Baidu Encyclopedia of Spring Festival customs. See for yourself

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The Spring Festival is an ancient traditional festival in China, and it is also the most important festival in the whole year, so the customs of the Spring Festival are also varied. According to legend, Nian animals are afraid of red, fire and noise, so people have customs such as putting up Spring Festival couplets, setting off firecrackers and beating gongs and drums. The customs of different periods, regions and nationalities are different.

Spring Festival generally refers to New Year's Eve and the first day of the first month. However, among the people, the traditional Spring Festival refers to the sacrificial rites from La Worship on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month or on the 23rd or 24th of the twelfth lunar month to the 15th day of the first lunar month, with New Year's Eve and the first day of the first lunar month as the climax. During the Spring Festival, the Han nationality and many ethnic minorities in our country will hold various activities to celebrate. The main contents of these activities are offering sacrifices to the gods and buddhas, paying homage to ancestors, getting rid of the old and spreading the new, welcoming the new year, and praying for a good harvest. The activities are rich and colorful, with strong national characteristics.

the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month

Zhuxian Town's woodblock new year painting "cornucopia stove" is commonly known as "off-year". It is said that this day is the day when the kitchen god goes to heaven, so it is necessary to worship the kitchen god. The seventh day after the off-year will be 31.

In China, the Spring Festival usually begins with the sacrifice of stoves on the 23rd or 24th of the twelfth lunar month. There is a saying that "officials, three people, four boatmen and five people", that is, the official government holds the sacrifice ceremony on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the ordinary people on the 24th and house boat on the 25th. After holding the sacrificial stove, they officially began to prepare for the New Year. Every year from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month to New Year's Eve, the cartoon "Sacrificing a Kitchen to Heaven" is called "Spring Festival" by the people.

offering sacrifices to the kitchen stove

It is said that on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the kitchen god tells the Jade Emperor about the good and evil of this family, so that the Jade Emperor can reward and punish him. Therefore, when sending the stove, people put candy, water, beans and grass on the console table in front of the statue of the kitchen king, among which the last three are for the mount of the kitchen king ascending to heaven. When offering sacrifices to the stove, you should melt sugar (or honey) and smear it on the mouth of the kitchen god, so that he can't speak ill of the jade emperor, saying: God speaks good things. According to folklore, the Kitchen God tells the world about good and evil. Once the defendant commits evil deeds, his life will be shortened by 311 days for major crimes and 111 days for minor crimes. This statement is widely circulated.

People think that a few kind words from the kitchen god in front of the Jade Emperor will bring happiness to the family, which will protect the family's peace in the coming year. Therefore, every year on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, every household has to offer sacrifices to Kitchen God, asking him to say good words and auspicious words the day after last. This ceremony of sending the kitchen god is called "sending the kitchen stove" or "resigning the kitchen stove".

When giving away the kitchen stove, people used various methods to deal with the kitchen god in order to make him "say good things from heaven and return to the palace for good luck". Some worship it with gum candy, so as to stick the kitchen god's teeth so that it can't talk nonsense; Some people paint the kitchen door with distiller's grains, which is called "drunken commander", so drunk that the kitchen god can't talk nonsense.

The Kitchen God is specially treated by people, so it's not easy to speak ill of him. This is actually an ethical self-discipline of the people.

Seven days later, that is, on New Year's Eve, the Kitchen God will be brought back. Because, on the night of New Year's Eve, the Kitchen God will come to the world to celebrate the New Year with the gods, and there will be a ceremony of "receiving the kitchen" and "receiving the gods" that day. According to the custom of general places, the host is responsible for picking up the Kitchen God, and the harem does not participate. In ancient times, there was a saying that "men don't Yue Bai, women don't sacrifice stoves".

After seeing off the Kitchen God, it's the turn to worship the ancestors, which is called "hanging shadows" by the people. Lin Xi, a folklore expert in Tianjin, said that on the New Year's Day, portraits or photos of ancestors should be hung on the wall, drinks and tributes should be prepared, and people's worship should be accepted until the New Year's Eve.

eating stove candy

stove candy is a kind of maltose, which is very sticky. It is called "Guandong candy" when it is drawn into a long candy bar, and it is called "candied melon" when it is drawn into a flat shape. Put it outside in winter, because the weather is cold, the candied melon solidifies firmly and there are some tiny bubbles inside, which tastes crisp, sweet and fragrant, and has a special flavor. [2]?

