How did the ancient people spend the Spring Festival?

How did the ancients spend the Spring Festival?

Spring Festival is a big festival for China people. It is said that it originated from the worship of gods and ancestors in the beginning and end of Yin and Shang Dynasties. Thousands of years later, it extended various unique festivals and became an important part of Chinese civilization.

In the old days, the first few days of the first month were associated with common things: one-day chicken, two-day dog, three-day pig, four-day sheep, five-day cow, six-day horse, seven-day man and eight-day valley.

Vientiane is renewed, and there are always countless unique joys belonging to the Spring Festival. Now let's understand how we China people have spent the Spring Festival since ancient times.

The first day of the first month: three yuan first paste chicken

In the history of our country, the first day of the new year has always been called "New Year's Day". Since the implementation of the calendar year in the Republic of China, the word New Year's Day has been dedicated to the Gregorian New Year, while the traditional New Year's Day is called the Spring Festival. However, after all, it is difficult to erase the traditional imprint of more than two thousand years. In our narrative here, New Year's Day is more mentioned in the Spring Festival.

Interpretation of New Year's Day

The yuan on New Year's Day means "early" and "start". "Dan" originally means that the sun has just come out, which can be interpreted as "day" here. New Year's Day is collectively called "the first day", that is, the first day of the year. Xiao Ziyun of Liang Dynasty said, "Four Qi, New Year's Day, longevity."

New Year's Day is also called "three yuan". A Book of Beginners in Tang Dynasty quoted Du Taiqing's "Wang Candle Collection" as saying: "The first month is the end of the month, and one day is New Year's Day ... which means three yuan", and the explanation of three yuan is "year yuan, season yuan and month yuan". Of course, the word "ternary" has many meanings. For example, in addition to New Year's Day, it also refers to July 10 15.

Similarly, from the three aspects of year, season and month, New Year's Day is also called "Three Beginnings" and "Three Dynasties". Han Shubao's Propaganda said: "Today is eroded by the Three Beginnings, which is awesome." The commentary quoted Ruchun as saying: "The first day of the first month is the year of the year, the month of the year, and the day of the year; I was still in the DPRK. "

Besides, there are other nicknames for New Year's Day, such as Duanri, Nianchao, Zhengri and Zheng Dan. There is also the name "Xinzheng", which refers to the Chinese New Year. For example, the poem "Zhou Hongjin Brothers to Wu Shen" in the Tang Dynasty said: "The outside world is separated from chaos, and Xinzheng remembers brothers"; Also pointed out the month, Bai Juyi's "New Year's Poem" said: "The white beard is like the snow five courtiers, and he has been in Xinzheng for seventy days."

From all these nicknames of New Year's Day, we can see people's understanding of New Year's Day.

Ji ri tie Hua chicken

Some festivals and customs on New Year's Day are inherited from New Year's Eve, but most of them are new customs with independent significance, such as pasting chicken, drinking Chili wine and paying New Year's greetings. New Year's Day is also called "Chicken Day", which can also be said to be the simple understanding of Xinzheng by the ancients. The ancients used the concept of yin and yang to explain things, thinking that chickens are yang and New Year's Day is also yang, with the same attributes. Based on this understanding, chickens also play an important role in the customs and habits of New Year's Day.

First of all, use chickens to ward off evil spirits. The method is to kill the chicken on the door or stick it on the door. "Taiping Yulan" quoted Pei Xuan's "Xinyu" as saying: "County officials kill sheep, hang their heads on the door, but offer chickens as a supplement, which is disgusting to the common saying." "Custom Pass" also said: "Hold the door with a rooster to reconcile Yin and Yang." Zong Ba's Chronicle of Jingchu also said: "Sticking chickens, or carving five kinds of chickens and native chickens on doors, hanging reeds on them and inserting peaches beside them, are all feared by ghosts." Using chickens to ward off evil spirits on New Year's Day is obviously due to the characteristics of chickens. As "Flower Mirror" said, "The male can win the horn and the eye can ward off evil spirits."

