What festival is August 23rd, 2065438+00?
Chinese people all over the world know a festival: the Mid-Yuan Festival, that is, the Arahara Festival. But why is the Mid-Autumn Festival called "Ghost Festival"? What are the taboos of "Ghost Festival"? I'm afraid many friends are not so clear. I'll tell you today for your reference.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Kasahara Festival, usually falls on the 14th or 15th day of the seventh lunar month. For this year, August 24th of Gregorian calendar 20 10 is the Mid-Autumn Festival.
According to legend, from July 1st every year, the King of Yan ordered the gates of hell to be opened wide, so that the ghosts who suffered and were imprisoned in hell all the year round could get out of hell, get a short stroll and enjoy human blood. Therefore, people call July a ghost month, and this month is considered as an unlucky month, neither getting married nor moving. On this night, people should not only worship their ancestors, but also prepare some dishes, wine, rice, gold and silver clothes and paper to worship ghosts and gods at the intersection.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a complicated festival, which is not only a folk ghost festival, but also a Taoist Mid-Autumn Festival, a Buddhist orchid festival and a festival integrating Buddhism and Taoism.
Taoism has so-called heavenly officials, local officials and water officials, which are collectively called the three officials. These three officials are the representatives sent to the world by the Jade Emperor. Every year, they inspect the good and evil on earth and report to heaven. The birthdays of the three officials are the fifteenth day of the first month, the fifteenth day of July and the fifteenth day of October, also known as Sanyuan. July 15th, known as the Central Plains, was the time when local officials were pardoned. On this day, he will take out a thick roster and draw a picture according to the performance of immortals, mortals and animals, so as to atone and avoid punishment. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, people engage in some sacrificial activities to save those ghosts and ghosts, which should be related to the forgiveness of sins by local officials.
July 15 is the Buddhist Bonsai Festival. It is said that Sakyamuni had a disciple named Mulian. Although her mother is young and beautiful, she has no good words and deeds, loves money and is stingy, and especially hates monks. After her death, she was thrown into the ranks of evil spirits. In accordance with the instructions of the Buddhist group, Mulian prepared all kinds of fruits and utensils on July 15th and put them into pots to support ten monks. Her mother just left the evil world and ascended to heaven. In view of this, the Buddha, by extension, asked Buddhist disciples to be filial and become a Buddhist monk on July 15th every year to repay their parents' kindness. The significance of Buddhist bonsai coincides with Confucian filial piety, and this day has become a ghost festival for folk sacrifices to deceased parents and ancestors.
The story of Manglietia Manglietia saving Mu Er is widely circulated among the people:
"A lotus monk, powerful. His mother fell into the hungry ghost road, and the food mouth turned into flames. Hunger was too bitter. Unable to save his mother, Mu Lian asked the Buddha for advice. In order to talk about the Lanpen Sutra, she taught July 15th to make a Lanpen to save her mother. "
On this day, the master platform and the stone drum platform were set up in front of Jiekou Village in advance. There is a bodhisattva in front of the master's seat, who is the treasure king who crossed the ghost of "hell". Below is a plate of peaches and rice. Shigu stood on the stage, holding three spiritual cards and evocative complex items in his hand. After noon, families put whole pigs, whole sheep, chickens, ducks and geese and various cakes, fruits and melons on the stone drum stage. The person in charge inserted a triangular paper flag of blue, red and green on each sacrifice, and wrote the words "Yulan Festival" and "Manna Gate Open". The ceremony began with solemn temple music. Then, the mage rang the bell and led the monks in the seat to recite various spells and mantras. Then feed, sprinkle a plate of peaches and rice in all directions and repeat three times. This ceremony is called "the opening of the flame".
Patching the sky: At night, every household will burn incense at home and put incense on the ground. The more, the better, symbolizing a bumper harvest.
Flood and drought lights: there are water lights in some places; The so-called water lamp is a lamp tied to a small board, which is mostly made of colored paper in the shape of a lotus, and is called a "flood and drought lamp". According to tradition, water lanterns are designed to guide those who are unjust and dead. When the lights went out, the water lights had completed the task of attracting ghosts to cross the Naihe Bridge.
Shi Geer: The shops were closed that day, and the streets were haunted. There is an incense table every hundred steps in the middle of the street, which is filled with fresh fruit and a kind of "ghost steamed stuffed bun". There is a Taoist behind the desk singing a ghost song that people can't understand. This ceremony is called "singing".
Shangyuan and Zhongyuan: Shangyuan Festival is the Lantern Festival on earth, and people decorate lanterns to celebrate the Lantern Festival. "Central Plains" comes from Shangyuan. People think that the Mid-Autumn Festival is a ghost festival, and lanterns should also be put on to celebrate the festival for ghosts. But people and ghosts are different, so the lanterns in the Central Plains are different from those in Shangyuan. People are yang, ghosts are yin; The earth is yang and the water is yin. The mysterious darkness underwater reminds people of the legendary hell and the place where ghosts sink. So Shangyuan lanterns are on land and Zhongyuan lanterns are in water.
Therefore, the seventh lunar month 14/ 15 is the biggest festival in the underworld-Ghost Festival, also known as Zhongyuan Festival or Arahara Festival, and it is one of the three major festivals in the underworld in China. There are folk legends about the Lantern Festival for the dead and the Ghost Festival for the dead. It is said that on that day, Yan Xihui will spend the festive season with ghosts dressed in costumes. Let us living people bless them together and wish people in another world all their wishes come true and enjoy the happiness that this world has not had time to enjoy. Therefore, Chinese people all over the world will hold activities such as offering sacrifices, chanting Buddha, sweeping graves, reviewing, enjoying flowers and fishing to celebrate.
On July 14/ 15, the gate of hell opened wide. Whether it's burning paper money to send blessings, holding daisies to mourn, offering sacrifices to ancestors on the Internet, or putting out river lanterns, today's living people miss the past and send blessings to their ancestors together. This is the spontaneity of human spirit, the extension of feelings and the most basic belief. And at the same time, "the living should cherish every day, not be ashamed of society and friends, and not be ashamed of their loved ones who have left forever." Because, one day we will meet them. At that time, you can proudly say that you are a hero on earth and a ghost hero in the underworld! "