What are the poetic couplets, local customs, historical development and origin stories of the Lantern Festival?

The origin of the Torch Festival

People in the Han Dynasty held torches in the countryside to drive away insects and beasts, hoping to reduce insect pests and pray for a good harvest. To this day, people in some areas of southwestern China still make torches out of reeds or tree branches on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and hold the torches high in groups to dance in fields or drying fields. Since the Sui, Tang and Song Dynasties, it has become more prosperous. Tens of thousands of singers and dancers participated in the performance, from dusk to dawn, and then stopped at dusk. With the changes of society and times, the customs and habits of the Lantern Festival have already undergone major changes, but it is still a traditional Chinese folk festival. [1]

The real driving force of the Lantern Festival customs is that it is at a new point in time, and people make full use of this special time period to express their life wishes.

Festivals and customs

The festivals and customs of the Lantern Festival have been extended and expanded with the development of history. In terms of the length of the festival, it was only one day in the Han Dynasty, three days in the Tang Dynasty, and five days in the Song Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, the lights were lit from the eighth day of the lunar month until the lights were turned off on the night of the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, a full ten days. Connecting with the Spring Festival, the city is bustling during the day, and the lights are lit at night, which is spectacular. Especially the exquisite and colorful lights make it the climax of entertainment activities during the Spring Festival. By the Qing Dynasty, "hundred operas" such as dragon dance, lion dance, land boat running, stilt walking, and Yangko dancing were added, but the festival period was shortened to four to five days. [3]

Dynasty History

In the Tang Dynasty, when the country was unprecedentedly powerful, Lantern Festival lantern viewing was very prosperous. Whether in the capital or in towns, lanterns were hung everywhere, and people also Huge lamp wheels, lamp trees, lamp posts, etc. are made, and the city is filled with fireworks, making it very lively and lively.

In the Song Dynasty, the Lantern Festival became more colorful. The Lantern Festival lantern viewing lasted for five days. The styles of lanterns were complex and diverse, and visiting the lantern market was a very pleasing thing. The poet Xin Qiji wrote: "The east wind blows thousands of trees and flowers at night, and even more, they blow down, and the stars are like rain." This refers to the countless lanterns and fireworks during the Song Dynasty Lantern Festival. At that time, lantern riddles also became popular, that is, writing various lantern riddles on slips of paper and pasting them on lanterns. Those who guess correctly can also get small rewards. This entertaining and educational activity is loved by people and is widely spread.

The Lantern Festival in the Ming Dynasty lasted longer. The lanterns are lit since the eighth day of the lunar month and are not turned off until the night of the seventeenth day of the first lunar month. It lasts for ten days to show the prosperity of singing and dancing. It is the longest Lantern Festival in Chinese history.

In the Qing Dynasty, when the Manchus took over the Central Plains, the palace no longer held lantern festivals, but the folk lantern festivals were still spectacular. The Lantern Festival only lasted for three days in the Qing Dynasty.

Lantern Festival Lanterns

But the lights are bright and the lanterns are more exquisite and fantastic, which is still very attractive.

Modern

The date was shortened to five days, which continues to this day.

Lantern placement

Folks will set up a "Heaven and Earth Hall" when worshiping God on New Year's Eve. People set up a small shed in the yard, and on the small table inside the shed stood the altar of "the true master of all spirits in the ten directions of the three realms of heaven and earth"; in front of the altar were placed incense burners, offerings, and a lantern, which represented Jiang Taigong. seats. It is said that when Jiang Taigong was canonizing gods, others were canonizing them, but he forgot to canonize himself. He had no seat and had to sit with God.

Lanterns are related to gods, so they are also endowed with many symbolic meanings.

In ancient times, in order to drive away the fear of darkness, lanterns were developed to exorcise evil spirits and bring blessings and pray for light.

In the Hokkien language, the pronunciations of "lamp" and "ding" are similar, so lanterns are also used to pray for children, gain fame, and avoid evil and peace.

There is a kind of "bright lantern". At the end of the year and the beginning of the year, lanterns are placed in temples to use the power of Buddha to achieve peace and success throughout the year.

There are also farmers who set up long bamboo poles in the fields and hang a lamp to "illuminate the silkworms" to observe the color of the fire to predict floods and droughts in a year and hope for a good harvest.

The reason for "setting up sky lanterns" is that in the past, people used to set off sky lanterns as a signal to report to each other that they were safe after they fled in all directions to avoid bandits. Since the day when people evacuated and returned home happened to be the Lantern Festival, from then on, people would celebrate this day every year with the ceremony of releasing sky lanterns, so the sky lanterns were also called "prayer lanterns" or "peace lanterns". Later, it gradually evolved into a folk activity of praying to God and making wishes. The sky lanterns are filled with various prayers from the heart, hoping that the sky lanterns can reach heaven and bring people infinite hope and light.

It is said that Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty encouraged reading, and people all sent their children to school.

