Laba Festival on the eve of the Spring Festival

 

Chapter 2 Laba

 

Laba Festival on the eve of the Spring Festival

 

The twelfth month of the Chinese lunar calendar every year is commonly known as the twelfth lunar month. The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is the Laba Festival, which is called Laba Festival in Chinese folk customs. This day is also called the Laba Day, or it is commonly known as the Laba Festival. On this day, most areas in my country have the custom of eating Laba porridge.

Laba Festival, also known as Laba Festival, Laba Festival, Wanghou La or Buddha's Enlightenment Day, was originally an ancient sacrificial ceremony to celebrate a good harvest and thank ancestors and gods (including door gods, household gods, house gods, kitchen gods, and well gods). In addition to worshiping ancestors and worshiping gods, the Laba Festival In addition to other activities, people also have to fight against the epidemic. This activity originates from the ancient Nuo (ancient ritual to drive away ghosts and avoid epidemics). One of the medical methods in prehistoric times was to expel ghosts and cure diseases. As a witchcraft activity, the custom of beating drums in the twelfth lunar month to ward off epidemics still exists in Xinhua and other areas of Hunan. Later it evolved into a religious festival to commemorate the enlightenment of Buddha Sakyamuni.

 

Origin of Laba Festival

 

In the Xia Dynasty, the day of the twelfth lunar month was called "Jiaping", in the Shang dynasty it was called "Qingsi", and in the Zhou dynasty it was called "Dachang". Because it was held in December, the month was called the twelfth lunar month, and the day of the wax festival was called the day of the twelfth lunar month. In the pre-Qin Dynasty, the twelfth lunar month was the third Xu day after the winter solstice, but it was only fixed on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month starting from the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

"Shuowen" records: "Three garrison days after the winter solstice to worship hundreds of gods." It can be seen that the third garrison day after the winter solstice was once the twelfth lunar month. Later, due to the intervention of Buddhism, the twelfth lunar month was changed to the eighth day of December, and it has been a custom since then. Why is the month at the end of the year called "La"? Its meaning basically has three points:

One is "La is the connection", which means the alternation of the old and the new (recorded in "Book of Sui Dynasty·Book of Etiquette");

The second one is "those who hunt with wax", which refers to hunting in the field to obtain animals for worshiping ancestors and gods. "La" comes next to "meat", which means using meat for "winter sacrifice";

It is said on the third day that "the period of December is to drive away the epidemic and welcome the spring". The Laba Festival is also called the "Buddha Enlightenment Festival" and the "Enlightenment Meeting". In fact, it can be the origin of the eighth day of December as the day of the twelfth lunar month.

"Si Ji" explains that the reason why the twelfth month of the lunar calendar is called "the twelfth lunar month" is: "The wax person, Suo Ye, in the twelfth month of the year, gathers all things together for the enjoyment of it." "La" is similar to "wax", Offering sacrifices to ancestors is called "wa", and offering sacrifices to hundreds of gods is called "wax". "La" and "Wax" are both sacrificial activities, and they are mostly carried out in the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, so people call December the twelfth month.

The twelfth lunar month is the end of the year. In ancient times, people who had leisure time in farming had nothing to do, so they went out to hunt. The first is to get more food to make up for the shortage of food, and the second is to use the wild animals to worship ancestors and worship gods, pray for blessings and longevity, and avoid disasters and welcome good fortune.

Regarding the December Festival, there are many records in ancient books: "December 8th is the December Day. Villagers beat thin drums, wear beards, and make diamond power soil to drive away the epidemic." The "December Festival" was originally a reward gift given by the primitive ancestors to celebrate the agricultural harvest, and it is an important festival in the farming culture.

Ying Shao's "Customs of Customs" says: ""Li Zhuan": "La" means hunting, hunting animals in the field to sacrifice to their ancestors. Or it may be said: "La" means "receiving", handing over new ones to old ones, so the big sacrifice is to repay the merits. ." Its origin is very early. "Book of Rites·Jiao Te Sheng" records: "The Yiqi family began to be wax. Wax is Suo Ye, in the twelfth month of the year, it gathers all things and sues them for food." "Historical Records· The "Book of Three Emperors" also said: "The Emperor Yan Shennong was originally a farmer, so he offered wax sacrifices to repay heaven and earth."

In the Xia Dynasty, the Lari Festival was called "Jiaping", and in the Yin Dynasty, it was called "Qingsi".

