What are the festivals in the lunar calendar and why were they established?

The formation of traditional festivals is a process of long-term accumulation and cohesion of the history and culture of a nation or country. Chinese traditional festivals are diverse and are an important part of China's long history and culture. The Chinese traditional festivals that have developed from the time of the ancient ancestors clearly record the rich and colorful social life and cultural content of the Chinese nation. Since 2008, three new traditional festivals, namely Qingming, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, have been added to the national legal holidays.

Major Festivals

Formation

Traditional Chinese festivals are diverse in form and rich in content, and are an important part of the long history and culture of the Chinese nation. It is the legal system of "civilized society under the rule of law". It is the basic framework of the civilized countries in the region.

The origin and development of festivals is the "gradual formation of human society, the gradual perfection of the cultural process", is from ape to man, the evolution of civilization and development of the product.

China's traditional festivals are characterized by myths, legends, astronomy, geography, numerology, calendars, and other humanistic and natural cultural contents.

Documentary records can be traced back to at least "Xia Xiaozheng", "Shangshu", to the period of the Warring States period, the division of the year into twenty-four festivals, has basically completed, and later on, the traditional festivals, and these festivals are all closely related.

Each traditional Chinese festival has its own origin and the necessary conditions for its formation.

Development

The festivals provided the prerequisites for the creation of the festival, and most of the festivals had already appeared in the pre-Qin period, but the enrichment and popularization of the customary content of these festivals required a long process of development. The earliest customary activities were related to primitive worship and life taboos; myths and legends added a touch of romance to the festivals; there was also the impact and influence of religion on the festivals; and some eternal remembrance of historical figures seeped into the festivals, all of which merged and cohesively integrated into the content of the festivals, making Chinese festivals have a deep sense of history.

By the Han Dynasty, China's major traditional festivals had already been finalized, and it is often said that these festivals originated in the Han Dynasty, which was the first period of great development after the unification of China, characterized by political and economic stability, and a great development of science and culture, which provided good social conditions for the final formation of the festivals.

Festivals developed into the Tang Dynasty, which had been liberated from the atmosphere of primitive worship and forbidden mystery. Turned into entertainment ceremonial type, become a real festival of good times. Since then, the festival has become joyful and festive, colorful, many sports, enjoyment of the content of the activities appeared, and soon became a fashionable popular, these customs have continued to develop, enduring.

Inheritance

It is worth mentioning that, in the long history, the generations of literati, poets and ink masters, for a festival composed many ancient masterpieces, these poems and texts are popular, was widely celebrated, so that China's traditional festivals permeated with deep cultural heritage, wonderful and romantic, the great vulgarity in the great elegance, elegance and vulgarity **** appreciation. China's festivals have a strong cohesion and broad inclusiveness, a festival, the country celebrated together, which and our nation's long history of long-flowing lineage, is a valuable spiritual cultural heritage.

Major Traditional Festivals Edit

24 from the Chinese seven traditional festivals logo press conference was informed that the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Qingming, Dragon Boat Festival, Tanabata, Mid-Autumn Festival, Chongyang and other seven major traditional festivals in China logo officially released. It is reported that this is the Chinese Culture Promotion Association Festivals China Collaboration initiated, the seven traditional festivals connected to packaged heritage one of the actions. Guo Daorong said, has continued for thousands of years of traditional Chinese festivals, precipitated a profound cultural connotation, but because there is no image logo system, in modern society is not conducive to the promotion and dissemination of traditional festival culture.

The release of the image logo of the seven traditional Chinese festivals will be conducive to the Chinese traditional festival culture to the world. At the same time, the "traditional festival image logo management approach" is also the same day to draw up, according to the "traditional festival image logo management approach" requirements, the Chinese Culture Promotion Association has the collection of evaluation of the traditional festival image logo copyright, any unit or individual in the use of traditional festival image logo, should ensure that the legal use. "positive" that is, the first month of the "positive")

Commonly known as the "New Year"

Introduction of the Spring Festival

The Spring Festival, the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, also known as the "lunar year", commonly known as the "Chinese New Year". Lunar New Year, commonly known as "New Year". It is one of the grandest and most lively traditional festivals in China. The Spring Festival has a long history, which originated in the Yin Shang period at the end of the year to sacrifice to the gods and ancestors.

