Spring Festival（Spring Festival）It is one of the most solemn and distinctive traditional festivals among Chinese people.Generally, it refers to the New Year's Eve and the first day of the first month. It is also called the lunar year, commonly known as the "Spring Festival"[66]From the Laba Festival or the Xiaonian Festival to the Lantern Festival, it is called the Chinese New Year[113]。
The Spring Festival has a long history. It originated from the primitive belief and nature worship of early human beings and evolved from the worship of praying for the first year of the year in ancient times. It is a primitive religious ceremony. People will hold sacrificial activities at the beginning of the year to pray for a bumper harvest of grain and prosperity of people and animals in the coming year.With the passage of time, this ritual activity gradually evolved into various celebration activities, and finally formed today's Spring Festival[1][67]。The term "Spring Festival" was first used after the 1911 Revolution[69][112]。
During the Spring Festival, Chinese Han and many ethnic minorities hold various activities to celebrate.These activities mainly focus on ancestor worship, thanksgiving and blessing, family reunion, removing the old and renovating the new, greeting the new, and praying for a bumper year, with strong national characteristics[76]。There are many folk customs during the Spring Festival, including drinking Laba porridge, offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God, dustsweeping, pasting Spring Festival couplets, pasting New Year pictures, pasting the character of blessing upside down, keeping vigil on New Year's Eve, eating dumplings, New Year's money, paying New Year's greetings, visiting temple fairs, etc[76]。
Influenced by Chinese culture, some countries and regions in the world also have the custom of celebrating the New Year. From Egypt in Africa to Brazil in South America, from the Empire State Building in New York to the Sydney Opera House, the Chinese Lunar New Year has set off a "Chinese style" around the world[52]。The Spring Festival is rich and colorful, with important historical, artistic and cultural values.In 2006, Spring Festival folk customs were listed by the State CouncilThe first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list[77]。[3]On December 22, 2023 local time,The 78th United Nations General AssemblySpring Festival(Chinese New Year)Determined asUnited Nations Holidays。[65]two thousand and twenty-fourIn the Spring Festival of the Year of the Dragon, UN agencies such as the FAO and the UN Headquarters in Vienna officially celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year for the first time.[149]
Chinese name
Spring Festival
Foreign name
Spring Festival Chinese New Year Lunar New Year[150]
The Spring Festival is the Chinese Lunar New Year, commonly known as Spring Festival, New Year, Suidan, and so on. It is also called the Chinese New Year and the Chinese New Year. The Spring Festival has a long history and evolved from the worship of praying for the old in ancient times.In ancient times, "Sui" was a kind of harvesting and sacrificial tool, and the word "Nian" meant that crops were ripe (the earliest writing of the word "Nian" was the image of a person carrying mature grain).People celebrate the harvest, worship the heaven and ancestors, and expel ghosts and gods in various forms, gradually forming the New Year custom[69]。
From the perspective of etymology, the name "Spring Festival" consists of two parts: "Spring" and "Festival"."Spring" represents spring, which symbolizes the beginning of the year, full of vitality and the recovery of everything.In Chinese traditional culture, spring is regarded as a symbol of life and hope."Festival" means a festival, that is, a specific and significant day, on which people will have special celebrations.Therefore, "Spring Festival" literally means the festival of spring, or the festival celebrating the arrival of spring.This also reflects the important position of the Spring Festival in the hearts of Chinese people. It is not only an ordinary festival, but also a special moment symbolizing new life, hope and reunion.As for the origin of the name of the Spring Festival, because it marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, and this time is when spring returns to the earth and everything recovers, people named it "Spring Festival" to celebrate the arrival of the new year and the rebirth and renewal of nature.This name also reflects the reverence and respect for time and nature in Chinese traditional culture[68][70]。
Since ancient times, the first month of every year is called the first month or January.Although the name is the same, the specific date of the first month is different in different dynasties of ancient China. The "Spring Festival" in Chinese history is not a festival, but specifically refers to the "beginning of spring" in the 24 solar terms.In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the term "Spring Festival" generally refers to the whole spring.The concept of "Spring Festival" was gradually mentioned in the Republic of China.After the Revolution of 1911, the Gregorian calendar was adopted to record the year, so that January 1 of the lunar calendar was renamed "Spring Festival", and January 1 of the Gregorian calendar was renamed "New Year's Day"[69]。
The origin of the ancient traditional festivals is related to the ancient primitive beliefs, sacrificial culture, as well as the humanistic and natural cultural contents such as the stars and calendars.According to the research results of modern anthropology and archaeology, human beings have two primitive beliefs: one is the belief in heaven and earth, and the other is the belief in ancestors.Most of the ancient traditional festivals were formed in the activities of the ancients to choose a day for sacrifice to thank the gods of heaven and earth, ancestors' kindness, and pray for blessings and exorcism.The origin and development of the New Year's Day covers such aspects as humanistic philosophy and natural laws.[41]
In the early era of visual timing, "Dou Bing Hui Yin" was the Spring Zheng(at the beginning of the year), which means that a new year has begun.The concept of "year old" comes from the ancient calendar, "year old" means "photography"(Original trunk and branch), also known as "Suixing" and "Taisui".In the process of inheritance and development, later generations will bring this multi syllable era(years old)The term is simplified into one word, which is similar to the simplified trunk and branch《Literary Expositor》There are records in contrast with the Records of the Historian, such as Taisui taking Tige in Yinyue, Dan'e in Maoyue, Qiandun in Ziyue, and Chifenruo in Chou(From Erya Shitian)。Since the era of Ganzhi (year old)The Big DipperThe handle of the bucket points to the "Jianyin" moon in the direction of due east by north as the starting point, and then rotates clockwise in a circle.In the traditional culture, the main branches, directions andEight TrigramsTogether, the Yin position is the Gen position of the acquired Eight Diagrams, the position where the years end and the years end, and represents the end and the beginning. For example, in the Yi · Shuogua Biography, "Gen is the divination of the Northeast, and the end and the beginning of all things." December runs round and round, and the end of the year and December refer to the ugly side, and the first month returns to the Yin position.When the handle of the bucket returns to Yin, spring returns to the earth, and everything is renewed. The new year begins from here.[4][55]
In traditionalagrarian society The beginning of the Spring Festival is of great significance, and a large number of related folk cultures have been derived.Since then, due to the promotion of the Yin Yang calendar system in the historical development, the dates of the first year festivals are different, but the festival framework and many folk customs have been inherited.The Spring Festival is composed ofThe beginning of the yearThe worship of praying for the old has evolved. At the beginning of the spring, when everything is renewed, the ancients held sacrificial activities to celebrate the kindness of the gods and ancestors, to drive away evil spirits and disasters, and to pray for blessings.The origin and development of the Spring Festival is a process of gradual formation, subtle improvement and popularization.As an important part of the traditional Chinese culture, the Spring Festival culture carries a broad and profound heritage of Chinese culture, and also records the rich and colorful social life and cultural content of ancient people.[5-9][51]
Historical changes
Early Spring Festival
The harvest festival is the original origin of the Spring Festival.The development direction of China's agricultural life has been established in the Neolithic Age. The annual festivals in agricultural China follow the life rhythm of agricultural society.People's sacrifice and celebration after harvest naturally become the landmark of the annual cycle.In ancient times, people understood the daily time process from the perspective of divinity. Along with the annual sacrifice activities in the four seasons, people used various seasonal sacrifice ceremonies to interrupt daily life in order to achieve communication with the gods, the earth, and only people and ghosts.The winter and spring at the end of the year and the beginning of the year are particularly concerned.The traditional large-scale annual sacrifice ceremony is often held in this particular season.The so-called sacrifice, according to the explanation of Shuowen, is to hold meat and offer it to the gods.Offering food to the gods is the basic way of traditional Chinese sacrifice. The Chinese believe that offering the above or seasonal food to the gods is just like entertaining distinguished guests with delicacies, which can well express their sincerity.In ancient times, the Spring Festival activities were mainly to worship gods and pray for grain harvest[71]。
In ancient times, Spring Festival sacrifices were mainly group public offerings. At the beginning of the year, the objects of sacrifices were heaven and earth, mountains and rivers, ancestral temples and countries. With rich offerings and grand and regular ceremonies, they were an important part of tribal groups or national etiquette.The sacrifice is presided over by the Emperor, and the participants are civil and military officials[71]。
The end of the year festival is a grand summary sacrifice to the gods of heaven and earth at the end of the year.In the Book of Rites, we can see that there are two forms of year-end sacrifices: the first is "zh e ng", that is, the great ritual of ancestral temple sacrifices, and at the same time, we should sacrifice the sun, the moon, the stars, the public social gods, the god of Menlu, and the daily five sacrifices, such as door, household, Zhongliu, kitchen and walking.The time is in the October of the summer calendar, which is the last month of the week calendar year. Therefore, we should sacrifice to the gods.The first is the big wax sacrifice. The big wax sacrifice at the end of the year was called Jiaping in the Xia Dynasty, Qingsi in the Yin and Shang Dynasties, and the big wax at the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty. It offered sacrifices to eight gods, namely, Xiansi, Sishi, Baizhong, Nong, Youbiao (Zhu ì), animals, workshops, Shuiyong, etc[71]。
