the third day of March
March 3 is a traditional festival of the Han nationality, formerly known as "Shangsi Day", which falls on the third day of March in the summer calendar.
The origin of "March 3rd" can be traced back to remembering Fu Xishi. Fuxi and his sister, Nu Wa, made people out of the earth to reproduce. In the eastern part of Henan Province, Fuxi was honored as the "grandfather of ancestors", and the ancient temple of Taihaoling was built in Huaiyang (the capital of Fuxi). From February 2 to March 3 of the lunar calendar, the temple fair of Taihaoling was held. Good men believed in women, and all of them gathered in the mausoleum area to worship ancestors.
The third day of the third lunar month is also the day when the legendary Queen Mother holds a flat peach party. There is a Beijing Zhuzhi poem that describes the grand occasion of the temple fair in the Flat Peach Palace: "Spring is growing on the third day of March, and incense is burning in the Flat Peach Palace; The wind rises slightly along the river, and the red dust is everywhere. " Legend has it that the Queen Mother of the West was originally the patron saint of a primitive tribe in western China. She has two magic weapons: one is to eat the immortal elixir, and the other is to eat the peach-flat peach, which can prolong life. The legendary Chang 'e flew to the Moon Palace after stealing the elixir from her husband Hou Yi. Since then, in some strange novels, the Queen Mother of the West has been described as the god of longevity.
In ancient times, the first fourth day in March was regarded as "Shangsi", and the Han Dynasty was designated as a festival. "It's the third day of the month, and the officials and people are all (clean) on the east running water. It's called" washing and removing dirt (illness) "(Records of Etiquette in the Later Han Dynasty). Later, the content of water banquet and outing was added.
After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Shangsi Festival was changed to March 3rd, which was followed by later generations, so it became a festival for Han people to have a drink by the water and have a spring outing in the suburbs.
There is a legend about the origin of boiled eggs with rice dishes on March 3rd. During the Three Kingdoms period, the famous doctor Hua Tuo came to Miancheng to collect herbs. One day, he encountered heavy rain, and when he was sheltering from the rain, he saw an old man suffering from headache and dizziness. Hua tuo immediately diagnosed the old man, and collected a handful of rice dishes in the old man's garden and asked the old man to take juice and boil eggs. The old man obeyed, took three eggs and recovered. The story spread, and people boiled eggs with rice dishes one after another, and the craze spread all over urban and rural areas. Hua Tuo treated the elderly on the third day of March, so it became a custom in mian yang to cook eggs with rice dishes on the third day of March. Later, it spread gradually and became popular in Jianghan Plain.
Boiling eggs with rice dishes on March 3rd has become a well-known folk custom. On this day, people collect a handful of rice dishes from the field, wash them, put them in a pot, add appropriate amount of water, add cinnamon, anise, spiced powder, soy sauce and other condiments, boil them together with the eggs, and pick them up after they are cooked. This is not only delicious food, but also healthy and medical. In Hunan, eating ground vegetables and boiled eggs on the third day of the third lunar month pays more attention to freshness and ingredients. Ground vegetables must be collected on the third day of March, and then cooked with Chinese herbal medicines such as ginger slices, maple balls, red dates and roadside jing, so that the boiled soup and eggs have more medicinal value and significance. According to the older generation, if you really want to achieve the therapeutic effect of dispelling pathogenic wind and detoxifying, it is actually the best to cook duck eggs with fresh vegetables.
"On the third day of the third lunar month, don't forget to cook eggs with vegetables. I ate my back at noon and my legs were not soft in the afternoon. " A shepherd's purse, also known as Dihuazi, grows in fields, roadsides and gardens. Shepherd's purse has tender leaves and rich roots, and has a unique and attractive fragrance and delicious taste. There is a folk saying that "on March 3, shepherd's purse is a magic pill" and "spring shepherd's purse is an elixir". The vegetable is cool and sweet, and has the functions of cooling blood and stopping bleeding, and can treat hematemesis, hematuria, metrorrhagia and dysentery. On the third day of March in this beautiful spring, take a handful of fresh vegetables and go home to boil eggs. While tasting the breath of spring, you will also eat the health for a year, which is nutritious and delicious. Why not?
The third day of the third lunar month, which was called "Shangsi Day" in ancient times, was a day when the ancients went out for an outing, and it was also a good opportunity for men and women to meet in the wild last year and express their love.