In the Shang Dynasty, people used hunted animals to hold four major sacrifices in spring, summer, autumn and winter every year to worship their ancestors and the gods of heaven and earth. Among them, the winter sacrifice is the largest and most solemn. Later, the winter sacrifice was called "December Festival". Therefore, people call December the "twelfth lunar month", and the day when the winter festival is held is called the "twelfth lunar month". The day of the twelfth lunar month was not fixed at that time. In the Zhou Dynasty, Laba was called "Big Wax".

The Laba Festival in the pre-Qin Dynasty was on the third Xu day after the winter solstice. Since the pre-Qin Dynasty, the Laba Festival has been used to worship ancestors and gods and pray for a good harvest and good luck.

In the Han Dynasty, it was clarified that the third garrison day after the winter solstice was "Laba Day". Laba porridge was not eaten, but it was just a day to sacrifice to the gods.

It was not until the Northern and Southern Dynasties that the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month was fixed as the "Laba Festival". People use this to worship their ancestors and the gods of heaven and earth, and pray for a good harvest and good luck.

In the Tang and Song Dynasties, this festival was once again cast in the color of gods and Buddhas. According to legend, before Sakyamuni became a Buddha, he gave up all desire and practiced asceticism and fainted from hunger. A shepherdess mixed grains with wild fruits and cooked porridge in a clear spring to revive him. Sakyamuni meditated hard under the bodhi tree, and finally attained enlightenment and became a Buddha on December 8. From then on, Buddhism designated this day as the "Day of Buddha's Enlightenment", chanting sutras to commemorate it and forming a festival to commemorate it.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, worshiping gods and Buddhas became the main theme of the Laba Festival instead of worshiping ancestors, celebrating harvests, and driving away epidemics and disasters. The main festival customs include cooking, giving away, tasting Laba porridge, and celebrating family harvests. At the same time, many people have since kicked off the Spring Festival. They are busy killing New Year pigs, making tofu, making wind fish and bacon, and purchasing New Year goods. The "New Year" atmosphere is gradually getting stronger.

 

Similarities and Differences between Wax Offering and Wax Offering

 

What is the difference between wax offering and wax offering?

First, let’s find out what a wax offering is.

The wax sacrifice is a year-end sacrifice for our agricultural nation. Its main content is to thank the gods for their gifts in the previous year and pray for good weather and abundant harvests in the coming year. It is also accompanied by some sacrificial activities to ward off epidemics and avoid disasters - this is the New Year sacrificial custom of later generations. Original form.

The so-called "wax sacrifice", according to "Tongdian", means "gathering all things together and enjoying them" and "all things that have done meritorious deeds to others, sacrifice them in return". "Book of Rites·Jiao Te Sheng" contains: "Yiqi's family began to be wax", and also recorded a very interesting wax poem by Yi Qi's family: "Earth turns against its house! Water returns to its gully! Insects do not grow! Grass and trees return to it." Ze!" It can be seen that this wax festival is obviously related to agricultural production.

There have always been different opinions on who the Yiqi family is, but it is mainly believed to be Emperor Yao or Shen Nong. Zheng Xuan annotated the "Book of Rites": "The Yiqi family was the name of the emperor in ancient times." Kong Yingda Shu said: "Shennong. Because it was originally a field thing, it was a wax sacrifice to repay heaven." Note that the "Book of Rites· There is a sentence in "Jiao Te Sheng": "In the wax sacrifice, the Lord is stingy first and the priest is stingy." It means that in the wax sacrifice, "Xiansi" is the main sacrifice, and "Sisi" is the subordinate sacrifice.

Xianxi was Emperor Yan of Shennong, and Sisi was Houji, the agricultural official. If Yiqi refers to Shennong, how can there be any reason to sacrifice oneself? Kong Yingdashu also asked in "Book of Rites Justice": "Shennong is the first wax, how can you sacrifice his own body to think that you are the first to be stingy?" Of course, there is an explanation for this contradiction. Huang Shi said: "Shen Nong Yiqi, The general title of a generation, whose descendants are the Sons of Heaven, is the first to offer sacrifices to their ancestors who cultivated fields, so there is xianzi." That is to say, Shennong Yiqi is probably a hereditary title and does not belong to any one person. The wax sacrifice is the etiquette of the Shennong of future generations and the previous Shennong.

