Time unit: 365 days, and the cycle of spring, summer, autumn and winter is one year;
Harvest status: spring is spring, summer is long, autumn is winter, and the number of grains is good or bad;
The name of the festival: "Hundred Festivals First" is a joyous occasion to celebrate, which is called Chinese New Year.
Since the year is a time unit, it is naturally related to the calendar, and the formation of the calendar is the product of celestial movement and the growth law of all things. This process develops with the progress of society and the improvement of people's knowledge.
During the period of primitive agricultural society in China, in the long-term farming practice, the cycle of alternating seasons was discovered, and at the same time, the law between the movement of celestial bodies and the growth of crops on the ground was observed, which was called "observing the image and observing the time". In the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties two or three thousand years ago, there was a method to record the year, month and day with the change of the astrological orientation referred to by Beidou bucket handle. This is the prototype of the calendar. The first month of each year is called the first month, which is the beginning of the year. Because the calendars used in different dynasties are different, the beginning of a year is different. The first month of the summer calendar is the lunar (agricultural) month we are using now, which is also called "the lunar month on the floor"; In Shang Dynasty, the December of the lunar calendar is now the beginning of a year, which is the so-called "ugly winter moon". The weekly calendar begins in November of the current lunar calendar, which is the so-called "mid-winter month"; The Zhuan Xu calendar was used in the Qin Dynasty, with October of the current lunar calendar as the beginning of the year, which was called the "Moon of Building and Winter". In the early Han dynasty, the Qin calendar was still the standard. It was not until Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty organized a special team to change the Zhuan Xu calendar to taichu calendar and bring the 24 solar terms into the calendar. The first month of the summer calendar is still the beginning of the year. This is why we still call the lunar calendar (agriculture) the summer calendar.
The word "nian" appeared in the Zhou Dynasty. Before this, Yao and Shun called it "carrying", which means that celestial bodies and stars carry a week. In the Xia Dynasty, it was called "Nian", which means that people are one year older and the Spring Festival is coming. Shang dynasty called it "sacrifice", which means it's past four o'clock. It's time to make history books and worship the ancestors of the gods. Although the word "year" was once changed to "year" in Tang Suzong, the period is very short, also called "year". Year is a unit of time, which has been used until now. A cycle of spring, summer, autumn and winter is called a year. The word "zai" appears from time to time in written language, which is obviously influenced by ancient appellations.
Another meaning of "year" is harvest. There are four seasons in a year, which is gradually recognized according to the cyclic law of crop growth, growth, harvest and storage. Therefore, in ancient records, the interpretation of "year" is "ancient book leaves" Harvest grain is called "one year", and harvest is called "big year", also called "bumper year". The emperor prayed for the "Hall of Prayer for the New Year" with abundant grain. When singing the praises of the emperor in the traditional Chinese opera, there are lyrics of "the monarch and the minister are all happy, the people are all happy, and the grain is abundant".
The word "nian" was originally the original word of the word "barnyard grass", which means that the crops are ripe and abundant. The word "nian" in Oracle Bone Inscriptions is the image of a bumper harvest of fruits, so it is not difficult to understand the close relationship between "nian" and crops.
Another meaning of "Year" is the name of the festival. This is a day that everyone should celebrate. After the collection, the farm work in the field is over, and the first thing that comes to mind is to repay the blessing of the gods and the shade of the ancestors. Cook rice, make wine, and offer sacrifices to the gods and ancestors, hoping for another bumper harvest in the coming year. Over time, it has formed an annual law. However, in ancient times, when the sacrificial ceremony was held was uncertain, but it was limited to the period when the old and new years alternated.
As a festival, Nian was formed in the Han Dynasty. The people suffered from the disintegration of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Although the Qin Dynasty unified China, the corvee taxes were extremely harsh and the people lived in poverty. It was not until the Han Dynasty that the society was relatively stable and the economy became increasingly prosperous that the people had the opportunity to recuperate, creating conditions for year-end celebrations and New Year greetings.