The Son of Heaven will welcome Qi to the eastern suburbs on the first day of spring.On the first day of spring, wearing blue clothes and riding green horses, Emperor Zhou led Sangong, Jiuqing, princes and doctors to the eastern suburbs to welcome the spring.Then choose a lucky day this month, such as Xinri, to hold a suburban sacrifice to heaven and pray for grain to God.After Jiaotian, the Emperor of Zhou also chose a lucky day, such as Hairi, to hold a farming ceremony.The emperor himself took farming tools such as Lei Si, surrounded by Sangong, Jiuqing, princes, and doctors to enter the fields for symbolic farming. This is often referred to as the "Emperor's Book of Gonggeng" in history books, that is, the king of Zhou personally worked for the Emperor of Heaven in sacrificial fields, and prayed for the harvest of this year's farming.This ritual of praying for good harvest after the first spring of the first month has become a political event of all dynasties[71]。
In ancient times, people worshipped nature, and the belief in age reflects people's respect for mysterious nature.Although the Spring Festival has not yet appeared as an official name, the meaning of the Spring Festival has been formed. People regard the end of the year and the beginning of the year where the Spring Festival is located as a time period with special divine significance, and realize communication and exchange with heaven and earth through religious ceremonies[71]。
After Qin and Han Dynasties
After the Qin and Han Dynasties, Chinese society gradually separated from the influence of early primitive religious beliefs, and the coordination of festivals and social life was concerned.The Spring Festival, as the first year of the year, had obvious social significance after the Qin and Han Dynasties. The court took the first year of the year as an opportunity to show and strengthen the righteousness of the monarch and his subjects, and the folk took it as a good time for family gatherings in the countryside[72]。
Qin Dynasty to the middle of Han Dynasty
From the Qin Dynasty to the middle of the Han Dynasty, the first year of the year was in October of the lunar calendar, and the first day of October was the New Year.The first year of the Taichu period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty(Top 104)Determine the first month of the year as the month under construction(The first month of the summer calendar), followed by successive dynasties.This is close to the beginning of spring in the four seasons. The beginning of the year is basically in tune with the beginning of the four seasons. The New Year and the Spring Festival are celebrated at the same time.The October New Year of the Qin Dynasty was called "the first year of Qin" in the Han Dynasty, and its celebration ritual activities have also been preserved.In Suishiji of Jingchu, there is still a record that "the first person in Qin Dynasty" ate millet meat soup in the Southern Dynasty, which later evolved into the "Hanyi Festival"[72]。
After the middle of the Han Dynasty
After the middle of the Han Dynasty, the first day of the year was the first day of the first lunar month, which was called the first day of the first lunar month, the first day of the first lunar month, and the first day of the first lunar month.The first year of the first month is determined after the Wangs set the calendar, so the Records of the Historian · Tianguan Book says that the first day of the first month is the first year of the king.The first day of the first month is an important celebration day for the royal family of the Han Dynasty. The court will hold a large-scale court meeting. "The first month of every year is a celebration day for the great court.".The emperor went to court in the early morning of the first month to receive the celebration of the civil and military officials. At the same time, the officials also received the gift of New Year banquet[72]。
Under the influence of the imperial court, the first year of the king gradually became a folk festival. In the Han Dynasty, people moved the folk activities of the festival from the traditional day of the twelfth lunar month and the twelfth lunar month to the day of the first lunar month.Cui Shi's "Four People's Moon Order" in the Eastern Han Dynasty recorded the sacrificial ceremony and celebration of the folk day in the Eastern Han Dynasty[72]。The divination of the first year is one of the main festivals and customs of the Han Dynasty.On the first day of the first month, people in the Han Dynasty predicted that there would be floods and droughts in the year, and that the year would be rich and poor[72]。
Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties
During the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the first year of the year was called Yuanzheng, Yuanri and Yuanhui.The annual celebration is still a grand ceremony of the imperial court. Due to the lack of ancient books, we can only know the general situation of the grand ceremony of the Wei Shiyuan Meeting.[72]
On the evening before the first day of the first lunar month, the palace officials sat outside the Duan Gate, and the guards of honor such as Da Le Gu Xuan were set in front of the hall.Five minutes before the end of the night, the officials entered the hall and took their places. The emperor sat down, the officials got up, and then made a pilgrimage in turn. Until dawn, the emperor received the congratulations from the vassal king, envoys, and officials in several stages, and the officials were hailed as long live.The emperor gave everyone wine and food.On the first day of the Six Dynasties, a white tiger bottle was set up in the court, and there was a white tiger on the top of the bottle. If you can speak frankly in the court, you can open this bottle to drink.In the Southern Dynasties and the Song Dynasty, the celebration of the winter solstice was abolished[72]。
Spring Festival of Sui and Tang Dynasties
The Spring Festival of the Sui and Tang Dynasties is called Yuanri, Suisui and Yuanzheng.New Year's Day is the festival of Spring Festival.Since the Tang Dynasty, the Spring Festival has been designated as the government's statutory holiday. During the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, the Order of Vacation and Tranquility stipulated that the first day and the winter solstice were given seven days off respectively.The seven day holiday on the first day of the year is three days before the year and three days after the year.On every New Year's Day, the Imperial Court held the morning ceremony as usual to celebrate the New Year[72]。
Due to the prosperity of officials in the early dynasties, Chang'an was like a "city of fire".The subordinate of the Zhongshu Sect led all civil and military officials to pay homage to the table, and the internal minister announced the answer.The local congratulatory tables were accepted by the member of the Ministry of Rites, Wai Lang. He knelt down to read the congratulatory table of the highest ranking official.On the first day of the folk festival, Bai Juyi reunited with his family in the south of the Yangtze River and felt the warmth of family ties, as evidenced by the poem "Family Banquet on the First Day Showing off His Younger Brother and Nephew and Showing to Judge Zhang Yu Yin"[73]。
Drinking on the first day of the year is a congratulations to the young and a blessing to the elderly.The custom of praying for longevity on the first day is popular.In the second year of Emperor Wuzong's Huichang in the Tang Dynasty (842), the Japanese monk Yuanren spent the Spring Festival in Chang'an. He wrote down the situation at that time in his "Journey to the Tang Dynasty for Dharma Seeking": on the first day of the first lunar month, every family set up bamboo poles and hung flags.Pray for a long life in the new year.The custom of man day in the Tang Dynasty followed that of the Six Dynasties, and ribbon cutting and wearing were very common.Sheng is a headdress with special religious significance. At that time, Sheng was mostly cut from colored silk[73]。
Song Dynasty
In the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the Spring Festival is called New Year's Day or New Year's Day or New Year's Day.The ceremony of the first day court meeting is still an important royal ceremony.In Tokyo of the Northern Song Dynasty (now Kaifeng), the "big court meeting on the first day of the year" was grand. The emperor sat in the Hall of Daqing, and four burly warriors stood in the corner of the hall, known as the "Zhendian General".The hall is decorated with guards of honor. All the officials are crowned in court uniforms. All the leaders are also standing in court wearing official uniforms.The officials of each state paid tribute with local special products.The annual meeting of the Song Dynasty was more serious than that of the Tang Dynasty, showing the majesty of imperial power[73]。
yuan dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty learned the Han family ritual system, and the annual court meeting was also grand.On the first day of the first lunar month, all officials were waiting for leakage under the Chongtian Gate. It was also the night when they entered the court at the fifth watch.The emperor and empress successively took their seats in the Daming Hall. When the morning officer announced the time, the hundred officials entered the hall from the Rijingmen Gate and the Yuehua Gate in two shifts, bowing and kneeling to the emperor and empress.The Prime Minister said: "Pu Tian leads the land and prays for the great blessings of heaven and earth. He is the same as the emperor and empress for their longevity.".
Then give the emperor three drinks and play music in the teaching room.Then read out the congratulatory tables and gift lists of the central and local officials, and monks, Taoist Priests, elders, and foreign visitors came to congratulate them in turn.At the end of the ceremony, all kings, relatives, son-in-law and ministers gave a banquet on the hall.The emperors of the Yuan Dynasty inherited the ceremonial ceremony of the Chinese annual meeting and displayed the peaceful atmosphere in the grand New Year celebration[73]。
the ming dynasty
At the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the people advocated frugality and did not pay much attention to the ceremony of the court meeting. The court meeting was just a routine and had little impact on national life.People rushed to the court and retired from the court on the first day of the year, and the private folk exchanges between the officials of the court seemed more lively.Even in the imperial palace, people don't value Chaoyi, but daily festival activities[74]。
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty attached great importance to the Spring Festival, and the palace Spring Festival was very luxurious. First, hundreds of officials went to the palace to worship, then there was a tea ceremony, singing and dancing performances, miscellaneous opera performances, and finally it ended with Shaoyue.If the emperor celebrates his birthday or the 10th National Day, "special banquet" will be held, and the ceremony and content will be more grand and rich[74]。
modern
In 1911, after the Revolution of 1911 overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established the Republic of China, great changes took place in Chinese society. Official festivals were separated from traditional folk festivals. The position of the Spring Festival in the public society often changed. Of course, the civil society still enjoyed its traditional festivals as always.