The wax festival was renamed "Jiaping" in the Xiahou family. Jia means good. Ping, success. It is still "repaying for the achievements of all things at the end of the year."

In the Yin and Shang Dynasties, the wax sacrifice was renamed "Qing Si". It means "clean and sacrificial."

In the Zhou Dynasty, the original name "wax" was restored, and the emperor and other princes offered sacrifices to the emperor. The emperor's wax was called "big wax". The wax sacrifices of the Zhou Dynasty took the meaning of "all things" and offered sacrifices to them. "Book of Rites" says: "Emperor Da Wa Ba Ba", the eight gods related to farming are worshiped, in order: Xiansi one, Sisi two, Nong three, Postal gang four, Cat tiger five, Fang six, Shui Yong seven , Insects VIII. Xiansi and Sisi are agricultural gods, responsible for harvest. Planting is called harvest, harvesting is called stingy (穑); and farmers, cats, insects, etc. who have "the merit of helping stinging" should also be thanked and worshiped. Therefore, it is said that "offering hundreds of species is a reward for stinging." The merit of stinging trees makes Enjoy it all."

The wax sacrifice is a ritual that Chinese ancestors used to sacrifice prey to the gods at the end of the year to pray for protection from disasters and good fortune. "Customs of Customs": "The Rites of Passage says: Xia is called Jiaping, Yin is called Qingsi, Zhou is called Dachang, and Han Dynasty changed it to say Nang. Nang means wax (hunting), and animals are taken from wax to sacrifice ancestors." It means Xia. The wax sacrifice was called "Jiaping" in the dynasty, "Qingsi" in the Shang Dynasty, and "Dachu" in the Zhou Dynasty. In the Han Dynasty, it was renamed "興" or "La". The day of formal sacrifice is called the twelfth lunar month.

From then on, Chinese people used to call the last month of the lunar calendar "the twelfth lunar month", and some things during it were also given the word "La", such as making bacon, falling wax snow, accumulating wax fertilizer, etc.

In the Qin and Han Dynasties, "wax" began to be renamed "wax" and given new content. "Customs" states that "people who hunt wax hunt animals in the fields to sacrifice their ancestors." There is also a new explanation: "La is the connection. The handover of the old and the new is the sacrifice of Fu La to repay the merits."

The content of the wax sacrifice at this time was: "Sacrifice to the ancestral temple, and worship the five sacrifices nearby." As for the object of the wax sacrifice, according to the "Book of Rites·Yue Ling": "The emperor...the ancestors of wax, the five sacrifices, and the working peasants rested." The Five Sacrifice refers to the priestly functions of door, household, Zhongliu, and Xing.

It was not until the calendar was established that the various wax sacrifices were gradually dispersed and integrated into various customs of the subsequent New Year. Although the wax sacrifices were still solemn during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the historical mission of the wax sacrifices themselves had been completed, and therefore they gradually faded out of the historical stage and were left behind. "Laba" is removed, but its core idea is integrated into the New Year at the beginning of the year.

 

Laba Festival to sacrifice all kinds of animals

 

In ancient times, people's survival technology was backward and their level of understanding was limited. However, people were not willing to be ignorant slaves of nature. They tried to explain the survival problems they encountered daily through their own life experience and limited thinking ability. Thus emerged a mysterious understanding of the forces of nature.

People in ancient society relied much more on nature than later generations, and the rhythms of nature left a deep impression on people. Therefore, aging based on natural rhythms is of primary concern. People regard the age of the year as a mysterious node, and believe that the four seasons are like living organisms, with the evolution process of birth, growth and aging. People have noticed the changes in natural phenological conditions that occur at the junction of the four seasons and their impact on human life.

From this, people gradually formed seasonal folk customs to cope with natural changes and adjust to social life. In ancient times, the time of year mainly appeared in the form of seasonal rituals. The primary significance of those days that emerged from daily life lay in their correspondence with the weather. People regard the time corresponding to the weather as a mysterious node, and carry out various sacrificial activities to please the gods and help people.

Ancient ritual activities originated from the religious sacrifices offered at every age. "Great happiness is in harmony with heaven and earth, great rituals are in harmony with heaven and earth, all things are preserved in harmony, and sacrifices are made to heaven and earth." ("Book of Rites·Leji of Music") 》) The original meaning of the word "Li" is to use beans to hold beautiful jade to express respect to the gods. Both ancient music and ancient rituals originated from primitive witchcraft activities held by people in response to natural changes, and were developed through periodic annual sacrifices. The ancient Ge Tianshi's music is probably an ancient seasonal sacrificial song.