Just as many folk blessing activities in China have gone through the process from passive understanding to active blessing, chickens are used to ward off evil spirits on New Year's Day, and later they have developed into praying with chickens. Zhou Lianggong's book Shadow in the Qing Dynasty said: "On the first day of the first month, a picture of a chicken is posted. Now, all the doors have been cut open, and the paintings of Zhongzhou are hung in the hall. Zhongzhou nobles especially like to draw big chickens on stones and make them on New Year's Day. Gaibei calls Ji a chicken, and the common cloud room is also. " The auspicious meaning of chicken here comes from the homonym of "chicken" and "auspicious". In addition, this auspicious implication lies in the virtue of chickens. The ancients believed that chickens have five virtues: literature, martial arts, courage, benevolence and faith: "the first crown, literature also;" Enough distance, martial arts; Seeing that the enemy can fight, he is brave; When it comes to eating, it is also a benevolent person; Sometimes I believe in vigil. " ("reading glasses")

Praise the new pepper wine.

The unique diet on New Year's Day is mainly drinks, such as peach soup, white wine, Tu Su and Chili wine. Some are to drive away bad luck, and more are to pray for spring.

Tu Su is a New Year's drink sung by many ancient poets. According to legend, Tu Su is the name of a grass temple outside the village. Some people once lived in it. Every year on New Year's Eve, they give medicines to villagers, put them in cloth bags, soak them in well water, and drink them in bottles on New Year's Day. It is said that it will not get the plague. This kind of Tu Su wine is also called bamboo wine and Tu Su wine.

Peach soup is a kind of soup cooked with peaches. Originally, it was boiled and sprinkled by the function of peach exorcism. "The Biography of Wang Han" said: "I also lament the god of the high temple and sent warriors into the high temple ... the peach soup was whipped and the whip was scattered on the wall." Later, the peach soup used to splash water turned into a drink, which was drunk on the first day of New Year's Day to ward off evil spirits and pray. Zong Yi's "The Chronicle of Jingchu" said: "The first day of the first month ... through the ages, we know their clothes, worship each other, drink pepper and cypress wine, and drink peach soup."

Liquor is a kind of wine made of cypress leaves. As an evergreen tree, cypress leaves withered and durable, which was regarded as a symbol of longevity by the ancients. Among them, cypress leaves can be taken, so there is cypress leaf wine, which is also intended to bless longevity. "Han Guan Yi" said: "Drinking baijiu will lead to a longer life". Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica in the Ming Dynasty also pointed out the role of exorcism: "Bert is durable after withering, endowed with durable wood, so it can be taken orally. Taoist priests often drink soup and use wine to ward off evil spirits on New Year's Day, all of which are taken here. "

Zanthoxylum bungeanum wine is made by soaking Zanthoxylum bungeanum seeds According to the ancient custom, on New Year's Day, Sun would introduce Chili wine to his parents to wish him good luck and pray for his life. Pepper is a kind of vanilla, which was adopted by the court in the Han Dynasty because of its warm, fragrant and fertile characteristics. It was smeared with soil in the palace and later used for praying for spring and celebrating. According to legend, Serina Liu's wife Chen once presented "Ode to Pepper Flowers" on the first day of the first month of the Jin Dynasty, so later generations generally called the New Year message "Ode to Pepper Flowers".

In addition, there is the custom of offering five new dishes in the New Year, which is obviously related to the holiday custom of spring.

Happy New Year!

Besides diet, there are of course many festivals on New Year's Day. As far as festival activities are concerned, the most important thing is undoubtedly to celebrate the New Year. This festival has been very popular since ancient times and has become a grand view. Some of them are of practical significance, while others are purely ceremonial empty talk. As far as historical development is concerned, generally speaking, it is more practical to pay New Year's greetings early than ordinary people. In officialdom, New Year's greetings are mostly empty words, which become more and more illusory at night.

Judging from the customs of the Song Dynasty recorded in Dream of Liang Lu, it was more realistic to pay New Year greetings at that time: "Scholars and scholars congratulate each other, and refined men and women wear new clothes and go to worship festivals." Lu Rong's Miscellaneous Notes of Tang Garden in Ming Dynasty recorded some different things:

After New Year's Day in the capital, people who travel from North Korean officials to Shu Ren for a few days are called "Happy New Year". But Shu Ren is more sincere when he visits relatives and friends, and more tolerant than expert when he contacts with officials. For example, East and West Chang 'an Avenue, officials live the most. At this point, those who don't ask for knowledge and ignorance will stab at the door, and those who don't dismount or get to the door will be given famous brands. The servants answered the door, but they refused to accept it, or some refused to accept it behind closed doors. An official in Beijing always retreats, that is, he goes with his companions until he is drunk. After three or four days, I began to worship my parents. I don't know what this custom is or when it started. Wenshun has no such abuse.

