New Year's Day
On the first day of the first lunar month, also known as the New Year's Day, there is a custom of offering sacrifices to gods and sticking peach charms on them. According to legend, there are two gods, Shen Tu and Yu Lei, who can eat hundreds of ghosts under the big peach tree in Dushuo Mountain in the East China Sea. The ancients used peach wood to draw two statues of gods and hung them at the door to drive away ghosts. In the Five Dynasties, couplets began to be written on talismans, which later evolved into Spring Festival couplets. Wang Anshi's poem "Yuan Ri": "Thousands of households always exchange new peaches for old talismans."
Shangyuan
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, also known as Yuanxiao and Yuanxiao Xi, Yuan Ye. In ancient times, it was customary to light up lanterns as a show on the night of the Lantern Festival, so it is also called the Lantern Festival. Xin Qiji's poem "Yuan Xi": "The east wind blows thousands of flowers and trees at night, and even blows them down, and the stars are like rain." Zhu Shuzhen's "Shengchazi·Yuan Xi": "On the Lantern Festival last year, the lights in the flower market were like day."
Community Day
A day when farmers worship the God of the Earth. Before the Han Dynasty, there was only the Spring Society, but after the Han Dynasty, there was the Qiu Society. The Spring Society is around the vernal equinox, and the Autumn Society is around the autumnal equinox. On Social Day, the villagers gather at the Tutu Temple to prepare wine and meat as offerings to the gods, and then have a feast. Wang Jia's "Poems of Society Day": "The shadows of mulberry trees are scattered in the spring society, and every family helps people return intoxicated."
Cold Food
Two days before Qingming, that is, one hundred and ten days after the winter solstice Five days, sometimes a hundred and six days. According to legend, it originated when Duke Wen of Jin mourned Jie Zitui, who lived in seclusion on Mianshang Mountain. Duke Wen of Jin set fire to force him down the mountain, and he died hugging a tree. Duke Wen of Jin ordered that fire and cold food be prohibited on this day, which later evolved into the Cold Food Festival. During the Cold Food Festival, people ban fire for three days. Yuanzhen's "Lianchang Palace Ci": "One hundred and six days after the cold food, the shop is smokeless and the palace willows are green."
Qingming Festival
The fifth day of April in the Gregorian calendar is the Qingming Festival. The main customs of Qingming Festival are outing and tomb-sweeping. Du Mu has a poem "Qingming": "It rains heavily during Qingming, and pedestrians on the road want to die."
Shangsi
It was originally scheduled for a Si day in early March, so it was called Shangsi. After Cao Wei, this festival was fixed on March 3rd. In the early days, people went to the waterside to pick orchids to drive away evil spirits. Later, it evolved into a festival of feasting by the water and spring outings in the countryside. Du Fu's poem "Beauty's Journey": "The weather is new on March 3, and there are many beauties by the water in Chang'an."
Dragon Boat Festival
The fifth day of May, also known as "Duan Yang" and "Chongyang Festival" "五", "Duan" means "beginning". It is said that Qu Yuan threw himself into the river on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. People rushed to save Qu Yuan, which later evolved into the tradition of dragon boat racing. People also threw rice dumplings into the river to protect Qu Yuan's body, and there was a tradition of eating rice dumplings. After the Tang Dynasty, the Dragon Boat Festival became a big festival, and the court gave rewards. Du Fu has "Giving Clothes on the Dragon Boat Festival": "The Dragon Boat Festival is graced and honored."
Qixi Festival
July 7th. Folk legend has it that on this night the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl met on the Magpie Bridge, and the women made colorful decorations on the pavilion and placed wine, preserved melons and fruits in the courtyard to beg for cleverness. Some people advocate that "Chinese Valentine's Day" be designated as "Qixi Festival". Du Fu's poem "The Morning Bull and the Weaver Girl": "The Morning Bull comes out to the west of the river, and the Weaver Girl lives to the east. We will always look at each other, who will see each other on the Chinese Valentine's Day?" He Ning's "Palace Ci": "The stars in the dim sky are dotted with red light, and the palace concubines are busy begging for tricks on the Chinese Valentine's Day. ”
Mid-Autumn Festival
August 15th. August 15th is in the middle of autumn, so it is called Mid-Autumn Festival. At this time, the autumn air is crisp and the moonlight is at its most beautiful, making it the perfect time to appreciate the moon. Su Shi's "Shui Tiao Ge Tou": "When will the bright moon come? Ask the blue sky for wine." Wei Zhuang's "Send Off the Scholars Returning to Jingxi": "The moon is full in the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, and I will send you off to the Mulan Boat."
Double Ninth Festival
The ninth day of September. Also known as Chongjiu. The ancients believed that nine is the yang number, and the sun and moon both fall on the ninth day, which is called the Double Ninth Festival. The ancients believed that taking dogwood pouches to climb mountains and drinking chrysanthemum wine on this day would avoid disaster, so they had the habit of climbing up and drinking on this day. Wang Wei's "Reminiscences of Shandong Brothers on September 9th": "I know from afar that when brothers climb to a high place, there is one less person planting dogwood trees." The gods are called the twelfth month (so December is called the twelfth month). In ancient times, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month was the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month. Villagers beat thin-waisted drums and acted as vajra warriors to drive away the plague. Du Fu's poem "Twelfth Day": "The warmest day of the twelfth lunar month is still far away, but this year the cold of the twelfth lunar month has completely disappeared."
New Year's Eve
The evening of the last day of the year. In addition to removing the old and replacing the old with the new. 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 "Keeping Up with the New Year": "Children are forced not to sleep, but stay with each other all night and cheer.
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