The first program for entering school is called "Turn on the Lanterns", which involves bringing pre-made lanterns to school and asking a knowledgeable old gentleman to light them, symbolizing a bright future. In the past, most private schools would start school after the 15th day of the first lunar month, so the lanterns for the opening of school also became the embellishment of the Lantern Festival.

There are many types of lanterns during the Lantern Festival, either image lanterns made after the images of things, such as dragon lanterns, tiger lanterns, rabbit lanterns, etc., or movable lanterns made based on folk stories, such as the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. , Twenty-Four Filial Piety, etc., which express the national spirit of loyalty, filial piety, justice, and justice. Various lanterns are made with skillful craftsmanship, showcasing the wisdom and skills of the craftsmen.

With the development of the times, the Lantern Festival has become more and more grand, the national characteristics have become stronger and stronger, and the Lantern Festival has become longer and longer. The lantern festival in the Tang Dynasty lasted one day and three days before and after the Yuan Dynasty; in the Song Dynasty, two days were added after the 16th day of the lunar month, making it five days; in the Ming Dynasty, it was extended to ten days from the eighth day to the eighteenth day of the lunar month. Because the lantern periods are different, the first day when the lanterns are put up is called "test lanterns", the fifteenth day is called "main lanterns", and the last day is called "remaining lanterns" or "lantern lanterns". It is also called "magic lantern", "human lantern" and "ghost lantern". The night of the 14th day is called the "magic lamp" and is placed in front of the shrine in the home or in front of the ancestral hall to worship gods and ancestors; the night of the 15th day is called the "human lamp" and is placed in doors, windows, beds, tables, etc. to avoid scorpions. ; On the night of the 16th, it is a "ghost lantern", placed in the tombs and fields, so that the wandering souls can escape from the ghost realm.

Pray for God’s will from above, protect the common people from below, gods, humans, ghosts and animals, everything is left out [4]

Lantern Festival Lantern Appreciation Poetry

“A Sheng song spring is like the sea , Thousands of lights on the door look like day at night.” There are countless poems written by literati in the past dynasties praising the New Year's Eve lanterns, which are still interesting to read today.

During the Tang Dynasty, the Lantern Festival Lantern Festival developed into an unprecedented lantern market. The capital city was "made with lamp wheels twenty feet high, clothed in brocade, decorated with gold and silver, and burning fifty thousand lamps, clustered with flowers and trees." The poem "The Fifteenth Night of the First Month" written by Su Weiwei, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, goes: "Fire trees and silver flowers bloom together, and the iron locks of the star bridge open. The dark dust goes with the horses, and the bright moon chases the people." It depicts the lively scene where the lights and the moon are shining together, and tourists are weaving. . Zhang Yue, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, also used a poem to praise Dao Yao: "The calyx tower door is fresh with rain and dew, and Chang'an City is peaceful. The dragon holds the fire tree with thousands of lanterns, and the chicken steps on the lotus for long live spring." He vividly describes the scene of lantern appreciation during the Lantern Festival. Li Shangyin described the grand scale of the lantern viewing at that time with the poem "Moonlight lights filled the imperial city, and fragrant chariots and precious chariots overflowed the thoroughfare." It is worthy of praise that the Tang Dynasty poet Cui Ye's "Shangyuan Night" should be recommended first. "Don't rush the jade leaking copper pot, the iron gate and the golden lock are clear and open; who can sit idle when seeing the moon, and who can't look at the lamp when they hear it." "Although there is no positive description of the Lantern Festival, it contains a very happy, lively and bustling scene.

The Lantern Festival Night in the Song Dynasty was unprecedentedly grand, and the lantern market was even more spectacular. Su Dongpo's poem said, "Every house has lights, and music and music are played everywhere." Fan Chengda also wrote in a poem, "Wutai, a prosperous place in ancient and modern times, prefers the Lantern Festival shadow lantern show." The "shadow lantern" in the poem is the "revolving lantern". The great poet Xin Qiji once had a poem that has been passed down through the ages to praise the grand occasion of the Lantern Festival: "The east wind blows thousands of flowers and trees at night, and even blows them down, and the stars are like rain. BMWs and carriages fill the road with fragrance. The phoenix flute sounds, the jade pot turns the light, and all night fish Dragon Dance”.

The Ming Dynasty was even more extravagant and changed the Lantern Festival Lantern Festival from three nights to ten nights. Tang Bohu once wrote a poem praising the Lantern Festival, bringing people into the charming Lantern Night. The poem says, "If there is a lamp but no moon, it will not miss people. If there is a moon but no lamp, it is not spring. When spring comes to the world, people are like jade, and when the lamp is burning, the moon is like silver. The streets are full of pearls and green girls wandering around, and the boiling ground is singing and singing in concert with the gods of the society. Do not show it. Fangzun opened his mouth to smile, how can we spend this good time?"