In Qing dynasty, it was still empty and superficial. Yanjing Miscellanies says:

On the tenth day of the first month, New Year's greetings followed the door, clamoring for posts, throwing thorns, and running away without seeing the owner. The secretary remembers his name outside, and many people don't know it. If there is no secretary, guests are embarrassed to open the door. Put a paper bag outside the door and write the words "Please leave Cambodia" on the outside, with worshippers walking in the middle. There is nothing wrong with floating characters. As for this.

As Lu Rong said, "it is more solid to respect your relatives and friends." In the old society, as soon as people's families and children opened their eyes, they happily paid New Year greetings to their parents. Whether adults or children meet in the village street, they should say loudly, "Happy New Year!" " "After that, it is to pay New Year greetings to relatives and friends who live closer; After the fifth year's rest, it is another long New Year's visit. In the first month, everyone who wants to worship should worship and can't go in person. You should also take a message and a gift.

On the fifth day of the first month: send the poor and break the five to meet the god of wealth

After New Year's Day, China has corresponding festivals and customs almost every day, but they are all a continuation of New Year's Day. On the fifth day, there will be some independent customs, such as sending the poor and opening the market.

On the fifth day of the first month, it is also called "Breaking Five". It is called "Breaking Five" because of the taboos in the past few days-no taking out garbage, no going out of the city, no grinding, no taking care of female workers, and even no fetching water ... Today, everything can be broken and shops have started to open.

The so-called "breaking five to send poverty" in folk customs

Among the above taboos during New Year's Day, not taking out garbage is the most prominent. According to folklore, from New Year's Day to Friday, you can get rich without taking out the garbage, otherwise you will be "blessed". However, there are too many garbage dumps, which, after all, affect health, so it is stressful to dump them out on the fifth day of junior high school. This is called "sending the poor".

There are many nicknames for sending the poor, sending the five poor, driving the five poor, sending the poor soil, sending the poor ash and sending the poor daughter-in-law out. Obviously, the "five-year plan" is related to the day, and "poverty" is the garbage accumulated since New Year's Day. Sending the poor, of course, is more than sending the rich.

There are many ways to send the poor. The simple thing is to dump the garbage outside the door with firecrackers in the early morning. The complicated thing is to cut a little person (poor daughter-in-law) with paper and send it away, and even let her carry a paper bag full of garbage outside the door. Some people who have enough to eat and drink are called "filling the poor", or taking other people's "poor wives" away, which is called "getting rich"

The so-called "opening a business by offering sacrifices to the gods" is another custom.

Another custom of breaking the fifth festival is that shops start to open after offering sacrifices to the god of wealth, because it is said that this day is the birthday of the god of wealth.

Generally speaking, after the store closes at the age of 30, it will be closed for several days. In the past few days, shopkeepers in old Beijing have to hang curtains with cartoons such as Liangshan in Shui Bo, Sanjieyi in Taoyuan and Loyalty to the Country on the door and window guards to rest during the New Year. Only the oil, salt and water grain store opens a small hole in the door panel to the outside world. Moreover, the opening of the market has related rules and regulations, most of which are related to the god of wealth.

About the birthday of the god of wealth, some say it is the second day of the first month, while others say it is the fifth day of the first month. Speaking of the first five days, I'm afraid it has something to do with the so-called "five-way God of Wealth". The predecessor of Wutong God of Wealth is also one of the prototypes of God of Wealth. It was Wu He Road at the end of Yuan Dynasty, and was later called the Five Gods and Five Gods. He originally had only one, but later generations attached five because of the word "five"-the more gods of wealth, the better. Wouldn't it be better to make money on the East, South, Northwest and Fifth Roads? Because he is a five-way god of wealth, of course, his birthday should be on the fifth day.

In literary works, the god of wealth is generally considered to be very important in the new year. See you at five o'clock on New Year's Eve. Sacrifice to the god of wealth in the next few days. Before opening, there was a special custom of offering sacrifices to the god of wealth, that is, whoever the shopkeeper planned to fire was not allowed to worship God. In old Beijing, this kind of sacrifice to the god of wealth was held on the fifth day of the fifth year, and the sacrifice to the god of wealth on the sixth day was called "sending God". In fact, the gods were burned to death. After that, "firecrackers exploded, and the guys shook their abacus and knocked on the scales with the weight. Both inside and outside the house were ringing, which was called" loud and prosperous ". At this time, beggars come to sing' happy songs', and the store mainly rewards them with a few' happy money'. In the atmosphere of strong desire, the shop opened the window lattice, revealing the red couplets of "open the market and everything will prosper" that had already been posted, and began to officially open "(The Customs of Old Beijing in the spring of ordinary people).

