So how did the year come from? There are several folk sayings:
Legend of "nian" beast
According to legend, there was a monster named Nian in ancient China, with long tentacles and a ferocious face. Nian lived on the seabed for many years, and climbed ashore every New Year's Eve, eating livestock and hurting people's lives. Therefore, every New Year's Eve, people in the village fled to the deep mountains to avoid the harm of the "Nian" beast. On New Year's Eve this year, people in Taohua Village were taking refuge in the mountains when an old beggar came from outside the village. He was leaning on crutches, carrying a bag on his arm, with elegant silver whiskers and staring at Matthew. Some villagers sealed windows and locked doors, some packed their bags, some herded cattle and drove sheep, and people shouted boo everywhere, which was a scene of panic. At this time, who still has the mind to take care of this begging old man? Only an old woman in the village east gave the old man some food and suggested that he go up the mountain quickly to avoid the "Nian" beast. The old man smiled and said, "If my mother-in-law lets me stay at home for one night, I will definitely drive the Nian beast away. When the old woman looked at him carefully, she found that he was young, healthy, energetic and had an extraordinary world outlook. But she continued to persuade and begged the old man to laugh without saying a word. My mother-in-law had no choice but to leave home and take refuge in the mountains. In the middle of the night, Nian beast broke into the village. " I found that the atmosphere in the village was different from that in previous years: the old woman's house at the east end of the village had red paper on the door and the house was brightly lit by candlelight. In 2000, "the beast trembled all over and made strange noises." Years "stared at her mother-in-law's house for a while, and then screamed and rushed over. As we approached the door, there was a sudden explosion in the yard. Nian trembled and dared not go any further. It turns out that Nian was most afraid of red, fire and explosion. "At this moment, the door of her mother-in-law's house was wide open, and an old man in a red robe was laughing in the yard. Nianbo was frightened to disgrace and fled in confusion. The next day was the first day of the first month, and the people who came back from refuge were very surprised to see that the village was safe and sound. At this time, the old woman suddenly realized and quickly told the villagers the promise of begging for the elderly. The villagers flocked to the old woman's house together, only to see red paper on her mother-in-law's door, a pile of unburned bamboo still exploding in the yard, and a few red candles still glowing in the house ... In order to celebrate the auspicious arrival, the ecstatic villagers put on new clothes and hats one after another and went to relatives and friends' houses to congratulate and say hello. The story soon spread in the surrounding villages, and people knew the way to drive away the "Nian" beast. Since then, every year on New Year's Eve, every family has posted red couplets and set off firecrackers. Every household has a bright candlelight, so it is better to wait for the New Year. In the early morning of the first day, I want to say hello to my relatives and friends. This custom has spread more and more widely, and has become the most solemn traditional festival among the people in China.
The legend of enduring a year
In our country, people have the habit of keeping watch on New Year's Eve. Watching the new year begins with eating New Year's Eve dinner. This New Year's Eve dinner should be eaten slowly, starting with lighting lanterns, and some families have to eat it until late at night. According to the Chronicle of Jingchu in the Song Dynasty, at least in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, there was a custom of New Year's Eve. The custom of observing the old age not only includes the feeling of farewell and nostalgia for the fleeting time, but also expresses the good hope for the coming New Year. The ancients wrote in the poem "Shousui": "Invite Shousui Arong's family to spread red candles to green gauze; Thirty-six years have passed, and I am more willing to cherish my youth from this night. "It is human nature to cherish the years, so the great poet Su Shi wrote a famous sentence:" There will be no years next year, and I am worried about waste; "Do your best tonight, young people can still boast!" This shows the positive significance of keeping old on New Year's Eve. Keep your age at 30, commonly known as "endure the year." Why is it called "Endure the Year"? There is an interesting story among generations of people: in Archaean, there was a fierce monster scattered in the mountains, and people called them "Nian". Nian has a ferocious appearance and a ferocious nature. It only eats birds, animals and scale insects, and changes its taste every day, from kowtowing insects to living people, which makes people talk about "Nian". Slowly, people mastered the activity law of "Year". It turns out that every 365 days in 2008, I went to places where people lived to taste fresh food, and the time of haunt was after dark. When