Zhuxian Town Wooden New Year's Paintings "Jubao Bao Zao"
The 23rd day of the Lunar New Year, commonly known as the "Small New Year", is said to be the day when "Lord Zao goes to heaven", and therefore the Zao God should be sacrificed. The seventh day after the small year will be the 30th day of the year. China's Spring Festival is generally from the lunar month 23 or 24 every year, the opening of the sacrificial stove, there is the so-called "government three people four boat family five", that is, the government in the lunar month 23rd, the general civilian family 24th, the people on the water in the twenty-fifth day of the sacrificial stove ceremony. After holding the sacrificial stove, will formally begin to do to meet the New Year's preparations. Every year, from the 23rd day of the lunar month to New Year's Eve, this period of time, the folk called "welcome spring day". People believe that if Master Zaowang goes up to heaven and says a few good words in front of the Jade Emperor, he will bring happiness to the family and bless the family with peace in the coming year. Therefore, every year on the 23rd day of the Lunar New Year, every family would offer sacrifices to the God of the Zao, asking him to say good and auspicious things when he goes up to heaven. This ceremony of sending the Zaoshen is called "sending Zao" or "resigning Zao". It is said that every year on the 23rd day of the Lunar New Year, the Zaoshendi will go up to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor on the good and bad deeds of the family, so that the Jade Emperor can reward or punish them. Therefore, when sending off Zao, people put candies, water, beans and grass on the table in front of the statue of Zao Wang, among which, the latter three are for the preparation of Zao Wang's ride to heaven. Folklore, the Zaowang master went to heaven to tell the good and evil on earth, once the family accused of evil deeds, the major crimes will be reduced life 300 days, the minor crimes will be reduced life 100 days. This saying is widely spread.
Sending the stove, in order to let the Zaowang master "on the sky to say good things, back to the Palace of good luck", people use a variety of ways to deal with him. Some use gum teeth candy to honor it, so that the Zao Wang's teeth stick, so that it can not talk nonsense; some with wine lees smeared Zao door, which is called "drunken commander", drunken Zao Shen can not talk nonsense. Zaoshen by the people's special hospitality, "ate people's mouth short", of course, it is not good to say bad words, this is actually a folk ethical self-discipline. Seven days later, that is, on New Year's Eve, the "Zaoshen" will be brought back. Because, on the night of the New Year's Eve, Zao Wang Wang will also come to the earth with the gods to celebrate the New Year, that day, there is also a "receiving stove" "receiving God" ceremony. According to the general local custom, send and receive Zaowang master are hosted by the male host, the female family members do not participate in the ancient times, there are "men do not worship the moon, women do not sacrifice zaos," the saying. Sent away "stove god" later, it will be the turn to worship the ancestors, folk said "hanging shadow". Tianjin folklore expert Lin Xi said that on the day of the New Year, we should hang the portraits or photos of our ancestors on the wall, prepare wine and tribute, and accept the worship of the clan until the 30th day of the New Year. Eating Zao sugar Zao sugar is a kind of malt sugar, sticky, it is drawn into a long sugar stick called "Guandong sugar", pulled into a flat round type is called "sugar melon". Put it outside the house in winter, because of the cold weather, the sugar melon solidified solid and some tiny bubbles inside, eat it crispy sweet and crispy, unique flavor. [2]
The 24th day of the Lunar New Year
Sweeping the Dust The folk proverb says, "On the 24th day of the Lunar New Year, dust the house". After the Zaosai festival, preparations for the New Year begin in earnest.
