The formation of traditional festivals is a process of long-term accumulation and cohesion of the history and culture of a nation or country. There are many kinds of traditional Chinese festivals and they are an important part of China's long history and culture. The traditional Chinese festivals developed from the ancient times clearly record the rich and colorful social life and cultural content of the Chinese nation. Since 2008, three new traditional festivals, namely Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, have been added to the national statutory holidays. 1. Spring Festival time: the first day of the first lunar month in the narrow sense, and the first to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the broad lunar calendar. The ancient names are: Yuan Day, New Year's Day, Yuan Zheng, Yuan Chen, Yuan Shuo, New Year's Day, New Year's Day, Sui Dynasty, Xinzheng, Shouzuo, Sanyuan ("zheng" means the "zheng" of the first month). Commonly known as "Celebrating the New Year". The Spring Festival refers to the traditional Lunar New Year in the Chinese cultural circle. The traditional names are New Year, New Year, and New Year, but it is also known as celebrating the new year, celebrating the new year, and celebrating the new year orally. In ancient times, the Spring Festival used to refer specifically to the beginning of spring in solar terms, and was also regarded as the beginning of the year. Later, it was changed to the first day of the first lunar month as the New Year. It is generally believed that the New Year will not end until at least the fifteenth day of the first lunar month (Shangyuan Festival). The concept of Spring Festival and New Year originally came from agriculture. In ancient times, people called the growth cycle of grains "years", "Shuowen". "Hebu": "Nian means the grain is ripe." It is difficult to know when the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) originated, but it is generally believed that it originated from the activities of worshiping gods and ancestors at the beginning and end of the year (December Festival) during the Yin and Shang Dynasties in China. The name "Nian" started from the Zhou Dynasty. As for the determination of the beginning of the year (the beginning of the year) (in other words, the arrangement of the months), it is also related to the astronomical calendar (as mentioned above). Legend has it that Xia is in the Yin month (the first month of the lunar calendar today) and Shang is in the Chou month (the tenth month of the lunar calendar today). February), Zhou was in the month of Zi (the eleventh month of today's lunar calendar, which is the month of the winter solstice), and Qin was in the month of Hai (the tenth month of today's lunar calendar). It was not until the Western Han Dynasty that Xia Zheng was restored, and Yin month (the first month of today's lunar calendar) was designated as the beginning of the year. It is still used today. In fact, the ancient "Spring Festival" refers to the "beginning of spring" among the 24 solar terms of the lunar calendar. Related legends: In ancient China, there was a monster called "Nian", which had long tentacles on its head and was extremely ferocious. "Nian" lives deep on the bottom of the sea all year round. He only climbs ashore every New Year's Eve to devour livestock and harm the people. Therefore, every New Year's Eve, people in villages and villages help the old and young to flee to the mountains to avoid the harm of the "Nian" beast. On New Year's Eve this year, people in Taohua Village were helping the elderly and the young to take refuge in the mountains. An old man begging came from outside the village. He was holding a cane, a bag on his arm, his silver beard was flowing, and his eyes were like bright stars. Some of the villagers sealed the windows and locked the doors, some packed their bags, some drove the cattle and sheep, and everywhere people shouted and horses neighed, creating a scene of rush and panic. At this time, who still has the heart to take care of this old man begging. Only an old woman in the east of the village gave the old man some food and advised him to quickly go up the mountain to avoid the "Nian" beast. The old man stroked his beard and said with a smile: "If my mother-in-law lets me stay at home all night, I will definitely drive the "Nian" beast away." The old woman took a closer look and saw that he was a boy with fair hair and a strong spirit. However, she continued to persuade him, and the beggar man smiled and said nothing. She had no choice but to leave her home and go up the mountain to seek refuge. Entering the village, it found that the atmosphere in the village was different from previous years: the door of my mother-in-law's house at the east end of the village was covered with red paper, and the house was brightly lit. He screamed and rushed over. When he was approaching the door, there