What is the meaning of the festival?

Shang Si (sì) Festival, commonly known as the third of March, is a traditional Han Chinese festival ? The festival is the most important of the ancient "purification bath" activities, people go to the water bathing, known as "Purification of Purification", and since then has increased the rituals and banquets, water goblets, the countryside and other content.

Ancient times to the "dry" date, the first six days of March, called the "on the Si". The word "on the Si" was first included in the early Han literature, "Zhou Li" Zheng Xuan note: "years of purification, now March on the Si such as water and so on." After the Wei and Jin dynasties, the festival period changed to the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar, it is also known as "heavy three" or "March 3".

The festival has its origins in the orchid soup to ward off evil witchcraft activities, said the orchid soup to drive away evil. The orchid was used as a spiritual object, characterized by its fragrance, and the ancients were required to fast before performing major rituals for the gods, including the best way to bathe at that time, "bathing in orchid soup".

The origin of the festival

Ancient times, the festival was a day of "purification of semi-annual purification", held in the waterfront to purify the ominous ritual customs. The festival has a long history, history, lack of records. The word "on the Si" was first included in the Han Dynasty literature. After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the Festival was changed to March 3, and gradually became a waterfront feast, the countryside tour of the spring festival.

It is believed that the festival originated from the witchcraft activity of bathing in orchid soup to drive away evil spirits. When bathing in orchid soup became a spell to ward off evil spirits, such bathing activities had to be organized and led by dedicated witches.

The Shangsi Festival originated from the witchcraft activity of orchid soup to ward off evil spirits, in which orchids were used as spiritual objects. Orchid grass has the characteristics of the aroma of the people, the ancients in the major ceremonies held before the gods, shall be preceded by fasting, which includes the use of the best bath at that time - orchid soup bathing. Bathing with orchid soup, the difference only lies in the orchid soup bathing is personal behavior, more indoors, and can be implemented at any time, purification of purification is a collective activity, must be in the riverside, and must be held regularly.

Another viewpoint is that the festival originated from the fertility worship activities of the ancestors. As Tao Siyan pointed out, purification activities are men and women in the spring to enjoy each other, women praying for pregnancy faith behavior, and holding orchids or fragrant herbs bathing, are the role of arousing desire. Water is a mysterious sensory material, women in the river not only want to wash away the dust of winter, but also hope to touch the water to feel pregnant and get a child. This primitive religious beliefs related to the water, when it is the real reason for the custom of purification in March ("Customs Exploration").

There is also the belief that the festival originated in honor of Emperor Xuanyuan. According to legend, March 3 is the birth anniversary of the Yellow Emperor, and in the Central Plains, there is a saying that "February 2, the dragon carries the head; March 3, the birth of Xuanyuan".

Development

The history of the festival has a long history, in the ancient times on the Si has become a large-scale folk festivals, spring and Jingming, people out of their homes, set in the water, held to remove the ominous purification ceremony. "On the Si" was first included in the early Han Dynasty literature. Zhouli" Zheng Xuan note: "yearly purification, now March on the Si such as water and so on." On the Si Festival is the most important festival in ancient times to hold "purification bath" activities. The Analects of Confucius: "In the late spring, when the spring uniforms are ready, the crowned five or six people, the children six or seven people, bathing in Yi, wind and summer dances, singing and returning." It was written about the situation of purifying the purification of purification at that time. Purifying purification means going to the waterfront to wash and remove the dirt, and at the same time, take away the disaster and obscurity of the body, which has the meaning of praying for blessings. After the Han Book": "is the month of the first six, the officials and the people are clean in the east stream on the water, said washing, purification to remove persistent dirt (disease) for the big clean", the text said that is to clean the body with running water, so that the disaster and the disease of a custom with the water to go.

Wei-Jin later, due to the society at that time, advocating nature, indulge in the landscape of the fashion, for people, on the Si Festival purification significance greatly weakened, and welcome the spring to enjoy the meaning of the tour more and more intense. Western Jin Dynasty "Xia Zhongyi biography" describes on the sixth day of the Luoyang "men are Zhu clothing Yew Road, women are Jinqi Charming rotten". The festival was set on the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar. To the Wei and Jin dynasties, the festival gradually evolved into a royal aristocracy, ministers, literati and elegant people in the water drinking festival, and thus derived from another important custom of the festival - water goblet, that is, the purification of drinking.