Origin

The Spring Festival refers to the traditional Chinese New Year in the Chinese character culture circle, traditionally known as New Year, Dainian, Xinyao, but also known verbally as Dusui, Qing Xinyao, New Year. In ancient times, the Spring Festival used to refer exclusively to the first day of spring in the solar calendar, which was also regarded as the beginning of the year, and was later changed to the beginning of the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar as the New Year, and it is generally believed that the New Year does not end until at least the fifteenth day of the first month (Shangyuan Festival). The concept of Spring Festival and New Year's Day originally came from agriculture. In ancient times, people called the growth cycle of grains "Nian" (年), which means "year" in Shuowen (说文). The ancient people called the growth cycle of grain "Nian" (年), which means "year" (年). It's hard to say when the Spring Festival (Summer New Year) originated, but it's generally believed to have originated in the Yin and Shang dynasties in China, where sacrifices were made to the gods and ancestors at the end of the year (the La Sacrifice).

The Xia calendar, which was created during the Xia and Shang dynasties, takes the cycle of the moon's waxing and waning (now known as the lunar month, or "yin month") as the month, and divides the year into twelve months, with the day when the moon is not visible (the solstice) as the first day of the month, as well as the cycle of the return movement to the winter solstice (now known as the return year or the solar year, or "yang year"). "The year was divided into twelve months, with the day of the missing moon (the solstice) as the head of the month, and the cycle of the return movement of the solstice (now called the return year or solar year, which is described later) as the year, with intercalary months to adjust the yin and yang years. Taking the first day of the first month of the first day of the Zi Shi (midnight) as the first day of the year, i.e., the beginning of the year, the end of the year and the beginning of the year to carry out the celebration of the old year's harvest and the prayer for a good harvest in the new year, so a series of offerings to the gods, ancestor sacrifices, celebrations, and prayers, and other activities.

The name "year" began in the Zhou Dynasty. As for the first (the beginning of the year) to determine the time (in other words, the arrangement of the lunar calendar) is also related to the astronomical calendar (as mentioned above), the legend of the summer in the month of Yin (now the first month of the lunar calendar), the Shang in the month of ugly (now the twelfth month of the lunar calendar), Zhou in the month of Zi (now the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, that is, the winter solstice is located in the month), the Qin in the month of Ohi (now the tenth month of the lunar calendar), the Western Han Dynasty only to restore the summer is the fixed month of Yin (now the first month of the lunar calendar) as the first of the year, and has been in use since then.

But it's not the same thing.

But the first day of the first month in ancient times was called New Year's Day, New Year's Day, New Year's Day, and so on, until after the victory of the Xinhai Revolution in modern China, the Nanjing Provisional Government, in order to comply with the agricultural season and facilitate statistics (in fact, the guide to the agricultural season is the solar part of the summer calendar - the twenty-four seasons), the provisions of the summer calendar in the civil use of the summer calendar (the lunar calendar) in the government agencies, factories, mines, schools, and organizations in the implementation of the calendar (the calendar is not used to use the AD chronology, but to use the Republic of China). (instead of the AD calendar, the Republic of China (ROC) calendar was used). On the eve of the founding of New China, on September 27, 1949, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference officially designated the summer (lunar) New Year as the "Spring Festival", and many people still call the Spring Festival "New Year".

In fact, the Spring Festival in ancient times referred to the "Lichun" of the 24 solar terms in the lunar calendar.

Related Legends

In ancient China, there was a monster called "Nian", which had tentacles and was very fierce. The Nian lived at the bottom of the sea for many years, and only climbed ashore on New Year's Eve to devour livestock and harm the people.

Therefore, every New Year's Eve, people from villages and hamlets fled to the mountains to avoid the harm of the Nian beast.

This New Year's Eve, Peach Blossom Village, people are supporting the old and young to take refuge in the mountains, from the village came a begging old man, see his hand on crutches, arm with a bag bag, silver beard flowing, eyes like a star. Folks have sealed the windows and locked the door, some packing, some cattle and sheep, everywhere people shouting and horse neighing, a scene of panic in a hurry. The first thing I'd like to say is that I don't know what to do, but I'd like to know what I'm doing.

Only the east end of the village, an old woman gave the old man some food, and advised him to go to the mountains to avoid the "year" beast, the old man stroked his beard and laughed: "Granny, if you let me stay at home for a night, I will certainly be the "year" beasts out of the way. The old woman looked closely, see his hair, hale and hearty, extraordinary. But she still continue to persuade, begging the old man smiled but did not say. The old woman had no choice but to leave her home behind and take refuge in the mountains.

