About the origin and customs of Chinese New Year's Day

The Day and New Year's Eve, Qingming Festival, Chongyang Festival and known as the four traditional Chinese ancestor festivals, the folk are mostly in this festival to remember loved ones, and the future to send good wishes. It is also known as the "Ghost Festival" or the "Bon Festival", and is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, or on the fourteenth day of the seventh month. It is said that on this day, the ghosts in the netherworld will be released, in order to remember their ancestors and pay tribute to the earth officials, people in the sun will prepare rich offerings, burn incense and paper to pay tribute to these ancestors from the netherworld.

The Taoist Festival of the Middle Ages is both a Taoist religious festival and a folkloric festival. In the beginning of Taoism, there was the worship of the three officials. The Zheng Yi League of Wei Dao believed in the three officials, namely, the Heavenly Officials, the Earthly Officials, and the Water Officials, which were later called the Three Officials of the Great Emperor.

They each have their own responsibilities, the heavenly official for the blessing of the upper yuan, the earthly official for the middle yuan to forgive sins, and the water official is called the lower yuan to solve the problem. The Taoist book says that during these three days, the three officials will review the merits and sins of the earth to determine the rewards and punishments. Among them, the earth official is in charge of the earth's mansion, and of course, the focus of the inspection is all the ghosts. Therefore, on this day, all the ghosts have to leave the underworld to be examined. Taoist sects routinely set up jiao-festivals on this day to celebrate the birth anniversary of the Earth God, while the faithful also contribute to the fasting of their ancestors to pray for blessings and to ask the Earth God to forgive their sins and ascend to heaven as soon as possible. This is the main reason why the festival has become a folk festival.

The festival is a product of local culture. It existed in the time of Emperor Wu of Liang, and was finalized and matured in the Song Dynasty. Tang Dynasty official advocacy, the upper yuan, the middle yuan, the lower yuan, such as the three yuan day stereotypes, become the prayers for the emperor Xuan Yuan (Tai Shang Lao Jun, Laozi) three yuan festival, the emperor rate of all officials to participate in the festival ceremony. After the Tang and Song dynasties, it has become a folk festival.

Second, the customs of the festival

Every July, the folk will certainly hold a grand celebration, all over the country, whether it is a commercial area or HDB area, can be seen in the celebration of the red paper, lanterns and colorful, set up altars to pay the gods. The "Pudu" ceremony is the most important part of the festival, which can be broadly categorized into Street Pudu, City Pudu, Temple Pudu, etc. Neighborhood-based Pudu is known as "Street Pudu", market-based Pudu is known as "City Pudu", and the Temple Pudu is performed by the temple abbot, and the temple abbot is known as "City Pudu".

Pudu is usually centered around a temple, and the residents of the neighborhood bring offerings to the temple, while many people set up tables in front of their homes, display offerings, and hang paper lanterns under the eaves of their houses.

Ancestor worship is one of the customs of the Day of the Middle Ages, the Day of the Middle Ages on the 15th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar, so the abbreviation is "half of the 7th month" ancestor worship. However, the ceremony is usually held in the evening before the end of July, and is not limited to a specific day, the usual days to worship ancestors, generally do not move the ancestors of the tablets.

To the time of worship, the ancestors of the tablets one by one, respectfully placed on the table dedicated to worship, and then in front of each ancestor's tablets inserted on the incense, the daily morning, afternoon, dusk, for three times the tea and rice, until the 30th of July to send it back to so far. If there are portraits of the ancestors, they should also be invited to hang them up. When worshipping, in accordance with the order of seniority and age, to each ancestor kowtow, silent prayer, praying for their ancestors to bless their own peace and happiness.

Sent back, to choose to break the black, usually the head of the family and the male members of the family to carry firecrackers, paper money, incense and candles, to find a secluded piece of flat land along the riverside or ponds, with lime to spread a circle, indicating that the forbidden area. Then splash some water and rice in the circle, burn some paper money clothing, said burning clothes, firecrackers, send ancestors on the road, back to the "netherworld".

