What is Shezhi?

She day festival is an ancient Han traditional festival, divided into spring and autumn social day, spring social is the fifth e day after the spring, autumn social is the fifth e day after the autumn. This festival custom originated very early, from the ancient period of the Han working people's worship of the land, development, and in the southern and northern regions of the formation of different Han festival culture (the south for the day of the community, the north for the Dragon Heads Festival).

Festival Algorithm

First of all, we need to know that each of our days has its own day (old calendar).

Ten heavenly stems: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, C, N, and K.

Twelve Earthly Branches: Zi, U, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Huxu, Hai.

If the spring of 2014 is February 4, check the almanac to get the day is the day of the Dragon Boat.

And Chunshe Day is the fifth e day after the beginning of spring.

So, the first E-day after 2014.2.4 is 2.6 E-Shen, the second is 2.16 E-Wu, the third is 2.26 E-Chen, the fourth is 3.8 E-In, and the fifth is 3.18 E-Zi, so 2014.3.18 is the Chunshe Day Festival of 2014 A-Wu year.

Origin of the festival

For a considerable period of time in China's history, its social form was a typical traditional agricultural society. In such a social pattern, people have extremely deep feelings for the land. Love, inevitably the deification of the land, so the land is very early in the people's worship object, called "social"; and focus on the day of worship, is the "social day".

The word "social" is from the earth, "earth" is the land, "show" means sacrifice, then, the social is sacrificed to the land. Earlier, the land god was just a deity, and then gradually personified, called society, commonly known as the land master, and there is a spouse god (social mother, commonly known as the land grandmother). Sometimes, the land god and the god of grain are combined, which is the ancient so-called social grain.

Spring and autumn two social compared to see, spring social activities more. The spring society according to the spring after the fifth e day projected, generally in February around the second, and February 2 is rumored to be the birth anniversary of the land god, so the enjoyment of this day is also extraordinarily grand. Yuan Jinglan's "Wu County Years of Hua Jisheng" recorded Suzhou this custom, said:

February 2 for the birth of the God of the earth, the city temples have special shrines, animal music to pay. The countryside of the Tugu shrine, farmers also furnished pots of pulp to wish, the God Ci is commonly known as Tian Gong, Tian Pao, the ancient name of the She Gong, She mother. She Gong does not eat water, so the day of the community will have rain, said She Gong rain. Contribute to the meeting, said the community money. Stacked drums to pray for the New Year, said the social drums. Drinking wine to cure deafness, said the community wine. Mixed meat and rice, said the community rice.

In ancient times, the day to enjoy sacrificing to the land god is called the social day, generally one in spring and fall, and then there are occasionally four times to the sacrifice. Song Qiu Guangting "and Ming record" and other books, said: the general day of the community with the E day, after the spring of the fifth E day for the spring community, after the fall of the fifth E day for the autumn community, roughly before and after the vernal or autumnal equinox. Before the Han Dynasty, there was only the Spring Society, and after the Han Dynasty, there were two societies in spring and autumn. Spring and Autumn two society worship God's function separately, that is, the so-called spring prayers and autumn report. The main purpose of the Spring Society is to pray to the God of the land to bless the agricultural harvest, and the Autumn Society is to thank the gods for the reward of the harvest.

Cultural origins

The gods of the society originated from the worship of the land. The land is the place where human beings live, and it is the most important source for human beings to obtain the means of subsistence (clothing, food, housing, etc.). People rely on the natural material for survival is an important element of primitive worship, our ancestors have long been on the land of reverence and worship.

But because "the land is vast, can not be worshiped all over the world; many grains, can not be sacrificed one by one. Therefore, the land was sealed to establish a society and show that there is a land respect." With the transformation of the primitive worship to personality god worship, the primitive worship of the land will also be transformed into the worship of the land god, before as a symbol of the vast land of the mound will become the place of the land god and symbols, that is, the Lord of the community. There is also a system of sacrificial offerings, which is called "Saji, the god of the earth and grain, and those who are virtuous are entitled to food". The day of the festival is the day on which the god of the land is worshipped. According to research, as a festival, the social day "originated in the Three Dynasties, the first rise in the Qin and Han Dynasties, inherited in the Wei, Jin and North and South Dynasties, flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties, declining in the Yuan, Ming and Qing". In the history of the development of social day, the Tang Dynasty is undoubtedly an important passage.