In addition to various lanterns, the lively scenes of the Lantern Festival in the Qing Dynasty also included torch dancing, fireballs, fire rain, fire dragons, fire lions, etc. Ruan Yuan has a poem about the Yangcheng Lantern Market: "The sea chelae, clouds and phoenixes are exquisite and exquisite, and the Gui De gate is brightly decorated with colorful screens. The market is full of fire, and the guests have enough resources. The sheep have returned to their fairy spirits all year round. The moon can fill the whole night with spring light, and people are like horses that have not stopped to explore flowers. ; It means that when two guests from Yingzhou arrive, the book window becomes brighter. "The poem "Ode to the Lantern Festival" written by the Qing Dynasty poet Yao Yuanzhi: "The bees and butterflies are in a state of joy among the flowers, and the night is long with the fragrance of BMWs. The headlights are like fire, and the moon outside Siping Street is like frost." It is even more vivid, wonderful and unique.

The Lantern Festival, full of poetry and romance, is often associated with love. There are many poems in the past dynasties that use the Lantern Festival to express love and affection. Ouyang Xiu of the Northern Song Dynasty wrote a poem: "On the Lantern Festival this year, the moon and the lights are still the same; when I don't see the people from last year, my spring shirt sleeves are filled with tears." He expresses the pain of missing his lover.

The Lantern Festival is also a romantic festival. In the traditional feudal society, the Lantern Festival also provides an opportunity for unmarried men and women to get acquainted. Young girls in the society are not allowed to go out for free activities, but they can go out together during the festival. When traveling, flower-viewing lanterns are just an opportunity for friendship. Men and women can also use flower-viewing lanterns to find partners for themselves. During the Lantern Festival, it is an opportunity for young men and women to meet their lovers.

Ouyang Xiu (sheng Zhazi) said: "On the Lantern Festival last year, the lights in the flower market were like day; the moon was on the willow branches, and people were about to meet after dusk." Xin Qiji (Qingyu Case) wrote: "Everyone is looking for it. "Thousands of Baidu, and suddenly looking back, that person is in the dimly lit place" is to describe the scene of the Lantern Festival. In the traditional opera, Chen San and Wu Niang met during the Lantern Festival and fell in love at first sight. Princess Lechang and Xu Deyan reunited on the Lantern Festival. In "Spring Lantern Riddles", Yu Wenyan and Ying Niang made a love agreement during the Lantern Festival. Therefore, the Lantern Festival is also China's "Valentine's Day".

The Lantern Festival in society is a major folk festival that urban and rural areas attach great importance to. The Lantern Festival in cities is particularly noisy and embodies the unique carnival spirit of the Chinese people. The festival function carried by the Lantern Festival has been eliminated by daily life, people have gradually lost their common spiritual interests, and the complex festival customs have been simplified into the food custom of "eating Yuanxiao". [5]

Lantern chanting couplets

Lighting up Lantern Festival lanterns is a traditional custom of our people. Throughout the ages, there have been not only a large number of popular Lantern Festival poems, but also countless interesting Lantern Festival couplets.

The Lantern Festival is not just an entertainment activity, it contains deep cultural connotations and forms a unique cultural activity. At that time, the monarchs, ministers and common people would watch the lanterns and guess riddles, while the literati would drink wine, compose poems and answer the questions. There are many interesting stories in it.

At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty\At the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, when a man named Jia Sidao was guarding Huaiyin (now Yangzhou), one year he lit up lanterns for the Lantern Festival. On a bright moonlit night, there is a small red building ten miles away from Yangzhou." It is said that this couplet is the earliest lantern couplet in my country. Since then, people in all dynasties have followed suit and hung wall lantern couplets and door lantern couplets on gates or prominent pillars, which not only adds festive flavor to the Lantern Festival, but also adds content for people who appreciate the lanterns.

Zhang Ying and Zhang Tingyu, who were born in Tongcheng, Anhui Province in the Qing Dynasty, were known as "double bachelors, father and son, and prime ministers, old and young". They were both good at poetry. One year during the Lantern Festival, the Zhang family decorated lanterns and set off firecrackers as usual. When the old prime minister came out for the joint examination, "The high-burning red candle reflected the long sky, it was bright, and the light spread all over the ground." When Xiao Tingyu was thinking, he heard the sound of fireworks outside the door, and immediately understood, and said to him, "The low-burning fireworks shook the earth, the sound, the air." Spit to the sky. "The dialogue is neat and seamless, which can be called a wonderful pairing.

The most talked-about story is probably the story of Wang Anshi in the Northern Song Dynasty who acted as a matchmaker. When Wang Anshi was 20 years old, he went to Beijing to take the exam. He passed by a certain place during the Lantern Festival and admired the lanterns while walking. He saw a large family hanging a revolving lantern high and a couplet hanging under the lantern to recruit couples. The couplet said, "The revolving lantern, the horse running with the lantern, the horse stops when the lantern is turned off." When Wang Anshi saw it, he couldn't answer for a while, so he kept it in his heart. When he arrived in the capital, the examiner came out with a flying tiger flag fluttering in the wind. "Flying tiger flag, flying tiger in flag, tiger hiding in flag." Wang Anshi responded by recruiting relatives and was selected as a Jinshi. When I returned home and passed by that family, I heard that no one had come out to show off the couplet, so I responded with the examiner's couplet and was recruited as my soon-to-be son-in-law. A coincidental couplet actually brought about two major happy events for Wang Anshi.