was a sudden "bang bang bang bang" sound in the courtyard. "Nian" was trembling all over and didn't dare to move forward. It turned out that "Nian" was most afraid of red, fire and explosions. At this time, the door of my mother-in-law's house was wide open, and I saw an old man in a red robe laughing in the courtyard. "Nian" turned pale with fear and ran away in panic. The next day was the first day of the first lunar month, and people who had returned from the asylum were seen in the village. An Ran was very surprised. At this time, the old woman suddenly realized and hurriedly told the villagers about the beggar's promise. The villagers rushed to the old woman's house and saw a red paper on the door of her house and a pile of unburned bamboos in the yard. There was a "cracking" sound, and a few red candles in the house were still glowing... The overjoyed villagers put on new clothes and hats to celebrate the auspicious arrival, and visited relatives and friends. This event soon spread around. Word spread in the village, and people all knew how to drive away the "nian" beast. From then on, every New Year's Eve, every family would put up red couplets and set off firecrackers; every household would light up the candles and wait for the New Year's Eve early in the morning. This custom of greeting relatives and friends spreads more and more widely, and has become the most solemn traditional festival in China. Applicable areas: The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Han people, but also for Manchu, Mongolian, Yao, Zhuang, Bai, Gaoshan, Hezhe, and Hani. More than a dozen ethnic minorities including Daur, Dong, and Li also have the custom of celebrating the Spring Festival, but the form of the festival has their own ethnic characteristics and is more interesting. Customs: stay up late, set off firecrackers, post Spring Festival couplets, eat dumplings and sausages, and watch the Spring Festival Gala. (Only in recent years) 2. On February 2nd, the dragon raises its head (February 2nd is "She Day" in the south and "Dragon Heads Up" festival in the north), also known as "Spring Plowing Festival", "Farming Festival", " "Spring Dragon Festival" is a traditional folk festival of the Han nationality. The dragon raises its head on the second day of the second lunar month every year, commonly known as the Qinglong Festival. Legend has it that it is the day when the dragon raises its head. It is a traditional festival in urban and rural China. People celebrate the "Dragon Head Festival" to show their respect. The dragon prays for rain, so that God can ensure a good harvest. Festival customs: Pay tribute to the Huaxu family during the "Dragon Head Festival", which is full of ideas of worshiping the dragon. It is believed that the dragon controls water and brings rain, which determines the harvest. This must not be offended. Every morning, people worship Nianzi. Legend has it that Nianzi is the incarnation of the green dragon. Some people also put up rollers to show that "the dragon raises its head". As the saying goes: "If you don't shave your head in the first month, your uncle will die." "So adults and children often shave their heads on this day, which means shaving the "dragon head" to show nobility and good luck.
Women are not allowed to do needlework for fear of "piercing the dragon's eyes"; they are not allowed to grind flour, rice, or carts for fear of "breaking the dragon's waist and tail". In fact, "If you don't shave your head in the first month, your uncle will die if you shave your head." This is actually a rumor, and the "dead uncle" is actually a variation of "nostalgia". The origin of this saying is also related to Shenyang. After the Qing Dynasty was established, many Han people did not cut their hair during the first month to express "nostalgia" in memory of the Ming Dynasty, but they did not dare to openly confront the Qing government, so there was a saying that "the uncle will die if he cuts his hair in the first month." , and has been passed down. Customs in the northern region - attracting dragons, getting rid of insects, fumigating insects, shaving dragon heads (haircuts and haircuts), food customs, marrying girls to live in spring, taboos (avoiding needlework, carrying water, washing clothes, grinding noodles) Customs in the southern region------Sacrifice to the community (the main activities are to offer sacrifices to the land and gather for social drinks to entertain people by worshiping and entertaining the gods). On February 2nd, most farmers eat "gupu" (hand-rolled noodles) , commonly known as the "top door stick". Why eat "drum stick"? Some people say that if you eat "door stick" to hold the door up, evil spirits will not enter, and you will have peace for a year. Some people say that during the Spring Festival, everyone is tired of eating and playing, so eating a "drum pout" is very spiritual, and then they start to