History

The god of society is the land god, belonging to nature worship. The "Ram's biography - Zhuang Gong 25 years" recorded: "Drums with livestock in the community." Zuo Zhuan - Zhaogong twenty-ninth year, said: "*** Gong's son is said to hook the dragon, for the back of the earth." "Hou Tu for the community." It can be known that the pre-Qin era of social god originated in the back of the earth beliefs, hook dragon for the social god, drumming with animal sacrifices to the social god. The Book of Rites - Suburban Special Adoption" says: "The community, sacrificing to the earth, with the day of A, that is, the beginning of the day. The beginning of this day in the same book, "the moon" is set in February of the first day of February, that is, the first day of February.

The Han dynasty about the social sacrifice information more, we can have a further understanding of the social sacrifice. Baihu Tongyi - Jikji" recorded: "The king so have Jikji why? For the world to seek blessings and reward the work. People can't stand without land, and they can't eat without grain. The land is so vast that it cannot be honored everywhere. The grains are too numerous to be sacrificed one by one. Therefore, the land was sealed and a society was established to show that there was land. To honor Jik, the eldest of the five grains, it was necessary to seal Jik and offer sacrifices." It can be seen that the community for "sealing the earth" of the altar of the sacrifice of the earth, sacrificed to seek blessings to reward the work of the spring prayers for the fall report of the year twice the spring and autumn social sacrifices. Han dynasty from the son of heaven to the princes and lords, and even the county townships have society, the national social system, the Han folk also set up a private society. The Han Book - five lines of the Zhizhong note that the state provides for twenty-five families for a community. And the people or ten five **** for the field society, is a private society. The god of the society has been anthropomorphized, and the Book of the Later Han - Fang Ji Zhuan Shi (方术传下) says that Fei Changfang can "drive the society public". The Book of the Later Han - The Biography of Chen Ping records a story about Chen Ping's sharing of meat at a festival: Chen Ping was responsible for cutting the meat at a community festival in his neighborhood, and he shared the meat evenly. He was praised by the elders for his good work. Chen Ping said, "If I could be in charge of the whole world, I would be as fair as dividing the meat. This story makes us realize that a social festival requires meat offerings, and after the festival, everyone shares the meat and eats it. Therefore, a certain amount of money was needed for the festival to be held. The Book of Han. Foodstuffs Zhi" said: "She lu tasted the new spring and fall of the shrine, with money 300." Probably refers to the social sacrifice kilometers people's sacrificial burden.

After the Han Dynasty, the spring and autumn social sacrifices were still practiced in February and August. About the time of the social festival, Jin JI Han "social fugue preface" said, Han in February, divination C wu day, Wei in February to choose Ding Wei day, the Jin Dynasty is a January You day for the community. This is due to its transportation, "Wei Shu - Rites of a" Wei Spring and Autumn Society is used in the month of E. Sui and Tang inherited the provisions of the Northern Wei. Song Dynasty, the provisions of the spring and autumn after the fifth e day for the society, spring and autumn society in the spring equinox or autumn equinox within five days after the Yuan, Ming and Qing the implementation of the old system of the Tang and Song dynasties. As far as the spring society is concerned, it is basically held in February.

"Jingchu chronicles" for us to leave the specific circumstances of the social sacrifice. It can be known that on the day of the Spring Festival, the surrounding neighbors gathered together. Hold a ceremony to worship the gods of the community, kill cows and slaughter sheep to offer wine. In the community tree under the hut, the first sacrifice to the gods, and then *** with the enjoyment of the sacrifices of meat and wine.

Social day in the Tang Dynasty was prevalent in Tang poetry about the description of many. Reflecting the village social festival, it is customary to set up drums to gather people. The social sacrifice to prepare wine, after the sacrifice to drink social wine. Since ancient times, it is said that "drinking wine at the festival cures deafness". There are also meat offerings, which are shared at the end of the festival. In the Tang Dynasty, the head of the community was also responsible for collecting taxes. Tang dynasty emperors often give officials in the social day goat wine, seafood, wine noodles, round-grained rice, and steam cake, ring cake, etc., Changgon, Bai Juyi, Gao Pian and others are in the social day on the certificate, thank the court for their own additional rewards. Generally speaking, the spring social sacrifice is to pray to the gods to bless the wind and rain. Civilian women in the social day and stop doing needle and thread "taboo needle" custom (Zhang Zecheng, "Festival of the Tang Dynasty", in the "History of literature" thirty-seven series, the China Bookstore, 1993).