"Lu's Spring and Autumn Period·Ancient Music" "In the past, Ge Tian's music was played by three people riding the tail of an ox and singing eight songs: one is "Zaimin"; the second is "Xuanniao"; the third is "Suiweishu"; the fourth is "Flowing the Grains"; the sixth is "Respecting Heaven" Chang; the seventh one is based on the virtues of the land; the eighth one is the ultimate beast."

Ge Tianshi was one of the ancient emperors, ranking after Zhu Xiangshi (i.e. Emperor Yan). "Lu Shi·First Book of Records 7" says: "Ge Tian is the emperor of power." It shows that Ge Tian is the emperor in charge of the heaven and earth. These eight ancient pieces of music were probably a suite for annual seasonal rituals at that time:

One is the history of Shengmin;

The second is the spring when black birds come;

The third is summer when vegetation grows;

The fourth is the autumn when grains are harvested.

After that, on the fifth, sixth, and seventh festivals, sacrifices were made to gods, ancestors of humans, and earth animals in sequence, and finally all beasts were sacrificed.

"The Ultimate Beast" is the forerunner of the Eight Wax Festival in later generations.

Before the Qin Dynasty, the years were closely integrated with the seasons, and there were few independent festivals. The morning sun, the evening moon, spring and autumn, spring and autumn, etc. are all seasonal rituals that correspond to the changes in the weather. If we look at it from the perspective of the festivals of later generations, in the pre-Qin Dynasty, only she and wax met the standards of the festival. She and wax (wax) were also religious sacrifices at the beginning and end of the year. She offered sacrifices to earth, and wax offered sacrifices to hundreds of gods.

During the sacrificial period, people indulge in carnivalesque ways to celebrate the gods. On social day, "men and women are gathered together", on wax day, "all the people in the country are crazy". Before the pre-Qin Dynasty, Sui Sui was mainly used as a time point for religious sacrifices.

  The "Twelfth Moon Festival" is closely related to the rise and prosperity of my country's agriculture. "Book of Changes·Xici" records: "Shennong made the work, pruned the wood to make sedge, and kneaded the wood to make hoe, and taught the people the art of arboriculture." After the grain harvest, the first emperor of Yan, Shennong, led the people to "begin the work" in December at the end of the year. "Wax sacrifices to God" and wishes: "The earth returns to its home, the water returns to its gullies, insects do not grow, and the grass and trees return to their swamps." Obviously, the "Wax Sacrifice" activity is to celebrate the harvest and pray for good harvests. God wishes that the coming year will be smoother and have a good harvest.

At that time, the "Wax Festival" activity had eight aspects, called "Eight Waxes" or "Eight Waxes". "Book of Rites·Jiao Te Sheng" says: "Eight waxes are used to offer sacrifices in all directions."

Zheng Xuan further explained this in his "Notes": "There are eight types of wax: the first is the xianzi; the second is the secretary; the third is the farmer; the fourth is the postal watch; the fifth is the cat and the tiger; Fang, the sixth category; Shuiyong, the seventh category; Insects, the eighth category."

"Book of Rites: Jiao Te Sheng" also records: "The emperor made wax eight. The Yiqi clan began to be wax. The wax is the rope. In the twelfth month of the year, all things are gathered together and the rope is eaten. The wax sacrifice is also , the Lord is stingy first and the priest is stingy, offering sacrifices to hundreds of gods in return for being stingy. Feeding farmers, postage stamps, animals, etc., the utmost benevolence, the end of righteousness. Welcome cats, and they will eat field mice. Welcome tigers, and they will eat mice. They are field pigs. So they welcome them and offer sacrifices to them. Sacrifice squares and water are common things."

The Yiqi clan here is the Shennong clan. It can be seen that leading the people to hold a "wax sacrifice" activity at the end of the year to worship the God of Agriculture and pray for God to bless a good harvest in the coming year was a major event for the emperor in ancient times. Since "wax" and "wax" have the same pronunciation, "wax festival" is also called "wax festival", and "wax festival" has become the alternative name of "wax festival". "Shuowen Jiezi" explains: "La, Heye, combines to offer sacrifices to the gods." December, which is used to worship the God of Agriculture and hold "December Sacrifice" activities, is also called the "Twelfth Month" by the people.