work and live. There are also people who eat stir-fried dumplings on February 2nd, saying that they are used to trim the dragon’s scales and make it energetic so that it can rise to the sky and bring rain. There are a few folk songs that satirize the lazy woman: "After the twenty-third day of the first lunar month, the lazy woman is so worried that she has nowhere to go. She wants to go to the sky again, but she has no shoes to wear; she wants to crawl into the ground, but she has no point; she wants to go to bed again. There is also a local custom of frying beans on February 2nd. The folk saying goes: "On February 2nd, the dragon raises its head, and the beans are fried in the pot, waking up the Dragon King and rising early." The rain from the clouds ensures a good harvest." Some people still burn incense and kowtow at the nearby Yaowang Temple to pray for safety. Local custom: Men in Liaocheng, Tengzhou, Shandong Province all have haircuts on February 2nd. On this day, the dragon raises his head to get a haircut to wish for good luck in the year. Eating chess pieces and fried beans in Tengzhou and Qingdao areas symbolizes the "blooming of golden beans". Fried corn: Legend has it that the tradition of frying corn on February 2 every year is to commemorate Yilong's efforts to relieve the suffering of drought in the world, even at the expense of offending the laws of heaven. Legend has it that the Jade Dragon was imprisoned by the Jade Emperor because he could not bear the suffering of the people from drought and helped the people with rain. He made a rule that he would not be released until the golden beans bloomed. The people gathered together to fry corn because they were grateful for Jade Dragon's righteous deeds. Because it looked like golden beans blooming, Taibai Jinxing, who was in charge of it, misunderstood it and released Jade Dragon. The tradition of frying corn on the second day of February every year has also been preserved. Festival legend: There is such a fairy tale spread among the people in northern my country. It is said that Wu Zetian became emperor and angered the Jade Emperor, who ordered the Dragon King of the Four Seas not to rain on earth for three years. Soon, the Dragon King, who was in charge of the Tianhe River, heard the cries of the people and saw the tragic scenes of people dying of starvation. He was worried that his life in the world would be cut off, so he disobeyed the Jade Emperor and made rain fall on the world. When the Jade Emperor learned of this, he brought the Dragon King down to earth and pinned him under a mountain to suffer. A monument was erected on the mountain: "The Dragon King's rainfall violates the laws of heaven, and he will be punished for the rest of his life. If he wants to return to Lingxiao Pavilion, he will not be able to return to the Lingxiao Pavilion until the golden beans bloom." In order to save the Dragon King, people looked for blooming golden beans everywhere. On the second day of the second lunar month of the following year, when people were drying corn seeds, they thought that the corns were like golden beans. If they were fried and bloomed, wouldn't they be golden beans? So every household popped corns and set up a table in the yard to burn incense. Offer flowering "golden beans". (The legend is wrong. Wu Zetian was a figure in the Tang Dynasty, and corn was introduced to China only in the Ming Dynasty. Where did the corn seeds come from then?) The Dragon King looked up and knew that the people were saving him, so he shouted to the Jade Emperor: "Golden The beans are blooming, please let me out quickly!" When the Jade Emperor saw the golden beans blooming in every courtyard in the human world, he had no choice but to send an edict, ordering the Dragon King to return to heaven and continue to spread clouds and rain to the world. Since then, people have formed a habit of popping corns every second day of February. 3. The Lantern Festival
is an important traditional festival in China. The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the first full-moon night of the year. It is also the night when the Yuan Dynasty begins and the earth returns to spring. People celebrate this and it is also the continuation of celebrating the New Year. Therefore, it is also called the "Shangyuan Festival", which is the first month of the lunar calendar. On the 15th. In ancient books, this day is called "Shangyuan", and its night is called "Yuan Ye", "Yuan Xi" or "Lan Xiao". The name "Yuanxiao" has been used to this day. Customs: Because the Lantern Festival has the custom of setting up lanterns and watching lanterns, it is also known as the "Festival of Lanterns" among the people. In addition, there are also customs such as eating Yuanxiao, walking on stilts, guessing lantern riddles, dragon dancing, lantern viewing, and lion dancing. Evolution: The ancient Chinese calendar is closely related to the moon phases. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, people ushered in the first full moon night of the year. This day is naturally regarded as an auspicious day. As early as the Han Dynasty, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month had been used as a day to offer sacrifices to the Emperor of Heaven and pray for blessings. Later, the ancients called the fifteenth day of the first lunar month "Shangyuan", the fifteenth day of July "Zhongyuan", and the fifteenth day of October "Xiayuan". At the latest in the early Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sanyuan was already the day when a grand ceremony would be held. Among the three elements, Shangyuan is the most valued. Later, the celebrations of the Zhongyuan and Xiayuan were gradually abolished, but the Shangyuan remained popular for a long time. Eating Yuanxiao: Eat Yuanxiao on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. "Yuanxiao" has been used as food for a long time in our country. In the Song Dynasty, a novel food eaten during the Lantern Festival was popular among the people. This kind of food was first called "Fu Yuanzi" and later "Yuanxiao". Businessmen also euphemistically called it "Yuanbao". Yuanxiao, or "tangyuan", is stuffed with sugar, rose, sesame, bean paste, cinnamon, walnut kernels, nuts, jujube paste, etc., and is wrapped into a round shape with glutinous rice flour. It can be meat or vegetarian and has different flavors. It can be cooked in soup, fried or steamed, and has the meaning of happy reunion. Shaanxi glutinous rice balls are not wrapped, but are "rolled" in glutinous rice flour. They are either boiled or deep-fried and heated until they are round and round. 4. Cold Food Festival means Cold Food Festival, also known as "No Smoking Festival", "Cold Festival" and "Hundred-Five Festival".
It is one hundred and five days after the winter solstice in the lunar calendar and one or two days before the Qingming Festival. Source: During the Spring and Autumn Period, Prince Chong'er of Jin State, who had been in exile for many years, returned to his country and ascended the throne [i.e. Duke Wen of Jin]. He rewarded the officials who fled with him, except for Jie Zitui. Jie Zitui then lived in seclusion in Mianshan [today's southeast of Jiexiu City, Shanxi Province] with his old mother. After learning about it, Duke Wen of Jin wanted to increase the reward. He searched for him in Mianshan but couldn't find him, so he wanted to burn the mountain to force him out. But Jie Zitui did not want to be an official and refused to do so. As a result, both mother and son were burned to death. In order to commemorate Jie Zitui, Duke Wen of Jin changed the name of Mianshan Mountain to "Jie Mountain", built a temple to worship Jie Zitui, and designated the day of burning mountains as the Cold Food Festival. Fireworks were banned nationwide and only cold food was eaten. Later, the custom of eating cold food and sweeping tombs on this day was formed. Activities: On this day, no fireworks are allowed and only cold food is eaten, so it is called the "Cold Food Festival". In the development of later generations, customs such as sacrificial sweeps, outings, swings, Cuju, lead hooks, and egg fighting were gradually added. The Cold Food Festival has lasted for more than two thousand years and was once known as the largest folk festival. Many literati have written poems and essays about the Cold Food Festival. 5. Qingming Festival Qingming Festival, also called the Outing Festival, falls at the turn of mid-spring and late spring, which is the 108th day after the winter solstice. It is a traditional Chinese festival and one of the most important sacrificial festivals. It is a day for ancestor worship and tomb sweeping. The traditional Qingming Festival of the Chinese Han people began around the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 years. Influenced by Han culture, 24 ethnic minorities in China, including the Manchu, Hezhe, Zhuang, Oroqen, Dong, Tujia, Miao, Yao, Li, Shui, Jing and Qiang, also have the custom of celebrating Tomb-Sweeping Day. Qingming was originally just the name of a solar term. It became a festival to commemorate ancestors and was related to the Cold Food Festival. Duke Wen of Jin designated the day after the Cold Food Festival as Qingming Festival. In most areas of Shanxi, the Cold Food Festival is celebrated on the day before Tomb-Sweeping Day; in Yushe County and other places, the Cold Food Festival is celebrated two days before Tomb-Sweeping Day; in Yuanqu County, the day before Tomb-Sweeping Day is also called the Cold Food Festival, and the two days before it are the Small Cold Food Festival. Qingming Festival is one of the important "Eight Festivals of the Year" in China. It usually falls around April 5 in the Gregorian calendar. The festival period is very long. There are two versions: 10 days before and 8 days