The Song dynasty's social customs are the same as those of the Tang dynasty. Mei Yaochen's poem "Spring Festival" centered on the situation of the festival: "Every year, we welcome the social rain, faintly wash the forest flowers. Under the trees, field drums are played, and by the altar, meat crows are waited for. The spring mash is drunk in the morning, and the wild elders clamor for each other in the evening. When will the swallows arrive?" It is worth noting that the Song Dynasty land beliefs prevailed, Hong Mai's "Yijian Zhi" on the land of the legend is quite a lot. Song Dynasty, set up around the land god's shrine, this land shrine is the community outside the public another, and the community belongs to the same land beliefs.

The Ming and Qing dynasties, the decline of social worship in the north, the south is still prevalent, while the land temple further popularization. This has a certain relationship with the system of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang required cities to build City God Temple, the countryside set up a land temple, but also provides for every 100 households, set up an altar, worship five earth, five grain God. More strikingly, from the Ming Dynasty. Jiangnan region on February 2 as the land god birthday. Wanli Li Yi Ji's "moon order Cai Qi", Chongzhen, "Min book" said February 2 is the land god birthday. The land god birthday also affects the community festival, jiajing zhejiang "chunan county" said, the countryside in February 2, the sacrifice of the community. Gu Lu's "Qing Jia Lu" records in more detail: "(February) 2, for the land god birthday, commonly known as the Land God, large and small official houses all have their shrines. Officials would visit and offer sacrifices, and those who offered incense and fire would make sacrifices and music to honor them. The village farmers also made pots of rice for the gods, commonly known as Tian Gong and Tian Pao." Land beliefs and social sacrifices of the mix, in the Jiajing Jiangsu "Liuhe County Zhi" record is more obvious: "February meets the community day, the neighborhoods and lanes with sacrificial libations when the realm of the land god, called the land, social sacrifices will be drinking after. Autumn and August meet the social day is also the same. The master of each social day a easy." On the Ming and Qing local records, most of the records of the social festival is in the social day, sacrificed to the gods to pray for the year. Social festival when the community is very lively, Jiajing Zhejiang "Wukang County," said: "Spring Society, a few days before the Qingming. Each village rate of one or two dozen people for a society, slaughter animals and wine, burning incense Zhang Le, to worship the gods of the soil Valley. Is such as if dress up division witch, the platform, beat the drums and gongs, inserted knife drag locks, clamor clash (huī) sudden, such as upside down like crazy." Spring social matters, Jiajing Anhui "Shidai County Records" records are very detailed, in addition to sacrifices to the gods, there are dip grain seed, sacrifices to new graves, silkworms and other customs.

Holiday customs

Thousands of ancient oak laughter, this day the spring breeze belongs to the public. Cutting meat and divining the remaining wind in the tile, more happy to drink to cure deafness.

The fifth e day after the spring is the spring social day. In ancient times, the village as a unit to worship the god of the community, praying for a good harvest. Sacrifice the god of society first set up society, in the earth altar with stone house, no roof, on the paste 'God of the Gods of the Jigoku' red paper, after the sacrifice, sprinkle meat around to pay the crows. After the sacrifice, they spread meat around to pay the crows. Jing Chu Shou Shi Ji (荆楚年時記): "On the day of the community, the four neighbors formed a community, slaughtered animals and jails, and set up a house under a tree to offer sacrifices to the gods before enjoying the blessings". Mei Yaochen of the Song Dynasty wrote a poem titled "Spring Festival Society", which reads: "Every year, we welcome the rain of the society, and the flowers of the forest are lightly washed. Under the trees, field drums are raced, and by the altar, meat crows are waited for. When will the swallows arrive? When will the swallows arrive, the long gaol point wings slanting.