Sweeping the dust is the end of the year cleaning, the north is called "sweeping the room", the south is called "dusting". In the Spring Festival before the dust, is our people have traditional habits. Whenever the Spring Festival comes, every household has to clean up the environment, cleaning all kinds of appliances, unwashing bedding curtains, sweeping the courtyard, dusting dust cobwebs, dredge the nullahs and ditches. North and south of the Yangtze River, everywhere overflowing with joyful health, clean and welcome the atmosphere of the New Year. According to the canonical records, in ancient times, there is the habit of year-end sweeping. This "waxing twenty-four, dusting and sweeping the house" custom, has a long history. According to "Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals", there was a custom of dusting in the Spring Festival in Yao and Shun era. According to folklore: because the "dust" and "Chen" consonant, dust sweeping in the New Year has "in addition to the meaning of Chen Bu Xin", the intention is to put all the "poor fortune The intention is to sweep all the "poor luck" and "bad luck" out of the door. Qing Jia Record" Volume XII records: "wax will be residual, choose the constitutional book should be swept house Yu day, to go to the court house dust and filth. Or in the twenty-third, twenty-fourth and twenty-seventh day, commonly known as 'playing dust'". Lunar New Year's Eve "house sweeping", inside and outside the courtyard for a thorough cleanup. It can be seen, this custom is entrusted with people's desire to break the old and welcome the new prayers, but also the Chinese people in the long history of the accumulation of hygiene in the winter, the traditional virtues of disease prevention. [3]
The 25th day of the Lunar New Year
Cartoon "Pushing the Mill to Make Tofu"
Making Tofu A folk proverb says, "On the 25th day of the Lunar New Year, push the mill to make tofu." According to evidence, tofu was invented by Liu An, King of Huainan in the Western Han Dynasty. Zhu Xi of the Southern Song Dynasty wrote in his poem "Bean Curd", "Bean seedling scarcity, exhaustion of the heart has been corroded, early to know the Huainan technique, An sitting to get the spring cloth." Interestingly, some places have the custom of eating tofu dregs before New Year's Eve. The reason for this is the local legend that after the king of the stove reported to heaven, the Jade Emperor will visit the world to see whether the families as the king of the stove, so the families will eat tofu dregs to show that the suffering, hidden from the Jade Emperor's punishment. Legend has it that eating bean curd dregs was a sign of low productivity in ancient times, when there was not so much to eat, as well as a reflection of the virtue of thrift and frugality of the forefathers. Receiving the Jade Emperor The old custom is that after the god of the stove goes up to heaven, the Jade Emperor himself comes down to the world on the 25th day of the 12th month of the Chinese lunar calendar to investigate the good and evil on earth, and to decide on the coming year's misfortunes and misfortunes, so every family sacrifices to pray for blessings, which is called "Receiving the Jade Emperor". On this day, people should be careful in their living and speaking, and strive to perform well in order to win the Jade Emperor's favor and bring good fortune in the coming year. Catching up with the chaotic year After sending the God of the Stove to heaven, the God of the Stove is welcomed back on New Year's Eve, during which time there is no god on earth to govern, no taboos, and many marriages are organized, which is called "catching up with the chaotic year". It is known as the "Catch up with the Year of Chaos". The Year of Chaos is a specific period of time designed by the people for themselves to regulate their social life. At the end of the year, people have leisure and savings, for people who usually have the energy to organize big events, this is a good time. Therefore, people invented this special time folklore according to the needs of real life. It can be seen that in traditional societies, the order of people's lives is regulated by folklore. Shao Tian Silkworms Shao Tian Silkworms, also known as "Shao Tian Silkworms" and "Shao Tian Cai", is a folk custom of praying for the New Year that is popular in the south of the Yangtze River. On the 25th day of the Lunar New Year, a long pole tied with a torch is set up in the field, and the flame is used to divine the New Year, and a strong flame is an omen of a good harvest in the coming year. In some places, this event is held on the 30th day of the Lunar New Year. Thousand Lanterns Festival The Thousand Lanterns Festival is a religious festival of the Mongolian and Daur ethnic groups. In Mongolian, it is called "Ming Gan Zhuo La", which means "Thousand Lanterns Festival". On the 25th day of the Lunar New Year, do "Ming Gan Zhuo La" to the temple to light, that the more points the more auspicious. This holiday custom, the most prevalent in the Xinjiang Virat Mongolian. Local people ate roast beef and mutton on this day, held traditional sports and recreational activities. [4]
The 26th day of the Lunar New Year
Cartoon "Killing Pigs and Cutting New Year's Meat"
Cutting New Year's Meat As the saying goes, "On the 26th day of the Lunar New Year, we kill pigs and cut New Year's Meat," which refers to the day when the main preparations are made for the New Year's meat. Killing pigs, of course, is to kill their own pigs; cut meat, refers to the families who do not have pigs to go to the market to buy New Year's Eve to eat meat. The reason for putting "cutting New Year's meat" into the New Year's rhyme is that the economy of farming societies was not well developed, and people often could only eat meat during the New Year's festivals, which is why it was called "New Year's meat". [5]
The 27th day of the Lunar New Year
Cartoon "Chicken Catching Up"
