon dance in the descriptions of hundreds of plays. According to Sui Shu Music, Huanglongbian, which is similar to the dragon dance performance in one hundred operas in Yang Di period, is also very wonderful. Dragon dancing is very popular in many places in China. The Chinese nation advocates dragons and regards them as auspicious.