On the 24th of the twelfth lunar month

Sweep the dust

The folk proverb of the comic "Sweep the dust" says "On the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, dust the house". After the stove festival was held, preparations for the Chinese New Year were officially started. Sweeping the dust is the year-end cleaning, which is called "sweeping the house" in the north and "dusting" in the south. It is a traditional habit of our people to sweep the dust before the Spring Festival. Whenever the Spring Festival comes, every household should clean the environment, clean all kinds of appliances, tear down and wash bedding curtains, sweep the six yards, dust cobwebs and dredge open channels and culverts. North and south of the great river, everywhere is filled with the atmosphere of being happy to engage in sanitation and welcoming the Spring Festival cleanly.

according to ancient records, there was a habit of year-end cleaning in ancient times. The custom of "sweeping the house with dust on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month" has a long history. According to "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals", China had the custom of sweeping dust during the Spring Festival in the Yao and Shun era. According to the folk saying, because of the homonym of "dust" and "Chen", sweeping dust in the Spring Festival has the meaning of "except Chen Buxin", and its intention is to sweep away all "poor luck" and "bad luck". "Qing Jia Lu" Volume 12 records: "La will be disabled, so it is advisable to choose a constitutional book to sweep away the day and go to the court to collect dirt. Or on the 23 rd, 24 th and 27 th, it is common to call' dust'. " On the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, the house was cleaned thoroughly inside and outside the courtyard. It can be seen that this custom entrusts people with the desire to break through the old and establish the new, and the prayer to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. It is also a traditional virtue accumulated by the Chinese nation in the long history of paying attention to hygiene and preventing diseases in winter. [3]?

The cartoon "Push the mill to make tofu"

On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month

A folk proverb says, "On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, push the mill to make tofu." According to research, tofu was invented by Liu An, the king of Huainan in the Western Han Dynasty. Zhu Xi wrote in his poem "Tofu" in the Southern Song Dynasty: "When you plant peas, you are exhausted and your heart is rotten. If you know Huainan, you will get the spring cloth safely." Interestingly, some places still have the custom of eating tofu residue before New Year's Eve. The reason is that the local legend says that after the Kitchen King reported to heaven, the Jade Emperor will visit the lower bound to see if all the households are as the Kitchen King played, so all the households will eat tofu dregs to show their poverty and hide from the punishment of the Jade Emperor. Legend has it that eating tofu residue is actually a low productivity in ancient times, and there is not so much delicious food, and it is also a portrayal of the virtues of diligence and thrift of our ancestors.

Meeting the Jade Emperor

It is old custom that after the kitchen god went to heaven, the Jade Emperor personally went down to earth on the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month to investigate the good and evil on earth and decide the fortunes of the coming year, so every family offered a blessing to it, which is called "Meeting the Jade Emperor". On this day, we should be careful in our daily life and words, and strive for good performance in order to win the favor of the Jade Emperor and bring good fortune to the coming year.

To drive away the chaos

It is not until New Year's Eve that the Kitchen God is sent to welcome him back. In the meantime, there is no god's jurisdiction on earth. In all is forgiven, people often marry, which is called "to drive away the chaos". Luannian is a specific period designed by the people for themselves to adjust social life. At the end of the year, people have leisure and savings, which is a good opportunity for those who rarely have the energy to do big things. Therefore, people invented this special time folk custom according to the needs of real life. It can be seen that in traditional society, people's living order is regulated by folk customs.

Zhao Tian silkworm

Zhao Tian silkworm, also known as "burning field silkworm" and "burning field wealth", is a popular folk custom of praying for the New Year in the south of the Yangtze River. On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, the long pole tied with the torch will stand in the field, and the flame will be used to predict the New Year, and the flourishing flame will herald a bumper harvest in the coming year. This activity is held in some places on New Year's Eve.

Thousand Lantern Festival

Thousand Lantern Festival is a religious festival of Mongolian and Daur people. Mongolian is called "Minggan Zhuola", which means Thousand Lights Festival. On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, I made "Minggan Zhuola" and lit it in the temple, thinking that the more I ordered, the more auspicious it would be. This festival custom is the most popular among Mongolians in Vilat, Xinjiang. On this day, the local people eat roast beef and mutton and hold a traditional sports cartoon "Kill the pig and cut the meat for the next year". ? [4]?

The 26th day of the twelfth lunar month

Cutting the annual meat

As the saying goes, "On the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, pigs are killed to cut the annual meat", which means that this day is mainly for preparing meat for the Chinese New Year. Kill pigs, of course, is to kill their own pigs; Cutting meat means that people who don't raise pigs go to the market to buy meat for the New Year.