On January 1, 1912, after Sun Yat sen took office as the temporary president in Nanjing, all provinces were officially electrified, and the Republic of China changed to the solar calendar. November 13, 4609, the Yellow Emperor era, was the New Year's Day of the Republic of China.Yuan Shikai continued to implement the new calendar after he was elected as the temporary president.There are two kinds of calendar systems in China. One is the official Western Gregorian calendar system, which serves as the time standard for public administration, law enforcement and international exchanges;One is the Yin Yang calendar system in the traditional society, which is used by people to serve the agricultural time and daily social life.In the early years of the Republic of China, although the government vigorously implemented the New Calendar Law, it also took into account the needs of people's lives and adopted a compromise approach[75]。
In January 1914, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Beijing Government proposed in a submission to Yuan Shikai that the New Year's Day of the lunar calendar (lunar calendar) should be designated as the Spring Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival as the summer festival, the Mid Autumn Festival as the autumn festival, and the Winter Solstice as the winter festival.All our citizens are entitled to rest, and public employees are also allowed to take one day off.Yuan Shikai approved the submission.As a result, the beginning of the traditional lunar New Year was officially renamed "Spring Festival", and the traditional New Year's Day and New Year's Day were placed on January 1 of the Gregorian calendar.But ordinary people ignore the Gregorian New Year's Day and still call the first day of the first lunar month the New Year.There are two new years in Chinese society. One is the "Republic of China New Year", the Gregorian New Year's Day, and the other is the "National New Year", the Lunar New Year[75]。
On the eve of the founding of New China, the first plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) made a provision on September 27, 1949: "The calendar of the People's Republic of China adopts the A.D.".On December 23, 1949, the Council of Government Affairs passed the Measures for Holidays on National New Year's Day and Memorial Day, which respectively stipulated the holiday dates for legal holidays such as the Spring Festival and New Year's Day.The Spring Festival, as the name of the Lunar New Year, is more widely used throughout the country, so there are two new years in the year: the Gregorian New Year's Day and the Lunar New Year's Spring Festival[76]。
Time setting
Time coordinate - bucket handle pointing
The Chinese astrological culture has a long history and is broad and profound. The ancients began to explore the mysteries of the universe very early, and thus deduced a complete and profound culture of watching stars.Big DipperCyclic rotation is closely related to the change of seasons.The Big Dipper is an important star in the Northern Hemisphere (where China is located),passing of nightAt that time, the natural rhythm of the corresponding area near the angle of the yellow and red cross in the Northern Hemisphere was also gradually changing, so it became the basis for people to judge the changes of seasons.[38-39][41]
period
Date setting
Ancient times
Year old discipline refers to the era of the trunk and branch.The handle of the Big Dipper starts from due east by north, and it is one year old when it rotates clockwise[11][40]
Xia Shang Zhou
The first month of the summer calendar is in Mengchun, the first month of the shang calendar is in winter December, and the first month of the week calendar is in winter November (lunar calendar)
After Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty, he set the new day of December as the first year of the year for Yin Zheng.Cao Rui, Emperor Wei Ming, was also changed to Yin Zheng.After Wu Zetian became emperor, she changed her country name to "Zhou" and adopted Zhou Zheng.Since then, Xia Zheng has been used in all dynasties, with the new moon in January as the first year[12][37]
After the 1911 Revolution
Gradually changed to the Gregorian calendar, later to distinguish between the summer calendar andGregorian calendarTwo New Years[4]
July 1913
Yuan Shikai approved the Spring Festival as the first day of the first month of the first lunar month, and agreed to have a regular holiday for the Spring Festival, which began in 1914
September 27, 1949
The First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference decided to adopt“Chronology”January 1 of the Gregorian calendar is called "New Year's Day", and the first day of the first lunar month of the Xia calendar is still called "Spring Festival"[16]
After 1970
The "Summer Calendar" is renamed“lunar calendar”(Yin Yang Calendar)
Traditional festival ceremony andcustomActivities are an important part of festival elements. In the historical development, they have mixed various folk customs in many places and formed some relatively fixed customs, many of which are still handed down today.These activities can be summarized as follows: worship the gods to meet the weather;Honor the ancestors and maintain family ties;Expel evil, and seek peace;Recreation and relaxation.Although the Spring Festival is scheduled on the first day of the first lunar month, the activities of the Spring Festival are not limited to the first day of the first lunar month.From the end of the yearXiaonianPeople start“Busy year”: Kitchen sacrifice, dust cleaning, purchase of New Year goods, sticking New Year's red, washing hair and bathing, decorating lanterns, etc. All these activities have a common theme, namely“Bid farewell to the old and welcome the new”。[2][17]
The Chinese New Year custom culture has a long history, and various Chinese New Year customs have been derived from all parts of the country.Although the customs vary from place to place, preparing New Year goods and giving New Year gifts are almost the "necessities" of the whole country.Purchase of New Year's goods, including food, clothing, wear, use, stickers (annual bonus), gifts (New Year greetings), etc“New Year Goods”The process of purchasing New Year's goods is called "handling New Year's goods".It is an important activity for Chinese people to do Spring Festival shopping.
do Spring Festival shopping
New Year meat cutting
As the folk proverb goes, "On the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, meat is cut", which means that meat is mainly prepared for the Spring Festival.Set“New Year meat cutting”The reason why the New Year's Ballad was put in is that the farming society and economy are underdeveloped, and people can only eat meat in the annual festival, so it is called "New Year's Meat".[20]
Folk stove worship originated from the ancient custom of worshiping fire.Such as《Denomination》It is said in the Chinese saying, "The kitchen stove makes food." The responsibility of the kitchen god is to take charge of the kitchen fire and manage food. Later, it was expanded to investigate the good and evil in the world, so as to reduce blessings and disasters.Kitchen worship has a history of thousands of years among Chinese people. The belief in Kitchen God is a reflection of Chinese people's pursuit of the dream of "having enough food and clothing".[18]
In the folk, on New Year's Eve, there is a custom of "sweeping the dust (also called sweeping the house) on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month." The folk proverb says "sweeping the house on the 24th day".Folk name“Dust sweeping day”。Dust sweeping is the year-end sweeping. Every household needs to clean the environment, clean all kinds of equipment, remove the bedding and curtains, sweep Liulu courtyard, brush the dirt spider web, and dredge open channels and underground ditches.There is a joyous atmosphere of joyous hygiene and clean welcome to the New Year everywhere.According to the folk saying, since "dust" is homophonic to "Chen", dust sweeping years ago had the meaning of "removing Chen and making new cloth".The purpose of dust sweeping is to sweep out all the poor luck and bad luck in order to pray for good luck in the coming year.[19]
Every household on the 28th, 29th or 30th of the year“Paste New Year Red”(Nian Hong is a general term for Spring Festival couplets, door gods, New Year pictures, Fu characters, horizontal scrolls, window grilles, etc. These are red festive elements posted during the Spring Festival, so they are collectively called "Nian Hong").[50]
post new year's scrolls
(1) Paste Spring Festival couplets: according to《Jade Candle Classic》、《Yanjing Chronicle》According to literature records, the original form of Spring Festival couplets is what people call“Taofu”。Another source of Spring Festival couplets is the spring paste. The ancients often paste the word "Yichun" on the first day of spring, which gradually developed into Spring Festival couplets.post new year's scrollsIt is also called sticking door couplets, spring couplets, couplets, couplets, and peach charms. It depicts the background of the times and expresses good wishes in neat, antithetical, concise, and exquisite characters. It is a unique literary form in China.Every Spring Festival, no matter in the city or in the countryside, every household should select a red couplet to stick on the door to add a festive atmosphere to the festival.
(2) Paste New Year pictures:New Year picturesIt is an ancient folk art in China, reflecting the simple customs and beliefs of the people and expressing their hopes for the future.With the rise of woodblock printing, the content of New Year pictures has not only been limited to monotonous themes such as door gods, but also become rich and colorful.
(3) Window decorations and the word "Fu": in the folk people also like to paste various papercuts on the windows——Paper-cuts for Window DecorationThe window decoration not only sets off the festive atmosphere, but also integrates decoration, appreciation and practicality.At the same time, some people should paste the word "Fu" on the door, wall and lintel.There are also folk people who draw the word "Fu" into various patterns, such as longevity, longevity peach, carp jumping over the dragon gate, grain harvest, dragon and phoenix, etc.[21]
New Year's Eve dinner, also known as New Year's dinnerSpring Festival mealEtc., especially at the end of the yearNew Year's EveFor a family dinner.family reunion dinnerIt originated from the ancient year-end sacrificial rites, where the gods and ancestors were worshipped and had a reunion dinner.The New Year's Eve dinner was the highlight before the New Year. It was not only colorful, but also very special.Before eating the New Year meal, worship the gods and ancestors first, and then eat after the worship ceremony.There are usually chickens on the mat（It means good luck[81]）, fish (meaning more than every year), oyster lobster sauce (meaning good city), hair dish (meaning rich), bean curd (meaning rich), lotus root (meaning smart), lettuce (meaning rich), sausage (meaning long), etc.The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is a family reunion dinner, which is the most abundant and important dinner at the end of the year.
family reunion dinner
Due to the geographical and climatic reasons, during the Spring Festival, the north is still in the cold winter when everything is closed. In winter, the north is a vast expanse of snow and ice. There is basically no way to plant crops. The resources are scarce, and there are few food materials available.The southern region, especially some coastal areas, is basically green all the year round. The southern region has great advantages in vegetables and fruits in winter, so it has more choices in food choices;In terms of geographical advantages, it also benefits from the abundant distribution of water resources, so that various types of fish catch sufficient food materials;So on some important festivals, the food in the south will be more diversified.[42]
Shou Sui has a long history. All houses are lit with fire, and the family gathers together“Old fire”Don't let it go out, waiting for the time to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new.On New Year's Eve, the lights are burning all night long. It is called "burning a lamp to illuminate the year" or "lighting a fire". All houses are lit with candles, and we also need to light candles under the bed to enrich our family's wealth in the coming year.
After dinner, the elders should distribute the lucky money prepared in advance to the younger generation.Lucky moneyImplied in folk cultureexorcise evil spiritsExorcism,blesssafety。The original purpose of New Year money was to suppress evil and exorcise evil spirits.Because people think that children are vulnerable to sneaky attacks, they use lucky money to drive away evil spirits.
The other is that the younger generation gives the old. The "Sui" of the lucky money refers to the age, which is intended to hope the old people will live a long life.The earliest written records of New Year's Coins that can be traced back appeared in the Han Dynasty, also known as Yasheng Coins, which were not circulated on the market, but were made into coins.