after, and 10 days before and 10 days after. These 20 days are all Ching Ming Festival. Qingming Festival originally refers to the fifteen days after the Spring Equinox. In 1935, the government of the Republic of China designated April 5 as the national holiday Qingming Festival, also known as the National Tomb Sweeping Festival. The origin of the Qingming Festival is said to have begun with the ritual of "grave sacrifices" for emperors, generals and prime ministers in ancient times. Later, the people also imitated it. They worshiped their ancestors and swept their tombs on this day. It has been followed by generations and has become a fixed custom of the Chinese nation. On May 20, 2006, the Qingming Festival declared by the Ministry of Culture of China was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists with the approval of the State Council. In addition to banning fires and sweeping tombs, the customs of Qingming Festival also include a series of customary sports activities such as outing, swinging, Cuju, playing polo, swinging, and willow planting. According to legend, this is because cold food and fire are prohibited during the Cold Food Festival. In order to prevent cold food from harming the body, people come to participate in some sports activities to exercise. During the Qingming Festival, people are prohibited from using needles or washing clothes, and women in most areas are prohibited from walking. Before evening, a gray line should be sprinkled in front of the door. It is said that it can prevent ghosts from entering the house. Therefore, in this festival, there are not only the sad and sad tears of paying respects to new graves, but also the laughter of outings. It is a unique festival. Due to the relationship between Cold Food Festival and Qingming Festival, some places still retain the habit of eating cold food during Qingming Festival and Mingming Festival. In Shandong, Jimo eats eggs and cold pastries, while Laiyang, Zhaoyuan, and Changdao eat eggs and cold sorghum rice. It is said that if you don’t do this, you will be hit by hail. Tai'an eats cold pancakes rolled with raw bitter herbs and is said to have bright eyes after eating them. Jinzhong area still retains the custom of banning fire on the day before Qingming Festival. In many places, after completing the sacrificial ceremony, the sacrificial food is shared among the people. When people in southern Shanxi celebrate the Qingming Festival, they are accustomed to steaming big steamed buns with white flour, sandwiching walnuts, dates, and beans in the middle. The outside is coiled into a dragon shape, and an egg is stuck in the middle of the dragon body, which is called "Zifu". Steam a big "Zi Fu" to symbolize the family's reunion and happiness. When visiting the grave, the total "zifu" is dedicated to the ancestral spirit, and the whole family eats it after sweeping the grave. According to an old custom in Shanghai, the steamed cake balls used in sacrifices are pierced with wickers, dried and stored. On the day of the Beginning of Summer, they are fried and given to children. It is said that after eating them, they will not suffer from summer diseases. 6. Dragon Boat Festival The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is the "Dragon Boat Festival", which is an ancient traditional festival in China. The original name of "Duanwu" is "Duanwu", and "Duanwu" means the beginning of the Dragon Boat Festival. Because people believe that "May" is an evil month and "Fifth Day" is the day, they avoid "Fifth" and change it to "Dragon Boat Festival". The Dragon Boat Festival was recorded as early as the early Western Zhou Dynasty. It was not a festival established to commemorate Qu Yuan, but some customs after the Dragon Boat Festival were influenced by Qu Yuan. The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month every year. It is also known as the Duanyang Festival, the Noon Day Festival, the May Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Bath Orchid Festival, etc. It is a traditional cultural festival popular in China and other countries in the Chinese cultural circle. The Dragon Boat Festival originated in China. It was originally a festival to cure diseases and prevent epidemics. Before the Spring and Autumn Period in the land of Wuyue, there was a custom of holding tribal totem sacrifices in the form of dragon boat racing on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Later, because the poet Qu Yuan bouldered and threw himself into the Miluo River and died, it became a traditional Chinese festival to commemorate Qu Yuan. In some areas, there are also commemorations of Wu Zixu and Cao E. Celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival has been a traditional habit of the Chinese people for more than 2,000 years. Due to the vast territory, numerous ethnic groups, and many stories and legends, not only have there been many different festival names, but also different customs in different places. The main contents include: when the daughter returns to her parents' home, hangs the statue of Zhong Kui, welcomes the ghost ship, hides from the afternoon, puts up the leaf talisman of the afternoon, hangs calamus and mugwort, travels from all diseases, wears sachet, prepares sweet wine for sacrifice, dragon boat race, martial arts competition, and bats. , play on the swing, apply realgar to children, drink realgar wine and calamus wine, and eat five poisonous cakes, salted eggs, rice dumplings and seasonal fresh fruits.