In the middle of the night, the "New Year" beast broke into the village. It found that the atmosphere in the village was different from that of previous years: the old lady's house at the east end of the village had a big red paper on the door, and the candles in the house were burning brightly. The beast shivered and gave a strange cry. Nian" stared angrily at the old lady's house for a moment, and then pounced on her with a wild cry. Close to the door, the courtyard suddenly came "bang, bang, bang, bang," the sound of explosions, "year" trembling, and no longer dare to come forward.

It turns out that Nian is most afraid of the color red, fire and explosions. At that moment, the door of the mother-in-law's house was wide open, only to see an old man in red robes laughing in the courtyard. Nian was terrified and fled in disarray.

The next day was the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, and the people who had returned from their refuge were very surprised to see that the village was safe and sound. At this point, the old lady just suddenly realized, rushed to the villagers described the promise of the old man begging the villagers flocked to the old lady's home, only to see the old lady's home with red paper on the door, a pile of unburned bamboo in the yard is still in the "crackling" explosion, a few red candles in the house is still glowing with the afterglow of the ...... ecstatic townsfolk in celebration of the arrival of the good luck, have to The new clothes and hats, visiting friends and relatives. This incident soon spread in the surrounding villages, people know the way to drive away the "New Year" beast.

From then on, every year on New Year's Eve, every family puts up red couplets and sets off firecrackers; every household keeps the candles burning brightly and keeps watch for the new year. Early in the morning on the first day, but also to go to friends and relatives to say goodbye. This custom has become more and more widespread, and has become the grandest traditional festival of Chinese folklore.

Applicable areas

The Spring Festival is the most important festival of the Han Chinese people, but the Manchu, Mongolia, Yao, Zhuang, Bai, Gaoshan, Hezhe, Hani, Daur, Dong, Li and other dozens of ethnic minorities also have the custom of the Spring Festival, but the form of the festival is more of their own national characteristics, more flavorful.

Customs

Firecrackers to keep the New Year's Eve, sticking Spring Festival couplets to pay homage to the New Year, eating dumplings, eating sausages and bacon, and watching the Spring Festival Gala (only in recent years)

Folk songs

Laqi, Laxi, Laxi 8, and congee, sweet porridge, to get rid of the dust, and to welcome a new year

Twenty-three to the New Year, and sugar melons to offer to the King of the Zao before the festival

Twenty-four to the ancestor's house to pay homage to the New Year, with incense

Twenty-five to the great blessings, and blessing the sages before the door. The first day of the New Year is the first day of the first month of the year

The first day of the New Year is the first day of the year when the first year of the year begins. "

Related Poems

The New Year's Day of the Tianjia - Meng Haoran

Last night the bucket returned to the north, this day the year begins to rise to the east

My age is already strong, and I have no salary, but still worry about farming

The mulberry field is for the ploughing fathers, the hoe is with the shepherd children

The Tianjia occupies the climate, and ***says that the year is full of abundance.

The Day of the New Year (Jade Palace Spring)-Mao Pang

The Lotus Flower leaks out of the year's droplets, and the wells are full of tassels and frozen wine

The cold of the dawn still deceives us, and the slimness of spring comes to the willows first

Good people advise us to live a thousand years, and the cypress leaves and pepper blossom in our sleeves

There are fewer people who know each other in the depths of the Drunken Country, but only with the Eastern King, who has a preference for his former self

On the day of the New Year, in the sound of firecrackers, the first year of the year ends, and the spring breeze brings warmth to the tassels.

The day of the New Year (Song Dynasty) is the day when the firecrackers sound and the year is over, and the spring breeze brings warmth to the tassel.

New Year's Day Test Writings (Selected One)-Chen Xianzhang

When the wind and clouds in the sky are celebrating the meeting, the Temple Mol competes with the grass and thatched roofs to know it

Neighboring walls are spinning and entertaining the guests with wine, and kindergartens are singing poems of joyfulness for the New Year

Old age meets the new year again, and the spring comes with even better flowers

Where is the evening breeze from the flute of the river building, and where is it blowing to the East Sea when it is on the moon?

New Year's Day of the dingmao year-Qian Qianyi

One Bottle of New Year's Wine is Worshiped.

Listening to the burning of firecrackers, a child's heart is still there, and watching the changing of peach blossoms, an old man's heart is still in the right place

The drums and the plum blossoms have added a new part of the New Year's Day, and the five shifts of the year are filled with laughter and joy

The words of the sale of demented people are written in the late hours of New Year's Eve, and people don't sleep.

"New Year's Eve" - (Tang) Lai Guan

The matter of the rest has become empty, ten thousand miles of lovesickness in one night.

After the sound of the rooster has died down, I will be pining to see the spring breeze again.

