What are the traditional festivals in China? What is the origin?

The traditional festivals in China have been basically stereotyped since the Han Dynasty, increasing and decreasing. After the Republic of China, great changes have taken place due to the westernization in form, but the people still insist on something that is not stipulated by government laws. Until the Cultural Revolution, the government even cut the promotion of traditional festivals except the Spring Festival, and even promoted the Spring Festival as "a revolutionary Spring Festival". After the reform and opening up, people began to celebrate some traditional festivals, and newspapers and periodicals also made some introductions and publicity accordingly. At present, including legal holidays, traditional festivals celebrated by the people account for about one-third of traditional festivals. Traditional festivals contain many folk culture and traditional humanistic concepts, as well as religious factors, which are of certain significance to the study of the culture, history and social life of ancient society. The following are the origins of traditional festivals:

Spring Festival (New Year's greetings in the first month):

New Year's Day, also known as the New Year, or the first day of the first month. The first day of the first month is the day when a year, four seasons and twelve months begin. In Chunqiu Zhuan, the first month is called Duanyue. When the rooster crows, firecrackers will be set off in front of the court to ward off evil spirits. Therefore, the first month is a festival that has existed since ancient times. There are many customs in the first month, for example, young people and old people dress well, and this custom has been maintained to this day, drinking pepper wine, that is, wine made of pepper flowers, or cypress wine. However, some specific activities have now been abandoned, including Han and Jin. For example, at the beginning of the week, he said in the Local Records: "Swallowing a chicken is called practicing shape." "Dream of China in Tokyo" records that in the first month of the Northern Song Dynasty, the imperial court held a big sacrifice, emperors and officials held large-scale mass worship activities, and also hosted banquets for envoys from various countries, with special emphasis on the banquet treatment for the Liao Dynasty missions. This activity has been preserved to this day. After the Revolution of 1911, the traditional festival legally reserved by the government of the Republic of China was only the first month, but it was renamed as "Spring Festival", and New Year's Day was placed on January 1 of the western calendar. It's just that the government and people pay more attention to the Spring Festival, and the people and China government have a four-day legal holiday. However, at present, many private enterprises have appropriately extended the Spring Festival to varying degrees, and some even extended it to 1 month 15, including weekends.

Spring Festival:

1 month 1 day to 1 month 15 day, which is an ancient traditional festival for farmers. According to Ying Shao's "Custom Yi Tong" in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the sacrifice to farmers was first held in April, and it was changed to February by Emperor Wendi, and changed to beginning of spring in the Jin Dynasty. On the day of spring, officials should personally put on clothes to celebrate and sit on Koharu cows to show their support and attention to agriculture after spring, and people also have corresponding celebrations. In fact, this festival is the real Spring Festival. In the Western Jin Dynasty, Fu Xian's Yan Fu said, "Four o'clock has arrived, so it's time to start. He was born in the East, but Yan was established to welcome him. The ambiguity of light wings, if it can fly, will not rise. Mrs. He is skilled and similar in style and appearance. When Yu Qingshu praised it, it was the best in Yichun. " Today, few people know that beginning of spring is a traditional festival.

Lantern Festival:

Lantern Festival is the busiest day of the year on the fifteenth day of the first month, because most people have to go to work after this day. Lantern Festival is a grand event, with lanterns and fireworks. Dragon and lion dances, social acrobatics, from day to night. In order to keep the attitude of sharing happiness with the people, Jin Wu couldn't help thinking that Jin Wu was holding Jin Wu, the bodyguard guarding the palace. Wu Jin couldn't help but point out that ordinary people were not forbidden to visit the Jinshui Bridge in front of the palace. Fireworks are set off near Jinshui Bridge, and the emperor and his concubines can enjoy them on the gatehouse of the imperial city. In the past, fireworks were made up of all kinds of firecrackers and fireworks tied to fireworks racks. I saw them when I was a child. They are more spectacular than western-style fireworks, but they are also dangerous. Don Su Weidao's poem, "Fire trees and silver flowers meet, the golden bridge is untied, the dark dust goes with the horse, and the firefly comes." Vividly summarized the scene of Yuanxi. With the coming of the Lunar New Year, many young women confined in boudoir and family members of officials were allowed to watch lanterns, which created a rare contact opportunity for young men and women and performed many love stories, which were described in the vernacular novels of the Ming Dynasty. Ouyang Xiu's Ci "The Birth of Mistakes" in the Northern Song Dynasty. Yuan "last year's Lantern Festival, the flower market was picturesque, with willow tips on the moon and later generations meeting at dusk." On the first night of this year, the moon and lights were still there. Last year's people disappeared, and Man Chun's shirt sleeves were crying. " Yuan wrote about his experience. He missed her for a year. How could this situation be embarrassing? Xin Qiji wrote, "Looking back suddenly, people are there, and the lights are dim! "Obviously, my sweetheart fell from the sky. Celebrations of the Lunar New Year have been maintained in rural areas in the north, but they have also resumed in the south, and most of them are limited to watching song and dance programs on TV.