It is said that Zhu Di, the founder of Ming Dynasty, traveled incognito during the Lantern Festival of a certain year. He met a scholar and had a very good conversation. Zhu Di wrote the first couplet to test his talents, and the couplet said: "The lamp is bright and the moon is bright, the lamp and the moon are always bright, and the Ming Dynasty is unified." The scholar immediately wrote the second couplet: "The king is happy and the people are happy, the king and the people are happy together, and there will be eternal happiness for thousands of years." "Yongle" is In the reign of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di was overjoyed and awarded him the title of No. 1 Scholar.

Guessing lantern riddles during the Lantern Festival

Lantern riddles existed in the Spring and Autumn Period, when they were called "cryptic words". It was not until the Han and Wei dynasties that they began to be called "riddles". In the Southern Song Dynasty, some people wrote riddles on lanterns. , let people guess lantern riddles during the Lantern Festival. After the Southern Song Dynasty, appreciating lanterns and guessing lantern riddles made the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival lively and warm. Because it is difficult to guess the lantern riddles, just like a tiger is difficult to be shot, it is also called "Lenghu" (also called Wenhu). The production of traditional lantern riddles requires a certain format and requires ingenuity to make very exquisite lantern riddles. It is an original literary art in China.

One year during the Lantern Festival, Emperor Qianlong and a group of civil and military ministers went to watch the lantern festival with great interest. The various lanterns on the left are colorful and beautiful; the lanterns on the right are unique, interesting and thought-provoking. When Emperor Qianlong was happy to see it, the ministers accompanying him also made riddle couplets for everyone to guess.

Academician Ji Xiaolan thought for a moment and wrote a couplet on the palace lantern:

"Black is not, white is not, red and yellow are not. They are like foxes, cats and dogs, neither domestic animals nor domestic animals. Not a wild beast.

The poem is not, the lyrics are not, and the Analects is not vague about east, west, north and south. Although it is a short piece, it is also a wonderful article."

Emperor Qianlong thought hard after reading it. The civil and military ministers all scratched their heads and couldn't figure it out. Finally, it was Ji Xiaolan who revealed the answer on his own: guessing the riddle.

Chinese Valentine's Day

The Lantern Festival is also a romantic festival among traditional Chinese festivals. The Lantern Festival provided an opportunity for unmarried men and women to get acquainted in the traditional feudal society. Young girls are not allowed to go out for free activities, but they can go out together during the festival. The Lantern Festival lantern viewing is an opportunity for friendship, and unmarried men and women can use the lantern viewing to find a partner for themselves. During the Lantern Festival, it is another time for young men and women to meet their lovers. Therefore, the Lantern Festival can be said to be the authentic Chinese Valentine's Day, not the Chinese Valentine's Day as some people superficially imagine.

In Taiwan, there is also a traditional custom that unmarried women secretly pick onions or vegetables on the Lantern Festival night and they will marry a good husband. It is commonly known as: "Stealing onions, marrying a good man", "Stealing vegetables, marrying a good man", "Stealing vegetables, marrying a good husband" "Good son-in-law", girls who hope for a happy marriage will go to the vegetable garden to secretly pick onions or green vegetables on the night of the Lantern Festival, looking forward to future family happiness. In the Tang Dynasty, there were also music, dance and opera performances at the lantern market in the Tang Dynasty. Thousands of palace maids and folk girls Singing and dancing under the lights are called walking songs and step songs.

4 Festival Legends Editor

The Origin of Lighting Lanterns

Legend has it that a long time ago, there were many ferocious birds and beasts that harmed people and livestock everywhere, so people organized themselves Fighting them, a magical bird landed on earth because it got lost, but was accidentally shot to death by an unsuspecting hunter.

The Emperor of Heaven was very angry when he found out. He immediately issued a decree and ordered the heavenly soldiers to set fire to the human world on the 15th day of the first lunar month and burn all the human and animal property on earth. The daughter of the Emperor of Heaven was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see the innocent people suffer, so she risked her life and secretly came to the world on auspicious clouds to tell people the news. When everyone heard the news, it was like a thunderclap above their heads, and they were so frightened that they didn't know what to do.

It took a long time before an old man came up with an idea. He said: "On the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth of the first lunar month, every family will decorate their homes with lanterns and colorful lights. Sound the firecrackers and set off fireworks. In this way, the Emperor will think that everyone has been burned to death." Everyone nodded in agreement and went separately. On the night of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Emperor of Heaven looked down and saw a red light and loud noises in the world. This happened for three consecutive nights. He thought it was the flames of a fire and was very happy. In this way people saved their lives and property. In order to commemorate this success, from then on every fifteenth day of the first lunar month, every household hung lanterns and set off fireworks to commemorate this day.