Chicken Catching Up A Proverb says, "On the 27th day of the Lunar New Year, chickens are slaughtered to catch up with the market". On this day, in addition to slaughtering their own poultry, families also have to go to the market to store and centralize their purchases. Compared with the weekdays to buy shortages and sell surplus for the main purpose of the market, Lunar New Year's Day 27 market is mainly to buy and sell New Year's Day items, such as: firecrackers, Spring Festival couplets, God horse, incense and candles, burnt paper, beef and mutton, gifts for small children's toys and gifts, a variety of girl's head flowers and jewelry and so on. On this day, the markets around the country are very lively and bustling. Bathing traditional folklore in these two days to focus on bathing, laundry, remove the bad luck of the year, ready to meet the next year's New Year, the capital has a "twenty-seven to wash the guilt of disease, twenty-eight to wash sloppy" proverbs. Lunar New Year's Day 26 bath for "wash the blessing of Lu". [6]
The twenty-eighth day of the Lunar New Year
Cartoon "Sticky Peach Symbols"
Applying Flowers The annual ballad reads, "On the twenty-eighth day of the Lunar New Year, we make rice cakes and steam buns, and apply flowers". The so-called "sticking flowers" means posting New Year's paintings, spring couplets, window decorations and various sacred symbols. The custom of posting spring scrolls originated from the ancient "peach charm". Ancient people to peach wood as the wood of the evil, "canonical art" said: "peach, the essence of the five wood, so the pressure of the evil also." To the Five Dynasties, after the Shu monarch Meng Chang elegant literature, he ordered every year to write the peach, become the later generations of spring couplets of the goblet, and written in the peach on the "New Year's Day, Jiajie No. Changchun", will become the first recorded Chinese history of the "Spring Festival couplets". Later, with the introduction of papermaking, the custom of posting spring scrolls on red paper instead of mahogany appeared. [7]
The Twenty-Ninth Day of the Lunar New Year
Cartoon "Offering to the Ancestors"
Ancestor Sacrifice The annual ballad says, "On the twenty-ninth day of the Lunar New Year, we go to the graves and invite our ancestors to make a big offering". Ancestor worship has a long history in China. Death is not only an important symbol of filial piety, but also a virtue of respect for the elderly. The Spring Festival is a big festival, and the ceremony of inviting ancestors to the graves is particularly solemn. In most areas, the ceremony is held on the morning of the 29th day of the Lunar New Year. According to Han Dynasty Cui Shi's Four People's Monthly Orders, "The first month of the first month of the first month is the first month of the first month of the first month of the first month of the first month of the first month of the first month of the first month of the first month. On the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, they would bring their wives and offspring to worship their ancestors. On the first day of the festival, they would bring wine to the gods, and then they would list their ancestors in order of precedence, and then their children and great-grandchildren would drink wine in their parents' homes, and then they would goblet their lives, and then they would rejoice in their lives. This shows that, as early as the Han Dynasty, China's ancestor worship has been a very important activity in the Spring Festival. Small New Year's Eve The day before New Year's Eve, called the "small New Year's Eve", the family set up a banquet, people visit called "Farewell". The day before the New Year's Eve is called "Little New Year's Eve", families have a banquet, and people visit each other for three days. [8]
Lunar New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve (除夕) refers to the evening of the last day of the lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which is the first and last day of the first month of the lunar year. The word "除" in "除夕" means "to go; to change; to alternate", and the meaning of "除夕" is "the end of the month and the end of the year", which means that people have to get rid of their old age. ", people have to get rid of the old and welcome the new, there is the old year to this and removed, the next year another new year's meaning, is the lunar calendar throughout the year the last night. Therefore, the activities during this period are centered around the old and welcome the new, eliminate disasters and pray for blessings as the center. Zhou, Qin period of the end of each year, the palace to hold a "large exorcism" ceremony, beat the drum to expel the plague of ghosts, known as "by the removal of", and then called the day before the New Year's Eve for the small in addition to the small New Year's Eve; New Year's Eve for the big in addition to the big New Year's Eve. The custom of posting door gods on New Year's Eve is found in all parts of China. Initially, the door god was carved from mahogany and hung next to the door, but later it was painted and posted on the door. Legend has it that the two brothers, Shentian and Yubi, specialize in controlling ghosts, and with them guarding the gateway, evil spirits of all sizes would not dare to enter the door for harm. After the Tang Dynasty, there are painted fierce general Qin Qiong, Yuchi Jingde two people like for the door god, there are painted Guan Yu, Zhang Fei like for the door god. Door gods like the left and right households each one, often a pair of descendants of the door god painted as a civil and a military. Door God is divided into three categories: the first category is the "gate door God", more than pasted on the car door or the whole door, about four or five feet high, about two or three feet wide. The second type is the "street door god", more small streets on the door, about two feet high, about one foot wide. These two kinds of door god is a black face and a white face of the two gods. White left and black right, white good and easy, black caracal, each hand holding a battle-axe. The third type is "house door door god", compared with the street door door god is slightly smaller limited, also