Playing lanterns is the main activity of the Lantern Festival, but its purpose is to serve the "social fire". With the first release of Deng Hua, there were social fires everywhere. There are lion dances, dragon dances, roller coasters, iron cores, stilts, horse stories and so on.

Legends about social fire are also varied, and the legends with great influence are:

A long time ago, a bird with nine heads hurt people, and Vulcan turned into an old man with a white beard and told people, "The bird with nine heads dare not fall into the water, so people can only take refuge in the water by boat." So people lit lanterns in the dark and took boats to the water's edge, forming the "Lantern Festival".

In some places, there is a legend that "lights up the heart": Laba ate a "sticky rice" and couldn't come back when he went out. Only on the fifteenth day of the first month, when the heart is clear, do you know to go home. So on this day, every household lights lanterns, forming the "Lantern Festival".

It is also said that the Lantern Festival originated from the "Taiyi" presented by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. He built an altar in Ganquan Palace, which was the 15th day of the first month. On that day, the imperial secretary was ordered to decorate the altar with lanterns and decorations, and was also ordered to sing and dance, perform hundreds of plays and entertain Taiyi. Since then, emperors have added all his favorite entertainment activities to it. After that, people followed suit, thus becoming the custom of "Lantern Festival".

What is the origin of Lantern Festival?

In fact, the origin of "Lantern Festival" may be earlier than the sacrifice of Taiyi by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. During the Yin and Shang Dynasties, the folk used the activities of the Fire Sacrifice Society. The original meaning of "society" is to worship the earth, that is, to worship the land god. Therefore, the civil society will hold a "social fire" on the fifteenth day of the first month.

Those who set fire to the club are also called the Fire Sacrifice Club. Later, the form of fire sacrifice gradually changed into the Lantern Festival, and there was the custom of celebrating the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month.

In short, the custom of "Lantern Festival" has a long history, and it also contains some religious contents. It is said that Kuixing was full of knowledge, but failed in the exam many times, so he jumped into the river and committed suicide. Later, he was saved by He Ao and became a Kuixing God. It is said that there are many civil servants in Tianshui history who worship and believe in Kuixing. The image of Kuixing in Shehuo is Kuimian, riding a fish. With a pen in his right hand and an inkstone in his left, he limped along. The audience bowed all the way. Kuixing dipped his pen in the water and threw it around. Locals believe that there is a scholar high school at home where there are water drops on the forehead.

In addition, the villagers in Gansu also pay special attention to "driving away the spiritual officials" and "kneeling the green officials". Four spiritual officers walked in front of the procession, followed by young children, shouting to flee east and west to drive away evil spirits and plagues. After Lingguan, Guan Chun came. Parents took out good cigarettes and wine, Chun Guan lit the incense on the table, blurted out some congratulations, and then left.

After these ancient ceremonies, all the men, women and children in the village rushed to the social fire field and played until dawn before gradually returning home.

Lantern-watching poems

1. Lights on the fifteenth night of the first month

(Tang)

Thousands of doors are locked and brightly lit. In the middle of January, it moved to Beijing.

Three hundred wives dance with sleeves and write in the sky.

Night Lights on the fifteenth day of the first month is a seven-character quatrain written by Zhang Hu, a poet in the Tang Dynasty. This poem describes the scene of everyone going out, leaving the building empty, enjoying themselves, and then returning to the Lantern Festival. It is the most poetic and fascinating moment.

2. Watching Lights at Fifteen Nights

(Tang) Lu

A fragrant banquet was held in Jinli, the early year of Lan Hongyan.

The color is far, and the light is far.

After the fall of China people's suspected star, the building was like a hanging moon.

Don't laugh so much, come and show off the nine branches.

Watching Lights at Fifteen Nights is a poem by Lu, a poet in the Tang Dynasty. Described the grand occasion of lighting the Lantern Festival. Colorful lanterns decorate the earth with colorful colors. People like to watch lanterns and enjoy the moon on holiday nights, and like singing and dancing games. Young men and women express their love for each other on this happy and peaceful day.

3. Jade case Yuan Xi

(Song) Xin Qiji

One night, the east wind made up thousands of trees and flowers, blowing off the stars and rain.

BMW carved cars full of incense, the phoenix moved, the basin lights turned and the fish dragon danced all night.

Moths, snow, willows, gold thread, laughter and incense are all gone.

Looking for him in the crowd, suddenly looking back, the man was there, dimly lit.

Yuan Xi Jade Case is the work of Xin Qiji, a poet in Song Dynasty. This word begins with the colorful and lively scene of the Lantern Festival, which reflects an aloof and indifferent female image different from the golden powder, and entrusts the author's aloof and arrogant character who is unwilling to go along with the secular after political frustration.

The whole poem adopts the method of contrast. The first part describes the grand occasion of the Lantern Festival with bright lights and full of music, and the second part deliberately describes the protagonist looking for a lonely and tall woman standing in the scattered light among the good women. Delicate conception, delicate language, implicit euphemism and endless aftertaste.