On March 3:

On March 3rd, this festival originated so early that Emperor Wu of Jin didn't even know its meaning. Zhiyu answered his question that it had existed since the Duke of Zhou. It turned out that the glass was filled with wine and floated in the river. This is the meaning of "Qushui Flowing" in Wang Xizhi's Preface to Lanting Collection. People who read ancient prose for the first time without reading the notes are easily confused by the meaning of Qushui. ?

Cold food festival:

Fire ban? Cold food is two days before Tomb-Sweeping Day, and the 105th day after the winter solstice. On this day, fire should be banned. I only eat cold food such as fruits and snacks. Cold food originated from the story of burning mesons in Jin Wengong. The story says:? Zhong Er, the son of Jin Dynasty, fled abroad with meson push. The son of Jin passed Wei, hungry and short of food. His entourage, meson tui, cut off the meat from his thigh for Wen Gong to eat. Wen Gong returned to China as a pawn? After the monarch, meson tui was the only one who didn't get the position when he was rewarded with meritorious service. Push forward? I wrote "Song of the Dragon and Snake" and lived in seclusion. Jin Wengong visited Zitui, but Zitui didn't want to come out. So Wen Gong set fire to the trees around the mountain, hoping to push the child out. Push the dead willow and let it burn to death. Jin Wengong mourned him and ordered the people not to go on May 5th? Make a fire, and then on May 5th of the Han Dynasty, it was changed to the time written on it.

Tomb-Sweeping Day:

Go to the grave? Tomb-Sweeping Day's offerings to ancestors and deceased relatives only rose after the Northern and Southern Dynasties, because? The Chronicle of Jingchu written by Zong Gu in the Southern Dynasties is not included. In the Northern Song Dynasty, every household was required to stick willow branches on their doors. The government will hold a ceremony called "drilling wood to make fire", that is, using elm wood to drill wood to make fire. What else is there? Holding a dragon boat race is very lively, not a simple grave sweeping activity. As the saying goes, "It rains a lot during the Qingming Festival, and pedestrians on the road want to break their souls". Qingming activities are still maintained.

Dragon Boat Festival:

Dragon boat? May 5th is the annual Dragon Boat Festival, which is very lively. People should organize dragon boats spontaneously? Competition, eating zongzi, drinking realgar wine and hanging wormwood at the door. This festival is said to commemorate Chu? The story of Dr. Qu Yuan's concern for the country and the people, his dedication to the Miluo River, and the people wrapping glutinous rice with palm leaves? Turn into rice balls and throw them into the river as bait to keep fish and turtles from eating their respected Dr. Qu. The celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival is still very enthusiastic in China, but it is not as crowded as it was before the 1960s, and primary and secondary school students can't sit still in class when they go to the Dragon Boat Festival. Overseas Chinese are just? I remembered zongzi when I saw it sold in the shop.

Qixi Qiaoqi Festival (Valentine's Day):

Qixi Beggar's Day? Yesterday was the seventh day of July in the lunar calendar. In the past, it was said that on the night of the seventh day of July, the cowherd and the weaver girl in the sky separated. Meet at the Yinhe Magpie Bridge. Of course this is not true. The distance across both sides of the galaxy is long? Degrees are measured in millions of light years, even if you travel across the Milky Way in a light-speed aircraft? The system can never be achieved overnight. ?

Ghost Festival:

Ghost Festival in the Central Plains The festival in the Central Plains is July 15, commonly known as "Ghost Festival". On this day, it is said that it is necessary to burn paper money for the dead, and the temple should try to make a Dojo for the dead to cross over. This festival originated from the Buddhist scripture "Mu Lian Save Mother", so it was very warm in the Song Dynasty. I want to set up a stage in the market to sing the vaudeville "Mu Lian Save Mother". According to Buddhist scriptures, this story says: Mu Lian saw her dead mother in the underworld and immediately offered her a bowl of rice. Rice was not imported, so it became charcoal. In this way, Manglietia's mother couldn't get food, and Manglietia ran away screaming. Buddha said, "Your mother's sin is too deep for you to bear alone. It takes the strength of ten monks. On July 15th, you should prepare all kinds of delicious food and five kinds of fruits for the seven generations of parents who suffered in the dungeon, and put them in pots and pans to worship the top ten monks. I will warn all monks and wish the seven generations of parents of the donor to enter' meditation' and then accept food. " Mulian did as the Buddha said, and his mother relieved all the pain of the Russian ghost. Manglietia then said to the Buddha, "In the future, Buddhist disciples who are filial to their parents should also set up a bonsai to support the ten monks." Buddha said, "Well said!" So this story is actually a combination of Confucian filial piety and Buddhist Confucian classics, which is convenient for the popularization of Buddhism. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called "Orchid Festival". In Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio, there are many references to the Orchid Club. When I was a child, I heard the old man say many times that "ghosts run around in July and a half", but I don't know why. At present, most students studying in the United States only know about Halloween (Gregorian calendar1October 3 1 Sunday), but they don't know about the Orchestral Club in China, which is much more solemn than grinning at Halloween. Orchid clubs may have existed in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, but now they are only restored in temples, which is too superstitious.