The legend of Dongfang Shuo and the Yuanxiao girl

The legend of Dongfang Shuo and the Yuanxiao girl

This legend is related to the custom of eating Yuanxiao: According to legend, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had a favored minister named His name is Dongfang Shuo, he is kind and funny. One winter, it snowed heavily for several days, so Dongfang Shuo went to the Imperial Garden to pick plum blossoms for Emperor Wu. As soon as I entered the garden gate, I found a palace maid with tears streaming down her face and ready to throw herself into the well. Dongfang Shuo hurriedly stepped forward to rescue her and asked her why she wanted to commit suicide. It turns out that this palace maid's name is Yuanxiao, and she has parents and a younger sister at home. Since she entered the palace, she has never had the chance to see her family again. Every year when the Spring Festival comes, she misses her family even more than usual. I felt that if I could not fulfill my filial piety in front of my parents, it would be better to die. Dongfang Shuo felt deeply sympathetic after hearing her experience, and assured her that he would try to reunite her with her family.

One day, Dongfang Shuo left the palace and set up a divination stall on Chang'an Street. Many people are vying to ask him for divination. Unexpectedly, what everyone wanted was the sign of "burning the body with fire on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month". Suddenly, there was great panic in Chang'an. People have been asking for solutions to the disaster. Dongfang Shuo said: "On the evening of the 15th day of the first lunar month, Lord Vulcan will send a red-clothed goddess down to earth to investigate. She is the envoy who was ordered to burn Chang'an. I will give you the copied verses so that you can think of a solution today." After finishing, he threw down a red post and walked away. The common people picked up the red sticker and hurriedly sent it to the palace to report to the emperor.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty took it and took a look, and saw that it read: "Chang'an is in tribulation, the emperor's palace is burned, fifteen days of fire, flame red supper", he was shocked, and quickly invited the resourceful Dongfang Shuo.

Dongfang Shuo thought for a while and said, "I heard that Lord Vulcan loves glutinous rice balls the most. Doesn't the Yuanxiao in the palace often make glutinous rice balls for you? You can ask Yuanxiao to make glutinous rice balls on the night of the 15th. Long live the incense and offer it to Kyoto. Every family makes glutinous rice balls and worships the God of Fire together, and then orders the subjects to hang up lanterns on the night of the 15th, light firecrackers and set off fireworks all over the city, so that the Jade Emperor can be hidden. Common people, on the night of the 15th, go to the city to watch the lanterns and mingle with the crowd to resolve misfortune.” After hearing this, Emperor Wu was very happy and ordered to follow Dongfang Shuo's method.

On the 15th day of the first lunar month, Chang'an City was decorated with lanterns and colorful lights, and it was very lively with tourists coming and going. The parents of the palace maid Yuanxiao also took their sister to the city to watch the lanterns. When they saw the big palace lantern with the word "Luanxiao" written on it, they shouted in surprise: "Lanxiao! Lantern Festival!" Yuanxiao heard the shout and was finally reunited with her relatives at home.

After such a lively night, Chang'an City was indeed safe and sound. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was so happy that he ordered that glutinous rice dumplings be made as an offering to the God of Fire every fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Lanterns and fireworks would still be hung all over the city on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Because the dumplings made during the Lantern Festival are the best, this day is called the Lantern Festival.

Yuan Shikai and Yuanxiao

Legend has it that after Yuan Shikai, a thief who usurped the achievements of the Revolution of 1911, wanted to be restored to the throne and become emperor, he was afraid of the people's opposition and was always in fear. One day, he heard a man selling Yuanxiao on the street shouting in a long voice: "Yuanxiao." He felt that the word "Yuanxiao" was a homophony of "Yuanxiao", and it was suspected that Yuan Shikai had been eliminated. Thinking of his own fate, So before the Lantern Festival in 1913, it was ordered that it was forbidden to call it "Yuanxiao", and it could only be called "tangyuan" or "pinguo". However, the word "Yuanxiao" was not canceled due to his will. The people did not buy his account, and it was still spread among the people.