Zongzi: Today’s zongzi are even more diverse and colorful. Nowadays, the rice dumplings made in various places are generally made of glutinous rice wrapped in Ruo shells, but the colors inside are determined according to the local specialties and customs. The famous ones include longan rice dumplings, meat rice dumplings, crystal rice dumplings, lotus paste rice dumplings, candied rice dumplings, chestnut rice dumplings, spicy rice dumplings. Rice dumplings, pickled cabbage rice dumplings, ham rice dumplings, salted egg rice dumplings, etc. Realgar wine: The custom of drinking realgar wine during the Dragon Boat Festival was very popular in the Yangtze River Basin in the past. An old saying once said: "Drink realgar wine, and all diseases will go away." Realgar is a mineral, commonly known as "cockscomb stone". Its main component is arsenic sulfide and contains mercury, which is toxic. The realgar wine generally consumed is made by adding a trace amount of realgar to white wine or home-brewed rice wine, and cannot be drunk purely. Realgar wine has the effect of killing bacteria, deworming and detoxifying, and is also used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat skin diseases. In ancient times when there were no disinfectants such as iodine, soaking realgar in wine could remove toxins and relieve itching. For children who are under the age of drinking, adults will smear realgar wine on their foreheads, ears, noses, palms, soles, etc., in order to disinfect and prevent diseases and keep away insects. Five yellows: There is a custom of eating "five yellows" during the Dragon Boat Festival in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Wuhuang refers to cucumber, eel, yellow croaker, duck egg yolk from Gaoyou, and realgar wine. In addition, people in northern Zhejiang also eat tofu during the Dragon Boat Festival. Making cakes: The Dragon Boat Festival is a grand festival for the Korean people in Yanbian, Jilin Province. The most representative food on this day is the fragrant cake. Da Gao is a rice cake made by placing mugwort and glutinous rice in a large wooden trough carved from a single log and beating it with a long-handled wood. This kind of food is very ethnic and can add to the festive atmosphere. [13] Jiandui: In Jinjiang, Fujian, every household also eats "Jiandui" during the Dragon Boat Festival, which is fried into a thick paste with flour, rice flour or sweet potato flour and other ingredients. Legend has it that in ancient times, it was the rainy season in southern Fujian before the Dragon Boat Festival, and it rained continuously. Folks said that God had penetrated a hole and wanted to "repair the sky." After eating "Jiandui" during the Dragon Boat Festival, the rain stopped, and people said that the sky was repaired. This food custom comes from this. 7. Mid-Autumn Festival Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Eve, Autumn Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, August Festival, August Meeting, Moon Chasing Festival, Moon Playing Festival, Moon Worship Festival, Daughter's Day or Reunion Festival, is popular among many ethnic groups in China. It is a traditional cultural festival in other countries in the Chinese cultural circle. It falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. It is named because it happens to be in the middle of the third autumn. Some places also set the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 16th day of the eighth month. The Mid-Autumn Festival began in the early Tang Dynasty and became popular in the Song Dynasty. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it had become one of the major Chinese festivals as famous as the Spring Festival. Influenced by Chinese culture, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also a traditional festival in some countries in East and Southeast Asia, especially the local Chinese and overseas Chinese. Since 2008, the Mid-Autumn Festival has been listed as a national statutory holiday. On May 20, 2006, the State Council included it in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. Since ancient times, the Mid-Autumn Festival has included worshiping the moon, appreciating the moon, worshiping the moon, eating moon cakes, appreciating osmanthus flowers, drinking osmanthus wine, and other customs, which have been passed down to this day and lasted for a long time. The Mid-Autumn Festival uses the round moon as a sign of people's reunion, expressing the feeling of missing one's hometown and relatives, and praying for a good harvest and happiness, which has become a colorful and precious cultural heritage. 8. Double Ninth Festival