Mid-Autumn Festival:

Appreciating the Moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival August 15 On the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the moon looks particularly bright and big, and the commemoration of the Mid-Autumn Festival begins. Sitting around eating moon cakes in Mid-Autumn Festival, and then going out to enjoy the moon, also means family reunion, which may come from Su Shi's poem "When is the bright moon?" Ask heaven for wine, and wish people a long life and a thousand miles of beauty. "This is written by Su Dongpo when he missed his brother Perilla in the field. However, the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival is not in this sense, but the obvious appreciation of the moon, but comes from the beautiful story of Emperor Tang Ming wandering in the Moon Palace with the help of the famous Taoist Ye Fashan, with a fairy tale "colorful feathers", which I have posted to explain. As for the custom of eating moon cakes on Mid-Autumn Festival night, there is nothing in the notes of the Southern Song Dynasty. According to legend, at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, when the peasant Red Scarf Army revolted, it took the round cake as the number. The Mid-Autumn Festival in Song Dynasty is very lively. According to "Old Wulin Stories", on the Mid-Autumn Festival night in the Southern Song Dynasty, people set off 100,000 parchment lamps and let them drift along the Qiantang River. Like a star on the Qiantang River at night, it's fun.

Double ninth festival:

September 9th is the traditional Double Ninth Festival, which coincides with the crisp autumn. Is it an outing? A good time to stay away. Wang Wei wrote in "Climbing the Mountain on September 9 to Remember Shandong Brothers": "Unique? As a stranger in my hometown, I miss my relatives twice every holiday. I know from a distance where my brother climbed, and there is one person missing from the dogwood. " ? Show his true feelings for his loved ones. Cornus officinalis grass on September 9, on a sunny day? In the days, climbing uphill and drinking chrysanthemum wine makes people feel that life and nature are integrated. So the thought of longevity. ? After the liberation of the Double Ninth Festival, there were no more celebrations.

Laba Festival:

December 8th is the day of offering sacrifices to the kitchen god. The Book of Rites says, "The son of Zhuan Xu said Li, why? Zhu Rong, I think it is the kitchen god. " Therefore, the origin of offering sacrifices to the kitchen god may be before the Western Zhou Dynasty. ? In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Serina Liu and others wrote A History of the East View of the Han Dynasty, saying that they would sacrifice the antelope to the Kitchen God. Arrive? The so-called "laba rice" appeared in the activities of offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God in Song Dynasty, which was based on? A variety of fruit miscellaneous materials to cook porridge. This custom may come from Buddhism's activities towards the folk witch gods in China? On this day, the monks saw everyone offering sacrifices to the traditional witchcraft gods. Are they afraid? It is not conducive to the propaganda of its teachings, but it is necessary to hold a porridge meeting and give alms to the poor and helpless? Eat it to offset the influence of "cults", but ordinary people can't care so much, so they take it as usual. Anyway, it is different to eat, so I invented "Laba porridge". ? Buddhism's resistance to "cults" was very successful, and previous activities such as jumping into the gods were completely eliminated. Zhang Heng's Ode to Tokyo in the Eastern Han Dynasty also said: "At the end of each year, a grand Nuo ceremony will be held to drive away all the people. A little evil soul. Fang Shen Xiang holds weapons, wizards hold brooms, and thousands of children wear red towels? Dressed in black, holding a peach bow and a thorn arrow, shooting aimlessly everywhere. " The year of Jingchu? "Remember to read a record, but in the Tokyo Dream China Record, I can't see it anymore? Such a joyous celebration. ? However, "Laba porridge" has been handed down, and many families still have this custom, some of which are now? Being a clever daughter-in-law is also very rewarding. ?

New Year's Eve Festival:

New Year's Eve is the last day of the year. On this day, ordinary families get together as much as possible, gather around the fire, drink and eat delicious food to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year, while the outdoor sound is firecrackers. ? A family spent the last night of a warm year together, so far in China? The earth is still thick, but the wonderful program of the Spring Festival Evening ruined the warm atmosphere? Atmosphere. It is recorded in the Chronicle of Jingchu's Years Old that every family prepares delicious food and welcomes the arrival of the New Year at the end of the year. Is it a family? Have a good drink together. Leave some birthday rice and scatter it on the roadside or street on the New Year's 10/2. Think it means to go to the old and welcome the new. ? It seems that the youth league at that time was similar to people now, and they all had to bowl.