In ancient times, there were three very important festivals in March, and Du Fu's two for the road in the Tang Dynasty described the grand occasion of this festival: on the third day of the Third-month in the freshening weather and many beauties take the air by the Changan waterfront.
Unfortunately, after the Song Dynasty, the ethical code became more and more strict, private meetings between men and women were not allowed, and this festival also declined day by day, which was finally forgotten by people. The outing was also changed to Qingming.
However, fortunately, the ethnic minorities in the southwest still maintain the festival custom of March 3rd.
On this day, all the men and women of the He nationality dressed up and went out to hold a song party, which was quite like the Tang Dynasty.
The 3rd of March in Taiwan Province and Fujian is the "March Festival", in which "rats and weeds are picked, and rice noodles are made as a memorial to worship them first" (The Official Records of Taiwan Province by Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty).
There is a "March Meeting" in Zhongxian County, Sichuan Province, and a grand event is held in memory of Ba Manzi, the general who fought against the enemy. On this day, the masses carried Ba Manzi's idol and marched around the city, followed by the social fire team, playing dragon lanterns and dancing lions. Every family decorated their lanterns and set off firecrackers, which was very lively. Traditional festivals of many ethnic minorities in southern China.
in Zhuang nationality, more than on March 3rd, young men and women rushed to the song fair, set up a song shed and held a song party, where they sang songs, touched eggs, threw hydrangeas and talked about love. According to legend, it is also called the Song Fairy Festival, which was formed to commemorate the Song Fairy Liu Sanjie of Zhuang nationality.
Dong people hold more activities such as fireworks, bullfighting, Touma, singing duets and stepping on the church, which is also called "Fireworks Festival".
Buyi people kill pigs to offer sacrifices to social gods and mountain gods, eat glutinous rice, and don't contact each other for three or four days. Yao people take March 3rd as "Ganba Festival", which is a festival for collective fishing and hunting. They distribute the caught wild fish by households, enjoy the joy of harvest, and then gather in the square to sing and dance to celebrate the festival.
She people celebrate Gu Mi's birthday on March 3rd, and every family eats black rice.
"March 3rd" is the biggest spreading festival of the Li nationality. Li people call March 3rd "Fu Nianfu", which is a festival to wish "Mountain Orchid" (dry valley in mountainous area) and harvest hunting, and also a day for young men and women to communicate freely. Every year on the third day of the third lunar month, all counties, towns, townships and villages hold grand celebrations. The venue is generally located in an open rubber forest, with green leaves covering the sky above and "carpet" under the feet, which is quiet, cool and quiet. No wonder "March 3rd" became the local people's freedom to choose their spouses and was called "love plot". There is a beautiful legend about its origin.
It is said that a long time ago, Qizhiling area encountered a rare drought, and people lived like years. One morning, a young man named Yayin told everyone that he dreamed of a lark. To get rid of this disaster, he had to climb to the top of Wuzhishan and blow his nose flute to trap it. ADB volunteered to climb to the top of Wuzhishan Mountain, where he played his beloved nose flute. It blew for three days and nights until a lark flew from the valley. ADB rushed to chase it. He chased a hill. Finally, ADB took a look and saw that the lark had become a very beautiful Li girl. The girl promised to go to earth with ADB to save the disaster. After the drought was lifted, I didn't expect it, but I angered the Lord. He sent servants to catch Miss Bailing. At this moment, ADB came, and they hid in a cave. When the master ordered servants to burn to the cave, suddenly dark clouds rolled, thunder thundered, and rocks cracked and landslides, killing the evil master and his servants. ADB and Miss Bailing became a pair of birds and flew into the sky. The villagers heard the news and watched them, dancing and singing excitedly, wishing them happiness. This day is the third day of the third lunar month, and it has become a traditional festival of the Li family since then.
In order to celebrate March 3rd, the preparations should be made half a month in advance. The man went hunting in the mountains and salted and sealed the prey; Women spring rice and make zongba at home; Young men and women prepare beautiful costumes and betrothal gifts. Prey and rice dumplings are used as sacrifices to the ancestors in the auditorium. If hunting fails, chickens will be killed instead, and the sacrifice will be made by the clan elders.
On the festival day, the Li people gather together to wish the "mountain orchid" (mountain upland rice) and hunting a double harvest. The old people brought pickled mountain flavor and brewed glutinous rice wine to the most popular old people's home in the village, sat around on the floor and drank on banana leaves and papaya leaves.