During the Tang Dynasty, the festival became one of the most important festivals of the time. The content of the festival, in addition to cultivating purification, is mainly a spring trip, the water banquet. Song Wu Zimu in the "dream sorghum record - Volume 2" wrote: "Tang Dynasty gives feast on the Qujiang River, Qingdu purification drink trekking," said that the day of the Si, Chang'an men, women and children dressed in full costume, in the Qujiang River, the scene of the feast, excursions. Du Fu's "Lillian line" The scene is also described: "March 3 weather is new, Chang'an waterfront more Lillian ......" Tang poet Bai Juyi in the "March 3, thank you Qujiang Banquet," a detailed account of the situation of the event.

After the Song Dynasty, the March 3 Festival suddenly disappeared in the north, not in the literature, but in the south of the southwest part of the country is still circulating.

Festival Alias

Daughter's Day

March 3, also known as the Daughter's Day, also known as the "Peach Blossom Festival", is a kind of rite of passage of the young girls of the Han Chinese people in ancient times, usually held on this day of rites of passage "maturity ceremony". Daughters "on the spring play", the water and walk, play in the water's edge to pick orchids, wear beautiful clothes, singing and dancing, in order to drive away the evil spirit. And women love to play in the water in the spring.

The difference with the Japanese Daughter's Day, the Japanese Daughter's Day is also on March 3, also known as "Hina Matsuri". Because the old calendar March 3 is the peach blossom season, so there is also "peach blossom festival" called, is China's Sui and Tang dynasties into Japan, but different is that Japan to the young girls are also festivals, mainly for a few years old little girls, China is more focused on the age of the young girl, the day, adults began to dress up the little girl, all dressed up, led by the mother of the girl, the mother's mother, the mother's mother, the mother's mother, the mother's daughter, the daughter's daughter. On this day, adults begin to dress up the little girls in their families, and they are led by their mothers to visit each other's homes, wearing pomegranate blossoms to ward off evil spirits and seek blessings.

This is China's Valentine's Day, which is recorded in the Book of Songs, 1,000 years earlier than Western Valentine's Day. After the pre-Qin Dynasty, the March 3 Valentine's Day was spread throughout the generations. During the Tang Dynasty, Du Fu's line "The weather is new on March 3, and there are many beautiful people at the water's edge of Chang'an" brought the festival to a higher level of splendor and beauty. Since the Song Dynasty, the prevalence of science, etiquette and strict, March 3 Valentine's Day custom in Chinese culture gradually declined. March 3 romantic love, beautiful vision, as well as the elegant fun of the goblet, so far disappeared.

One of the main activities of the festival is the meeting of men and women, that is, men and women to express their feelings of love and adoration "Valentine's Day". "Poetry - Zheng Feng - Qin and洧 "有云："溱与洧，liu its clear carry on. Shi and female, Yin its full. The woman said: 'view?' The scholar said: 'Both and.' And to view? Beyond the river, there is great joy. The man and the woman, who were about to banter with each other, gave them a spoonful of medicine."

Folk Customs

Shangsi Festival has a long history, in ancient times, Shangsi has become an important festival for people to hold "purification bath" activities, every time this season, spring and Jingming, people have to come to the water's edge to hold a ritual, wash and remove the dirt, eliminate the ominous, known as purification. In this season, people come to the water to hold rituals to wash away dirt and eliminate bad luck, which is called the Purification and Purification of Purification, also known as the Spring Bathing Day. Because of our country's vast territory, the difference between north and south latitude dozens of degrees, the Yellow River basin latitude is high, the beginning of March is still "the material is cold and light knot evening shade, fly to the courtyard complain spring deep" of the cold season, people in the northern region in the river at this time of year to play in the river, not everyone can stand. Probably to the Jin Dynasty, to the river to splash the customary activities of the northern literati changed to "goblet" - with a small cup of wine into the creek and let it float, the cup stays in who, who is drinking this cup of wine. This form has completely changed, but its customary significance remains the same.

Purification of purification

Purification of purification (refers to go to the disaster disease, the ancient witch to go to the obscure, Tang and Song dynasty popular hot springs, formerly in the water side of the riverside bath, with orchids to wash the body, with willow branches dipped in petals of water to nod the body of the ceremony, to go to the disaster of the blessing of the meaning of) because this time is just the seasonal exchange, the yin has not yet receded, people are susceptible to disease, so it should be to the water side of the wash! So we should go to the water's edge to wash ourselves. The so-called "Purification", that is, "clean", so "Purification" is through the self-cleaning and eliminate the disease-causing factors of the ceremony. Why choose the 6th day? Ying Shao explains, "Si, well-being", not only to get rid of disease-causing factors, but also to pray for the well-being of the coming ("Customs Tongyi - Rituals - Purification of Purification"). This view is shared by many scholars, such as modern scholar Wu Bing'an, who believes that the original significance of the festival was "the ancient custom of health care in spring to drive away evil spirits and plague". In ancient times, the festival served to ward off evil spirits and disasters, but the actual reason was that the river was too cold in winter, and the water temperature was just right at the beginning of March, so people were eager to take their first bath after the winter.

