Preface: Discussing the traditional customs of the Chinese Spring Festival

 

Preface: Discussing the traditional customs of the Chinese Spring Festival……………………Shenyang

 

The Spring Festival is the most solemn and grand traditional festival in China. It not only embodies the ideological beliefs, ideal wishes, life entertainment and cultural psychology of the Chinese nation, but is also a carnival-style display of blessings, disaster relief, food and entertainment activities.

The Spring Festival is a major folk festival that integrates getting rid of the old and bringing in the new, worshiping gods and ancestors, praying for blessings and warding off evil spirits, reuniting relatives and friends, celebrating entertainment and eating. The Spring Festival has a long history. It originated from the primitive beliefs and nature worship of early humans. It evolved from the first year of the year prayers and sacrifices in ancient times. It carries a rich historical and cultural heritage in its inheritance and development.

The Spring Festival, in a narrow sense, refers to the first day of the first lunar month, and in a broad sense, it refers to the first to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The foreign name is The custom of the Spring Festival.

The year of the Hundred Festival is the first, and the four seasons of spring are the first. The Spring Festival, commonly known as the "New Year's Day", has traditional names such as New Year, New Year, New Year, etc. It is also known verbally as celebrating the new year, celebrating the new year, and celebrating the new year. It is the most solemn traditional festival of the Chinese nation.

The Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, has blended a variety of folk customs from many places into one during its historical development, forming some relatively fixed customs and habits. During the Spring Festival, various New Year celebrations are held across China, with strong regional characteristics. Different places have differences in custom content or details due to different regional cultures.

New Year activities center around offering sacrifices and praying for a good year, and are carried out in the form of removing the old and bringing in the new, worshiping gods and ancestors, exorcising evil spirits and warding off disasters, and praying for a good harvest. ​

The Spring Festival is a day for relatives to worship ancestors and pray for good luck. The sacrificial activities follow the rules of the ancestors, offering tribute, offering incense, bowing and saluting, and are solemn, solemn and meticulous. The custom of worshiping gods and ancestors is prevalent in the southern coastal areas. It inherits ancient customs. During the Spring Festival, many places hold grand and grand celebrations to offer sacrifices to the gods of heaven and earth, pray for blessings to welcome the new year, etc. The content is rich and colorful, lively and festive, and has a strong flavor of the new year. .

Traditional New Year customs are mostly ceremonial activities, such as making New Year goods, sweeping dust, pasting Spring Festival couplets, New Year dinner, watching the New Year, giving New Year money, paying New Year greetings, dragon and lion dances, worshiping gods and ancestors, setting off fireworks and firecrackers, visiting temple fairs, and admiring flowers. Lanterns, etc., these customary activities are important elements of the festival and carry colorful festival cultural connotations. The Spring Festival customs have their own characteristics in every detail due to different customs and customs. The northern and southern regions of China, as well as ethnic minority areas, are very different from each other and each has its own characteristics.

Chinese New Year has a long history, and some relatively fixed customs have been formed through inheritance and development. Many of them are still passed down to this day, such as buying New Year's goods, sweeping dust, sticking New Year's red, eating New Year's Eve dinner, staying up late, paying New Year's greetings, dragon and lion dances , worshiping gods and ancestors, praying for blessings and warding off disasters, visiting gods, escorting boats, temple fairs, traveling with gongs and drums, vernier flags, lighting lanterns and wine, etc. Traditional festival rituals and related customary activities are important elements of festivals, carrying rich and colorful festival cultural heritage and embodying the essence of traditional culture of Chinese civilization.

The customs before the Spring Festival mainly include: busy New Year, sweeping dust, and New Year's Eve.

The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, commonly known as Laba Festival, also known as "Twelfth Day", is an important traditional festival in China. "After the Laba Festival, it is the New Year." The Laba Festival is the prelude to the Spring Festival, which has accumulated profound cultural connotations of the Chinese nation. Laba porridge is not only a delicacy, but also has the meaning of warmth, completeness, gratitude, and bonding. A bowl of Laba porridge warms the heart and stomach. The custom of cooking porridge in Laba is a folk custom of offering sacrifices, giving thanks, and praying for "good luck and prosperity".