On the seventh day of the first month: cut the ribbon and give people soup.

People's Day is the seventh day of this month. In the old days, the days of the first month were all associated with common things: one-day chicken, two-day dog, three-day pig, four-day sheep, five-day cow, six-day horse, seven-day man and eight-day valley. However, on many days, except New Year's Day, it is the most important thing, and the rest only depends on whether the rain or shine on that day accounts for something's wealth or fortune.

People's Day is also called "People's Seven Days" and "People's Celebration Day", and it is also called "People's Victory Day" in the Tang Dynasty. According to the Taoist explanation, "Mr. Heaven and Earth is a chicken, two dog, two pigs, two sheep, two cows, two horses and a primitive man", which is respected. The main festival activities of People's Day also reflect the idea of attaching importance to the people. In the Ming Dynasty, Yang Shen's "Yi Yuan Ru Huang" said: "The ancients attached a seven-day account and valued people."

The most important holiday custom of the People's Day is to make people win, or to wear it on the temples, or to stick it on the screen bed account, or as a gift. In the Liang Dynasty of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, this custom became more popular. "The Chronicle of Jingchu" said: "On the seventh day of the first month, seven kinds of dishes are used as soup. Cut the ribbon for people, or carve gold for people to put on a screen and wear a head and temples. He also created Watson to inherit from each other. "

Victory was originally a kind of jewelry for women, representing "beauty" and "superiority". The legendary Queen Mother of the West once wore this kind of jewelry. In Shan Hai Jing and Xishan Jing, it is said that the Queen Mother of the West "made her hair in Dai Sheng". There are many kinds of victories, such as people's victory, Fang's victory, Bao's victory, China's victory, spring's victory and so on. , and people mainly win with people and flowers (China). People win by cutting and carving images of adults, and women wear them on their temples or give them to others. Flower wins are generally dominated by flowers and birds, and their shapes are similar to modern flower knots.

The custom of cutting people to win, flowers to win and giving people away began in the Han Dynasty. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, there was a clear written record and a corresponding explanation: "Those who cut the ribbon entered the New Year, and the description changed from new to new." (Chronicle of Jingchu's Age) Since the custom of "Dai Sheng" and "winning affection" shows people's attention and has the practical function of beautifying and decorating, its spread is naturally enduring. This custom is still popular in modern times. The book "Jiangnan Record" says: "On a human day, women cut the ribbon for people, or give birds as ornaments for temples." There are many poems about ribbon-cutting on People's Day in history, all of which briefly talk about this custom. Li Shangyin's poem "People and Days are Things" describes people and things in the poet's usual mood. In the poem, it is easy to cut the ribbon for the people, which tells the origin of the people's victory. Xu Yanshou, who was also in the Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem "People Cut the Ribbon", which was written from the perspective of women and had a lasting appeal:

Sitting in the boudoir, feeling sorry for yourself and cutting new clothes.

Leaves are full of emotions, and flowers send hands into spring.

Adhere to the face to raise makeup, adhere to the chicken to pay people.

Qinglai asked her husband, what is not true?

On the tenth day of the first month: Stone marries a rat girl on his birthday.

Ten motionless

During the Spring Festival, there are many taboos in traditional folk customs, some of which will not be completely lifted until the end of the month and early February. Ten immobility is a taboo custom, and its date is the tenth day of the first month. Because the taboo is mainly to use stone tools such as stone mills, this day is also called "stone birthday".

In fact, many festivals and customs on the tenth day of the first month are related to homophonic, such as ten, stone, food and festival activities. This day is not only called Stone Birthday, but also called Stone Immortality, Stone Mill Birthday and Stone God Birthday. Also called ten days, also called real day. In addition, there is the custom of eating pancakes, which is not only ten-in-one, but also the homonym of "turning", forming a lottery of money.