Sacrificing the Gao-requesting Sacrifice

The most important activity of the festival is the sacrifice to the Gao-requesting Sacrifice, the god who manages marriages marriages and births. The High-requesting Sacrifice, also known as the Suburban Sacrifice, gets its name from the fact that it is offered in the countryside. Through this witchcraft activity, people get rid of disasters, avoid evils and pray for fertility. Therefore, the festival is also a festival of courtship and fertility.

Side bath

Side bath (bathing, ancient people to go to the riverside water, Tang and Song Dynasty popular hot springs, especially open-air hot spring pools) to the spring water to wash dirt, that this can be done to get rid of the disease accumulated throughout the winter, in the new year, clean immunity, good luck. At that time, it was believed that infertility in women was caused by ghosts and gods, so the baths on the Shangsi Festival were used to treat infertility. In this way, over time, the custom, the bath into the important content of the festival.

Cultivation of purification

Shang Si Festival and purification, purification or bathing activities. Bathing is to remove calamities. Prehistoric man believed that fertility was the result of totem inhabiting the body of a woman. After entering the patriarchal era, people understand that the husband and wife coitus is the cause of fertility. But both the notion of totemic sensuality and the understanding that conjugal coitus leads to fertility recognize that women are the embodiment of fertility and that children are conceived by their mothers. However, not every woman was able to bear children normally, and illness often made some women infertile. At that time, people believe that women's infertility is the ghosts and gods, the use of the festival's bath to treat infertility. In this way, over time, into a custom, the bath into the important content of the festival.

Goblet

Goblet is a kind of ancient China's wine cups, because of its shape like a bird named; there is also said that the goblet body can be inserted into the feathers, so it was named "goblet". It is made of a variety of materials, there are wooden, jade, pottery and so on. Wooden goblet is lighter, other materials need to be placed on the lotus leaves, can be smooth in the water "walk".

Prayer for Fertility

The most important activity of the festival is the sacrifice to the Gao-requesting Sacrifice, the god of marriage and fertility. The heir-requesting sacrifice, also known as the heir-requesting sacrifice, is named after the heir-requesting sacrifice that is offered in the countryside. Sacrifice is the same as matchmaking, and heir-requesting comes from quickening. In fact, some nude women in ancient times had very developed thighs and breasts, and a forward protruding stomach, which is a symbol of fertility. There are images of high healing gods in Han Dynasty pictorial stones, which are also linked to babies. The pottery statue of the goddess at the Hongshan culture site in the Liaoning area is the god of fertility. Later on, the high heir-requesting sacrifice had a great change, such as Fu Xi enshrined in the Ancestral Temple of the People in Huaiyang, Henan Province, which was the high heir-requesting sacrifice god under the patriarchal system. At the same time, there is also the worship of sex toys, first female yin and then male root worship. In the beginning, the festival was a witchcraft event to get rid of disasters and evils and to pray for fertility by offering sacrifices to the High-requesting Sacrifice, purifying purification and meeting men and women.

Giving each other herbs

The ancients believed that herbs had the power to ward off evil spirits and were very beneficial to the body.

Countryside Spring

Countryside Spring (Shangsi is not only a festival to get rid of evil spirits and seek good fortune, but also a free and happy spring tour, young men and women to the wild trekking, splashing water play, free to choose a spouse. It is the real meaning of Valentine's Day in China, and to peony love)

Bubble Spring

Bubble Spring (the Tang and Song dynasties in the countryside in the spring, and then in the field of hot springs to purify the purification)

Curved Water Goblet

Curved Water Goblet, also known as the water floating eggs (water floating eggs). It is the oldest way to put hard-boiled eggs in the river and let them float away, and whoever picks them up will eat them.) (Qu Shui Liu Gobble is called "Drinking with flowing cups and curved water". The so-called "flowing cup", also called "flowing goblet", is to throw a cup in the upper reaches of the water, listen to it go down with the waves, and stop it at a certain place, then the person will take it and drink it. (Water in general to bend to work) "Jing Chu chronicle" "the people and out of the rivers and ponds and swamps, for the flow of cups of water to drink." The people sat in the water around the curve of the water, the goblet with wine on top of the flowing water, let it float downstream, stop in front of who, who will be the cup of wine down, and a poem, or else three cups of wine penalty. Emperor Ming of Wei had built a special pavilion for flowing cups.