Customs in the northern region

Dragon head lifting Northern region, " February 2 " mainly for the Dragon head lifting Festival, Dragon head lifting Festival is China's Han folk important traditional festivals, the festival is very rich in customary content, summarized roughly have the following:

1. There are two ways to draw the dragon: one is to spread ash to draw the dragon. People in the northern region is the day to ash (grass ash, stove ash, chaff, lime, etc.) from the door has been scattered to the stove, around the water tank for a week, called the "lead money dragon", said to lead to the dragon out of the world, a hundred bugs deterred by the ambush. Qing Xianfeng "Wuding Fu Zhi" in: "to (February) 2 for the Spring Dragon Festival, to the stove ash around the house as a dragon snake-like, called the introduction of money dragon, inviting blessings Xiang also." Gong Jinghui, etc., "China Zhi-Tianjin" in: "the second day of February is commonly known as 'dragon head-raising' ...... according to the old custom of Tianjin, to the river along the water's edge to spread a green ash made of dragons, and then use grain chaff to spread a yellow dragon to lead to the home, take the lazy dragon sent away, Lead to the meaning of money dragon." In short, the ash to the well (or the river) is to pray for good weather and good harvest. The second is to draw water to attract the dragon. It refers to drawing water home early in the morning, which is called drawing the money dragon home. Hebei "Huailai County Records": "February 2 is called the dragon head, to near the hibernation also. Families get up in the morning to draw water, purification of purification of the meaning of purification."

2. Insects, 薰虫. Early February before and after the hibernation, is the return of spring, the beginning of farming, and is a hundred bugs out of hibernation, when the stupid, so the Han Chinese folk have a lot to take sweeping, beat, sprinkle ash and other means to get rid of the insects of the year, which in addition to attracting the Dragon Vermouth, there are biting insects, scorpions, fumigating insects, hit the beam and other activities. In the old days, the method of fumigating insects was to fry food in oil, smoke the insects and scorpions with oil, and eat this thing, which was popularly known as freeing insects from infestation, popularized in the area of North China. Hebei "Yongpingfu Zhi": "with fragrant oil fried cake smoked insects, the things do not moth, and to avoid insects and ants."

3. Shaving the dragon's head. Northern Han Chinese folk is the day of haircutting and shaving known as "shaving the dragon's head", commonly thought to be conducive to the dignity of life. Inner Mongolia "Suiyuan Province Survey Profile - Qingshuihe County" cloud: "(February) 2, for the 'Festival', commonly known as 'Dragon Head Raising' date ...... It is the day of more hair shaving, called 'shaving the dragon's head'." The custom of shaving the dragon's head on the second day of February has been passed down in the north, and people mostly shave and cut their hair on that day. In Hebei, it is widely believed that if it is not the day of the haircut, you can not lift up the head of the people, and later there will be no success.

4. Food. Legend has it that the dragon master rain, and can be suppressed hundreds of insects, can bless the harvest, so February 2 of the food is also linked to more than "dragon", the pancakes made into a dragon scale-like, called the dragon scale cake; dumplings called the dragon ear, dragon corner; rice called dragon; noodles called dragon beard noodles; eating pig's head said to eat the "dragon head! ", people commonly think that eating pork is a symbol of good luck.

5. Married women live in spring. Northern farmers have been married on the second day of February to the daughter to take back to her mother's home to live in the custom. Hebei "Luanzhou Zhi": "(February 2) the first period, the common must welcome the female return to the Ning, known as 'live in the spring'." Shandong "Richeng County" in: "the second day of the month of mid-spring, playing gray hoard, inverse female homing." Some places in the second day of February, the newly married daughter to bring a bag sewn with green cloth, loaded with fruits and grains back to her mother's home, commonly known as "send February 2".

6. Taboo. In order to honor the gift of the dragon, so that its people for the wind and rain, blessing the harvest, is the day there are many taboos, including: (1) avoid moving needle and thread. The day can not move the needle, knife, scissors, for fear of injuring the "dragon eyes", incurring disaster. Hebei "Zhangbei County" cloud: "(February 2) women avoid needle and embroidery, fear of stabbing the dragon's eye." The China Journal - Tianjin: "Women do not do needlework on this day for fear of piercing the dragon's eye." (2) Avoid carrying water. Shanxi "yonghe county": "early taboo water, commonly known as fear of worrying back to the dragon child." China Zhi - Shanxi: "the February 2 this night said the dragon out of the activities, people do not go to the well, the river to beat the water, but also do not make a big noise in the water, so as not to startle the dragon, the good years to the destruction." (3) Avoid laundry. Is the day of some places to stop washing, said the fear of "hurt the dragon skin". (4) avoid grinding flour. Hebei "Xinhe County," said: "Avoid grinding noodles, fear of squeezing the dragon head."