Now, the customary ancestor worship ceremony has been simplified, most areas are in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, or July 14 evening began to hold ancestor worship ceremony. Ancestor worship ceremonies have also been simplified, gradually eliminating superstitious overtones and retaining the form of sacrifice as a way of remembering and commemorating one's ancestors.

Third, China's custom of the Mid-Yuan Festival around

Hebei Province: Nanpi County on the 15th of July to carry fruits, preserved meat, wine, kozo money, etc. to the ancestors cemetery to pay homage. And take hemp grain to the field stalks, known as "recommending new". Guangping County offers seasonal food to ancestors on the Mid-Yuan Festival and prepares fruits, vegetables and steamed goats to give to grandchildren, which is called "sending goats". In Qinghe County, on the 15th of July, they go to the graveyard to pay homage to the ancestors and give the steamed sheep to their daughters.

Shanxi Province: Yonghe County readers on this day of sacrifice Kui Xing. Changzi County, the shepherd's family in the Mid-Yuan Festival slaughter sheep race God, according to popular legend, so that the sheep can increase production. They also give meat to their relatives, while those who are poor and have no sheep make sheep-shaped steamed noodles instead. In Yangcheng County, farmers make cats, tigers and grains out of wheat shavings and offer sacrifices in the fields, which is called "Hsingtian". In Mayi County, people use wheat flour to make children's shapes on the Mid-Yuan Festival, which are called "noodle men," and give them to the children of their relatives. In Xin County, farmers hang five-colored paper on the stalks of their fields on the Mid-Yuan Festival. Guangxi Province: Yangshan people to July 14 for the Meilian Festival, more than killing ducks to sacrifice their ancestors, no pedestrians on the road that day, called "hiding ghosts".

Henan Province: Shangqiu County in the Yuan dynasty rituals, hanging paper flag at the door, the legend can prevent insects. The first thing you need to do is to get your hands on a kite. Open County on July 15 in front of the door to draw a gray circle, burning paper in the circle to worship ancestors.

Shandong Province: Long Island fishermen to board Panicum made of small boats, on the sticker a note "for xx use", or for the drowned person's tablet, and then loaded with food, clothes, hats, shoes and socks and other paraphernalia, and then light candles, by the married man will be put into the sea boat. In Zhanhua County, each family picks hemp and fresh grass to build a shed called "hemp house" and invites ancestors to worship in it. In addition, the Chinese government has been working on a number of new projects, such as a new program to improve the quality of life of the people of Hong Kong.

Shaanxi Province: Lintong County, July 15, burning paper sacrifices Ma Gu. Chenggu County in the Yuan Festival farmers will drink, known as "hanging hoe". Extension of the farmhouse, the morning of the Day to the field, select the highest, the most dense ears of rice, hung on the five-color paper flag, called the "field streamers".

Jiangsu Province: Wu County residents of the Mid-Yuan Festival to tin foil folding ingots, incinerated along the road, known as the "knot ghosts". Yizheng County is still popular all over the paper ghosts, hidden bowl lights, gambling ghosts, drunkards, big old officials and so on. In Yixing County, there are four boats in the river on the Mid-Yuan Festival, one setting off fireworks, one carrying the Buddha's wife to read the Buddha's name, one burning tin foil and paper ingots, and one setting off river lanterns. The villagers in Dongxian County ate flat food on this day, which is a kind of food made of flour and sugar in the shape of a dustpan. In Shanghai, when the river lanterns are released, the stern of the boat is decorated with red and green paper lanterns, which is called "Duo".