It is worth mentioning that the scenery of the water goblet to be very elegant, in addition to the initial period in the natural waterfront, mixed with natural beauty, since the Wei and Jin dynasties due to the rise of literati culture, the nobility more than in the elegant courtyard, stately mansion, fake pavilion rocks and stones, artificial curved curved water. People neatly seated in the grass on the seat collapsed, the better set on the screen, there are fan-wielding attendants, with incense burners and so on. Drinking water after there is writing poetry, should people relative.

Linshui drinking feast

Linshui drinking feast (also known as the Qu Shui Banquet) (goblet) (goblet, the water set up seat barriers, tea sets and flowers, banquets and drinking, reciting poetry. (Very elegant) it and goblet is the evolution of this sorcery, became the entertainment activities of the literati. This wind in the Tang especially, to the Song after the gradual disappearance.

Shooting geese Silkworm

Shang Si Festival also carried out during a cruise shooting activities, that is, the use of a kind of arrow with a silk thread shooting wild geese, shooting that is, after the silk and take the geese. This goose rather than prey, as if to say is the best gift of gifts. In the south, laboring women began to breed silkworms and pick mulberry to feed the silkworms.

Taiwan, Fujian region on March 3 for the "March Festival", "picking rat koji (curved) grass, combined with rice flour for kuey teow to worship their ancestors" (the Qing dynasty Qianlong emperor, "Taiwan Province of the Zhi"). Chongqing Zhongxian and other places have a "March meeting", held in memory of the anti-enemy general Bamanzi grand activities, is the day, the masses carry Bamanzi idol parade around the city, followed by social fire team, play dragon lanterns, lion dance, family lanterns, firecrackers, bustling.

Japan

Japan is also y influenced by Chinese culture. Daughter's Day is a festival for Japanese girls, also known as Doll's Day, Josai (じょうし/じょうみ), and Hina Matsuri (雏祭り). It is one of the five festivals called "Momo no Setsubun" (Momo no Setsubun). It was originally celebrated on the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar, as in China, but after the Meiji Restoration, it was changed to the third day of the third month of the Western calendar. During the Daughter's Day, most members of the family try to get together to wish the girl a healthy and safe adulthood, and the parents set up a ladder-like display of dolls dressed in Japanese kimono, called hina dolls in Japan, for their daughters, from the top down. Heian period in Japan by the Tang Dynasty on the Feast of the Buddha (March 3) "goblet" custom, people made of paper in the shape of a person, said he was not feeling well will be transferred to the human form, and then put into the river to flow away. Currently, some places in Japan still maintain this custom, and on the night of the various human dolls float with the river, praying for health and peace. In Japan, the Boys' Day is scheduled for the Dragon Boat Festival.

Ryukyu

In Ryukyu, women bathe in the sea to pray for health.

Literary Account

Lanting Preface

Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface" was written about a time when the literati engaged in a purification ceremony. "At the beginning of the twilight spring, it will be held at the Lanting in the shade of the mountain in Huiji, and the purification ceremony will be practiced." With the elegant precedent of the Sage of Calligraphy, March 3, a good day for the public and government to play, became even a better opportunity for poets and artists to write poems. Wu Zimu "dream sorghum record" volume three "March" cloud: "March 3 on the Si of the hour, goblet story, starting in Jin. (That is, refers to Wang Xizhi wrote the "Lanting set of preface" thing) Tang dynasty gives feast Qujiang, pour all (the whole city out, a good big scene) purification drink trekking." There are countless poems describing the March 3 spectacle. In the later period, people could often use orchids to wash their bodies or dip willow sticks in water to nod their heads or dip flower petals in water for blessing purposes.

Jin Dynasty Zhang Hua

Taikang six years after the third day of the third month of the garden meeting

The twilight of spring on the first day of the first day of the first year of the sun, Yang Qingming,

Qiqi sweet rain, the cream of the flow of the full.

Liang Shenyao

March 3, Ruierjing

Li Ri belongs to Yuansi,

Nianfang is here,

Bloom has already turned the tree,

Flowing caller is over the full branch.

Chen Dynasty, Jiang Zong

Three Days' Banquet at Xuanyou Hall

The spring purification ceremony was held on the first day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar. I am happy to be away from the moon.