The reason why "cutting the annual meat" is put into the annual ballad is because the farming society and economy are underdeveloped, and people often can eat meat in the annual festival, so it is called "annual meat". [5]?

The comic book "Killing chickens to catch a big episode"

The 27th day of the twelfth lunar month

The folk proverb says "Killing chickens to catch a big episode on the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month". On this day, in addition to slaughtering their own poultry, every household has to go to the market to go to the store and make centralized purchases. Compared with the fair on weekdays, the fair on the 27th of the twelfth lunar month is mainly about buying and selling New Year's items, such as firecrackers, Spring Festival couplets, gods and horses, incense sticks, burning paper, beef and mutton, various toys and gifts for children, and various headdress ornaments for girls. On this day, markets all over the country are very lively.

Bathing

In the traditional folk custom, it is necessary to take a bath and wash clothes intensively in these two days to get rid of the bad luck of the year and prepare for the Spring Festival next year. There is a proverb in Beijing that "twenty-seven washes the sick and twenty-eight washes the sloppy". Bathing on the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month is "washing Fulu". ? [6]?

The cartoon "Sticking Peach Symbols"

Decals on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month

There is a saying in the year: "Decals on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, making cakes and steaming buns". The so-called decals are the posting of New Year pictures, Spring Festival couplets, window grilles and various divine codes.

The custom of pasting Spring Festival couplets originated from the ancient "peach symbol". The ancients used peach wood as a wood to ward off evil spirits, and the Canon of Art said, "Peach is the essence of five trees, so those who suppress evil spirits are also." In the Five Dynasties, Meng Changya, the monarch of the post-Shu Dynasty, was good at literature. Every year, he ordered people to inscribe Taofu, which became the origin of Spring Festival couplets in later generations. The inscription on Taofu, "Qing Yu in the New Year, Changchun in Jiajie", became the first "Spring Festival couplets" in the recorded history of China. Later, with the advent of papermaking, the custom of posting Spring Festival couplets with red paper instead of mahogany appeared. [7]?

The comic book "Offering sacrifices to ancestors"

Sacrificing ancestors on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month

In the year of the twelfth lunar month, it is said that "offering sacrifices to ancestors at the grave on the 29th of the twelfth lunar month". The worship of ancestors has a long history in China. Death is not only an important symbol of filial piety, but also a virtue of respecting the elderly. The Spring Festival is a big festival, and the ceremony of going to the grave to invite ancestors is particularly solemn. In most areas, ancestors are invited on the morning of 29th. According to Cui Mao's "Four People's Moon Order" in the Han Dynasty, "The new moon of the first month is the first month, to bow down to your wife and ancestors. On the day of worship, when the wine was drunk, the family was humble, no matter how big or small, ranking second to the ancestors, and the son-in-law's great-grandchildren served pepper wine to their parents, saying that they would celebrate their longevity and be happy. " This shows that as early as the Han Dynasty, ancestor worship in China was already a very important activity in the Spring Festival.

Little New Year's Eve

The day before New Year's Eve, it is called "Little New Year's Eve", and people call it "Farewell" when they visit each other. Burning incense outdoors is called "Tianxiang", which usually takes three days. [8]?

the 31th day of the twelfth lunar month

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve refers to the evening of the last day of the twelfth lunar month, which is connected with the Spring Festival (the first day of the first month). The word "except" in "New Year's Eve" is "go; Easy; The meaning of "alternating" is that New Year's Eve means "the month is poor and the old year is exhausted". People should get rid of the old year and welcome the new year. It means that the new year will be replaced next year. It is the last night of the lunar year. Therefore, the activities during the period are centered on eliminating the old and welcoming the new, eliminating disasters and praying for blessings.

At the end of each year in the Zhou and Qin Dynasties, a ceremony of "exorcising" was held in the palace to beat drums to drive away the ghosts of plague, which was called "exorcising", and later called "exorcising" the day before New Year's Eve, that is, New Year's Eve. New year's eve is the big one, that is, New Year's Eve.

