What is the custom of playing the spring bull What are the precepts of playing the spring bull

What is the custom of hitting the spring bull What are the precepts of hitting the spring bull

The spring season in the spring ceremony "hit the spring bull", also known as whip spring. Folk custom, popular in many parts of China. "Spring Bull", with mulberry wood as a skeleton, the winter solstice after the eve of the day to take the earth molded. The height of 4 feet, 8 feet long, painting four times eight sections of 360 days 12 hours pattern. The day before spring, people to the first altar worship, and then whipped with a colored whip, the "spring cattle" back to the county government, set up in the lobby wine and fruit offerings. Men, women and children holding the "cow" help "plow", singing rice-planting songs, praying for a good year. Before and after the liberation of the "playing spring cattle" farming drama, a person tied the plow, a person in charge of the plow, plowing and dancing, or touring in the countryside, or performed on the stage, adding to the festive atmosphere, but also expresses the love of the Chinese working people of a better life, yearning and pursuit.

The origin of the spring bull

Legend has it that Shennong tasted a hundred herbs, five grains, the beginning of agriculture, the three emperors, all attach great importance to agriculture, to the Zhou Dynasty, the matter of agriculture was mentioned on the court, one side of the system of calendars, and the other side of the local officials were ordered to hold a ceremony to welcome the spring every year. Agriculture is the foundation of all industries, spring is the first of the year, this "welcome spring" ceremony, of course, to be grand. The day before the spring, officials around the world have to take a bath, wear plain clothes, do not sit in a sedan chair not riding a horse, walking to the outskirts of the countryside, gather the townspeople, set up the table offerings. In addition to burning incense and bowing, but also in front of the table to make a clay ox, let the person dressed as the hook man god whip hit the clay ox, the clay ox is called "spring ox", "hit the spring ox" means to beat away the laziness of the spring ox, ushering in a year of abundant harvests.

The spring bull to pay attention to

There are made of mulberry wood for the skeleton of the spring bull, is dedicated to "playing spring bull" customary activities with the "bull". After the winter solstice festival, we take the soil and synthesize the clay blank, and carve it into the shape of a similar size of the cow. Painted on the four times eight sections, 360 days 12 hours pattern. On the day before the first day of spring, the officials and the people first agreed to sacrifice on the altar of agriculture. Later by the county deacon hand plow whip playing "spring cattle", to show the beginning of spring plowing. Then, the people make a plowing gesture. Plowing while playing the "spring bull", shouting: a dozen "wind and rain"; two dozen "national prosperity and people's peace"; three dozen "five grains and rich harvests "and other auspicious words.

Why do you want to hit the spring bull

The day before the spring day, the first clay molded clay bull in the county outside the east gate, next to which should be set up to carry a farm equipment and whip dummy as a "ploughman" to show that the spring season has come, agricultural matters in advance to prepare.

On the day of spring, the government should be dedicated to the offerings in front of the God of Mang, the earth cow, at noon, held a grand "playing cattle" ceremony. Officials and people beat the drums, officials with red and green whips or willow branches whip the cattle three times, and then handed over to the subordinates and farmers to take turns whipping.

Hit the spring cow head to symbolize good luck, hit the spring cow waist to symbolize the harvest, hit the spring cow tail to symbolize the four seasons of peace. Whichever position of the spring ox is whipped, it symbolizes the expulsion of cold and the beginning of spring plowing, and the more the earth ox is broken, the better.

Afterwards, people want to grab the soil of the earth cow and take it home to put it into the livestock circle to symbolize prosperity. On that day, if the sky is clear, it is a sign of a good harvest; if it rains, it is a sign of a bad year.

In addition, some rural villages still continue the ancient custom of a man with a small gong, singing the spring hymns, door-to-door to send a red spring oxen figure, the figure printed with the twenty-four seasons and a man holding the oxen in the plowing, people call it "spring post".

Lichun is the first of the twenty-four solar terms. The above custom shows that the spring has an important position in China's farming culture.