First, the birthday of the heavenly queen
Taoism locates the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar as the birthday of the Queen Mother. According to legend, the Queen Mother has two magic weapons: one is to eat the immortal elixir, and the legendary Chang 'e flew to the Moon Palace after stealing the elixir of the Western Queen Mother obtained by her husband Hou Yi. The second is to eat a peach that can prolong life-flat peach. The Queen Mother's grand event takes flat peaches as its staple food, so it is called the Flat Peach Club.
Second, Zhenwu Emperor's birthday
Zhenwu Emperor, whose full name is "Beizhen Naive Wu Xuantian Emperor", was born in the world of ancient Xuanyuan, and was in charge of military and war in Taoism on March 3. Taoist temples all over the world will hold a grand ceremony on March 3, and Taoist believers will burn incense and pray in temples or chant scriptures and pray at home on this day.
The custom of March 3
1, swaddling: refers to the ritual of going to a disaster, which was given away by ancient witches. In the Tang and Song Dynasties, it was popular to soak in hot springs, bathe by the water, wash yourself with bluegrass, and nod your head with willow branches dipped in petal water to bless the disaster.
2. Xiuzuo: Wandering by the water is an ancient ritual of disaster relief and blessing, which later evolved into a classic paradigm of elegant gathering of ancient poets in China.
3. Give each other vanilla: The ancients believed that vanilla has the power of exorcism and is of great benefit to the body.
4. Bathing by the side/soaking in hot springs: washing dirt with spring water, thinking that this can remove the diseases accumulated throughout the winter, and be clean and immune in the new year, which is auspicious.
5. Spring outing in the suburbs: it is not only a festival to eliminate evil spirits and seek good luck, but also a free and happy spring outing. Young men and women go hiking in the wild, splash water on each other and choose their spouses freely. It is the true Valentine's Day in China, and it is based on peony.
6. Qushui Banquet: When flowing, there will be mat barriers, tea sets and flowers at the water's edge, banquets and poems. Very elegant, become the entertainment of literati. This wind was especially strong in the Tang Dynasty, and gradually disappeared after the Song Dynasty.
7. Appreciating Peach Blossoms: Peach Blossoms are the most lush on the third day of the third lunar month, so enjoy the beauty of peach blossoms after stepping into the spring.