Door-sticking deity

There is a custom of door-sticking deity all over China during the New Year. At first, the doorkeeper carved mahogany into a human figure and hung it next to people. Later, it was painted as a doorkeeper and posted on the door. The legendary shentu and Yu Lei brothers specialize in ghosts. They guard the portal, and evil spirits dare not enter the portal to do harm. After the Tang Dynasty, Qin Qiong and Wei Chijingde, two valiant soldiers, were painted as gatekeepers, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were painted as gatekeepers. There is one door god for each household, and later generations often paint a pair of door gods as a martial art. Door gods are divided into three categories: the first category is "door gods", which are mostly attached to the door or the whole door, about four or five feet high and two or three feet wide. The second category is the "door gods of street doors", which are attached to small street doors, about two feet high and one foot wide. These two door gods are two deities with a black face and a white face. White left and black right, white good and easy, black and evil, each holding a slap in the face. The third category is the "Door-keeper", which is a little smaller and limited than the Street-keeper. It is also a black-and-white Er Shen, but there are also black-and-white Er Shen sitting like a statue. At most, there is a picture of "Kirin sending a child" on the door, and two dolls with rich powder and fat comb crown, each riding Kirin. This kind of door god should have been posted on the newly married door for good luck, and later it was also used as a New Year ornament for ordinary street doors.

posting Spring Festival couplets

Spring Festival couplets, also known as "door couplets" and "spring couplets", are a kind of couplets, hence the name because they are posted during the Spring Festival. One source of Spring Festival couplets is Taofu. At first, people carved figures in mahogany and hung them by the door to ward off evil spirits. Later, they painted the door gods on the mahogany, and then simplified them to write the names of the door gods on the mahogany board. Another source of Spring Festival couplets is spring stickers. The ancients posted the word "Yichun" more and more in beginning of spring, and it gradually developed into Spring Festival couplets. The real popularization of Spring Festival couplets began in the Ming Dynasty, which was related to Zhu Yuanzhang's advocacy. According to Chen Shanggu's Miscellaneous Notes on Maoyun Building in the Qing Dynasty, one year when Zhu Yuanzhang was preparing for the New Year, he ordered that a picture of Spring Festival couplets should be posted on every door to celebrate. Originally, the Spring Festival couplets were inscribed on the mahogany board, and later rewritten on paper. The color of mahogany is red, which means auspiciousness and avoiding evil, so most Spring Festival couplets are written in red paper. However, the temples are made of yellow paper, and the shouzhi (mourning is not full) is made of white, green and Huang San. In the first year, white paper is used, in the second year, green paper is used, in the third year, yellow paper is used, and in the fourth year, red paper is restored after mourning is full. Because Manchu is still white, the Spring Festival couplets in the Qing court are made of white paper, with blue edges wrapped outside and red strips embedded inside.

Posting blessings, stick grilles, New Year pictures, and hanging thousands

All these have the folk functions of blessing and decorating the residence. New Year pictures are an ancient folk art in China. They reflect the customs and beliefs of the people and place their hopes on the future. New Year pictures, like Spring Festival couplets, originated from "door gods". Spring Festival couplets developed from the names of shentu and Yu Lei to characters, while New Year pictures still developed along the direction of painting. With the rise of woodblock printing, the content of New Year pictures is not limited to the door gods, but gradually invites the god of wealth to the home, and then in some New Year pictures workshops, colorful New Year pictures such as Three Stars of Fu Lushou, heavenly god blesses the people, Harvest of Five Grains, Prosperity of Six Livestock, Greeting the Spring and Blessing the New Year are produced to meet people's good wishes of celebrating and praying for the New Year. Because Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of Ming Dynasty, advocated sticking couplets on the Spring Festival, New Year pictures became popular, and three important producing areas of New Year pictures appeared in China: Taohuawu in Suzhou, Yangliuqing in Tianjin and Weifang in Shandong. Formed three schools of Chinese New Year pictures. In the early years of the Republic of China, Zheng Mantuo of Shanghai combined the calendar with the New Year pictures. This is a new form of New Year pictures. This two-in-one New Year picture was later developed into a calendar. Hanging a thousand is engraved on red paper with auspicious words, with a long ruler and a zhi, which is stuck in front of the door and reflects the peach symbol. Those with the Eight Immortals on them are hung in front of the Buddha. Hanging thousands of households use it more, and aristocratic families use it less. Its yellow paper is three inches long and red paper is more than one inch long, which is a "small hanging thousand" and is used by shops. The earliest hanging of thousands of coins was linked by making money (copper coins), which, like lucky money, had the effect of overwhelming victory. ? [9]?

observing the new year

Chinese folks have the habit of observing the new year's eve, which is commonly called "endure the new year". Watching the New Year begins with eating New Year's Eve. This New Year's Eve dinner should be eaten slowly, from the time when the lantern is lit, and some families have to eat it until late at night. According to Zonggu's Record of Jingchu's Age,