is black and white two god, but also black and white two god is sitting like. House door is most often posted "unicorn send son" like, two powder and grease comb Prince crown dolls, each riding the unicorn. This kind of door god, should have been posted on the door of the newly married house, in order to take good luck, and later also as a common street door of the New Year embellishments. Spring Festival couplets Spring Festival couplets, also known as "door to", "spring post", is a kind of couplets, because in the Spring Festival posted, so the name. One of the origins of Chunlian is the peach charm. Initially, people used peach wood to carve human figures to hang next to the door to avoid evil spirits, and later painted the image of the god of the door on the peach wood, and then simplified to inscribe the name of the god of the door on the peach wood board. Another source of Spring Festival couplets is spring stickers. Ancient people in the Spring Festival more stickers "Yichun" two words, and then gradually developed into spring couplets. The real popularity of spring couplets began in the Ming Dynasty, with the advocacy of Zhu Yuanzhang. According to the Qing dynasty Chen Shanggu's "hairpin cloud building miscellany" records, one year Zhu Yuanzhang preparation for the New Year, ordered every door to paste a pair of spring couplets, to show the celebration. Originally, the spring couplets were inscribed on mahogany boards, but later they were written on paper instead. The color of mahogany is red, and red has the meaning of good luck and avoiding evil, so most of the spring couplets were written on red paper. But the temple with yellow paper, keep system (service filial piety is not full) with white, green, yellow color, the first year with white paper, the second year of green paper, the third year of yellow paper, the fourth year of mourning full before resuming the use of red paper. Because the Manchu still white, the Qing court spring couplets with white paper, blue wrapped in the outside, red strips set in the inside. New Year's paintings are an ancient folk art in China, which reflects the customs and beliefs of the people, and holds people's hope for the future. New Year paintings, like spring scrolls, originated from "door gods". While the Spring Festival couplets were developed from the names of Goddess of Mercy and Yubi to words, the New Year paintings are still developed along the direction of painting. With the rise of woodblock printing, the content of the New Year's paintings has not only limited to the God of the Door and so on, and gradually invited the God of Fortune to the home, and then in some New Year's paintings in the workshop produced the "Three Stars of Fortune, Lust and Longevity," "Heavenly Officials Provide Blessings," "Five Grains of Fortune," "Six Animals Prosperity," "Welcome to the Spring Receive Blessings" and other colorful New Year's paintings, in order to satisfy people's wish for the celebration and praying for the New Year. Because of the Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang advocated the Spring Festival posting spring couplets, New Year's paintings are also affected by its influence and then prevailed, the country appeared in the New Year's paintings of the three important places of origin: Peach Blossom Dock in Suzhou, Tianjin Yang Liuqing and Shandong Weifang; the formation of China's New Year's paintings of the three major genres. In the early years of the Republic of China, Zheng Mantuo in Shanghai combined the calendar and New Year's paintings. This is a new form of New Year's paintings. This combination of two and one of the New Year's paintings, later developed into a hanging calendar. Hanging a thousand, that is, with auspicious words engraved on red paper, long feet in length, glued to the door, and the peach symbols mirror each other. There are eight immortals on it, for the Buddha before hanging. Hanging thousands of civilian households with it, the big families with it less. The yellow paper is three inches long, red paper is more than an inch long, is a "small hanging thousand", used for the market. The earliest Hanging Chien is to make money (copper money) string hanging, and the same as the New Year's money, have the role of pressure to win. [9] New Year's Vigil China's folk have the custom of keeping watch on New Year's Eve, commonly known as "boiling the New Year". The New Year's Eve vigil starts with the New Year's Eve dinner, which is eaten slowly, from the time of the lamp, some people have to eat late into the night. According to the record of "Jing Chu Yearly Records", there was a custom of having New Year's Eve dinner at least in the North and South Dynasties. The custom of observing the New Year's Eve is a way of saying goodbye to the years that have gone by, as well as expressing hope for the coming New Year. The New Year's money is given to the younger generation by the elders. In some families, after the New Year's dinner, everyone sits at the table and is not allowed to leave, and when everyone has finished eating, the elders will give it to the younger generation and encourage their children and grandchildren to learn and grow in the new year and behave well. Some people are parents in the night when their children are asleep, put them under the pillow, more people are small children gathered in the main hall, shouting grandparents, mom and dad Happy New Year, kneeling in line; and then reach out for red envelopes. Even to the grandparents' bedroom, all ran to the edge of the bed, yelling: "New Year's money, New Year's money!" The old man is still not lively enough, pretending to be petty, from bargaining to the siege of groping, and finally the old ancestor's red envelopes to dig out, we looted, only to whistling and scattered. The old man in this scenario but happy, think this is a good omen of the New Year everything goes well. Giving New Year's money on New Year's Day reflects the care of elders for their juniors and the respect of juniors for their elders, and is a folk activity that integrates ethical family relations.