The main custom of ten motionless is to prohibit moving all stone tools. It can't be used at this time of year, and grinding, grinding and mortar can't be moved, and it can't be used. Not only that, in some places, these stone utensils will be set up to burn incense and worship. In addition, you must eat steamed buns to win the lottery. "China National Customs" records this custom in Laiyuan, Henan Province, saying: "The tenth day of the first month is the birthday of the stone, which is called ten motionless. Everyone burns incense to pay tribute to the stone. You must eat steamed stuffed buns and cakes for lunch. This is called falling rocks. ..... If you eat this steamed bread on the tenth day of the tenth lunar month, you will lose a lot of money if you encounter anything within one year. " In some places, stones can also move, but they are used for divination. For example, in some areas of Shandong Province, on the night of the ninth day, a crock was frozen on a smooth big stone. On the morning of the tenth day, the jar ears were tied with rope, and ten girls took turns to carry the crock. If the stone never falls to the ground, it indicates a bumper harvest that year, but if it falls to the ground, it may fail.

The stone god born on the tenth day of the first month is almost unknown, but people in some places have also created a female stone god named Shi. According to legend, Grandma Shi should open her eyes this day and avoid moving needles. In fact, in the so-called "New Year's Day", grinding things, needles and the like are hardly needed, and it is just as well to have more taboos. If you have to use it, it proves that the parties concerned didn't get things ready at the end of the year and in the first month when they were busy, and they were lazy; And these taboos seem to be reminders and warnings to such people.

The mouse married his daughter.

Rats play an important role in China's folk culture. It is not only the first of the 12 zodiac signs, but also plays a lively scene of getting married and marrying a woman. Moreover, it has become a children's game in folk New Year pictures, and people have also set aside a day for their marriage.

In fact, the date when mice marry women varies from place to place, including the days of the first month: the first day, the third day, the tenth day, the twelfth day, the sixteenth day and the twenty-fourth day. Not only are festivals not unified, but the names and customs of festivals also show great contrast. As the name suggests: let the mouse marry a woman, which is also called the mouse to marry (to be more elegant, it is called "the mouse marries a woman"); As a custom: some should be quiet and some should be noisy. However, the reference is the same: the rodent plague was eliminated in this way at the beginning of the year. In mice, if you marry, you will marry naturally, which is a matter for mice; In people, we just want to "marry" the mouse as soon as possible-the water spilled by the married mouse will never come back!

People's actions on the day when mice marry women, on the one hand, do not disturb, on the other hand, join in the fun, forming two different festivals and silent customs. Don't disturb, that is, don't light the lamp and go to bed early that day, so as not to disturb the mouse's marriage. Joining in the fun is to help the mice prepare candy, and put things like candy, cake and rice fragrance in the dark or where the mice haunt at night; Also hit the lid, dustpan and so on. To promote the makeup of mice.

In order to solve the problem of mice, people even have a simple custom of paying mice on the day their daughters get married-giving them delicious food. For example, Zhangbei County Records said: "The tenth day of the first month is called' ten to'. It's for the day when a mouse marries his wife. Each family steamed cakes, or boiled rice, and scattered them everywhere for rat food, burning incense and praying, so as not to be disturbed by rats. " "History of Bizhou" said: "On the tenth day of the first lunar month, there is a saying that rats marry women. Steamed rice noodles are called' ten dumplings', and at night, they are placed in cracks and holes in the wall to pay. " The action here is almost a bribe to the mouse.

Because of its drama and interest, the behavior of mice marrying women has also been absorbed by folk art and entertainment activities and has become their theme. In folk New Year pictures and paper-cutting, it is one of the common themes that mice marry women. For example, the New Year pictures in Yangliuqing, Tianjin, depict a group of mice dressed in red and green, carrying flags and umbrellas, banging gongs and playing suona, sedan chairs carrying the mouse bride, and the mouse groom wearing official clothes with red flowers on his chest, which is a lively wedding atmosphere. However, in this noise, there is always a big fat cat nearby, or it is actually catching mice to eat. The whole New Year picture is bizarre and dramatic, which also reflects people's belief in killing rats and pesticides.

In folk games, people marry mice directly to the cat groom. The game consists of more than ten children. One boy plays the cat groom, one girl plays the mouse bride, the other boys play the bearers and gongs and drums suona players, and the girls play the bridesmaids. In the game, two boys crossed their arms and clasped their hands to form a sedan chair, which was carried by the bride to the groom. The drummer folded his hands into a trumpet and blew as he walked. At the same time, everyone sang a folk song together: "Where did the mouse marry?" Marry into a cat's belly. "Although this kind of game doesn't have to be played on the day when the mouse marries a woman, it is also related to the folk belief in eliminating rats and eliminating disasters.