February is the season of crop sowing, the Dragon Head Festival festivals and taboos, the vast majority of them are related to respect for the dragon Chonglong, have a certain symbolic significance. People eat "dragon food", cited the money dragon, avoiding the dragon taboo and other customary activities, are in order to pray for the Dragon God blessing, blessing the wind and rain, the harvest, which reflects and embodies the worship of the dragon and faith.

Customs in the South

Social Day Festival Southern "February 2" still follows the custom of sacrificing to the community, such as in Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and other regions; in addition, it is the formation of both similar to the custom of dragon head-raising festival, but also to the custom of sacrificing to the community is mainly new "February 2" customs, such as in the Gui Gui, the Dragon God blessings, blessing the wind and rain, and the abundance of grains. "Customs, such as in the Guidong Hakka region.

The ancient name of the land god "social", "social god", legend is the management of a land god. Due to the "earth carries all things", "gather wealth in the ground", mankind has produced the worship of the land. Into the agricultural society, and the belief in the land and crop failure linked together. In the south of China, it is common to worship the land god, also known as "earth god", "Fude Zheng Shen", the Hakka people called "land Bogong", and there is a sacrifice to the God of the community (i.e., the land god) of the community day festival. "February 2" social customs are rich in content, the main activity is to worship the land and gather social drinking, by honoring the gods, entertaining the gods and entertaining people.

Sacrifice to the gods first have to set up altars and temples. The king set up the so-called "king of the community", the people set up the so-called "big community". The social altar must also have a social master - social god. The earliest social master is a tree, such as the Xia Dynasty in the altar planted pine trees, the Shang Dynasty planted cypress, the Zhou Dynasty planted chestnut trees. Later on, the main body of the society was changed to stones, wooden signs and piles of soil. For example, the altar of the Gods of God in Zhongshan Park in Beijing uses five colors of earth as the master of the society, and uses the green earth in the east, the white earth in the west, the red earth in the south, the black earth in the north, and the yellow earth in the center, which represents the land under the world, and also implies the yin and yang five elements. Just to pray for agricultural abundance, the god Jigen, who dominates the five grains, was added, so it was called the altar of the altar of the altar of the Gods of the Gods of Jigen. This is the Ming and Qing emperors worship society "Wang She".

The people set up a society, nowadays mostly known as the land temple. All over the urban and rural land temples are big and small: towns and cities by residents to donate money to build temples; countryside in the village outside the head of the tree, build a small temple of one or two meters square, or with four pieces of stone, three for the wall, a roof, and pick up a piece of broken cylinder pieces for the cover. So "aggrieved" dominated the land, the annual success and prosperity of the god, but did not hear the land god complained and retaliation.

So, the Han Chinese folk molded the land god statue, mostly with a long beard of the kindly old man. Later, some people feel that it is too lonely to let him alone to guard the small temple, it is according to the human society to add a lady commonly known as the land lady. However, in Fujian, Guangdong and Southwest China, people in the land temple to set up a stone or two, covered with red cloth, is the land god - this is the stone as the master of the community of the ancient legacy? Farmers also enshrined in the main wall of the hall, "heaven and earth, the master of the gods," the root of the wall, paste a written land god of the red paper, set up a incense burner, they invited the protection of the family of the land god.

The festival is a great festival for all people in ancient times. The emperor went to the "king's shrine" to pray for abundance, but also to feast on his ministers. The people then collectively worshiped the god of their village. We can understand from the ancient poems of the social scene: villagers put together money to buy pigs, sheep, and then beat the gongs and drums, carrying pigs and sheep, carrying wine pots and a variety of offerings, gathered in front of the temple of the god of the community, burning incense and worship, and pray for a bumper crop, prosperous people, village peace and quiet. After the sacrifice, divided by household meat, and in front of the temple picnic, dinner and drinks, and drums, songs, fight grass and other entertainment, return at nightfall. Song Dynasty poet Zhang Yan wrote in the poem "social day": "Mulberry shadow slanting spring community scattered, the family helped the drunken return."