The Double Ninth Festival (The Double Ninth Festival) falls on September 9th in the lunar calendar. It is the traditional Double Ninth Festival, also known as the "Old Man's Day". Because the "Book of Changes" defines "six" as a yin number and "nine" as a yang number, on September 9th, the sun and the moon are yang, and the two nines overlap, so it is called Double Ninth Festival, also called Double Nine. The Double Ninth Festival has been formed as early as the Warring States Period. In the Tang Dynasty, the Double Ninth Festival was officially designated as a folk festival, and has been followed by all dynasties ever since. The Double Ninth Festival, also known as "Going to Autumn" and March 3rd to "Going to Spring", both involve family members. On the Double Ninth Festival, all relatives will climb high together to "avoid disasters", plant dogwoods, and enjoy chrysanthemums. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the atmosphere of the Double Ninth Festival has become increasingly intense, and it has become one of the traditional festivals that has been chanted the most by literati throughout the ages. Evolution: September 9th in the lunar calendar is the traditional Double Ninth Festival in China. It is also the Respect for the Aged Day in China. In 1989, China designated September 9th as the Elderly Day. Tradition and modernity are cleverly combined to become a festival for the elderly who respect, respect, love and help the elderly. Custom: Every time during the Double Ninth Festival, people will think of the poem written by Wang Wei, "I am a stranger in a foreign land, and I miss my relatives even more during the festive season. I know that my brothers have climbed to the heights, and there is one less person planted with dogwood trees everywhere." Since ancient times, the Double Ninth Festival has been a day for people to respect and love their elders, miss their parents, and long for reunion. The specific customs are as follows: ①, climb high ②, eat Double Ninth Cake ③, admire chrysanthemums and drink chrysanthemum wine ④, plant dogwood and hairpin chrysanthemums ⑤, drink Double Ninth Wine. However, in history, there is also a saying that the 13th day of the seventh lunar month is the Respect for the Aged Day. However, it was revised to September 9 in 1989. Time: The ninth day of the ninth lunar month. 9. Winter Solstice Winter Solstice is an important solar term in the Chinese lunar calendar and a traditional festival of the Chinese nation. The Winter Solstice is commonly known as "Winter Festival", "Long Solstice Festival", "Yasui", etc. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period more than 2,500 years ago, China had already used Tugui to observe the sun and determine the winter solstice. It is the earliest one of the twenty-four solar terms to be formulated, and the time is from December 21 to 23 of the Gregorian calendar every year. between days. Climatic characteristics: Astronomy regards the winter solstice as the beginning of winter, which is obviously too late for most areas in my country. The poem goes: "The northwest wind blows and the grass wilts, and the sun rises after several cold spells. The day is the shortest, but the golden plum blossoms are in bloom." (Zuo Heshui) The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year. After the winter solstice, the direct point of the sun gradually moves northward, and the days in the northern hemisphere gradually become longer and the nights gradually become shorter. Therefore, there is a saying, "Eating winter solstice noodles will make a day grow longer." From a climatic point of view, during the winter solstice, the northwest The average temperature on the plateau is generally below 0°C, and in the south it is only about 6°C to 8°C.
In addition, the winter solstice begins "counting nine", and the winter solstice becomes the first day of "counting nine". Regarding "Counting Nine", a popular folk song goes like this, "Don't take action on the 19th and 29th. Walk on the ice on the 39th and 49th. Watch the willows along the river on the 59th and 69th. The river opens on the 79th and 89th." "Nine-nine swallows come, and nine-nine plus one-nine cattle are everywhere." However, in the low-altitude valleys of the southwest, even in early January, the coldest time in the area, the average temperature is still above 10°C. winter. The winter solstice usually falls on December 21st or December 22nd in the Gregorian calendar. Because the Winter Solstice is not fixed on a specific day, it is called a "living festival" just like Qingming