Seeking the origin and main activities of the Spring Festival

First, the origin of the Spring Festival:

1, one is that ancient people set off firecrackers and hung red lanterns to drive away "Nian beast" and evolved into "New Year".

2. Another way of saying this is that in China's ancient calligraphy books, the word "Nian" was placed in the Grain Department, indicating that the weather was good and the crops were plentiful. Because cereal crops are usually harvested once a year. "Year" is extended to the name of the year.

Second, the Spring Festival customs:

1, the origin of New Year's greetings: On the first day of the New Year, everyone gets up early, dresses neatly, goes out to visit relatives and friends, and wishes each other a happy New Year. People open the door to meet each other, visit each other, bow and congratulate each other. Over time, during the Chinese New Year, the custom of greeting and exchanging greetings between relatives, friends and neighbors continued.

2. Origin of firecrackers: The custom of setting off firecrackers has a history of more than 2,000 years in China. The Story of Jingchu Times once recorded that on the first day of the first month, when the rooster crowed for the first time, everyone got up and set off firecrackers in their own yard to drive away the evil spirits of plague.

At that time, there was no gunpowder and paper, so people burned bamboo to make it burst and make a sound to drive away the plague. This is of course superstition, but it reflects the ancient working people's beautiful desire for Aetna.

3. Origin of the custom of pasting couplets: As a unique literary form, Spring Festival couplets have a long history in China. It began in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, especially in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and has developed for more than a thousand years today.

Extended data:

Spring festival tips

1, the time of the Spring Festival (the first day of the first lunar month) swims from 1 to 2 1 in the Gregorian calendar. The earliest Spring Festival (such as 65438+65438+12 1 in 0966) and the latest Spring Festival (such as February 20th in 1985) are a whole month apart.

2. According to the calendar, if the lunar calendar is not adjusted artificially, February 2 1 and February 23 19 will usher in the "latest Spring Festival in history", and then the Spring Festival will appear on February 20 of the Gregorian calendar at the latest, namely 1920 and 1985 respectively.

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia: Spring Festival