Reasons for the difference in customs between the North and South

1, the difference in beliefs: the South is the belief in the God of the land, while the North is the belief in the God of the dragon. This different belief originates from the different geographic ecological and social environments in the south and north.

Most of the northern regions are perennial drought and little rain, the shortage of surface water sources, and the growth of crops can not be separated from the water, the northern farming people are thirsty for water and look forward to the psychological refraction of rainfall reflected in the northern people's life customs, many customs are directly or indirectly expressed the people's thirst for water, and the resulting beliefs and worship. The dragon is the Chinese people since ancient times on the worship of the gods, people see it as will rise clouds and rain, in charge of rain and drought of the gods, thus in the north produced a set of reverence for the dragon, respect for the dragon's customs, in order to pray for the wind and the rain, and the five grains of abundance. This is highlighted in the "Dragon Heads Up Festival" in all taboo customs.

Compared with the north, the southern region has more mountains and rivers and less land, so the worship of the land is more than the north. The ancestors who lived on the land believed that the land load, nurture everything, destroy everything, so it is natural to attribute the good or bad crops to the "ground" on the human reward and punishment, according to which the worship of the land, respect for the earth as God. So since the ancient times since the custom of worship in the South has been inherited to date, and evolved into the South's current "February 2" the custom of the day of the community.

2, cultural diffusion, refers to the transfer or diffusion of a culture to other ranges, resulting in cultural interaction, borrowing and integration process (Lin Yaohua: A General Introduction to Ethnology). The origin of the belief in the land god is very early, and there is no way to prove the region where it was first formed, but it can be said with certainty that it was first created in a certain place and spread to the surrounding areas. According to Mr. Zhong Jingwen, "A new folklore is formed in an ethnic group or region, and after a period of perfection, its function and value are fully revealed, and it is not only accepted by the people of that ethnic group or region as a continuation and development of traditional culture, but also begins to spread to other ethnic groups and regions." (Zhong Jingwen: "Introduction to Folklore") The "February 2nd" social day in the south is the inheritance of the folklore of sacrificing to the God of the land since ancient times, and the belief in the God of the land can satisfy the psychological needs of the people in the south of the country to pray for a good year, to eliminate calamities and to pray for blessings, and therefore the custom of worshipping the God of the land has been inherited to the present day in the south.

The custom of "Dragon Head Raising Festival" in the northern region, according to Ji Chengming's article "Study of Dragon Head Raising Festival", was first formed in the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River, and then spread to other regions with the migration of the inhabitants. Therefore, in the Jiangsu area, there is also the custom of carrying the head of the dragon, which should be spread by the Han people in the north in the south. The local people in the south also have a set of their own customs, due to production and labor in **** the same area, in daily life will inevitably have a certain degree of exchange and influence, which will inevitably produce cultural transmission, in the dissemination of the two and selective absorption or exclusion of the other side of the customs and culture, so the gradual formation of the custom of carrying the head of the dragon with the local customs of the festival community combined with a new "The new custom of combining the custom of dragon head-raising with the local custom of festival is gradually formed.

Contemporary cultural anthropologist Leslie White from the point of view of communication, culture as a unity of vertical and horizontal communication processes, and see the great impact of the act of cultural diffusion: "It is gradually recognized that culture is a continuous unity, a series of events in the flow of the vertical transmission of an era to another era, and horizontal from one race or locality to another." (White: The Science of Culture) Transmission can have a great impact on the formation and change of a culture or custom, therefore, the reason for the formation of southern and northern differences in the "February 2nd" custom is also based on the occurrence of cultural transmission.

Festival culture is our traditional culture, with national characteristics, contains rich cultural connotations, reflecting our culture and national spirit, so we should pay attention to some of the traditional festivals with a long history. Through the comparison of the North and South "February 2" customs and the analysis of the reasons for the differences, we have a certain understanding of the formation and development of the North and South "February 2" traditional festivals and cultures, and recognize the great inheritance, dissemination and variability of folk culture, which has a great influence on our This has a very realistic and far-reaching significance for us to correctly understand the phenomenon of traditional festival culture.