What are the elegant Spring Festival customs in ancient times?
Spring Festival in Tsing Yi
At the beginning of spring, night falls less than five minutes. All officials wear Tsing Yi in the capital, and all officials wear Tsing Yi in counties, countries and counties. When spring begins, people show their signs outside the door.
-The Book of Rites of the Later Han Dynasty
The ancients thought that everything was born in spring and the world was green, so the corresponding color in attribute was "green" (turquoise). The ruling class regards wearing blue as one of the ceremonies to show their connection with "heaven".
Similarly, long summer is red (vermilion), beginning of autumn is white, and beginning of winter is black.
Similarly, the corresponding orientation of spring is "East". Therefore, the Emperor of Heaven and the officials of civil and military affairs will go to the East Gate to welcome the Spring Festival.
2.
Drink Mei Huajiu/pepper wine.
All ages know to wear their clothes. They greet each other and drink pepper and cypress wine ... Dong Xunyun: It is customary to use pepper wine and pepper flowers at the beginning of the year, so flowers are collected as tribute bottles. Those who drink first in the first month will be married to the old man and drink first to congratulate him. The old man lost his age, so he drank.
-"The Story of Jingchu Times"
Mei Huajiu and Yuan Ri are old.
-"four-person monthly order"
Pepper and cypress wine is made from pepper and cypress branches. Yes, you are right. Drinking pepper-related drinks was very popular in ancient times. For example, "Songs of the South" also includes "Yao Hui Steamed Xi Lan Chicken, Diangui Wine Xi Pit Slurry", from which "Tu Su Wine" is derived, with more ingredients.
Mei Huajiu is not sure. Plum blossoms in most parts of China were not in bloom at the beginning of spring. They should have been picked and brewed last year. There is also a similar cookbook "Shanjia Qing Palace", which is not detailed.
3.
Shi Qi vegetable porridge
The seventh day of the first month is a day. Take seven vegetables as soup.
-"The Story of Jingchu Times"
Legends in ancient China are similar to Genesis in the Bible, such as "On the first day of the first month, chickens, dogs, pigs, sheep, cows, horses and people". Seven-dish porridge refers to taking seven kinds of fresh vegetables in early spring to make porridge/soup, which means welcoming the new and eliminating the bad.
I have written the details before ~ Look: Notes on Solar Terms beginning of spring: seven grass, the Spring Column of Man Mei.
Seven-dish porridge is popular in Japan now, called "seven grass". This country is in decline.
4.
Eat spring food/bite spring
Beginning of spring Day, Spring Cake Lettuce, Spring Vegetable Number.
-"Four Seasons Mirror"
At the beginning of spring in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Li Gu ordered reeds and celery buds as dishes and fed them to each other.
-"Heritage" (I didn't find this book)
At the beginning of spring, eat lettuce to welcome the new year.
-"Qi Ren Yueling"
Offer a new offer on New Year's Day in China. Although it is a scholar's home, it is also necessary to cut chickens and dolphins, cook noodles and make cakes, mix lettuce, leek buds, horns and onions, and eat raw carrots, which is called biting spring.
-Ji Sheng at the time of Emperor Jingdi
The ancients believed that the breath of spring was outward-after winter dormancy, vegetation flourished and the temperature rose. So now the popular trend is to eat spicy food (such as the pepper and cypress wine mentioned above), new wild vegetables (such as seven dishes), "spring plate" and "biting spring" are also developed from this.
Generally speaking, fresh and tender vegetables such as leeks, onions, cress and radishes taste fresh. Spread on the plate, it is "spring vegetables"; It is "biting spring" to roll into spring rolls and eat spring cakes.
5.
Ribbons are swallows and headdresses to welcome spring.
Beginning of spring learned that Yan cut the ribbon that day and posted the word "Yichun".
-"The Story of Jingchu Times"
Color refers to five-color silk.
Swallow is considered as one of the most representative birds in spring, and there are also 72 seasons "vernal equinox, mysterious birds arrive". Chae Yeon welcomes spring, probably just as lightly as they welcome the new spring; )