Wandering spirit, also known as Holy Drive Parade, Tour Master, Camp Master, Tour Bodhisattva, Tour God Competition, Year, Greeting God, Greeting the New Year, Spring outing, Xiangxing, Bodhisattva's Journey to the Country, Carrying God Images, God Images' Tour, etc., means that people will visit the temple during the New Year or other festive festivalsWalking bodyThe statuePlease enter the god's sedan chair, and then carry it out of the temple resort to accept the incense worship of the people, which means that the gods will come down to the people, patrol the countryside, and bless the peace of the whole resort.Along the way, Youshen is accompanied by a variety of artistic performances, including gongs and drums, suona, god puppets, lion dances, dragon dances, color floats, flags, lanterns, eight tones, acrobatics and band performances. It is a traditional folk activity integrating worship, prayer, celebration and banquet.[22-23]
Quanzhou Folk Custom
During the Spring Festival every year in Chaoshan, the folk god games are held in different villages and towns in turn in chronological order, and the scene is very lively.The Pearl River Delta area is called "Bodhisattva Village", where people carry statues and parade around the village to acceptPray for blessings。Fuzhou is called "Welcoming the Gods". From the third to the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar, it has become one of the important activities of "making the New Year" in the countryside. It often takes the village as a unit, and sometimes several villages unite to parade around the village with the sound of gongs, drums and firecrackers. The people lined the way to watch and greet, and the scene was warm.[24-25]
Welcome the new year in the morning of the first year and worship“Old God”。"Sui" is also known as "Sheti" and "Taisui", which are stars in ancient times.Taisui is also a god of folk belief. The sixty year old Ganzhi chronology is the operating cycle of Taisui, and there are sixty people in total. Every year, one Taisui is on duty. The Taisui on duty in that year is called "Taisui on duty". It is the master of one year old, and is in charge of good or bad luck in the world.New Year worship is the oldest traditional Chinese New Year custom, which is still popular in Guangdong, especially in Wuchuan area.[26]
Visiting the temple fair is one of the folk activities during the Spring Festival.Guangfu Temple FairAnd BeijingDitan Temple FairIt is also called China's two major temple fairs.It covers theme activities such as Puppet Gathering, Chinese Skills, Wulin Convention, Lantern Festival, etc., and contains rich contents such as blessing culture, folk culture, food culture, trade and leisure culture.[23]
Visit during the Spring Festival.In the second and third days of the junior high, they began to visit relatives and friends, pay New Year greetings to each other, and congratulate each other.New Year's greetings are visits between relatives and friends to connect with each other, celebrate the New Year, and express feelings for relatives and friends as well as good wishes for the new year.
New Year greetings
● Setting off firecrackers
Chinese folk“Door opening firecracker”In a word, that is, when the new year is coming, the first thing for every household to open the door is to burn firecrackers, and use beep beep beep sound of firecrackers to get rid of the old and welcome the new.Firecrackers are Chinese specialties, also known as "explosive firecrackers", "firecrackers", "firecrackers"“firecrackers”。The original purpose of firecrackers was to welcome gods and exorcise evil spirits. Later, with its strong festive color, it developed into a symbol to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new.It can create a festive and lively atmosphere. It is a kind of recreational activity in the festival and can bring happiness and luck to people.
During the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month of the New Year, light a torch in the yard. The fire is called "Sheng Wang Huo" or "Dian Fa Bao Chai" in the folk.Modern folk fire is often lit straw pile or gun paper pile. The more the fire is, the better it is. It symbolizes that the old disasters will disappear and new weather will be ushered in.[56]
It is said that Sakyamuni ate porridge cooked by a shepherdess on the day of the Laba Festival and became a Buddha under a bodhi tree.Later generations who believe in Buddhism will hold chanting activities every day on the Laba Festival, and cook porridge for Buddha and benefit people[114]。On the Laba Festival, every household will cook fragrant Laba porridge, which means reunion and harvest.This is not only a delicacy, but also a cultural heritage.The variety of Laba porridge and the different flavors of different places all express people's yearning for a better life[115]。
Congee with Nuts and Dried Fruits
the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month
The 23rd lunar month is called Xiaonian, also known as Zaojang Festival[116]。From the middle and late Qing Dynasty, the imperial family held a ceremony to worship the Kitchen God on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month.This kind of practice makes people in the northern region celebrate the Spring Festival on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month[119]。It is said that the Kitchen God reports the good and evil on the New Year's Eve every year, and returns to the kitchen on the New Year's Eve[117]。The main customs of Xiaonian include sweeping, offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God, eating sesame candy, and pasting window decorations[116]。
Sacrifice to the Kitchen God
the 24th of the twelfth lunar month
In most areas of southern China, the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month is the "Little Year".The Kitchen Sacrifice Day in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai kicked off the Spring Festival with "delivering kitchen"[118]。Although the dates of the New Year are different between the north and the south, the common customs are to worship the Kitchen God and sweep houses[119]。
Sweep the house
the 25th of the twelfth lunar month
On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, people prepare tofu and reserve it for the first lunar month.At the same time, the "rotten" of tofu is homonymous to "rich". Making tofu years ago means that we can live a rich life in the New Year and the next year[120]。
Tofu making
the 26th of the twelfth lunar month
As the folk saying goes, "On the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, kill a pig and cut the meat of the New Year." On this day, people will follow the old tradition of "cut a piece of meat and eat a piece of meat", that is, buy a piece of meat and cook it into a delicious dish. The whole family will sit around and enjoy it together.This tradition originated from the ancient farming society. People prayed for a bumper harvest of grain and a prosperous livestock in the coming year[121]。
New Year meat cutting
the 27th of the twelfth lunar month
As a folk saying goes, "On the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, kill chickens to catch a big fair".On this day, in addition to slaughtering their own poultry, every household has to go to the market to shop and purchase intensively.Compared with the fair on weekdays, which mainly aims at buying, selling and surplus goods, the fair on the 27th of December is mainly to buy and sell festival goods, such as firecrackers, spring couplets, candles, burning paper, beef and mutton, various toys and gifts for children, various headdresses for girls, etc[122]。
Catch up on the big set
the 28th of the twelfth lunar month
As the folk saying goes, "On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, send noodles", and every family is going to start preparing the staple food for the New Year.On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, in addition to hair and hair, we also need to "stick flowers", that is, stick New Year pictures, spring couplets and window decorations[122]。
the 28th of the twelfth lunar month
the 29th of the twelfth lunar month
The 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the day before New Year's Eve, is commonly known as "Little New Year's Eve". On this day, people hold a banquet at home. People call it "Biesui" and burn incense outdoors, called "Tianxiang". It usually takes three days.In the whole festival, the 29th day is the busiest day. In addition to preparing various food and clothing offerings, there is also an extremely important activity, "paying homage to ancestors".Therefore, the annual rumor said, "On the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, go to the grave and ask the ancestors to make a big contribution."[123]。
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve, the last night at the end of the year.The last day at the end of the year is called "annual division", which means that the old year will be replaced by the new year.To remove means to remove;Evening refers to night.New Year's Eve isget rid of the old to make way for the new、Family reunion, SacrificeancestorsThe day of.On New Year's Eve, we worship ancestors and eat reunion dinner,family reunion dinnerLater, there was a custom of distributing lucky money and keeping watch.
