There are activities such as planting flowers, enjoying flowers and watching red flowers, so it is called "flower dynasty", which is opposite to the moon and dusk on August 15.
"Baihua birthday is a good season, and the flower dynasty is not half spring; Colorful, or hard to decorate the gods. "
This is a portrayal of the ancient Jiangnan folk custom of celebrating the birthday of Baihua.
Flower Festival is very popular in most parts of the country. Due to different geographical and climatic conditions, the specific date of the Flower Festival is also different.
In some areas, February is the flower dynasty, while in others, February 12th or 15th is the flower dynasty.
Chengdu is on February15th of the lunar calendar, many other places regard February15th as the birthday of flowers, Beijing, Jiangsu and other places are on February12nd of the lunar calendar, and some parts of Shanxi are on the second day of February, as well as Luoyang and Kaifeng in Henan. February 2nd and February12nd of the lunar calendar are also recorded respectively. The Bai people in Dali, Yunnan Province regard February14th of the lunar calendar as the annual flower festival.
Flower Festival has a long history, which was recorded in Tao Zhugong in the Spring and Autumn Period.
It was widely circulated in the Tang and Song Dynasties.
The flower show in Ming and Qing dynasties was not as lively as that in Song Dynasty because it was not advocated and supported by the upper rulers. Although there are activities such as flower viewing and drinking, they are mostly limited to literati.
Flower God, according to legend, is the female disciple of the wife of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It is said that she is good at planting flowers and is honored as "Flower God" by later generations, and the Flower Festival is also attached to her festival.
During the Flower Festival, people invite each other out for an outing and enjoy the flowers with a smile.
In Jiangnan, there is also a "Red Appreciation" activity at the flower show.
People make small flags or strips of red cloth or paper, tie them to branches of flowers and trees, or put them in flowerpots to celebrate the birthday of flowers.
In some places, there is also the custom of eating Baihua cake at the Flower Festival.
It is said that Baihua cake was invented by Wu Zetian in Tang Dynasty.
One year at the Flower Festival, Wu Zetian led a number of ladies-in-waiting to enjoy flowers in the garden.
Seeing those beautiful and delicate flowers, she had a whim to let the ladies-in-waiting collect all kinds of flowers, mash them with rice after returning to the palace, and steam them into fragrant cakes, that is, hundred flowers cakes.
Later, every Flower Festival, Wu Zetian gave flowers cakes as gifts to ministers.
There is also a folk saying that it will be sunny and rainy in the morning. As the saying goes, "beneficial but useless, but look at February 12."
On this day, there should be no thunderstorm. As the folk proverb says, "Thunder shakes the heart, but little rain falls.
Before and after the Flower Festival, people watch, love, appreciate and respect flowers, and at the same time talk to each other and tell the beautiful legend of the flower god.
In addition to the Zhonghua Gate in Nanjing and Tiger Hill in Suzhou, there are "flower beds".
In the past, flower farmers, flower vendors and farmers engaged in other planting industries gathered in front of the Flower Temple on this day to offer sacrifices and fruits, celebrate the birth of the Flower God, or act as entertainment gods, attracting crowds of tourists to watch, forming a lively temple fair scene.
Some places hold "flower fights" and "butterfly fights" similar to today's flower show. At night, people get together and hold lanterns for a parade, which is called "Lantern".
In Longzhou, Ningming and other places in Guangxi, there is also the custom that young men and women gather in Pingba to sing at the Flower Festival. The song is a duet of folk songs with the theme of Hundred Flowers Fairy. With the song as the medium, flowers are offered for sex in sincere songs, and people are happy and throw hydrangeas.
In Ningbo, girls sew silks and satins (stuffed with cotton wool) at the flower festival, praying to be as beautiful and smart as a hundred flowers lady and be able to embroider.
Women stop embroidery and needlework, burn incense and light candles, and worship the embroidered curtains on the table.
The Bai people at the foot of Dali Mountain hold the Spring Festival on February 14th of the lunar calendar. By then, potted flowers will be placed in front of every household to form a "flower street" with rows of flowers, colorful and spectacular.
Residents and farmers in the ancient city and its suburbs walked out of their homes dressed in costumes and came to the streets of the ancient city of Dali to visit the flower street and enjoy the flower scenery.