The first day of the first month of the lunar calendar
Opening the door to the firecrackers On the morning of the Chinese New Year, when the door is opened, firecrackers are set off first, which is called "opening the door to the firecrackers". After the sound of firecrackers, broken red all over the ground, brilliant as a cloud of brocade, known as "full red". At this time, the street is full of auspicious gas, joyful. New Year's visit An important activity in the Spring Festival, is to congratulate friends and neighbors on the New Year, the old term for New Year's visit. Han Chinese New Year worship style, the Han Dynasty has. After the Tang and Song dynasties are very prevalent, some inconvenience to go in person, can be used to throw congratulations on the post. The Eastern Han Dynasty called "prick", so the business card is also known as the "name prick". After the Ming Dynasty, many people stick a red paper bag in front of the door, specializing in name badges, called "door book". Folk visit each other in the form of New Year's Eve, according to each other's social relations, can be roughly divided into four categories: First, go to relatives. The first day must go to the father-in-law's home, must bring gifts. After entering the door first to the Buddha, ancestor images, pagodas each line three kowtow salute, and then to the elders in turn kneeling. You may stay to eat and play. The second is a courtesy visit. Such as to colleagues, friends to pay tribute to the New Year, a door into the house, only to the Buddha three kowtow, such as with the master of the Department of the same generation is only required to arch a bow, such as older than themselves, should still take the initiative to kneel down, the host should walk off the seat to do to help the shape of the even said no gifts to show humility. This situation is generally not appropriate to sit for a long time, pleasantries two polite words to say goodbye. After the host is worshiped, should choose a day to return to worship. Third, thank you for the visit. Where a year to people owe love (such as lawyers, doctors, etc.) to buy some gifts to send, take the opportunity to pay a New Year's visit, to express their gratitude. Fourth, the door-to-door visit. For the left and right neighbors of the neighborhood, never had much to do, but meet can say, to the Jubilee, just to the yard, meet each other with a clasped fist and said: "Congratulations to Fortune", "a smooth hundred smooth", in the house to sit for a while only, not very much etiquette. In ancient times, there are New Year's Eve and New Year's Day: New Year's Eve is to the elders kowtow; New Year's Day is to congratulate each other. Nowadays, some organizations, groups, enterprises and schools get together to congratulate each other, which is called "reunion worship". With the development of the times, the custom of New Year's greetings also continue to add new content and form. Now people in addition to the inheritance of the previous way of New Year's Eve, and the rise of ritual telegram New Year's Eve and telephone New Year's Eve and so on. The old folk custom was to take the weather of the first few days of the new year as a guide to the success of the current year. It began with the Han Dongfang Shuo's "Yearly Occupation", which said that eight days after the year, one day for the chicken day, the second day for the dog, the third day for the pig, the fourth day for the sheep, the fifth day for the cow, the sixth day for the horse, the seventh day for the people, the eighth day for the valley. If the day is sunny, then the main thing is prosperous, when the day is cloudy, the main day is not prosperous. Later generations followed their custom, that the first day to the tenth, the weather is clear, no wind and no snow for good luck. Later generations from the occupation of the year developed into a series of rituals, celebrations. There is the custom of not killing chickens on the first day, not killing dogs on the second day, not killing pigs on the third day ...... of the first seven days of the year, and not carrying out executions Zhu Xianzhen woodblock New Year's Paintings