5 Editors of local customs

Han nationality

Lighting up lanterns

Since the formation of the custom of lighting up lanterns during the Lantern Festival, all dynasties have celebrated the first lunar month Viewing lanterns with fifteen lanterns is a great event. Emperor Wen of the Liang Dynasty once wrote a poem "Ode to Lamps": "The oil in the south is full, and the paint in the west is burning. Su Zheng rests in peace, and the wax comes out of Longchuan. The slanting light shines on each other, and the reflection is clear and fresh." It depicts the palace at that time in the Lantern Festival. The spectacle of lights. During the reign of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, a grand party was held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month every year to entertain guests and envoys from all over the world. According to "Book of Sui Dynasty Music Chronicles": The Lantern Festival celebration is very grand, with lights and colors everywhere, singing, dancing and playing music day and night. There are more than 30,000 performers and more than 18,000 music players. The stage is eight miles long. Countless people watched the lanterns. They stayed up all night and had fun. It was very lively. In the Tang Dynasty, it developed into an unprecedented lantern market. After the mid-Tang Dynasty, it has developed into a national carnival. During the prosperous Kaiyuan period during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (AD 685-762), the lantern market in Chang'an was very large, with 50,000 lanterns burning in a variety of lantern styles. The emperor ordered a huge lantern tower to be built, with 20 rooms in total and 150 feet high. The golden light is dazzling and extremely spectacular. In the Tang Dynasty, a curfew was implemented. It was prohibited to travel at night as soon as the drum was sounded, and people who broke the night were punished. Only on the Lantern Festival, the emperor granted permission to lift the curfew for three days, which was called "night release". In the Song Dynasty, the lantern display was extended from three nights to five nights. In addition to the lanterns, fireworks and various acrobatics were performed, making the scene even more lively. "Tokyo Menghua Lu" records: During the Lantern Festival, thousands of colored lanterns are piled up into a mountain of lanterns on Kaifeng's Imperial Street, with lanterns and fireworks, gold and jade shining on each other, and the beauty interweaving. Kyoto girls sang and danced, and thousands of people watched. "Visitors gathered under the two corridors of the Royal Street, performing miraculous magic, singing, dancing, and dancing, and the music was noisy for more than ten miles." In the streets and alleys, teahouses and restaurants were lit with lights, gongs and drums were beating, and firecrackers were blasting. There are endless lights for hundreds of miles.

Compatriots from all over the country celebrate the Lantern Festival

In the Ming Dynasty, after Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the throne in Jinling, in order to make the capital prosperous and lively, he also stipulated that the lanterns should be turned on on the eighth day of the first lunar month and turned off on the seventeenth day of the first lunar month. At night, every house hangs five-color lanterns. The lanterns depict various characters, dancing gracefully, and birds flying and flowers blooming. Dragons soar and fish leap, and lanterns and fireworks shine all night long. Drumming and entertainment. This is the longest lantern festival in China. In the Qing Dynasty, when the Manchus took over the Central Plains, the palace no longer held lantern festivals, but the folk lantern festivals were still spectacular. The date was shortened to five days and continues to this day. [6]

Guessing lantern riddles

Lantern riddles

"Guessing lantern riddles" is also called "playing lantern riddles". It is an activity added after the Lantern Festival. Lantern riddles are the earliest It was developed from riddles and originated in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It is a literary game full of ridicule, discipline, humor and laughter. Riddles hung on lamps for people to guess began in the Southern Song Dynasty.

"Old Martial Arts·Lamp Products" records: "Using silk lanterns to cut out poems, sometimes to express ridicule, and to draw figures, hidden secrets, and old Beijing idioms to tease passers-by." On the Lantern Festival, the imperial city is never dark, and people enjoy the lanterns on the Spring Festival. At the meeting, people mixed together, wrote poems and riddles on lamps, reflected them on candles, and listed them on the thoroughfare for anyone to guess, so it was called "lantern riddles". Nowadays, every Lantern Festival, lantern riddles are played in various places, hoping for joy and peace. Because riddles can enlighten wisdom and are interesting, they are very popular among all walks of life in the process of spreading.

In the Tang and Song Dynasties, various juggling skills began to appear in the lantern market. In the lantern markets of the Ming and Qing dynasties, in addition to lantern riddles and opera songs and dances, opera performances were also added.

In addition to visiting the lantern market, people in the past dynasties also had customs such as welcoming Zigu, offering sacrifices to the toilet god, crossing bridges and touching nails to ward off all kinds of diseases. There were also games such as playing peace drums, Yangko, stilts, dragon dances, and lion dances.

The Lantern Festival in traditional society is a major folk festival that urban and rural areas attach great importance to. The Lantern Festival is particularly noisy in cities and embodies the unique carnival spirit of the Chinese people. The festival and custom functions carried by the traditional Lantern Festival have been eliminated by daily life. People have gradually lost their unique spiritual interest. The complex festival customs have been simplified into " The food custom of "eating Yuanxiao".

Dragon lantern play

Dragon lantern play is also called dragon lantern dance or dragon dance. Its origins can be traced back to ancient times. Legend has it that as early as the Huangdi period, in a large-scale song and dance called "Qing Jiao", the image of a dragon head and a bird's body played by humans appeared. Later, a dance scene in which six dragons interspersed with each other was choreographed. The dragon dance can be seen in written records in "Xijing Fu" written by Zhang Heng of the Han Dynasty. The author gave a vivid description of the dragon dance in the narration of hundreds of operas. According to the "Book of Sui·Music Chronicles", during the Sui Dynasty Emperor Yang's reign, the "Huanglong Transformation", which was similar to the dragon dance performance in Baixi Opera, was also very exciting. Dragon dance was popular in many places in China. The Chinese nation respects the dragon and regards it as a symbol of auspiciousness.