Wei Ya is a traditional folk festival in the southeastern coastal areas of China, originating from the ceremony of worshiping the Lord of the Land. On the second and sixteenth day of every month, Fujian businessmen worship the foundation master and the God of the Earth, which is called "tooth making". The first tooth to be done on the second day of February is called the "head tooth"; the tooth to be done on December 16 at the end of the year is the last tooth to be done, so it is called the "last tooth". The feast of dishes after the worship ceremony is called "Daya Festival". Every year at the end of the year, various businesses and businesses will host a banquet for their employees to reward their hard work in the past year. With the development of Wei Ya today, the most popular custom is that companies and enterprises hold dinner parties and employee social activities on the same day, called Wei Ya banquets, Wei Ya dinners, or corporate annual meetings.

The customs of the Spring Festival are from the first day of the first lunar month to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the content of the customs varies every day.

The first day of the first lunar month: Starting from early morning, people begin to welcome the spring, receive blessings, worship Tai Sui and other gods, and pray for a good harvest. As Yuan Day turns to New Year, firecrackers blast and fireworks shine in the sky. Setting off firecrackers when the door opens in the morning is called "opening the firecrackers" to see off the old and welcome the new. After the sound of firecrackers, the ground is filled with red, which is called "Man Tang Hong".

The second day of the first lunar month: It is the first day of the new year. Fish and meat bowls are made to offer sacrifices to the gods and ancestors, and then the "new year's meal" is eaten. Some suburban villages still retain the custom of "releasing animals". They buy live carp, cover the fish eyes with red paper, worship gods and then release the animals in the river pond. The second day of the first lunar month is also the traditional Father-in-law's Day. Father-in-law and father-in-law have to go to pay New Year's greetings to their father-in-law and mother-in-law. This day is also the day when a married daughter returns to her parents' home, and her husband must accompany her, so it is commonly known as "Welcoming Son-in-Law Day". Starting from the second day of the Lunar New Year, we start visiting relatives and friends to pay New Year greetings. Of course, New Year greetings are indispensable without gift packages that represent our hearts. The gift packages imply good luck and good wishes.

The third day of the first lunar month: In the old days, on the third day of the lunar month, the pine and cypress branches during the New Year's Festival and the door-god notes hung during the festival were burned together to indicate that the New Year was over and work had to start again. As the saying goes, "Burn the door god paper, and you will find your own health." The third day of the Lunar New Year is also called the "Little Nian Dynasty", and there is a custom of worshiping ancestors and gods.

The fourth day of the first lunar month: This day is the day when Nuwa makes sheep, so it is called "Sheep Day". On this day, people cannot kill sheep. If the weather is good, it means that the sheep will be raised well this year and the people who raise sheep will have a good harvest. According to the old imperial calendar, the "three sheep (yang) kaitai" is often said to be a symbol of auspiciousness, and it is also a day to welcome the Kitchen God back to the people.

The fifth day of the first lunar month: Some areas in the south welcome the God of Wealth on the fifth day of the first lunar month. The five sacrifices include the household god, kitchen god, earth god, door god and walking god. According to folklore, the God of Wealth is the God of Five Ways. The so-called five roads refer to the east, west, south, north, and middle, which means that you can get wealth in any of the five ways. It is an old custom that during the Spring Festival, large and small shops will be closed from the beginning of the new year and open on the fifth day of the first lunar month.

The sixth day of the first lunar month: Also known as Horse Day, giving away the poor on this day is a very unique custom among Han people. Various regions in China have their own methods of providing relief to the poor, each of which is different. But the meaning is basically the same, they are all about sending away the poor.

The seventh day of the first lunar month: It is a Chinese New Year day and people generally do not go out to pay New Year greetings. Human Day is also known as "Human Victory Festival", "Human Celebration Festival", "Population Day", "Human Seventh Day", etc. Legend has it that when Nuwa created the world, she created humans on the seventh day after creating animals such as chickens, dogs, pigs, cows, and horses, so this day is the birthday of humans.