. Paintings of chickens In ancient times, chickens were painted on doors and windows to drive away ghosts and evil spirits during the Spring Festival. In the book "Xuanzhongji" written by the Jin Dynasty, it is told about this heavenly chicken on Dushuo Mountain, saying that when the sun is just rising and the first sunlight shines on this big tree, the heavenly chicken crows. When it crowed, all the chickens in the world crowed. So the chicken cut out for the Chinese New Year actually symbolizes the Heavenly Rooster. However, there is also an ancient myth that the chicken is a metamorphosis of the Chongming bird. It is said that during the time of Emperor Yao, the friends from the other side paid tribute to a kind of heavy bright bird that could ward off evil spirits, and everyone welcomed the arrival of the heavy bright bird, but the tribute envoys didn't come every year, so the people carved a wooden heavy bright bird, or casted a heavy bright bird in bronze and put it on the gateway, or painted a heavy bright bird on the windows and doors, to scare off the evil spirits and demons, and make them not dare to come back again. Because of the heavy Ming bird similar to chicken, and then gradually changed to painting chicken or cut window flowers pasted on the windows and doors, that is, become the source of the art of paper-cutting later generations. China's ancient especially valued the chicken, called it "five virtues of the bird". Han Shi Wai Zhuan" said, it has a crown on the head, is Wen De; feet after the distance can fight, is Wude; enemy in front of the dare to fight, is courageous; food to greet the same kind of benevolence; vigil does not lose time, dawn dawn, is the virtue of faith. So people not only in the New Year cut chicken, but also the first day of the New Year as chicken day. Gathering of wealth It is said that the first day of the first month of the broom for the birthday, this day can not move the broom, otherwise it will sweep away the luck, broke the fortune, and the "broom star" attracted, incurring bad luck. If you have to sweep the floor can not be, must be swept from the outside to the inside. This day also can not pour water out of the garbage, for fear that it will break the wealth. Today, many places are still preserved a custom, the New Year's Eve sweeping clean, the first day of the year not out of the broom, do not pour the garbage, prepare a large bucket to Sheng wastewater, the day is not outside the splash. [10]
The second day of the first month
Sacrificing the God of Fortune In the north on the second day of the first month of the God of Fortune, this day, whether it is a trade store, or ordinary families, will be held to sacrifice the God of Fortune activities. Each family makes a sacrifice to the God of Wealth that they received on New Year's Eve. In fact, they incinerate the rough prints they bought. On this day, wontons are eaten at noon, commonly known as "Yuanbao soup". Fish and mutton were used as offerings. Old Beijing's big business houses, this day are big ritual activities, offerings to be used "five big for", that is, the whole pig, the whole sheep, the whole chicken, the whole duck, red live carp, etc., and hope that this year to make a fortune. [11]
The third day of the first month of the lunar calendar
Sheep Day The third day of the first month of the lunar calendar is the day when Nuwa created the sheep, so it is called "Sheep Day". On this day, people can't kill sheep, and if the weather is good, it means that the sheep will be raised well during the year, and the people who raise them will have a good harvest. Burning the door god paper In the old days, the third day and night of the New Year's Day and Festival of the pine and cypress branches and festivals hung door god door paper and other incineration, to show that the year has been over, and to start camping. The proverb says, "If you burn the door god's paper, you'll be able to find a way to make a living." Valley Birthday Folk think the first three days of the first month of the Valley Birthday, this day to pray for the year, and forbidden to eat rice. The day of the festival is the day of the celebration. Song dynasty court festival, Song Zhenzong Dazhong Xiangfu first year, due to rumors of heavenly books down to earth, Zhenzong issued an imperial edict, the first three days of the first month for the day of the festival, officials and other vacation five days. It was later called the Small New Year's Day, and was the same as the Year's Day without sweeping the ground, begging for fire, or drawing water.? [12]?