When is a year called "Year"? Nature is the first day of the year. However, due to the different calendars and the feudal consciousness of emperors, it was difficult to determine the first day of the first year at first. The feudal emperor of China claimed to be the son of heaven. In order to show their purpose of "serving the sky", the order of months changed many times with the change of dynasties. The first month is not fixed, and the first day is naturally not fixed. Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty changed Zhuan Xu Calendar to taichu calendar, although Wang Mang, Wei Mingdi, Wu Zetian, Tang Suzong, etc. all used the weekly calendar, the time was short. Therefore, the people always take the summer calendar as the standard, and the first day of the first month is the New Year.
There are many changes in the name of the New Year. In ancient times, it was called Shangri-La, Yuanri, Shuodan, Jacky, Zhengri, Zheng Dan, Zheng Chao, Sanyuan (the yuan of the year, month and day) and Three Dynasties (the dynasty of the year, month and day). Later generations gradually called New Year's Day.
After the Republic of China, China used both lunar and solar calendars, and the Gregorian calendar 1 day was also New Year's Day. China folk customs don't pay much attention to the solar calendar. Although institutions and schools have holidays on New Year's Day in the solar calendar as usual, people do not regard this day as a holiday. Nevertheless, there can't be two "years" in a country, so New Year's Day in the lunar calendar is called "Spring Festival". The name of the Spring Festival has existed since ancient times, referring to "beginning of spring". Because people call the Lunar New Year Spring Festival and recognize it, they no longer call beginning of spring Spring Festival.
After the founding of New China, the Gregorian calendar was adopted, but the lunar calendar existed at the same time. Because the twenty-four solar terms of the lunar calendar are directly related to the growth of crops, "farming time" can not be delayed, so we now call the lunar calendar. The first day of the first lunar month is called the Spring Festival. According to the custom of our country, we have a three-day holiday during the Spring Festival, and everyone will spend the holidays together.
And Spring Festival couplets.
I studied thousands of miles last year. Kun Peng spread his wings and became a great country. Hua Zheng spent a lot of time climbing a flight of stairs this year.
Peach and plum strive for a broader world in spring, and people enjoy prosperity and add new year. * * * Drink reunion wine and welcome guests back to Hong Kong in the sun and the moon.
A red apricot dipped in the Spring Rain Strait is watered with the same unified flowers, and the mountains and rivers are safe. May Taiwan Province return with two Spring Festival couplets.
In the Year of the Pig, there are great poems, and thousands of trees are bathed in sunshine, making them happy and rich.
Flowers, rain, dew, happiness, family reunion, cross-strait three links, Cotai Strip, plum blossom in snow, chrysanthemum in frost.
Red couplets on New Year's Eve add joy to sunny days. Steel, spring, Bai Mei, spring in the sword fire.
The snow disappears thousands of miles in the Yuan night, and Kyushu is auspicious and welcoming the spring, full of mountains and green waters, dripping with the glory of China.
The auspicious clouds in the four seas bring happiness and spring returns to the earth. Kyushu is fragrant, green and pink in Qian Shan.
Years are eventful, and we must strive for the style of Liuhe. Every family will always report the peace and happiness of bamboo leaves.
Spring wine, a cup of songs, two systems, surrounded by green mountains, beautiful scenery, mountains and rivers, everywhere painted China 100 million three links
Three rivers, green water, spring waves, spring waves, the spring scenery of every household is always in the military residence, and grain, cotton and mountains are abundant for several years.
The whole country is like a painting. Rizhao Changhui Martyrs' Home is pink and green, with the most pleasant spring colors all year round.
A misty spring rain is dotted with peaches, plums, willows, green oak trees and red spring breeze. Gardeners all over Wan Li have cultivated Liang Dong.
Singing and dancing, the sun rises in the sunny day, red flowers are everywhere, bamboo dances in the wind, fruits are ripe and food is abundant.
The spring breeze of the earth warms my guests, and the wine songs in the new building are red and green.