The eighth day of the first lunar month: is the start of work, Grain Day, annual calendar, and the Youshen Games. In some places, grand group large-scale celebrations and blessings for the New Year are held one after another, accompanied by various folk cultural performances. The etiquette content is mainly to welcome the gods, visit the gods, and offer sacrifices. The main purpose is to reward the gods and ancestors of heaven and earth for their kindness, to drive away evil spirits from the pure land, and to protect the peace of the environment. Praying for good weather, prosperity of all industries, and peace and prosperity for the country and the people, the festival lasts until the fifteenth or nineteenth of the first lunar month.

The ninth day of the first lunar month: The ancient Chinese believed that nine is the largest yang number. The ancients regarded the sky as yang and the earth as yin, so "nine" was used to represent heaven. On this day, people will "worship God", that is, hold grand sacrificial ceremonies to celebrate the birthday of the Jade Emperor.

On the tenth day of the first lunar month: In the old days, folk held rat sacrificial activities, also known as "rat wedding" and "rat marriage". Specific dates vary by location. In some areas in the south, there is a custom of turning on lights and setting up banquets with lights on. In order to let the ancestors know their descendants and bless them, or to ask the gods to protect them.

The eleventh day of the first lunar month: Today is "Son-in-law Day". Father-in-laws entertain their sons-in-law on this day. According to legend, this is because the food to celebrate "Tian Gongsheng" on the ninth day of the lunar month will not be finished until the tenth day of the lunar month. Therefore, the son-in-law is used to entertain the son-in-law for dinner on the 11th day of the lunar month, so that the mother's family does not have to spend any more money.

The twelfth day of the first lunar month: Today, we set up a lantern shed, make a ritual ceremony, make a meal, and mark the cannon. The etiquette of "making Zhaitou" is complicated. In the morning, you have to invite the god to go home from the temple, sit in the lobby, and offer candies and incense. The opportunity to "make Zhaitou" is rare and is a matter of honor, because people generally believe that "making Zhaitou" "But receiving God's love will bring good luck. You will get rich and successful in the coming year, and all your wishes will come true.

The 13th day of the first lunar month: Legend has it that today is the "Lamp Holder's Birthday". On this day, people will light lamps under the kitchen stove, which is called "lighting the stove lamp". In the old days, the lights started to be turned on on the 13th day of the first lunar month and turned off on the 18th day of the first lunar month. At the same time, there are also lion dance, piaose, wandering gods and temple fairs.

The 14th day of the first lunar month: Chinese folk activities on this day include drinking bright soup, trying lanterns, eating bad soup, sending grubs, wandering the gods and visiting the Water Lady, etc. Good luck and best wishes for the Chinese New Year.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month: Tangyuan is eaten on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. "Tangyuan" is also called "Yuanxiao". Tangyuan also means reunion. Also known as the Lantern Festival and Lantern Festival, the main customary activities include lantern viewing, lantern tours, boat racing, setting off fireworks, and Lantern Festival celebrations. The customs of the Lantern Festival are very unique. Lantern viewing and fireworks are also one of the main customs of the Lantern Festival. Because this festival has the custom of viewing lanterns in the past dynasties, it is also called the Lantern Festival.

 

The formation and shaping of Spring Festival folk customs is a process of long-term accumulation and cohesion of the history and culture of the Chinese nation, and it carries rich historical and cultural heritage in its inheritance and development.