New Year's Eve - (Southern Song Dynasty) Wen Tianxiang

The universe is empty, the years are gone;

The end of the road is shocked by the wind and rain, and the poor side is full of snow and frost.

The life with the years want to end, the body and the world are all forgotten;

No more Tusu dream, picking lamps the night is not yet over.

New Year's greetings-(Ming) Wen Zhengming

Not seeking to meet but to pay a visit, the famous paper comes to my hut.

I also throw a few papers with people, the world is too simple not too false.

The new Zheng You - (Ming) Ye Stern

The winds and frosts of heaven and earth are over, and the weather of the Qiankun and the world;

The calendar adds a new year, and the spring is full of the old mountains and rivers.

Plums and willows are all new, and pines and bamboo are old;

Tusks are drunk, and the white clouds are laughing.

This is the first time I've ever seen a movie in the world.

This is the first time I've ever seen a movie in the world, and I've never seen one.

Fengcheng New Year's Greetings-(qing) Cha Shenxing

Craftily cutting streamers to try the Shilla, painting colors and tracing gold to make moths;

Since then the scissors have been idle for a month, and there are many needles and threads in the boudoir before the year is out.

On New Year's Day, the Chinese people were occupying Liu Yazi's "Huai Ren" rhyme - Dong Biwu

***Celebrating the New Year, the women of the Red Rock gave the plum blossoms;

They raised their glasses to each other to toast the wine of Tusu, and they shared their victory tea at the end of the banquet.

Only loyalty can serve the country, but there is no happy place to call home;

Singing and dancing with the capital to welcome the festive season, and looking at Yan'an from afar, the scenery is gorgeous.

The Spring Festival - Jiangnan Jingshi

The ban on fireworks in the city has been lifted for the time being, and the snow has cleared up in the year before.

The streets are decorated with colors and dusted, and all the peach symbols are replaced with couplets.

February 2nd Dragon Heads Up

Dragon Heads Up (February 2nd) is also known as the "Spring Plowing Festival", "Agricultural Festival", "Spring Dragon Festival", is the Han Chinese folk Traditional festivals. It is the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar every year, commonly known as the Green Dragon Festival, which is said to be the day when the dragon raises its head, and it is a traditional festival in both urban and rural areas of China. People celebrate "Dragon Head Festival" to honor the dragon and pray for rain, so that the old heavenly blessings to ensure a good harvest.

Winter Solstice

The winter solstice is a very important festival in China's lunar calendar, and also a traditional festival, which is still practiced in many places. The winter solstice is commonly known as the "winter festival", "long solstice festival", "YaYu", etc. As early as two and a half thousand years ago, the winter solstice is the most important festival in the Chinese lunar calendar. As early as two thousand five hundred years ago in the Spring and Autumn Period, our country has used the earth to observe the sun to determine the winter solstice, it is the twenty-four solar terms in the earliest development of a. The time in December of each year, the solar calendar. The time is between December 22nd or 23rd on the solar calendar every year.

The winter solstice is the day with the shortest day and the longest night in the northern hemisphere throughout the year, and after the winter solstice, the day will get longer day by day. Ancient people on the winter solstice is: the Yin pole of the arrival, Yang Qi began to grow, the day south to the shortest day to the longest shadow of the sun, so it is said "winter solstice". After the winter solstice, the climate around the world have entered one of the coldest stage, which is often referred to as "into the nine", China's folk "cold in the three nine, hot in three volts," said.

Modern astronomical science, the winter solstice, the sun shoots directly at the Tropic of Capricorn, sunlight on the northern hemisphere is the most tilted, the northern hemisphere, the shortest day, the longest night, after this day, the sun and gradually move north.

In our country in ancient times on the winter solstice is very important, the winter solstice is treated as a large festival, there was a "winter solstice is as big as the year," said, and there are customs to celebrate the winter solstice. The book of han said: "winter solstice yang qi up, juntao long, so congratulations." People think: after the winter solstice, the day is longer than one day, Yang Qi rise, is the beginning of a cycle of festivals, is also an auspicious day, should be celebrated. The Book of Jin" on the record "Wei Jin winter solstice day by all the countries and bureaucrats to congratulate ...... its instrument subdivided into the first day." This shows the importance of the winter solstice in ancient times.

Now, some places still take the winter solstice as a festival. Northern regions have the custom of slaughtering sheep, eating dumplings and wontons on the winter solstice, while southern regions have the habit of eating winter solstice rice balls and winter solstice long thread noodles on this day. Various regions in the winter solstice on this day there is also the custom of sacrificing to the sky and ancestors.