In the festival, men, women and children are dressed in costumes, bringing cakes and zongzi. Boys fish, girls cook and fish, and then offer sacrifices to the caves with Tian Fei and Guanyin fossils. After the sacrifice, the young people came to the activity venue to shoot arrows, climb poles, wrestle, tug of war and swing. As night falls, bonfires are lit on the shore, young men open flower umbrellas, and girls' silver ornaments and shell ornaments twinkle in the firelight. Young men and women will drink, sing and dance until late at night. Love songs are euphemistic, and the dance gradually rises, from gentle lyricism to joy and unrestrained.
Sometimes lovers quietly leave the campfire. The young man hangs the ear bell on the girl's ear, inserts the hair pin made of deer bone in the aunt's bun, and the girl ties the colorful belt carefully woven by herself around her lover's waist. Both sides swear that they will meet on March 3 next year. Because March 3 is related to marriage and love in terms of its origin and main activities, it is also called love plot.
Other ethnic groups, such as Shui, Miao, Mulao and Maonan, all have their own traditional festivals and customs on March 3rd.
February 2nd is called "Spring Dragon Festival" in the north and "Walking Festival" in the south. It is said that "February 2nd" was originally a sacrificial day in the Zhou Dynasty, but it has evolved into a folk festival in the Tang Dynasty.
On the second day of February
As the saying goes, "On the second day of February, the dragon rises". The origin of this sentence is related to China's ancient astronomy's understanding of the movement of stars and agricultural solar terms. In the ancient astronomical observation mode of China, twenty-eight constellations were determined in the ecliptic on Sunday, which were called twenty-eight lodges. The twenty-eight lodges were divided into four palaces according to the southeast and northwest, and were attached to four kinds of animals according to their images. Among them, the seven nights in the East Palace are imagined as a dragon. Every February of the lunar calendar, the horn in the leading position will appear on the eastern horizon, so it is commonly known as "the dragon looks up".
"February 2nd" is a day to pray for good weather and good harvests. It is an old custom in some places in the north. On this morning, every household should carry lanterns to the well or the river to fetch water, and when they get home, they should burn incense and offer sacrifices. This is called "attracting Tian Long". On the contrary, in some places, it is forbidden to carry water on this day, for fear of bringing back dragon eggs or disturbing Qinglong, which will ruin the good years with good weather. The food on this day is also named after dragons: eating noodles is called "picking the dragon's head", eating fried cakes is called "eating gentian", eating pancakes is called "uncovering the dragon's skin" and eating twists is called "biting the keel" to show good luck.
"February 2nd" is also a day to look forward to academic success. In the past, teachers in private schools often accepted students on this day, which was called "taking the lead". Students will also chant: "On February 2, the dragon looked up, and if the dragon didn't look up, I looked up."
"February 2nd" is also the day when a daughter-in-law returns to her parents' home. According to the old custom, a daughter-in-law has to live in her husband's house in the first month and is not allowed to return to her family until the first month. Therefore, there is also a folk song "February 2, pick up the baby, can't pick it up, cry", showing the mentality of parents looking forward to their daughter's return.
According to some old customs in northern China, after the morning of February 2nd, farmers will find long poles to knock on the beams to wake up the "dragon", then use plant ash to lead a "grey dragon" to the well platform, and then use chaff to lead a "golden dragon" from the well platform to the water tank. Eat rice cakes and pig's head meat for breakfast, spring cakes and fried beans for lunch; When it is near dusk, every household should spread a circle around the house with the ashes in the stove chamber, which is called a surrounding society, in order to keep all evil and evil disasters out. Anyone who has relatives far away from home must leave a mouth in this circle, which means looking forward to their early return to their hometown.
On this day, everyone has to get a haircut, which means that "the dragon looks up" is lucky, and it is called "shaving the tap" to give a haircut to children. Women are not allowed to move needle and thread for fear of hurting "dzi"; People can't carry water from the well either. They should fill their own water jars on the first day, otherwise they will touch the "faucet".
it is said among the people that "on February 2nd, the dragon looked up; On this day, the farmers are full of hope for the new year. They are excited about the upcoming spring ploughing and sowing, and pray that the legendary "dragon" can look up at this time and shake his body to soak in the rain to moisten the soil.
the food custom of dragons raising their heads on February 2nd
On the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, folklore is the day when dragons raise their heads, also known as "Spring Dragon Festival". There is a folk song like this: "On February 2, the dragon looked up, the big warehouse was full, and the small warehouse flowed." On this day, people worship the Dragon King with many delicious foods, hoping that it can spread clouds and rain and rain.