The concept of "year" comes from the ancient calendar. "Sui" means "sheti", which is the original stem and branch, also known as "Tai Sui". Tai Sui in Jia means Yan Feng, in Yi it means Zhan Meng, in B it means Rou Zhao, in D it means Qiang Yu, in Wu it means Yong, in Ji it means Tu Wei, in Geng it means Shang Zhang, in Xin it means Chong Guang, and in Ren it means Tai Sui. It is called Xuanxuan, in Gui it is Zhaoyang; in Yin it is Shetige; in Mao it is Shanlan; in Chen it is Zhixu; in Si it is Dahuangluo; in Wu it is Dunzang; in Wei it is Xieqia; in Shen it is Huitan is called Zuowei in You, Yimao in Xu, Dayuanxian in Hai, Kundun in Zi, Chifenruo in Chou. (The words come from "Erya·Shitian"). This set of chronology has far-reaching influence, and was used in calendars, arithmetic, calculations, naming and other aspects in later generations (the official history book "Zizhi Tongjian" compiled in the Northern Song Dynasty used this set of zodiac terms for the epoch). During the inheritance and development, later generations simplified this set of Shetiji terminology into one-character names of stems and branches. The relative relationship between Sui Ji Sheti (original names of stems and branches) and the simplified stems and branches is recorded in works such as "Erya" and "Historical Records".

In the early days of observing and telling time, the year was determined based on the movement of stars. The handle of the bucket rotated once in a clockwise direction, which was called one year (photography). The Big Dipper rotates in a circle, the handle returns to Yin, the Qianyuan period begins, and the time returns to the New Year. The Tianwei Jianyuan starts from Yin. For example, "Huainanzi·Tianwenxun" contains: "The emperor Zhang four dimensions, transport them by fighting, the moon moves for one hour, and returns to its place. The first month refers to Yin, and the twelfth month refers to Chou. , One year old, it turns around, and it ends again and begins again." The handle of the Big Dipper starts from the "Jian Yin" moon pointing due east-north, and then rotates clockwise, repeating the cycle; at the end of the year, the twelfth month points to the ugly side, and the first month returns to the Yin position again, and finally it starts again. , a new reincarnation begins. In traditional farming societies, the beginning of spring, when spring returns to the earth and everything is renewed, is of great significance, and a large number of related New Year's Day customs and cultures have been derived. Although the calendars used were different and the New Year's Day festival dates were different in the historical development, the festival framework and many folk customs have been inherited.

Before the use of the Gregorian calendar, the beginning of spring was the Spring Festival (the first day of the first lunar month was the New Year or New Year's Day). At the beginning of spring, the starry sky at this time is often the brightest of the year. At about eight or nine o'clock in the evening, I looked up at the starry sky. There were three stars that were very easy to identify due south. They were close together and connected in a straight line, like a shining belt. That is Rigel, Rigel and Betelgeuse.

Chinese folk call these three stars "Lu, Fu, and Longevity", and regard these three stars as three auspicious star officials, respectively in charge of blessings, lifespan, etc. in the world, also known as the "Three Stars of Fortune, Luxury, and Longevity" .

"Three stars are shining high, and the New Year is coming." When you see three stars shining high in the southern sky at night, it is the time of the Spring Festival.

 

The sound of firecrackers marks the end of the year, and the spring breeze brings warmth to Tusu.

Thousands of households always replace old talismans with new peaches.

 

The Spring Festival Gala, referred to as the "Spring Festival Gala", is a variety show hosted by China Central Television every year on the eve of the Lunar New Year to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

In 1983, CCTV's hosting of the Spring Festival Gala should be said to be an accidental event. From the perspective of cultural development, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala pioneered a television variety show and triggered major changes in the content and expression methods of Chinese television media.

Subsequently, local TV stations of all sizes across the country frequently followed suit and strived to innovate. The CCTV Spring Festival Gala covers a variety of art forms such as sketches, songs, singing and dancing, acrobatics, magic, opera, cross talk dramas, etc., bringing the live audience and the audience in front of the TV into the carnival, creating a festival scene where "the whole world is celebrating, and the world is singing happily".

The party is broadcast live at 20:00 on New Year's Eve every year on the China Central Radio and Television Station's CCTV Comprehensive Channel, Variety Channel, Chinese International Channel, National Defense and Military Channel, Children's Channel, Agricultural and Rural Channel, etc.

With the development of the times, overseas Chinese have also brought Chinese Spring Festival culture to all parts of the world

Chinese Spring Festival culture has gone global and is also a window for the world to understand Chinese folk customs.