Walking on stilts

Walking on stilts is a popular mass performance among the people. Stilts are one of the ancient Chinese operas and have appeared as early as the Spring and Autumn Period. The earliest introduction of stilts in China is in the chapter "Liezi·Shuofu": "There were Lanzi in the Song Dynasty who used their skills to achieve success in the Song and Yuan Dynasties. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, people were summoned to see their skills.

Traditional folk show - lion dance

Lion Dance

Lion dance is an excellent folk art in China. During the Lantern Festival or gatherings and celebrations, people use lion dance to cheer up. This custom originated in the Three Kingdoms period and became popular in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. , has a history of more than a thousand years

"Lion Dance" began in the Wei and Jin Dynasties and flourished in the Tang Dynasty. It is also called "Lion Dance" and "Taiping Le". It is usually completed by three people and two people. Dressed up as a lion, one person acts as the lion's head, one person acts as the lion's body and hind legs, and the other person acts as the lion's leader. The dance method is divided into civil and martial arts. The literary dance expresses the tameness of the lion, including shaking its hair, rolling and other movements, while the martial arts dance expresses the tameness of the lion. The lion's ferocious movements include leaping, kicking, and rolling colorful balls.

Land boat rowing

Land boat rowing is also said to commemorate Dayu, who had great achievements in controlling floods. It is called a land boat, which is to imitate the movements of a boat on land. Most of the people who perform the land boat are girls. The land boat is not a real boat. It is usually made of two thin boards, sawn into a boat shape, tied with bamboo and wood, and then covered with colorful cloth and tied to the girl. With his waist as if he were sitting in a boat, he held an oar in his hand and made a rowing posture. While running, he sang some local tunes and danced at the same time. This is what it means to row a land boat. Sometimes there is another man dressed as a man. Boat passengers often dress up as clowns to amuse the audience with various antics.

Eating Lantern Festival

"Yuanxiao" has been a food in China for a long time. In the Song Dynasty, a novel food eaten during the Lantern Festival was popular among the people. This food was first called "Fu Yuanzi" and later "Yuanxiao", and businessmen also praised its name. It is called "Yuanbao". In ancient times, the price of "Yuanxiao" was relatively expensive. There is a poem that says: "Dignified guests hook up the curtain to look at the imperial street, and the treasures in the market come at once." The flower stand in front of the curtain has no way to go, and if you don't get the money, you won't get it back. "

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Yuanxiao is eaten. Yuanxiao, also known as "tangyuan", is filled 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, with different flavors. It can be cooked in soup, fried or steamed, and it has the meaning of happy reunion. The glutinous rice balls in Shaanxi are not wrapped, but are "rolled" in glutinous rice flour, and can be boiled or fried. [7]

Sacrifice to the door, sacrifice to the household

In ancient times, there were "seven sacrifices", these are two of them.

The method of offering sacrifices is to insert poplar branches above the door, insert a pair of chopsticks into the bowl of bean porridge, or place wine and meat directly in front of the door.

Chasing mice

This activity is mainly for those who raise silkworms. Because mice often eat large tracts of silkworms at night, people heard that if you feed the mouse rice porridge on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, it will stop eating silkworms. So on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, these people cooked a big pot of sticky porridge, and some even covered it with a layer of meat. They served the porridge in a bowl and put it on the ceiling, corner, or in their mouth where rats were infested. While muttering something, he cursed the rat to die miserably if it ate silkworm babies.

It is said in "Records of the Years of Jingchu" that on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, a god descended to the earth to a family named Chen and said to them: If you can sacrifice to me, let your silkworms Good harvest. Later, a custom was formed.

Send children's lanterns

Abbreviated as "send lanterns", also known as "send lanterns", etc., that is, before the Lantern Festival, the parents' family sends lanterns to the newly married daughter's family, or to relatives and friends in general. It is given to newlyweds and infertile families in order to bring good luck to their children, because "Lamp" and "Ding" are homophonic. This custom exists in many places. In Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, lanterns are given between the eighth and fifteenth day of the first lunar month. In the first year, a pair of large palace lanterns and a pair of glass lanterns with paintings are given in the hope that the daughter will have good luck after marriage and give birth to a son soon. If the daughter is pregnant, in addition to the big palace lanterns, one or two pairs of small lanterns will also be given to wish her a safe pregnancy.

Welcome Zigu

Zigu is also called Qigu. In the north, she is often called toilet aunt and pit third aunt. Ancient folk customs include offering sacrifices to Zigu, the toilet god, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, fortune-telling about sericulture, and fortune telling. Legend has it that Zigu was a concubine who was jealous of the eldest wife. She was killed in the toilet on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and became the toilet god. Every night on the day when Zigu is welcomed, people tie up a life-size portrait of Zigu with straw, cloth, etc., and worship her in the pig pen in the toilet room at night. This custom is popular in all parts of the north and south.