The fifth day of the first month
The fifth day of the first month is commonly known as the broken five. Folklore says that many taboos can be broken on this day before the fifth day of the first month. According to the old custom to eat "dumplings" five days, the north called "cooking meat and potatoes". Nowadays, some people only eat three or two days, some every other day, however, no not eat. From the princely mansion to the streets and alleys of small households are so, even for guests. Women are also no longer jealous of the door, began to visit each other to pay tribute to the New Year, congratulations. Newly married women in this day to return to peace. A said broken five this day should not do things, otherwise the year meets with failure. Broken five customs in addition to the above taboos, mainly to send poor, welcome the God of Fortune, open trade. Offerings to the God of Fortune Southern people in the first five days of the first month of sacrifice to the God of Fortune. Folklore, the God of Fortune that is, five-way God. The so-called five roads, referring to the east and west, north and south, meaning that out of the five roads, all can get wealth. Qing Dynasty Gu Lu "Qing Jia Lu" cloud: "the fifth day of the first month, for the road head god birthday. Golden gongs and firecrackers, livestock sweet Bi Chen, in order to compete for the first for the market, will get up early to meet, called the head of the road." Also said: "Today, the road head, is the five rituals in the line of God. The so-called five roads, when it is east-west, south-north ear." Shanghai has the custom of grabbing the head of the road in the old calendar year. On the fourth day of the first month of the night, ready to sacrifice animals, cakes and fruits, incense and candles and other things, and sounding gongs and drums burning incense worship, piety and respect for the God of Wealth. The fifth is rumored to be the God of Fortune's birthday, in order to compete for the market, so the first four in the first to pick up, called "grab the head of the road", also known as "pick up the God of Fortune". Five sacrifices that is sacrificed to the God of the household, the God of the stove, the God of the soil, the God of the door, the God of the line, the so-called "head of the road", that is, the five sacrifices in the God. Where to receive the God of Fortune shall be for the sheep's head and carp, for the sheep's head has "auspicious" meaning, for the carp is the figure of "fish" and "Yu" resonance, poetry a lucky. People are convinced that as long as you can get the God of Wealth manifestation, you can get rich. Therefore, every New Year's Eve, people are in the first five zero hours zero minutes, open the door and windows, burning incense and firecrackers, fireworks, to the God of Fortune to welcome. Received the God of Fortune, we also have to eat road head wine, often eat until dawn. Everyone is full of hope for wealth, wishing that the God of Wealth will bring gold and silver treasures to their homes and make them rich in the new year
Painting of the God of Wealth
The God of Wealth is the God of Wealth in Wuhan, the capital of Wuhan. Lu Tou Shen Lu Tou Shen is a god of wealth worshipped in Wu Di. It is believed that this day is his birthday, and it is a spectacular event to welcome him. Commonly thought to receive the road head, the earlier the better, the earliest to receive is the real god, especially spiritual, so called "grab the road head". Some places, really in the first four days of the first day of the "rush to grab the head of the road", and has become a custom. Since the road god is no longer the traveler's protector, people will no longer in the travel to worship it. As for people in the first five days of the first month of the road to worship God, and this day for its birthday, is the five road god in the "five" and the first five of the "five" implicated in the reason. In the north on this day to sacrifice "five poor" is the same. In the first month rather than other months, is to take the new year new weather, figure a year of good luck, prosperity, east and west, south and north, wealth, five roads and progress. Send poor on the fifth day of the first month "to send poor", is a very distinctive ancient Chinese folk custom of the year. On this day, each family made of paper woman, known as "sweeping clear mother", "five poor women", "five poor mother", carrying a paper bag, the house will be swept to the bag of dirt, sent to the door outside the firecracker bombing. This custom is also known as "send poor soil", "send poor daughter-in-law out". The old custom of the Spring Festival during the size of the store from the first day of the year closed, and in the first five days of the market. Commonly known as the fifth day of the first month for the sacred day of wealth, that the choice of this day to open the market will attract wealth into the treasure. [13]
The seventh day of the first month of the first month of the year
People's Day, also known as the "People's Sheng Festival", "People's Celebration", "Population Day", "People's Seven Days" and so on. The Day of Man is also known as "Human Victory Day", "Human Celebration Day", "Population Day", and "Human Seven Days". Legend has it that the female snail first created the world, in the creation of chickens, dogs, pigs, cows, horses and other animals, in the seventh day of the creation of people, so this day is the birthday of mankind. Han Dynasty began to have human day custom, Wei Jin began to pay attention to. Ancient people day have to wear "people win" custom, people win is a kind of headdress, also known as color wins, Huasheng, from the Jin Dynasty began to cut color for the flowers, cut color for the people, or openwork gold foil for people to paste the screen, but also to wear in the hair. In addition, there is also the custom of climbing high and writing