Festival. Celebrating the Winter Solstice as a festival originated in the Han Dynasty, flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and is still used today. The first month of the Zhou calendar is the eleventh month of the summer calendar. Therefore, the first month of the Zhou Dynasty is equal to the eleventh month of the current Gregorian calendar. Therefore, there is no difference between greeting the new year and greeting the winter. It was not until Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty adopted the lunar calendar that the first month and the winter solstice were separated. It can also be said that simply celebrating the "Winter Solstice Festival" only existed after the Han Dynasty, flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and is still used today. The winter solstice is a great time to maintain health, mainly because "qi begins at the winter solstice." Because starting from winter, life activities begin to change from decline to prosperity, from stillness to rotation. At this time, scientific health maintenance can help ensure strong energy, prevent premature aging, and achieve the purpose of prolonging life. During the winter solstice, the diet should be diverse, with a reasonable mix of grains, fruits, meats, and vegetables, and appropriate selection of high-calcium foods. Different places have different customs during the Winter Solstice. Most places in northern China have the custom of eating dumplings during the Winter Solstice. After thousands of years of development, the Winter Solstice has formed a unique seasonal food culture. Eating dumplings has become a custom during the Winter Solstice for most Chinese people. Of course, there are exceptions. For example, in Tengzhou City, Shandong Province, the custom of drinking mutton soup on the winter solstice is popular, which means to drive away the cold. 10. New Year’s Eve The last day of the twelfth lunar month is called New Year’s Eve. The original meaning of "Chu" is "to go", which is extended to "Yi"; the original meaning of "Xi" is "sunset", which is extended to "night". Therefore, New Year's Eve has the meaning of "getting rid of the old year here and replacing it with the new one tomorrow", that is, "getting rid of the old and spreading the new." In ancient times, "New Year's Eve" had other names such as "New Year's Eve, Zhuchu, Suizhu, Great New Year, Great End, and Year-end". Although there are many names, they all mean nothing more than seeing off the old and welcoming the new, dispelling diseases and eliminating disasters. New Year's Eve, also known as "New Year's Eve". Refers to the night before the first day of the first lunar month in China and other areas of the Han cultural circle. Generally, this day is a day for people to eat, drink, play and have fun. New Year's Eve originated from the "exclusion" in the pre-Qin period. According to "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals of Jidong", the ancients beat drums on the day before the New Year to drive away the "ghosts of epidemics and disasters" so that they would be free from disease and disaster in the coming year. The customs of northerners are generally the same, making dumplings, steaming steamed buns, etc. during the New Year; while the customs of different regions in the south are different, such as making rice cakes, making rice dumplings, boiling glutinous rice balls, eating rice, etc. Different regions in the south have many different New Year customs. The shape of dumplings is like "Yuanbao" and the sound of rice cake is like "Nian Gao", which are both good omens of good luck and good luck. The climax of New Year's Eve is when the elders give out "lucky money" after the New Year's meal. The next step is to post Spring Festival couplets and door gods, and close the door. It is not until the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year that the door is opened to "receive the God of Wealth", and then the whole family stays up late on the New Year's Eve. The last day of the year is called "New Year's Eve" and that night is called "New Year's Eve". People often stay up all night on New Year's Eve, which is called staying up all night. Su Shi's "Shou Sui": "Children are forced not to sleep, but stay up all night and rejoice." On New Year's Eve, not only must the outside of the home be cleaned clean, but also door gods, Spring couplets, New Year pictures, and door cages must be posted. Then put on new clothes with festive colors and patterns. In addition, various ethnic minorities in China also retain their own traditional festivals, such as the Water Splashing Festival of the Dai people, the Naadam Festival of the Mongolian people, the Torch Festival of the Yi people, the Danu Festival of the Yao people, the March Street of the Bai people, the Song Fair of the Zhuang people, the Tibetan people's Tibetan New Year, Wangguo Festival, Miao Flower Dance Festival, etc.