Sichuan Province: Sichuan Province, commonly used in the Yuan ancestor burning paper. To be a stack of paper money, sealed into a small seal, written above the recipient's ` name and name, the number of seals received, the name of the person and time. According to popular legend, on July 15, when the ghost gate is closed, every family has to "send children to the orphans". Chengdu area people with paper "flower plate", put paper money and offerings on the fruit, end in the hand, in the house while walking and read: "close friends and relatives, neighbors, the original tenants, can not go back to the souls of the dead, all the lonely ghosts, please on the flower plate, to send you back to the Luo! After saying this, he took it to the outside of the house and incinerated it.

Zhejiang Province: Jiashan County to rain on the Mid-Yuan Festival as a sign of a good rice harvest. Tonglu County people in the evening of the Mid-Yuan Festival gong spread rice in the wild, called the "food". East Zhejiang . Bon, please 24 old ladies "go eight knot", while reciting sutras. Tiantai in the Yuan Festival to eat "dumpling cake", tube similar to spring rolls. There is also the custom of putting street lamps to six strong for a group: a person to beat the gong, a person to play bang, a person to carry a lantern, a person along the way to spread salt and rice, a person along the way to set up incense and candles (inserted in a piece of sweet potatoes or taro), a person along the way to set up a piece of bean curd and a rice ball (placed in a large leaf), about every hundred steps to set up a sacrifice.

Jiangxi Province: Ji'an people burning paper on the Mid-Yuan Festival, ingots, however, pregnant women are prohibited from folding paper ingots. It is said that pregnant women folded paper ingots, incinerated ghosts can not take, sent to the netherworld is not beneficial. When the fireworks, the priest to the stage throwing buns, fruit. Legend has it that if a woman grabs a bun, she will have a child the following year. If a child grabs a bun, he or she will be free from fear for the rest of his or her life. In Anyuan County, the ancestor festival starts on July 12 with the burning of incense and tea, and offerings are made in the morning and evening. The first thing you need to do is to burn kozo and paper money on the night of the 15th.

Fujian: Yongfu County in the Yuan Festival, married women must go home to their ancestors. The Fuzhou dialect calls Zhongyuan "the Festival of Burning Paper Clothes". Married women to prepare for the parents of the clothes and robes and watts in the box, to the yarn cage, called "yarn box", sent to the parents' home. In Minzhong, there is a custom of Pudu, which is always held in both urban and rural areas, and the funds are collected by people along the door. Even the poorest families would try their best to raise money to cope with the event. There is a proverb that says: "If you don't pay for Pudu, the plague will come. If Pudu doesn't contribute, the short master will come to get it. When Pudu is held, there is also the performance of the children's orchestra.

Guangdong Province: The Yao tribe performs ancestor worship on the 15th of July, and also worships the King of Dogs, with young boys and girls dressed in flowery costumes, singing and dancing to honor the gods. The Yao tribe also celebrates the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, which is the first day of the month for the Yao tribe to celebrate their ancestors. It is rumored that the festival is celebrated one day earlier because the Yuan soldiers came down from the south in order to avoid the disaster. Chenghai County in the Yuan Festival sacrifices ancestors and stove God. Deqing Zhou Zhongyuan to winter leaves wrapped in powder as a cake, called "bridge", used to worship ancestors. In ancient Chao Yang County, when giving orphans, rich people would buy plows and harrows, waterwheels, and even girls from poor families, which were written on pieces of paper, and the pieces of paper were also scattered when giving food. Can not afford to buy farming tools or can not afford a wife, you can receive the sheet.

Yunnan Province: Teng Yue people burn bags after ancestor worship, but also with a cucumber, carved into a boat-shaped, called "cucumber boat", with the package together with the incineration.

The origin and legend of the festival

The Taoist legend

The name of the festival started in the Northern Wei Dynasty. The name "Zhongyuan Festival" originated in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and "Zhongyuan" is a Taoist term. Taoist classics say that the 15th day of the first month of the year is the upper yuan, the 15th day of the 7th month is the middle yuan, and the 15th day of the 10th month is the lower yuan. And the "three yuan" and "three officials" match, said the God of the heavenly officials to give blessings, born on the fifteenth day of the first month.