"Walk away all kinds of diseases" during the Lantern Festival to seek health

It can be seen in records as early as the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Walking all diseases

"Walking all diseases" is also called "Wandering all diseases", "Walk all diseases", "Walk all diseases", "Bao Baiyi", "Walking all diseases", "Walking all diseases", "Walking all diseases", "Walking all diseases", etc. It is an activity to eliminate disasters and pray for health. . On the night of the Lantern Festival, women meet to go out together and cross bridges whenever they see them, believing that this can cure diseases and prolong life.

It has been a custom in the north since the Ming and Qing Dynasties to pray for all diseases, some on the 15th, but mostly on the 16th. On this day, women dressed in festive costumes walked out of their homes in groups, walked on bridges to overcome dangers, climbed to the city, touched nails to beg for children, and did not return until midnight. [

Related poems

(Sui) Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty "Building lanterns on the thoroughfare to raise the South Tower at night" on Lantern Festival

(Tang) Su Weiwei "On the tenth day of the first lunar month" "Five Days of Night"

(Tang Dynasty) Cui Ye "Shangyuan Night"

(Tang Dynasty) Lu Zhaolin "Fifteen Nights Watching Lanterns"

(Tang Dynasty) Zhang Hu "First Month" "Lights at the Fifteenth Night"

(Tang Dynasty) Li Shangyin's poem said

The moonlight lanterns filled the imperial capital, and the fragrant chariots and treasures covered the narrow thoroughfares.

I don’t see the prosperity in my spare time, and I am ashamed to chase the local Sai Zigu.

(Song Dynasty) Jiang Baishi’s poem:

On the Lantern Festival, people compete to see the lotus-picking boats, and BMWs and incense cars pick up and drop diamonds;

In the dead of night in the stormy night, when everyone has dispersed, the solitary lamp Still calling for selling Tang Yuan.

(Song Dynasty) Jiang Baishi's poem said

The distinguished guest hooked up the curtain to look at the imperial street, and the treasures in the market came for a while.

The flower stand in front of the curtain has no way to walk, and he has no money. Willing to return.

(Note: The treasure here refers to the Lantern Festival)

(Song Dynasty) Xin Qiji's "The Green Jade Case·Yuanxiao Festival"

(Song Dynasty) Ouyang Xiu (One Talk about Zhu Shuzhen) " Shengchazi·Yuanxiao"

(Yuan) Yuan Haowen "Kyoto Yuanxi"

(Yuan) Lost name "Zhegui Ling·Yuanxiao"

I love the scenery of the Lantern Festival, with the beautiful moonlight and brilliant lights.

The moon is full of ice, the lamps are burning on the land and the sea, and people are stepping on the spring sun.

Three beautiful things can only be rewarded, but four ruthless things can only be hated and difficult to survive.

What I’m afraid of is the dim light, the quiet desolation, the corner of the south building, the west wing under the moon.

(Ming Dynasty) Li Mengyang's "Bianjing Yuanxiao"

(Ming Dynasty) Tang Yin's "Yuanxiao"

(Qing Dynasty) Dong Shunmin's "Yuanxiao Lantern Festival"

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A hundred branches of fire make a tree worth a thousand gold, and the fragrance of a BMW is endless. Feiqiong came together to test the lantern, and reluctantly said goodbye to Tanlang.

One time she feigned anger, another time she smiled, the little maid was timid to help her walk.

Shiqiao Road was slippery, and he whispered to his mother. Da'e has no regrets this night? Afraid of entering Guanghan Palace.

It’s better to go back, it’s hard to forget the past, it’s always a reunion moon.

(Qing Dynasty) Fu Zeng's "Bamboo Branch Poems of Shangyuan"

(Ming Dynasty) Tang Shunzhi's "Yuanxi Shadows and Ice Lanterns"

I am pity for the fire tree and the beauty of spring, suddenly I see it The clear light reflects the moon.

The shark beads still carry water when they go out to sea, and the sleeves in the hall are full of coldness.

The candles do not block the shadows in the sky, but the faintness seems to be seen from the moon.

For the sake of the east wind, we can borrow each other for a while, so that we can enjoy the rest of the night.

(Qing Dynasty) Qiu Fengjia's "Moonless Yuanxi"

Hou Zhi's "Treading on the Shasha"

Zhang Xiaoxiang's "Green Shafts of Willows"

Southern Fujian Ballad "The Lantern Festival and the Full Moon"

While celebrating the Lantern Festival and the full moon, the compatriots in Fujian and Taiwan depend on each other.

We support the elderly and the young Returning to my hometown, I ended my longing for love on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

What does it feel like to have tears in your eyes? What a joy to meet again after a long absence!

Celebrate the Lantern Festival, cook glutinous rice balls, and feel happy about the reunion of flesh and blood.

Men, women, old and young gather around the table and eat Shangyuan Wan together as a family.

The blood stains on the cradle are hard to separate, and it is the right thing for a fallen leaf to return to its roots.