The North Palace ordered the pipes and drums. In the South Hall, there are flags and banners.

The embroidered pillars of the pavilion. The carved pavilion is next to the curved pool.

Drunken fish sink into the distant mountain. The floating jujube ripples.

Falling flowers hang in the shadows. The flying silk is not a hindrance to the branches.

The trees are moving and the dan tower is coming out. The mountain is so steep that it is dangerous.

The rituals of the week are all over the place. The song of the song is a light.

Wang Wei, Tang Dynasty

The 3rd day of the 3rd month of March, a banquet at Qujiang River

Shang Si Festival

Many of the people were in favor of the festival, and thousands of officials were happy to have a trip to the city. The festival was held in the upper garden, and the purification ceremony was held in the middle stream.

The grass and trees are in the same row, and the mountains and rivers are in the same row. The flag of the painting is shaking the river, and the spring clothes are full of Tingzhou.

Immortals and dragons are under the media, and the phoenixes of the gods stay in the streets. From now on, there will be hundreds of thousands of years, and the Tianbao will be a period of spring and autumn.

The Spring Purification of the Dragon Pond on March 3rd, March 3, by the Sacred System of Feng He and the Crown Princes

The Spring Purification of the Dragon Pond was held in the new palace, and the new palace showed Yuyu. The emperor moved the phoenix carriage and the crown prince went out of the dragon tower.

The cup flowed like the water of Luoshui. The golden man came to hold the sword, and the painted prow went back to the boat.

The court tree floats the palace, the heavenly pool shines the tassel. The city is in the clouds, and the images are all over the royal state.

The 3rd day of March, the Qinzheng Building Banquet

The colorful battles even the night, the Qionglou whisked the dawn through. In March, the palace was filled with hundreds of flowers.

It is not the day of the King of Qin, but the day of Luoshui. I'm not sure if you're going to be able to get a good look at this, but I'm sure you're going to be able to get a good look at this.

The sky will protect the virtue of inaction, and the people will enjoy the success of not fighting. I'm not going to be able to do that, but I'm going to be able to do it, and I'm going to be able to do it.

"The Purification of the Purification Ceremony at Wangchun Pavilion in the Last Six Months of the Sacred System of Fenghe"

Beyond the green door of Changle, in the east of Yichun Xiaoyuan, the building is open to ten thousand wells, and the carriage is on its way. The building was opened on the top of ten thousand wells, and the carriage passed through a hundred flowers.

Painted prows and prostitutes, golden sables, and the upper eunuchs. The song invites the sun to set, and the dance to the spring breeze.

The water of Weiwei River is clear to Qin Dian, and Huangshan Mountain is in the Han Palace. The king came to purify his purification, and Ba Chan is also a dynasty.

The Poem Zheng Feng Qin and洧

溱和洧，方涣涣兮。

The scholar and the woman, the man and the woman, the man and the woman, the man and the woman, the man and the woman.

The woman said that the view? The man said, "I'm not going to see it. And to the view?

Beyond the river, Xun Yu and happy.

We are a man and a woman, and we have to play with each other, and give them a spoonful of medicine.

The river and the river are clear.

The river is clear.

Women said the view? The doctor said both and. And go to the view?

Beyond the river, Xun Yu and happy.

Weishi and women, Yi Yi will be bantering, give a spoon medicine.

In the Analects of Confucius, "Bathing in Yi, summer in the wind, singing and returning" is the custom of the Shangsi River. Zheng Xuan note: "yearly purification, now March on the Si, such as water and so on; provocation bath is called to aroma herbal bath." There is a vivid depiction in the Chu Rhetoric, sacrifices to the gods must be fasting, fasting must be bathing, bathing with orchid soup, so orchid soup, orchid grass will have a connection with the gods. After the Han Book - rituals on ":" is the month on the sixth, the officials and the people are Jie (clean) in the east stream on the water, said to wash and purify in addition to remove persistent dirt (disease) for the big Jie." [2] ? "Zhou Li" Zheng Xuan note: "years of purification, now March on the Si such as water and so on. In addition, March 3 on the Si Festival and September 9 Chongyang Festival corresponds to, as Han Liu Xin "Xijing Miscellany" said: "March on the Si, September Chongyang, make the female game, on this purification of semi-annual ablutions to ascend the heights." One in the twilight of spring, one in the twilight of fall, trekking and resignation of the green also enters the climax. "Song Book of Rites II" cited "Han Poetry," said: "Zheng State custom, March on the Si, the River, River two water above, inviting the soul to renew the spirit, Bing orchid grass, whisking ominous."