In order to decorate the year and fill the atmosphere of "blessing and greeting" in the New Year, people have been dressing up neatly since the morning. Women have been wearing flannelette and silk flowers that symbolize more than auspicious. Red Spring Festival couplets and door hearts are pasted in front of the door. Words vary from household to household.Some even stick red and green "hanging money", and put window friezes on the windows.In the room, there are spring bars and "Fu" words, such as "It's better to enter the New Year, happiness in front of you, family happiness, and population peace".On New Year's Eve, every family has to prepare a grand New Year's Eve dinner for the whole family.The New Year's Eve dinner is also called "reunion dinner" or "family reunion".People have been busy since early morning, chopping meat, making dumplings and preparing dishes.On New Year's Eve, the whole family sat around the table happily and enjoyed delicious food[124]。
Chinese new year's day
The first day of the first lunar month is the beginning of the lunar year, month and day. This day is the first day of the first lunar month. It is also called "Yuanshuo" because it is the first new moon.The Spring Festival, commonly known as the Chinese New Year, is the most important and grand traditional festival in China. The main folk activities include paying New Year's greetings, setting off firecrackers, pasting Spring Festival couplets and giving New Year's money.The New Year's greetings on the first day of the first lunar month are when parents lead young people out to visit relatives, friends and elders, and wish each other the New Year in auspicious words[125]。
New Year greetings
2nd day of the first lunar month
On the second day of the New YearNew Year's DayIn the morning, worship the gods of heaven and earth. After the ceremony, burn guns and paper treasures, and then eat "New Year's dinner"."Returning to your mother's home on the second day of the first month" is a common custom in the north and south. Returning to your mother's home is also called "Guining".On the second day of the new year, I went back to my parents' home.On this day, the married daughter will bring gifts, go back to her parents' home with her husband and children to pay New Year's greetings, and give red envelopes to their children[126]。In the Chaoshan area of Guangdong, going back to my parents' home on the second day of the new year is also called "eating the day".In the southern region, the custom of starting the New Year is to eat the New Year meal[126]。The second day of the new year is also the day to worship the God of Wealth.It is said that when Nuwa created all creatures, she first created six animals and then created human beings. Therefore, from the first day of the year to the beginning of the year, Liudu was the day of six animals, from the seventh day of the year to the "day of man", and from the second day of the year to the "day of dog"[126]。
Go back to your mother's house
3rd day of the first lunar month
The third day of the first month is pig day, mouse wedding day, broom day, millet birthday, red dog day. It's better to clean the room, go to bed early and get up late, burn door god paper, and wrap up[127]。Third day is also called "Chikou" day."Chikou" means a dispute of words, so in ancient times, in order to avoid provoking controversy, everyone concentrated on staying at home on the third day of the New Year, neither going out to pay New Year's greetings nor inviting guests to visit[128]。
Burn the door god
2th day of the first lunar month
On the fourth day of the New Year, when the gods came back to the world from the heaven, there was a saying that it was "early to send the gods, but late to receive them".It is said that on the fourth day of the New Year, the Kitchen God wanted to check the household registration, so every household should stay at home.At midnight on the fourth day of the first month, prepare sacrificial animals, cakes and fruits, incense candles and other things, and burn incense with gongs and drums to worship the god of wealth.The fourth day of the first lunar month, also known as Sheep Day, is a day for the Han people to welcome gods.On the fourth day of the New Year, we welcome the Kitchen God and occupy the sheep in Neo Confucianism, so the often said "Sanyang (Yang) Kaitai" is a symbol of auspiciousness and a day to welcome the Kitchen God back to the people[129]。
Welcome the Kitchen God
5th day of the first lunar month
5th day of the first lunar monthAccording to folk customsFive way God of WealthTherefore, we should welcome the god of wealth into our home and bless our family for a prosperous new year.At the same time, it is also a day to send the poor away, so there is a saying of "sending the poor out".This day is also commonly known as "Breaking Five", which means that many taboos of the previous days have ended.In addition to the above taboos, the breaking five customs are mainlySend the poor，Welcome the God of Wealth, openingTrade。In the north, people have the custom of eating dumplings, which means to attract wealth and treasure.It is said that the fifth day of the first lunar month is“Cattle day”[130]。
Welcome the God of Wealth
6th day of the first lunar month
On the sixth day of the first month“Ma Ri”, called Liuliu Dashun.On this day, every family should throw out the garbage accumulated during the festival, which is called giving away the poor.The sixth day of the New Year is also the opening day of the market, when stores and restaurants are officially opened and firecrackers are set off, which is no less than the situation on New Year's Eve.The Chinese people have the traditional custom of "going out on March 6, 9", which means that the third, sixth and ninth days of the lunar calendar are auspicious days for going out[131]。
Send the poor ghost
7th day of the first lunar month
The seventh day of the lunar calendar is a person's day, that is, a person's birthday. Usually, they don't go out to pay New Year's greetings[132]。It is a folk custom that on the seventh day of the seventh day of the lunar calendar, you must eat seven kinds of vegetable cakes, namely celery, garlic, onions, coriander, leeks[133]。On this day, it is a custom in the south to "fish raw", that is, to pour fish, side dishes and sauces into large plates, and people use chopsticks to fish.In ancient times, on the seventh day of the first lunar month, people would spread pancakes in their yards, which implied that the grain would be abundant in the new year[133]。
Celebration Day
8th day of the first lunar month
The eighth day of the first lunar month is also called Valley Day.The custom of "Grain Day" is to worship the memorial tablets with grain names and not eat cooked grains[134]。The eighth day of the first lunar month, also known as the "Shunxing Festival", is a festival that can predict the luck of the year.Shunxing is also called Jixing.On the evening of the eighth day of the first lunar month, whether people go to the temple to offer incense to the Star King (i.e. Shun Xing) or not, when all the stars in the sky are out, each family will hold a ceremony to worship Shun Xing.The folk use the pronunciation of eight characters to turn the eighth day of the first lunar month into the Eight Immortals Festival[134]。
Valley Day
9th day of the first lunar month
On the ninth day of the lunar new year, according to folk customs, this day is the birthday of the Jade Emperor, and a grand ceremony is to be held.I wish my birthday to God, and pray for good weather, safety and health in the new year.Therefore, this day is called "Tianri Festival", "Jade Emperor's Birthday" or "Tiangong Birth".Some people think that doing things on the ninth day of the first lunar month will get twice the result with half the effort. Some older people put difficult things on the ninth day of the first lunar month, and think that it is a good day to do things[135]。
Worship the Heavenly Father's Birthday
10th day of the first lunar month
On the tenth day of the first lunar month, there is a custom of turning on lights in some southern areas.In Henan custom, every family pays homage to the stone burning incense on this day. They think that "ten" is homonymous to "stone", so the tenth day of the lunar calendar is the birthday of the stone. On this day, all stone tools such as grinding and grinding cannot be moved, and even offer sacrifices to the stone for fear of hurting crops.Also called "stone immovable" and "ten immovable";I must eat steamed buns for lunch. I think that eating bread will make me prosperous within a year.In Yuncheng, Shandong Province and other places, he carried the stone god[80]。
Stone Festival
The eleventh day of the first month
On the eleventh day of the first month, "Son in law Day", is the day when the father-in-law feasts his son in law.The food left over from the celebration of "Tiangongsheng" on the ninth day of the lunar new year, except for eating for one day on the tenth day of the lunar new year, there are still a lot of food left, so the parents don't need to spend any more money, they use the food left over to entertain their sons in law and daughters. The folk song is called "Eleven Day to invite sons in law"[80]。On the eleventh day of the first month, in order to commemorate and offer sacrifices to Aunt Zigu, a ceremony is held to offer sacrifices to Aunt Zigu[136]。
The twelfth day of the first month
It is popularly known as "Twelve Light Sheds".It means that the Lantern Festival is approaching, and the stewards in the village will gather skilled craftsmen and young people to prepare lanterns from the twelfth year of the year to do various preparations for the Lantern Festival[137]。In some areas in the south of Shijiazhuang, the custom of baking cypress along the twelfth day of the first lunar month is still preserved.The twelfth day of the first lunar month is the day for mice to marry their daughter-in-law. Some people say that this day is the birthday of mice. So there are many traditional customs in the folk on this day, which means that everything is good in the new year, there is no rat damage, and there is a bumper harvest[137]。
Twelve Light Sheds
The 13th day of the first month
The custom of the Han nationality starts from the 13th day of the first lunar month, and the 18th day of the first lunar month falls. There is a saying that "the 13th and 14th gods watch the lights, 156 people watch the lights, and the 17th and 18th ghosts watch the lights", and there is a move that "the round son of the lamp rises and falls on the lamp face".On the 13th day of the first lunar month, there is an important folk activity called "Lantern Birthday".In fact, people want to light their lamps under the kitchen stove on this day because the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month is approaching, and each family has made pilot lamps, so they are called "lamp heads"[78]。
Lighting
The 14th day of the first month
In order to prepare for the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, both the people and the imperial court will set up lamphouses on this day, hang lights and decorations, and do some preview activities of entertainment programs to become "test lights" to welcome the annual Lantern Festival.As for the vendors selling lanterns on the market, they have already prepared various lanterns to sell and become a "lantern market".On the 14th night of the first lunar month, people usually scatter Wuzi in every corner of their homes. According to the Han folk legend, pouring some Wuzi in the corner can blind the mice, make the cat's eyes brighter, and eat all the mice, so as to protect the food from being eaten by the mice[79]。Jialing District, Nanchong, Sichuan Province held the "Toad Festival" on this day to pray for good weather, happiness and health[138]。
The 15th day of the first lunar month is the first full moon night of the year, so it is called the "Lantern Festival". Unlike family reunion in the Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival is to go out and participate in community activities[139]。All activities of the Lantern Festival focus on "noisy" activities. People dance dragon lanterns, set off lanterns, walk on stilts, and make collective sacrifices[140]。Every January, Zigong Lantern Festival becomes the most popular and imaginative "New Year's event" in the south.This custom originated in the Tang and Song Dynasties, when people lit and enjoyed lanterns, which was an important festival custom during the Spring Festival.[61]Shehuo is also one of the customs of the Lantern Festival.Shehuo is an activity of singing and dancing to entertain gods and people.Up to now, in Hebei, Shanxi, Gansu and other places, the Lantern Festival is still an important activity[141]。
Rice cakes belong toLunar New YearThe seasonal food has red, yellow and white colors, which symbolize gold and silver.The adhesiveGlutinous riceorRice noodlesSteamed cakes have the habit of eating New Year cakes in the south. The sweet sticky cakes symbolize the sweet life of the new year.
Eating in Spring FestivalRice cake, "The righteousness is based on the years, so as to pray for the old." It means that everything is good every year.The types of rice cakes are: white cake and yellow rice cake in the north;JiangnanWater mill rice cakes;There is glutinous baba in the southwest;Taiwan has red turtle cake.There are two kinds of northern rice cakes: steamed and fried. In addition to steaming and frying, southern rice cakes can also be fried and boiled in soup.
Dumplings are the staple food and local snacks in northern China, and also the food for festivals. The custom of eating dumplings on festivals mainly exists in northern China.When northerners don't eat dumplings on the 30th night, they will feel that there is no atmosphere of the Spring Festival.Some mountainous areas in the north also have the custom of eating dumplings every morning from the first day to the fifth day.[57]
Eating dumplings is a special way to express people's wishes for good fortune when they bid farewell to the old and welcome the new.From 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. of the next day, it is Zishi. Because "Jiaozi" is homonymous with "Jiaozi", it means "Jiaozi is younger". Eating dumplings means more Jiaozi. Eating dumplings during the Spring Festival is considered lucky.[27][58]
Spring roll is also calledspring pancakeEating spring cakes at the beginning of spring is an ancient custom in China.In the Jin Dynasty, there were "five taro plates", or "spring plates", in which spring cakes and vegetables were placed in the same plate.