Ordinary people eat noodles, spring cakes, popcorn and pig's head meat on this day. Different regions have different foods, but most of them are related to dragons. It is common to add the title of "dragon" to food names. For example, eating dumplings is called eating "dragon ears". Eating spring cakes is called eating "Long Lin"; Eating noodles is called eating "dragon beard"; Eating rice is called eating "dragon son"; Eating wonton is called eating "longan"
Eating spring cakes is called "eating Long Lin". A spring cake bigger than the palm of your hand is like a piece of Long Lin. Spring cakes are tough and contain many dishes. Such as sauce meat, elbow, smoked chicken, sauce duck, etc., are cut into filaments with a knife, mixed with several kinds of home-cooked stir-fried dishes, such as stir-fried leek sprouts with shredded pork, stir-fried spinach with shredded pork, green bean sprouts cooked with vinegar, vegetarian fried vermicelli, spread eggs, etc., and rolled into spring cakes, dipped in shredded onion and noodles sauce with sesame oil, which is really delicious and refreshing. When eating spring cakes, the whole family sits around, puts the baked spring cakes in the steamer, and takes them as you eat them. It's hot and happy.
There is a legend about eating popcorn on the second day of February.
It is said that when Wu Zetian became emperor, the Jade Emperor ordered that it should not rain on the earth for three years. However, Yulong, who was in charge of Tianhe, couldn't bear the people to suffer from the disaster and starve, and a heavy rain fell secretly. When the Jade Emperor learned about it, he laid Yulong, who was in charge of Tianhe, under a mountain. At the foot of the mountain, a monument was erected, which read: "The Dragon King violated the rules of heaven when he rained, and he should be punished by the world for generations to come. If you want to re-enter peak tower, unless the golden beans bloom. " In order to save the Dragon King, people look for blooming golden beans everywhere. On the second day of February of the following year, when people were turning over the golden corn seeds, it suddenly occurred to them that this corn was like golden beans, and when it was fried, it blossomed. Isn't it golden beans? So every household exploded popcorn and set up a case in the courtyard to burn incense, offering "flowering golden beans" for the dragon king and the jade emperor to see. Knowing that the people were saving it, the Dragon King shouted loudly to the Jade Emperor, "Golden beans are blooming, let me out!" As soon as the Jade Emperor saw that the golden bean flower in the courtyard of every household in the world was open, he had to send a message to call the Dragon King back to heaven and continue to give clouds and rain to the world. Since then, people have formed a custom. On the second day of February, people explode popcorn and fry soybeans.
There is also a saying about eating pig's head meat on the second day of February.
since ancient times, there have always been three kinds of animals, namely pigs, cattle and sheep, for offering sacrifices to the gods. Later, it was simplified as the head of the three kinds of animals, and the pig head was one of them. According to a story recorded in "Notes on Qiuchi" in the Song Dynasty, Wang Zhongling was very hungry after pacifying Bashu, so he broke into a small village temple, but he met a drunken monk. Wang Zhongling was furious and wanted to cut it, but he didn't know that the monk was scared at all. Wang Zhongling was very surprised and turned to him for food. Soon the monk presented a plate of "steamed pig's head" and wrote a poem for this: "The monk said, When steaming, the banana leaves have been wrapped, and when ripe, apricot paddles are used for watering. Red, fresh and elegant, is called Jin Panting, and ripe and soft is really as good as jade. If there are no hairy roots to compare, the felt roots will eat rattan. " Wang Zhongling ate steamed pig's head and was very happy to listen to the funny and unique "pig's head poem", so he named the monk "Purple Clothes Master". It seems that the pig's head is really a delicacy, and it is also an auspicious symbol of turning the corner and making rapid progress. Nowadays, there is a famous dish called "Grilled Pig Face", which can be served on the table after twelve steps, such as selecting ingredients, cleaning, spraying and baking, soaking and making sauce, and cooking for more than ten hours. There are three kinds of "grilled pig face", one is to eat it in its original flavor; The second is to eat with sauce; The third is volume.