poems. After the Tang Dynasty, more attention to this festival. Every day, the emperor gave the qunchen colorful wisps people win, and high feast qunchen. If the weather is clear on the seventh day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the main year's population will be safe, and access will be smooth. Eat Seven Treasures Soup People Day Festival, people with seven kinds of fresh seasonal vegetables and rice flour made into a soup to eat, called "Seven Treasures Soup", eaten on the occasion of the People Day, in order to take the auspicious omen, and said that this thing can remove the evil spirit, cure all diseases. Different places have different products and use different fruits and vegetables, and the meaning is also different. Guangdong Chaoshan with mustard, kale, leeks, spring vegetables, celery, garlic, thick petals; Hakka people with celery, garlic, green onions, coriander, leeks with fish, meat, etc.; Taiwan, Fujian with spinach, celery, green onions and garlic, leeks, mustard, capers, cabbages and so on. Among them, celery and green onion signs of intelligence, garlic signs of calculating, mustard greens make long life, and so on and so forth. Fish life in some areas of the South, people have a day in the festival "fish life" custom, fish life, often many people around a full, the fish, ingredients and sauce poured in a large plate, everyone stood up, waving chopsticks, the fish material fishing, the mouth but also constantly shouting to: "Fishing ah! Fish! Fatten it!" The fish should be scooped up higher and higher to signify that they are rising higher and higher in the world. Pancake Folk this day to eat spring pancakes rolled "box vegetables" (cooked meat food), and pancakes in the courtyard, "smoked day". The festival is also a day for ladies to go out and for literati to climb up to the top of the mountain to write poems. Tang Gao Shi's poem, "Sending Poems to Du Er Leafmen on the Day of Man," reads, "Sending poems to the Cao Tang on the Day of Man, I feel sorry for the old people and miss my hometown. I can't bear to look at the color of the willow, and the plum blossom is full of broken hearts. Being in Nanfan, I can't find anything, but I have a lot of worries and anxieties in my heart. This year's day is empty of memories, next year's day know where?" [14]
The eighth day of the first month of the lunar calendar
The Day of the Valley Legend has it that the eighth day of the lunar calendar is the birthday of Guzi. If the weather is sunny on this day, the Lord will have a good rice harvest on that day, while a cloudy day will result in a poor year. Shunxing Folks take the eighth day of the first month as the day when the stars come down to the world, and make small lamps to burn and sacrifice, known as the Shunxing, also known as the "sacrificial star", "catching the star". Sacrifice with two god code, the first printed with the star section, jujiao, xuanwu, etc., the second is "the life of the life of the star". The two sheets are put together before and after, clamped on a paper clip, and placed in the center of the back of the table in the courtyard. In front of the god code, there are lamps twisted with yellow and white paper twisted with fragrant oil, and put into the bowl of lamps with a diameter of about an inch, or 49 lamps, or 108 lamps, and light them up. Cooked Lanterns and tea are then served. After dusk, the Big Dipper is used as the target for worship. After the sacrifice, when the remaining lamps will be extinguished, the sacred code and incense root will be incinerated together with sesame stalks and pine and cypress branches, and the ritual will be completed. [15]
The ninth day of the first month of the lunar calendar
The Day The ninth day of the first month of the lunar calendar is the Day of the Sky, which, according to legend, is the birthday of the Jade Emperor. The main customs are sacrifices to the Jade Emperor, Taoist temple fasting, etc., some places, the day of the day, women prepared incense and candles, fasting bowls, placed in the Tianjing alleyway in the open air to worship the heavens, and ask for blessings from the God of Heaven. [16]
The tenth day of the first month
Stone Birthday This day, where the mill, milling and other stone tools can not be moved, and even set up sacrifices to enjoy the stone, for fear of injury to crops. Also known as the "stone does not move" "ten does not move". Henan custom this day, the family to the stone incense to pay tribute. Lunch must eat bun cake, that eating cake within a year will be prosperous. In Shandong Yuncheng and other places to lift the stone God's move. The first nine nights, people will be a jar frozen in a smooth stone, the morning of the tenth, the rope tied jar nose, by ten young men to take turns carrying the jar away. The stone does not fall to the ground is a sign of a good harvest that year. He rat married daughter old folk beliefs. In the first month of the ritual rat activities, also known as the "rat married daughter" "rat married". Specific date varies from place to place, some in the first month of the seventh, some in the first month of the twenty-fifth, many areas is the first ten. Pingyao County, Shanxi, the tenth day of the cake will be placed at the root of the wall, the name is "congratulations on the rat marriage". Ningyuan, Hunan Province, the seventeenth for the "mouse wedding" this day to avoid opening the cabinet, for fear of alarming the rats. The night before, children will be candy, peanuts, etc. placed in a dark place, and will be pots and pans and other big things knocking and beating, for the rat Cui makeup, the next morning, will be closed to the rat's hole, that from now on the rat can be forever extinct. There are also areas in the rat to marry a woman day very early to go to bed, but also not to disturb the rats, it is said that you disturb it a day, it disturbed you a year. [17]