Traditional festivals and customs in China
1, Spring Festival
Spring Festival is the first traditional festival in China. In the past, the Spring Festival was called "New Year" because according to the lunar calendar that has been used in China's history, this day is the first day of the first month and the beginning of a new year. According to records, the people of China have celebrated the Spring Festival for more than 4,000 years, which was initiated by Yu Shun. One day more than two thousand years BC, Shun became emperor and led his men to worship heaven and earth. Since then, people have regarded this day as the beginning of a year, that is, the first day of the first month. It is said that this is the origin of the Lunar New Year, which was later called the Spring Festival.
During the Spring Festival, every household puts up Spring Festival couplets and New Year pictures to decorate their rooms. The night before the Spring Festival is called "New Year's Eve", which is an important moment for family reunion. The whole family get together and have a big "New Year's Eve". Many people stay up late, which is the so-called "shou nian". The next day, everyone began to "pay New Year greetings" to relatives and friends, greeting each other and wishing all the best in the new year. During the Spring Festival, lion dancing, dragon dancing, boating and walking on stilts are the most common traditional recreational activities.
2. Lantern Festival
Lantern Festival is also called Shangyuan Festival, Xiaoyuanxi, Yuanxi or Lantern Festival. Lantern Festival is one of the traditional festivals in China, Chinese character cultural circle and overseas Chinese. The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar. The ancients called "night", so the fifteenth day of the first full moon in a year was called Lantern Festival. After the Lantern Festival, there is a custom of eating Yuanxiao and watching lanterns. Yuanxiao is round, with glutinous rice flour as the skin and fruit and sugar stuffing inside, which is a symbol of "reunion".
In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Hanming, people began to watch lanterns, which was related to Buddhism. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty, the 15th day of the first month was named Lantern Festival, which was linked with the Spring Festival. During the day, it is a city, full of excitement, and at night, it is brightly lit and spectacular. Especially the exquisite and colorful lights make it the climax of entertainment activities during the Spring Festival. In the Qing Dynasty, dragon and lion dances, roller boating, walking on stilts and yangko dancing were added, making the Lantern Festival more colorful.
3. Tomb-Sweeping Day
Tomb-Sweeping Day is one of the 24 solar terms, which is relatively fixed from April 4th to April 6th every year. According to legend, Tomb-Sweeping Day began with the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the tombs of ancient emperors. Later, people rushed to follow suit and became a long-standing fine tradition of the Chinese nation, with a history of more than 2,500 years. Whenever we go to Tomb-Sweeping Day, people will take advantage of this rare holiday to go back to their hometown to worship their ancestors, whether it is "rainy in the Qingming Festival" or sunny and beautiful spring.
No matter old people or children, at this time, there will be a little concern for their hometown. Bowing down, burning incense, kowtowing, bowing, visiting relatives who are buried underground, and doing filial piety are virtues that Chinese children should carry forward. Walking is also a major activity in Tomb-Sweeping Day. During Tomb-Sweeping Day, the weather became warmer and plants sprouted again. People often go hiking together, fly kites and enjoy the spring scenery in the suburbs, so Tomb-Sweeping Day is sometimes called "Walking Festival".
4. Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is one of the four traditional festivals in China. According to the Chronicle of Jingchu, it is midsummer when the sun is on the mountain and it is midsummer in May. Its first afternoon is a sunny day to climb mountains in the sun, so the fifth day of May is also called "Duanyang Festival". Also known as Zhengyang Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Noon Festival, May Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Yulan Festival, Tianzhong Festival, etc. The custom of eating palm seeds on Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.
Legend has it that Qu Yuan threw himself into the Miluo River when he learned that Chu had perished. The local people admired Qu Yuan's patriotic spirit and rowed boats and threw zongzi into the river to feed the fish, fearing that the fish would eat Qu Yuan's body. Time flies, as a custom, the activity of commemorating the patriotic poet Qu Yuan has been passed down from the Warring States to today. For middle-aged parents with children, the most important thing of Dragon Boat Festival is to protect their children's health and safety. Parents give their children realgar, hang sachets and tie colored ropes, which are all parents' ardent expectations for their children.
5. Mid-Autumn Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as "Reunion Festival", falls on August 15th, hence the name "Mid-Autumn Festival". The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the ritual of the ancient emperors offering sacrifices to the moon in autumn. Since Wei, Jin, Tang and Song Dynasties, it has gradually evolved into the custom of enjoying the moon. The word "Mid-Autumn Festival" first appeared in the book Zhou Li, and it really became a national holiday in the Tang Dynasty.
It is said that the formation of this important festival of the Chinese nation is related to the story of "Tang Sleepwalking in the Moon Palace". In ancient times, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, people would offer exquisite moon cakes to the Moon God. After the sacrifice, the whole family shared it, indicating family reunion. This custom has been passed down to this day.