Customs: The winter solstice has developed over thousands of years, forming a unique seasonal food culture. Such as wontons, dumplings, dumplings, red bean congee, corn cake, etc. can be used as the New Year's food. There were more popular "winter solstice feast" also has a lot of names, such as eating winter solstice meat, offer winter solstice plate, for winter solstice group, wonton winter worship.

The more common custom of eating wontons on the winter solstice. As early as the Southern Song Dynasty, Lin'an people ate wontons on the winter solstice, began to worship ancestors, and then gradually spread, folk "winter solstice wontons summer solstice noodles," said. Hundun development so far, more become a variety of names, production of different, fresh and delicious, all over the country, loved by the people's famous snacks. Wonton name a lot of places such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang and most of the places called wontons, while Guangdong is said to be wonton, Hubei, said the bag of noodles, Jiangxi, said the soup, Sichuan, said the copious, Xinjiang, said Qu Qu and so on.

Eating dumplings is also a traditional winter solstice custom, especially prevalent in Jiangnan. "Soup dumplings" is the winter solstice necessary food, is a kind of glutinous rice flour made of round dessert, "round" means "reunion", "complete! "Round" means "reunion" and "complete", and eating soup dumplings on the winter solstice is also called "winter solstice dough". Folk have "eaten dumplings a year older" said. Winter Solstice Dumplings can be used to offer sacrifices to ancestors, and can also be used to give gifts to friends and relatives. In the old days, Shanghainese people paid most attention to eating soup dumplings. There is an old poem that says: "Every family pounded rice to make soup dumplings, knowing that it is the winter solstice day of the Ming Dynasty."

There are many places in the north, in the winter solstice this day have eaten dog meat and mutton custom, because the winter solstice after the weather into the coldest period, Chinese medicine that mutton and dog meat have yang tonic body has the effect of the folk so far there is the winter solstice have the custom of tonic.

In our country Taiwan also preserved the winter solstice with nine layers of cake ancestor tradition, with glutinous rice flour pinched chicken, duck, turtle, pig, cow, sheep and other symbols of good luck in the meaning of Fuk Luk Shou animals, and then steamed with a steamer layer steamed to ancestor, to show that we do not forget the old ancestors. The same family name with the clan on the winter solstice or around the agreed upon date, set to the ancestral shrine in accordance with the order of the eldest and youngest, one by one to pay homage to the ancestors, commonly known as "ancestor worship". After the ceremony, a banquet is organized to entertain the ancestors. We all drink freely, and contact each other's feelings after a long period of separation, which is called "eating ancestors." The winter solstice festival has been passed down from generation to generation in Taiwan to show that one does not forget one's "roots".

The winter solstice is a rich festival, according to legend, the winter solstice in the history of the Zhou Dynasty was the New Year's Day, once a very lively day. In today's Jiangnan area there is still: eat the winter solstice night meal to grow a year, commonly known as "add years".

Poetry related to the winter solstice:

The winter solstice has a close relationship with the "Song of Nine Nine Years", which has been passed down in Beijing for hundreds of years. Starting from the day of the winter solstice, nine days are counted as a unit, and nine nine days are counted in a row, so that the winter will be over by the end of the year.

The Song of the Nine Days

The nine days of the winter solstice are counted as nine days in a row, and then nine days are counted as eighty-one days, and then winter is over.

The Song of the Nine Days

The song of the Nine Days of the Winter Solstice is counted as nine days in a row, and then nine days in a row are counted as eighty-one days, and then winter is over.

Small Solstice

(Tang) Du Fu

The time of the year and the personnel of the day are in sync, and the winter solstice and the spring come again.

Embroidered with five lines of weak threads, and blown by six tubes of flying ash.

The bank is waiting for the willow, and the mountain is ready to release the plum.

The clouds are not different from the countryside, so I'll teach my children to cover the cups in their palms.

Winter Solstice

(Tang) Du Fu

Year after year, the day of the arrival of the long for the guest, suddenly poor sorrow mud murder!

The river describes me as being alone in my old age, while the customs of the sky are close to each other.

After the snowy day, I was at the Dan Gulch, and the jade was scattered in the morning.

There is not a single inch in my heart, and I'm not sure where to look at Sanqin.

Handan winter solstice night

(Tang) Bai Juyi

Handan stage on the winter solstice, holding the knees in front of the lamp shadow accompanied body.

When I think of sitting at home at night, I should talk about the people who are traveling far away from home.

......

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