In the Tang and Song dynasties, the trend of eating spring cakes at the beginning of spring became more and more popular. The emperor gave them to his officials. At that time, spring dishes were very particular: "emerald red silk, golden chickens and jade swallows, extremely exquisite, and each dish cost ten thousand yuan".It is also used by people to give gifts to each other.
Since the development of spring cakes, their shapes and sizes vary from place to place, and their eating time varies from place to place.There are branding and steaming;Or as big as a round fan, or as small as a lotus.
Local characteristics
Announce
edit
ethnic flavor
China is a multi-ethnic country, and different ethnic groups celebrate the New Year in different ways.The ancient Mongols called the Spring Festival "White Festival" and the first month "White Moon", which means good luck.Tibetans have lived in Tibet for years[85]。
the Korean nationality
Influenced by Chinese culture, Korean people also have the custom of having Spring Festival.The whole family stayed up all night on New Year's Eve, and the music of Yeqin and flute brought people into the new year.On the evening of the 15th day of the first lunar month, a traditional celebration meeting was held. Several elderly people were elected to board the "Moon Watching Frame", which means that they see the bright moon first, and that their children and grandchildren are healthy, progressive and happy in everything.Later, everyone surrounded the lit "Moon Watching Frame"long drum、Tube flute、a suona hornThe music dances.
Korean Spring Festival
the zang or tibetan people
The Tibetan New Year is the most solemn traditional festival of the Tibetan people in a year, which is roughly the same as the Chinese New Year of the Han people.The Tibetan calendar year is calculated according to the Tibetan calendar.It lasts for 15 days from January 1 to the 15th of the Tibetan calendar.Because the whole people believe in Buddhism, the festival activities are permeated with a strong religious atmosphere. It is a national festival that entertains gods and people, celebrates and prays.In addition to buying food, drinks and fun for the Spring Festival, every family needs to make a cereal bowl called "Chema".As the festival approaches, men are busy cleaning the courtyard, while women are elaborately making "Kasai".In the evening, every family will eat "Gu Tu".In the evening, the "Guduojia" ceremony will be held.
Tibetan calendar year
Early in the morning of the first day of the lunar new year, "Zhega" will go door to door to celebrate the New Year.In the morning, everyone took Hada and others to the nearby temple to worship the Buddha, and to visit the Lama and Guru who have close relations with them.When the sun came out, two people from each family took highland barley wine and "Zhusu Qiema" to each village to pay a New Year's greetings.When returning home, the whole family will get together for lunch, drinking, singing and dancing;In the second day of junior high school, they began to go out to be guests or treat each other;On the third day of the first lunar month, each family will hold a "take off" activity to update the prayer flags and burn mulberry trees on the nearby mountain tops;From the fourth to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, it is usually Tibetan New Year's entertainment time;On the afternoon of the 15th, there was a special kind of Guozhuang, namely "Zhaxijie", which means the end of the New Year[142]。
In the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, there is a tradition of having a "fruit watching" festival before the autumn harvest.According to legend, these are all left over from the Spring Festival in June in ancient Tibet.There is also the Tibetan New Year in October, which originated from those ancient times.About the 13th century AD, when the Sakya Dynasty ruled Tibet, Tibetans celebrated the New Year in the first month of the Tibetan calendar.
Manchu
When the New Year is approaching, every family cleans the courtyard and sticks window decorations, couplets and characters of blessing.On the 30th of the twelfth lunar month, every family erected lanterns more than six meters high. From the first day of the first lunar month to the 16th lunar month, red lights were hung every day.It's better to make dumplings on New Year's Eve with more pleats. It's better to cook dumplings in Zishi. Some dumplings are wrapped with copper coins, and those who eat them will have good luck.We should pay tribute twice during the Spring Festival and once on the evening of the New Year's Eve to say goodbye to the old year;Visit again on the first day of the year to welcome the new year[83]。
Manchu Spring Festival
Daur nationality
The Daur Spring Festival is called "Ani".In the morning of the New Year's Eve, every family swept the courtyard, and piled sundries and livestock dung in front of the gate to form a high stack. In the evening, after the stack was lit, the smoke was filled with festive atmosphere everywhere.In the evening, the whole family eats handlebar meat and carries out various activities to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new.People put incense in the snow on the west side of the house and kowtow to the west to remember their ancestors.
Gaoshan nationality
Gaoshan nationalityIn the Spring Festival, people dressed in colorful national costumes gathered in groups to drink wine in the village, and sang and danced to their heart's content with the accompaniment of musical instruments.Some villages also hold fork fish competitions and carry out sports activities such as basket ball and pole ball.[28]
Zhuang nationality
The Spring Festival of the Zhuang nationality lasts for three days from the 30th day of the lunar year to the first and second days of the first lunar month.On New Year's Eve, every family will kill chickens and ducks, and steam stewed pork, refined pork flour, and barbecued pork.The rice on New Year's Eve needs to be steamed a lot, symbolizing wealth.There should be white cut chicken, old people's families, stewed pig feet and whole chicken on the table.Zongzi is an essential food for the Zhuang people during the Spring Festival, but they don't eat it on the 30th night.Zongzi of the Zhuang nationality is a noble food. The big ones are one or two, and the small ones are only two or three liang.In addition, there is a kind of "Fengmo", which means extra large dumplings, weighing up to 20 jin.During the Spring Festival, cultural and sports activities such as duet singing, top playing, dancing and ball games will also be held[84]。
Mongolian
Mongolian people always advocate white, so they call the first lunar month "white moon" and the New Year Festival "white festival".Preparations for the Mongolian New Year began on the 23rd lunar month.In addition to sweeping, bathing and decorating yurts, people should wear new clothes, red tassels and new saddles on horses.We should present the whole cow and sheep with Hada to our close relatives and friends.New Year's Eve to eat "hand meat" to show family reunion.In the early morning of the first day of the new year, we first salute the old and then toast our peers. We will present Hada to our relatives and friends to congratulate them on the good luck of the New Year.New Year's greetings to seniors must be in the morning[84]。
Mongolian Spring Festival
Bai nationality
The Bai people began to worship each other and give gifts on New Year's Eve.After midnight, young men and women rushed to carry water to show their diligence.In the morning, the whole family drank sugared water soaked with rice flowers, wishing the day was sweeter than honey.After breakfast, the children were led by adults to relatives and friends' homes to pay New Year greetings to their elders.Playing the dragon lantern, dancing the lion and beating the bullwhip are indispensable activities in the festival[84]。
Daur nationality
The Daur language calls the Spring Festival "Ani".In the morning of the New Year's Eve, every family swept the courtyard, and piled sundries and livestock dung in front of the gate to form a high stack. In the evening, after the stack was lit, the smoke was filled with festive atmosphere everywhere.The old people threw large pieces of meat, steamed buns, dumplings and other food into the fire to bless the health of people and animals, and grain harvest.In addition, there are hockey matches, masquerade parties, listening to books and singing and other games[84]。
Daur Spring Festival
Hui nationality
In the Hui people's Spring Festival customs, there are three major festivals of the Hui people, namely, Eid al Fitr, Eid al Adha, and Holy Discipline Festival.Compared with the Uygur and other nationalities who attach more importance to the "Gurbang" Festival, the Hui people pay more attention to the Eid al Fitr, which is the biggest festival of the Hui people every year.Other ethnic groups call it "Huimin New Year".The Hui people also celebrate the Spring Festival in their own way and customs, with a strong national style.Hui people eat noodles and stewed meat on the first day of the first lunar month, and dumplings on the second day of the first lunar month.Once in December, it means the end of the year.Every family began to prepare for the New Year[83]。
Hui Spring Festival
Kirgiz nationality
In the first month of each year, Kirgiz people celebrate the "Norozi" Festival, which is very similar to the Spring Festival of the Han nationality.During the festival, each family will make the meals richer according to their own ability and treat each other to celebrate[83]。
Lisu nationality
"Kuoshi" is a transliteration of Lisu language, which means "the beginning of the year"."Kuoshi Festival" is the most solemn traditional festival of Lisu people, which is equivalent to the New Year of Han people.The Lisu people pray to the gods of heaven and earth and their ancestors in the broad season for good weather and bumper crops in the new year.Before the festival, Lisu people kill pigs and sheep, brew water liquor, make corn cakes, and present gifts to each other to express their wish for adequate food and clothing in the New Year.On the morning of the festival, every family rushed to gather the branches and leaves of green pine, spread them in the house, and inserted them in the door to show good luck.People dressed in festive costumes gathered together, and the ceremony of getting rid of the old and welcoming the new was hosted by the priest Bi Pi[83]。
Lisu Spring Festival
Gelao nationality
The third day of the third lunar month is the Spring Festival of Gelao people every year.Because they live in a place with low temperature, the vegetation starts to sprout in March and spring begins.At the time of spring plowing, we gathered together to celebrate the New Year and pray for the protection of our ancestors and mountain gods, so that everything will go well and grain will be abundant.Because Tomb Sweeping Day is always around the beginning of March, and these two festivals are celebrated together, this day is designated as the Gelao Year, which is the Spring Festival[83]。
Gelao Spring Festival
Li nationality
The Li people living on Hainan Island, every time the Spring Festival comes, every family will kill pigs and chickens, put on delicious food and wine, and the whole family will sit around to eat "New Year's dinner";During the dinner, the whole family also sang the "Happy New Year Song".On the first day, the second day and the whole village, young men will also hold a "Spring Festival Hunting".The game of the day is shared by the whole village[83]。
Buyi nationality