the rooster crowed at dawn, they returned to the mountains. When the ravaging date of "Nian" was determined, men and women regarded this terrible night as the "Year's Eve" and came up with a set of methods for "Year's Eve": every family prepared the New Year's Eve dinner in advance, turned off the stove, tied up all the barns, sealed their doors and hid in the house to eat the "New Year's Eve"-because it was very fierce. After dinner, no one dared to sleep, so they sat together and got up the courage to chat. It's getting dark, and I escaped from the deep forest in and touched the village where people live together. I saw every household's door closed, sesame stalks piled in front of it, but there was no one in the street. After turning around for the middle of the night, I found nothing, so I had to chew sesame stalks to satisfy my hunger. After a while, the rooster crowed, and these cruel and stupid monsters had to go home disgruntled. Those who have survived the "Year-end" are overjoyed. They want to thank the ancestors of heaven and earth for their protection, congratulate each other on not being eaten by Nian, and open the door to set off firecrackers to greet their neighbors and friends to congratulate them ... When people meet, they bow to each other and congratulate each other, glad that they were not eaten by Nian beast. After many years, nothing happened, and people relaxed their vigilance against Nian beast. On the evening of 30th one year, Nian beast suddenly fled to a village in the south of the Yangtze River. A village was almost eaten up by Nian beast, and only a pair of newly-married couples in red curtains were safe and sound. There are also a few childish people who lit a pile of bamboo in the yard and were playing. The fire is red. Bamboo exploded after burning. Nian beast turned here and saw the fire turn and flee. From then on, people know that Nian beast is afraid of red, light and noise. At the end of each year, every household sticks red paper, wears red robes, hangs red lights, beats gongs and drums, and sets off firecrackers, so that Nian Beasts dare not come again. In The Book of Songs Xiaoya Tingliao, there is a record of "the light of Tingliao". The so-called "pavilion" is a torch made of bamboo poles and the like. After the bamboo pole burns, the air in the bamboo joint expands, and the bamboo cavity bursts, making a crackling sound, which is the origin of "firecrackers". However, villagers in some places don't know that Nian beast is afraid of red and is often eaten by Nian beast. This incident later spread to the sky in Wei Zi. In order to save people, he is determined to destroy Nian beast. One year the beast came out, knocked it down with a fireball and chained it to a stone pillar with a thick chain. From then on, every New Year, people always burn incense and ask Zixing to come down to keep safe. This phenomenon has gradually become a continuation custom of "Chinese New Year" and "New Year greetings". The custom of "Happy New Year" is rich in content. The usual order is: "worship heaven and earth first, then ancestors, then Gaotang, and then go out to visit relatives and friends." There are also various kinds of pay attention to family worship on the first day, Yue family worship on the second day and relatives worship on the third day until the fifteenth day of the first month.
Another way of saying it is:
In ancient China calligraphy, the word "Nian" was placed in the Grain Department, indicating that the weather was favorable and the crops were plentiful. Because cereal crops are usually harvested once a year. "Year" is extended to the name of the year.
Although there was a custom of Spring Festival in ancient China, it was not called Spring Festival at that time. Because the Spring Festival referred to at that time refers to the "beginning of spring" among the 24 solar terms.
1. Time unit: 365 days, with a cycle of spring, summer, autumn and winter, that is, one year;
Since "year" is a time unit, it is naturally related to the calendar, and the formation of the calendar is the product of the movement of celestial bodies 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.
Second, the harvest situation: spring is spring, summer is long, autumn is winter, and the amount of food is the quality of a year;
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.
Third, the name of the festival: "Hundred Festivals First" is a joyous occasion to celebrate, which is called Chinese New Year.
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 Qin 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.
In A.D. 1673, Kangxi wrote "Ode to Blessed Life" for his grandmother sourdrang queen, which shocked the ancient and modern times. This blessing means "many children, many talents, many professions, long life and many blessings", and it is the only blessing of "Five Blessingg in one" and "longevity in one" in ancient and modern times. Xiaozhuang "invites blessings to gather blessings" and Kangxi "gives blessings to get blessings", so this blessing is called "the first efficacious blessing in the world". Among the blessings, there is a "treasure of Kangxi's imperial pen" with a seal on it, which means "lucky strike, the lucky star shines high" ...