At the end of the lunar month, every family smokes meat, fills sausage, bakes wine, makes glutinous rice cakes, rice flowers, sews new clothes, and handkerchiefs.Send maltose and other fruits to Kitchen God on the 23rd of December.Please write pairs and paste door gods and New Year pictures.In the evening, the whole family sat around the fire, first offering sacrifices to the ancestral heaven and earth, then blessing each other and having a reunion dinner.On the first day of the New Year, I put colored lights at home, lit them together at night, and hung them at the gate.After the first day of the lunar new year, people began to visit.Young men and women meet to "show off" and express their love by singing;Or get together and dance "beating flower bags" in the accompaniment of suona, yueqin, dongxiao, sister xiao, bronze drum and other musical instruments.In some areas, the New Year will end on the 15th day of the first month, and the "little year" will end on the 30th day of the first month[83]。
Bouyei Spring Festival
North South differences
Xiaonian
The 23rd lunar month in the north and the 24th lunar month in the south.New Year has different concepts and dates in different places. In the north, it is the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month. In some southern areas, it is the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month. Whether it is the 23rd or the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, people should start sweeping away the dust, washing clothes, cleaning pots and pans, and thoroughly cleaning up, so as to make the window bright and clean, and prepare for a clean New Year, which also means that there should be a new atmosphere in the New Year[82]。
New Year's Eve
Shou Sui in the north, and Shou Sui in the south.In the south, it is a custom to go round the fire on New Year's Eve. After having the New Year's Eve dinner, a family sits around the fire, eats melon seeds, watches TV, and talks while eating, telling the ups and downs of the year.In the north, on New Year's Eve, the whole family must sit around and watch the Spring Festival Gala while making dumplings. In order to get lucky, northerners often put coins, sugar, peanuts, dates, chestnuts and meat stuffing into the New Year's dumplings[82]。
Junior 1
The north eats dumplings and the south makes rice cakes.In the north, people pay attention to eating dumplings on the first day of the lunar new year.And because the shape of the dumpling is like a gold ingot, when it is cooked, a pot is put on the table to symbolize the good omen of "getting rich in the New Year, and gold ingots rolling in";In the south, most people make rice cakes and glutinous rice balls. The rice cakes are homophonic for "Nian Gao", a good omen for good luck.Tangyuan is also called "dumpling" or "yuanzi", meaning "family reunion"[82]。
Junior two
Noodles are eaten in the north, and New Year meals are eaten in the south.As a farming proverb goes, "The first day of the lunar new year dumpling is on the second day of the lunar new year". The picture shows that the dumpling is smooth, which means that the dumpling should be smooth and proper. There is also a lot of emphasis on noodles. The dumpling noodles should be made from the first day of the lunar new year, and this noodles should be cold soup, that is, the noodles should be soaked in cold water after being cooked, which is called cold soup.In the south, Guangdong, Macao and other regions in the second year of the junior high, especially business people.In addition to the kind dishes that must be eaten on New Year's Eve, some families will cut some roast meat and take red skin to make it strong, which means healthy and healthy;Some people will use lettuce to spread golden mushrooms, which means "money" and "money everywhere"[82]。
fifth day of a lunar month
In the north, firecrackers are set off, while in the south, fireworks are set off.In some northern areas, businesses set off firecrackers when they opened their stores after the fifth day of the first lunar year, which is called "Ghost Collapse".In the south, people who do business on the fifth day of the year should worship God to open their shops, and the big profits are given to employees.In addition, in the north, there will be performances such as Yangge dance and stilt walking, while in the south, there will be dragon and lion dances[82]。
Overseas countries
As the saying goes, "Where there are Chinese, there will be Spring Festival".With the increasing number of overseas Chinese and overseas Chinese, the Chinese Spring Festival is "blooming everywhere" overseas, which is gradually recognized by all countries and attracts more and more local people to participate in it.Nearly 20 countries regard the Spring Festival as a legal holiday, and about 1/5 of the world's population celebrate the Lunar New Year in different forms. The Spring Festival folk activities have entered nearly 200 countries and regions, becoming a global cultural event, bringing joy to people around the world[143-144][146]。
In Laos, celebrating the Spring Festival has become a tradition.Every year during the Spring Festival, the Danish government in Copenhagen will provide the city hall to the overseas Chinese community to organize celebration activities, and then celebrate the Spring Festival together[143]。From the lion dance performance in Trafalgar Square in London, England, to the New Year fireworks on the Hudson River in New York, America, from the New Year celebration in Yilang, Philippines, to the "China Red" lit up by Sydney Opera House, Australia, the Spring Festival presents the grand occasion of spring across the world[145]。In view of the European and American people's preference for classics, Liu Gang, the head of the Winnipeg Chinese Star Art Troupe in Canada, is mainly promoting exquisite theatrical performances such as face changing, puppet show, acrobatics, etc[145]。
In Southeast Asia, the local overseas Chinese are mainly Minnan people, Hakka people and Cantonese, and the celebration of the local Spring Festival has strong regional characteristics of Fujian or Guangdong.Overseas, the Spring Festival has become a cultural bond.The Spring Festival is a comprehensive carrier of Chinese culture, which includes literature, art, diet, beliefs and other dimensions. It is a platform for cultural exchange and mutual learning[146]。
Overseas Spring Festival
Cultural works
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literary works
poetry
Yuanri
The sound of firecrackers is one year old, and the spring breeze warms Tusu.
Yuanri Wang Anshi
Thousands of families have a bright day. They always exchange new peaches for old charms.
Classical Poems about Spring Festival in Ancient China and Their Authors
The First Season of Going Home for the Spring Festival
Zhang Xu
2017-02-11[100]
Spring Festival in Bayir
Ning Hao
2020-01-21[101]
Chinese New Year
Huang Jianzhong
1991-02-12[102]
Chinese New Year
Li Xiang
2015-02-19[103]
Songs
Song Title
Wording
Compose
Singing
Congratulations and Wealth
Liu Dehua, Li Anxiu
Chen Dejian
Lau Andy[107][109]
Good Luck Comes
Car shop
Qi Jianbo
Zuhai[108]
Happy Year of China
Zhang Junyi
Bian remembers
Sun Yue[107]
Spring Festival Overture
--
Li Huanzhi[106]
Festival legend
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Wannian creates a perpetual calendar
It is said that a long time ago, there was a young man named Wan Nian. When he saw that the seasons were very chaotic, he had a plan to set the seasons.Inspired by the movement of tree shadows and the dripping spring on the cliff, he designed a sundial and a clepsydra for measuring the time of the sun and shadow, so he had a perpetual calendar.It is said that the Spring Festival comes from the perpetual calendar created by young people.
Shunji Tribal Leader
It is said that one day more than 2000 BC,Shun(Leader of the ancient tribal alliance) Following the leader of the tribal alliance, he led his subordinates to worship heaven and earth.Since then, people have regarded this day as the first day of the first lunar month.It is said that this is the origin of the Lunar New Year, later called the Spring Festival.
Legend of Nian Beast
There is a legend about the origin of the Spring Festival. In ancient China, there was a monster called "Nian", who lived deep under the sea all the year round and only climbed ashore on New Year's Eve.People fled to the mountains to avoid being hurt by the beast Nian.Then one New Year's Eve, an old man from outside the village told people how to drive away the beast Nian.It turned out that Nian was most afraid of red, fire and explosion.Since then, every family has pasted red couplets and set off firecrackers every New Year's Eve;Every household is bright with candles, waiting for the year to come.In the early morning of the first day of the New Year, I have to say hello to my friends.The custom became more and more popular, and became the Spring Festival.[4]
post new year's scrolls
In ancient Chinese mythology, it is said that there is a world of ghosts, in which there is a mountain, on which there is a big peach tree covering three thousand miles, and on the top of the tree there is a golden pheasant.Whenever the golden rooster crows in the morning, the ghosts wandering out at night will return to the ghost land.The gate of the Ghost Land is located in the northeast of the peach tree. There are two gods standing beside the gate, named Shenta and Yulei.If the ghost does something harmful at night, Shenta and Yulei will immediately find it and catch it, bind it with a rope made of mang reed, and send it to feed the tiger.Therefore, all ghosts in the world are afraid of the divine tea and Yu Lei.So people carved them with peach wood and put them at their door to avoid evil and harm.Later, people simply carved the names of Shencha and Yulei on the mahogany board, believing that this can also suppress evil and eliminate evil.This peach board was later called "Tao Fu".
In the Song Dynasty, people began to write couplets on mahogany boards, one of which was not to lose the significance of suppressing evil, the other was to express their good wishes, and the third was to decorate the door for beauty.Also, couplets were written on red paper, which symbolized happiness and auspiciousness, and were pasted on both sides of doors and windows during the Spring Festival to express people's good wishes for good luck in the coming year[104]。
Festival influence
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Economics
The Spring Festival is the most important and cultural festival in China, and it is also an important driving force to promote industrial economy and domestic consumption.With the rapid growth of the national economy, the residents' personal disposable income continues to increase, and the Spring Festival consumption has also developed from the traditional purchase of New Year goods to festival products and services with the characteristics of the times, such as New Year works, product technology, leisure and entertainment.During the Spring Festival, the large-scale flow of people, finance, materials, information, and art has driven the overall prosperity of culture, commerce, transportation, tourism, telecommunications, finance, and catering industries, forming a unique "Spring Festival economy"[110]。
traffic
Spring Festival travel in China
China's Spring Festival Travel: the World's Largest Population Migration
Transportation during the Spring Festival, referred to as“transport during the Spring Festival”。It is a special transportation period in China.Taking the Spring Festival as the boundary, 15 days before the festival, 25 days after the festival, a total of 40 days, is uniformly issued by the State Economic and Trade Commission (the starting and ending times are slightly different each year). The national transportation peak according to which the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Communications, and the Civil Aviation Administration make special transportation arrangements is called Spring Festival transportation.In 40 days or so, there will be more than 2 billion population movements, accounting for 1/3 of the world population.China Spring Festival Transport was selected as the world's largest cyclical transport peak by the China World Records Association.
Culture
On October 31, 2023, the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Project Protection Units was released, and the Spring Festival project protection units were evaluated as qualified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism。[63]The Spring Festival has a long history, which not only contains profound cultural connotation, but also carries a rich historical and cultural heritage in its inheritance and development.The Chinese New Year is a "year of time" to bid farewell to the old and usher in the new, and a "year of culture" with profound feelings.During the Spring Festival, various activities are held throughout the country to celebrate the Spring Festival, with strong regional characteristics.These activities are mainly about removing the old and renovating the old, dispelling evil spirits and fighting disasters, worshipping gods and ancestors, and praying for good fortune. They are rich in forms and embody the essence of traditional Chinese culture.
The Spring Festival is both Chinese and international.With the expansion of the influence of Chinese culture, the Spring Festival has become a worldwide festival symbol, a global celebration across geographical and cultural boundaries.It is reported that the Spring Festival has aroused many people's emotional resonance because of its cultural connotations, such as worshipping ancestors, praying for the New Year, conforming to the weather, and expelling evil spirits. Nearly 20 countries or regions have designated it as a legal holiday in whole or part of their jurisdictions.Every year, about 2 billion people celebrate the Spring Festival.The Spring Festival can become a global festival, not only because Chinese culture is loved by people all over the world, but also because Chinese lifestyle and philosophy have quietly changed the world.Because the Spring Festival is not only a festival of reunion and joy, but also condenses the spirit, moral concepts and national emotions of the Chinese nation, carrying the fine qualities and ideological essence of the Chinese nation.From the harmonious and beautiful traditional Chinese folk festival to the popular UN holiday in the world, it is another demonstration of the influence of Chinese culture, which will certainly promote the wide spread of the rich cultural connotation of the Spring Festival, and make the global Chinese feel more profound and vivid about "one family from all over the world".When customs are integrated into modern time sequence and rituals into life texture, the beauty of harmony of Chinese culture also shows more charm[105]。The Spring Festival inherits the traditional Chinese cultural concept of peace, harmony and harmony. This concept is consistent with the internal pursuit of the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind. The spiritual value of "people and things, harmony and all nations" contained in the Spring Festival is enduring, which helps to promote the construction of a more harmonious and beautiful world.two thousand and twenty-fourIn the Spring Festival of the Year of the Dragon, UN agencies such as the FAO and the UN Headquarters in Vienna officially celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year for the first time.[149]
Sociology
Spring Festival is an important traditional festival in Chinese culture, and its influence is expanding worldwide.As the Spring Festival approaches, scholars and overseas Chinese have heated discussions to express their good expectations for promoting cultural communication and promoting exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations.Centennial Festival is the first.The Spring Festival is a happy day for all families to get together, say goodbye to the old and welcome the new.According to incomplete statistics, nearly 20 countries regard the Spring Festival as a legal holiday, and about 1/5 of the world's population celebrate the Lunar New Year in different forms. The Spring Festival folk activities have entered nearly 200 countries and regions, becoming a global cultural event, bringing joy to people around the world.[111]
Foreign influence
The Spring Festival has entered nearly 200 countries around the world.According to incomplete statistics, it has included the United States, Canada, the PhilippinesmauritiusIn nearly 20 countries and regions including China, the Spring Festival has been designated as a legal holiday for the whole or some cities under its jurisdiction.[3]
On February 11, 2024, it was reported that during the Chinese New Year, the Cambodia Phnom Penh Dechong International Airport Project held a dragon and lion show,Put up Spring Festival couplets, hang lanterns, and prepare New Year red envelopes and holiday gift packages for colleagues in the project camp, so that Chinese and Cambodian employees can celebrate the New Year together[148]。
time
country
1989
The Korean government will make the beginning of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar the Spring Festival
2002
National Public Holidays in Indonesia
October 2016
Official Festivals of Rio State
August 26, 2018
California Celebration Act came into force, encouraging schools and educational institutions to hold activities to promote Asian cultural traditions
December 29, 2020
Thai Cabinet Adds Chinese Lunar New Year as Special Legal Holiday
November 12, 2021
Panama National Festival
September 30, 2022
Legal holidays in California, USA
February 2, 2023
New York City Legal Holiday
February 14, 2023
Official Festivals of Iguazu City
September 9, 2023
Statutory Holidays in New York State Public Schools
According to the Notice of the General Office of the State Council on the Arrangement of Some Holidays in 2021 (GBCDD [2020] No. 27), the Spring Festival in 2021 will be a holiday for 7 days from February 11 to 17.Go to work on February 7 (Sunday) and February 20 (Saturday).[35]
On October 25, 2023《Circular of the General Office of the State Council on the Arrangement of Some Holidays in 2024》It was announced that the 2024 Spring Festival: 8 days off from February 10 to 17.Go to work on February 4 (Sunday) and February 18 (Sunday).All units are encouraged to implement the system of paid annual leave and arrange employees to have a rest on New Year's Eve (February 9).[62]
Cultural extension
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Little knowledge
Spring Festival
Traditional Folk Custom
The time of the Spring Festival (the first day of the first lunar month) moves between January 21 and February 21 of the Gregorian calendar.The "earliest Spring Festival" (such as January 21, 1966) and the "latest Spring Festival" (such as February 20, 1985) differ by one month.According to the calendar calculation, if the lunar calendar is not adjusted artificially, February 21, 2319 will usher in the "latest Spring Festival in history". The previous Spring Festival appeared on February 20 of the Gregorian calendar at the latest, in 1920 and 1985.
Leap Spring Festival
Leap Spring Festival, also known asLeap first month, used from 1645Calendar theoryFrom the beginning of the intercalary system to 1155 AD 2800, the first lunar intercalary month only occurred six times, which was very rare. The years were 1651, 2262, 2357, 2520, 2539, 2634 respectively.
How to celebrate leap Spring Festival
If there isLeap first monthIn principle, the Spring Festival is the first first month, and when the leap first month comes, the Spring Festival will not be celebrated.Of course, there are also a few regions that celebrate the Spring Festival of the leap first month after the Spring Festival of the first first month. Because the leap first month is also called the first month, the first day of the leap first month is also regarded as the Spring Festival.
Seasonal astrology
Fulushou Samsung
At the beginning of the Spring Festival, the starry sky is often the brightest in the year.At about eight or nine o'clock in the evening, I looked up at the starry sky. Due to the south, three stars were very easy to identify.They are close to each other in a straight line, like a shining belt.That's Betelgeuse 1, Betelgeuse 2 and Betelgeuse 3.The Chinese people call these three stars "Lu, Fu and Shou", and regard them as three auspicious star officials, respectively in charge of the blessings and longevity in the world, also known as "Three Stars of Fortune, Fortune and Longevity"."Three stars shine high, and the Spring Festival is coming". When you see three stars hanging high in the south sky at night, it is the beginning of the Spring Festival.[59]
Tianwei Jianyuan
Tianwei Jianyuan starts from Yin.For example, the Huainanzi Astronomical Training included: "Emperors Zhang Siwei used to fight with each other. The month moved one hour and returned to his place. The first month was Yin, the twelfth month was ugly, and the year was one year old and turned, and the end was the beginning.".The handle of the bucket turns back to Yin, the spring returns to the earth, and everything looks fresh.The beginning of spring is the end and beginning of all things, representing the beginning and renewal of all things.Since the beginning of the spring, Yin and Yang have been transmitted. Yang Qi is born and everything is revived.In the traditional concept, the beginning of spring has auspicious meaning.People regard the lunar year with "double spring" as a lucky year.[9][32-33]The first day of the first month of the calendar is now commonly referred to as "the beginning of the year".In fact, strictly speaking, "Sui" is a unique concept of the Ganzhi calendar. "Sui" means "Sheti", also known as Taisui. The original meaning of "Suishou" is the first day of the first month of Sheti (Taisui), that is, the beginning of spring.The twelve zodiac signs correspond to the twelve local branches, and the transformation of the zodiac signs is based on the beginning of spring.The twelve zodiac signs are the products of the Ganzhi era.The first day of the first month of the lunar calendar is often called "Yuanshuo".In ancient times, "Sui" and "Nian" were strictly different: from the beginning of spring to the next beginning of spring, they were called one year old;The period from January 1 to the next January 1 is called "one year".[48-49]
"Double Beginning of Spring" and "No Spring Year"
"Double Beginning of Spring" and "No Spring Year" are the concepts in the summer calendar (lunar calendar), which means that there is no "Beginning of Spring" or“Double Beginning of Spring”This is because the length of the lunar year is shorter than the regression year and longer than the regression year.One "Spring Beginning", two "Spring Beginning", or no "Spring Beginning" in the lunar calendar year are all caused by the conversion of the lunar and solar calendars, which are normal calendar phenomena and have nothing to do with bad luck.In the old days, people believed that "the year without the beginning of spring is the year of widowhood" and it is not suitable for marriage, which is a statement without scientific basis.[60]
Spring Festival Gala
Spring Festival Gala, commonly referred to as“Spring Festival Gala”, YesCCTVEvery yearNew Year's EveVariety held in the evening to celebrate the Lunar New YearCultural Show。In 1983, CCTV held the Spring FestivalGet-togetherIt should be said that it was an accident.But this evening party has become the "new folk custom, new culture" of Chinese people, and a must watch TV dinner on New Year's Eve every year.Since 1983, the Spring Festival Gala has attracted more than one billion Chinese peopleNostalgiaThe symbol of "has become the cultural memory of several generations of Chinese people[34]。