Sticking the word "Fu" during the Spring Festival is a long-standing folk custom in China. In order to fully reflect the yearning and wishes for a happy life and a bright future, the people simply turn the word "Fu" upside down to mean "Fu is here" and "Fu is here". There is also a legend that the word "fu" is posted upside down among the people. Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming emperor, took the word "fu" as a secret memory and prepared to kill people. Anyone who posted the word "fu" in front of the door was exempt from execution. In order to eliminate this disaster, kind Ma Huanghou asked all the families in the city to put "Fu" on their doors before dawn. One family can't read, but it turns the word "fu" upside down. The emperor was furious when he learned that, and immediately ordered the body guard to cut down the house and all its doors. When Ma Huanghou saw that things were not good, he quickly said to Zhu Yuanzhang, "The family knew that you were visiting today, and deliberately turned the word" Fu "upside down. Isn't this what' Fudao' means? " The emperor ordered his release as soon as he heard the truth. Since then, people have turned the word "Fu" upside down for good luck and in memory of Ma Huanghou. However, the "Best Happiness in the World" of Kangxi Imperial Book that we are going to introduce today is another story. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty loved calligraphy all his life, but rarely wrote inscriptions, so Kangxi's imperial brush was the least circulated among the emperors' pen and ink, and there was the saying that "Kangxi is a thousand dollars". Legend has it that there are only three words left in Kangxi's life: "inaction" and "joy". "Inaction" exists in the Forbidden City, and the protagonist of this article "The Best Happiness in the World" exists on the tablet of "Fu" in Beijing Gongwangfu. Legend has it that Emperor Kangxi lost his mother when he was young and was raised by sourdrang dowager. However, in the heyday of Kangxi, sourdrang dowager was seriously ill. Kangxi, eager to save his grandmother, wrote filial piety into words, creating a couplet that shocked ancient and modern times. Then he recruited skilled craftsmen from all over the world, carved on a big bluestone, and carried this "Fu" tablet to the Hall of Prayer for the New Year to worship the gods. In order to show filial piety, Emperor Kangxi knelt on the tablet of "Fu" and prayed for blessings. God lived, and sourdrang dowager miraculously recovered. Emperor Kangxi invited the "Fu" tablet to return to the palace to be dedicated to the Buddha Pavilion. After Qianlong succeeded to the throne, he gave "the best blessing in the world" to his favorite, Xiao Shenyang, who ordered thousands of Taihu stones to be shipped and built a dragon in the back garden of his mansion. The location of this dragon happened to be in Long Mai, the capital of China. He hid the "Best Fortune in the World" in the dragon cave and sacrificed it carefully. Since the reform and opening up, National Cultural Heritage Administration has renovated the "Fu" monument and listed it as one of the "Three Wonders of China". Many overseas celebrities come here to seek happiness and honor their elders with rubbing axes. Foreign heads of state visiting China have also come here for "the best happiness in the world". The extension of the word "Fu" has also become one of the national gifts, and it has been given to distinguished guests at home and abroad, and the gospel of China has been spread since then. However, due to the use of herbs in rubbings, stone tablets will be weathered for a long time if they are not restricted. Therefore, the relevant state departments have sealed the stone tablet with a glass cover and prohibited rubbing. Look at this blessing written by Emperor Kangxi. It is vigorous and powerful. The strokes in the upper right corner are similar to the word "Duo", with "Tian" below and "Shou" on the right. Therefore, this word contains the profound meaning of "many children, many talents, many clothes, many fields, many blessings and many lives". What is more precious is that the seal of Kangxi Imperial Seal is directly engraved on the top of the monument, which is incomparable to other historical sites, so the word "Fu" cannot be posted backwards. According to legend, whoever can give this "the best blessing in the world" back to the old people will certainly add happiness and longevity to the old people. Please pay attention to the word "fu" when you come back. On New Year's Eve, you should worship incense with clean hands every day and touch the word "Fu" with your hands at night. From bottom to top, the higher you touch, the longer you live. On the fifteenth day of the first month, you must put it away and hide it in the depths. This is the so-called "touching blessings in the new year will increase your life." It can be hung again on Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, Winter Solstice and New Year's Eve next year.