The winter solstice | also says that the winter solstice is as big as the year

Text | Zhang Kuntang

The day before the winter solstice of the Ugly Year, a solid little yang spring, the sky is cloudless, and the warm sun shines high. I was very fortunate to listen to the academic report "Chinese Virtues and Winter Solstice Culture" by Professor Diao Tongju, a doctoral supervisor of Shandong University. Attending the report meeting were some officials of the district people's congress who were more familiar with it. It is gratifying that the leaders of the people's congresses have taken the lead in participating in the study of traditional culture.

Professor Diao's report is lofty and grounded, as a scholar, from the origin and development of winter solstice culture, from the customs formed over the years to the inheritance of various places, the introduction is well-founded and meticulous, which is easy to accept; Professor Diao also pays attention to the analysis and explanation of esoteric literary phenomena and Zhou Gong culture in a simple and simple way, and the listener feels relaxed and pleasant, pleasing to the eye.

More than ten years ago, I also wrote an article entitled "The Winter Solstice is As Big as a Year", which was still a shallow understanding at that time, because at that time, the twenty-four solar terms had not yet been applied for as the world intangible cultural heritage. Today, it has more confidence and basis, coupled with Professor Diao's academic report to lead. Indeed, there is a renewed understanding and experience of "the winter solstice is as big as the year".

According to reports, 3,000 years ago, Zhou GongjiDan measured the longest and shortest days of the "Sun Shadow" with the "Tugui Method", that is, the current winter solstice day and the summer solstice day, and took the longest day of the "Sun Shadow" as the beginning of a new year. Therefore, in the Zhou Qin era, the november of the lunar calendar was the first month, and the new year was celebrated on the winter solstice, and the new year's day was taken as the annual winter solstice. "In this sense, the winter solstice is the year that was once there, or the winter solstice 'was once the year.'" From the Han Dynasty onwards, with the first lunar month as the first year, the first month and the winter solstice were officially separated, and the winter solstice thus became the "winter festival" and "solstice festival". The government also has a set of solemn congratulatory ceremonies called "He Dong". The Book of Han records that "the winter solstice yang qi rises, the king is long, and therefore he is congratulated." This means that from the day of the winter solstice, the cathode arrives, the yang begins to be born, the yin is full and decaying, and the yang gradually grows, and after that, the day is getting longer and longer, which is an auspicious day and should be celebrated. This is the astronomical basis for the winter solstice, which is as big as the year.

In the Song Dynasty, the winter solstice began to be designated as a "legal holiday" and a regular holiday. Song Dynasty nursery rhymes said: "The winter solstice is like a year, and everyone eats tangyuan." Teachers don't take vacations, and students don't put money. The most important folk activity of the day is "Winter Worship". Zhou Mi said in "The Past Affairs of Wulin": "The imperial court will celebrate the Paidang, and like Yuan Zhengyi, and the people of the capital are the heaviest, the yang he winter, the carriages and horses are all fresh, and the five drums have been filled in the Ninth Street." Women and children, gorgeous costumes, coming and going like clouds... Within three days, the shops were all closed to the market, and the curtains were hanging down, which was called 'doing festivals'. This shows that the grand scene of "Worshiping Winter" at that time was unprecedented.

In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the winter solstice was still prosperous, and the folk had the saying of "fat winter and thin year". The emperor will hold a ceremony on the day of the winter solstice, which is called "winter solstice suburban day". The "Imperial Scenery and Material Strategy" records the grand situation when people celebrate the winter solstice: "Hundred officials he dongbi, three days of auspicious clothes, with red letters to worship each other, Zhu yi handed over to Qu, just like New Year's Day." It can be seen that the ancients attached almost the same importance to the winter solstice festival as New Year's Day. To this day, some places still circulate that "the winter solstice is like a year, and Mr. does not give money; The winter solstice is like a festival, and the owner refuses to rest. " proverb. On the day of the winter solstice, there are customs of eating wontons and dumplings in the northern part of China, while in the southern regions there are the habits of eating tangyuan, eating winter solstice rice balls and eating winter solstice long-term noodles. In some areas, it is also necessary to worship the heavens, worship ancestors and visit tombs on the day of the winter solstice.

In terms of the three festivals of winter solstice and Lichun and Qingming, they are both festivals and festivals, and the festive atmosphere of the winter solstice is the strongest.

These long-standing cultures have greatly enriched and developed the traditional cultural connotation of the Chinese nation and promoted and influenced the progress of society. It has also become an important part of today's cultural education, especially those effective practices: "ancestor worship, filial piety, teacher promotion, and health maintenance" have a far-reaching impact to this day.

Ancestor worship is divided into official and folk worship, except for the imperial offerings of the emperors of the previous dynasties, the special sacrifices of envoys, the Spring and Autumn festivals, and the modern public sacrifice ceremonies. Folk festivals also continued from the Tang and Song dynasties to the present day. Millions of Chinese descendants in ancient and modern times have placed their remembrance on the huaxia emperors in the ceremony of worship, praying to the holy king to bless the wind and rain and the peace of the country.

Filial piety is a practice everywhere, especially in my hometown in Shandong. I remember that before the arrival of the winter solstice, the daughter-in-law had to make cotton shoes for the in-laws for the winter, and also made a pair for the children. My mother would make a warm new pair of cotton shoes for my grandparents every now and then. I also see it in my eyes and remember it in my heart.

Longshi is to respect, value, serve, serve and glorify the meaning of the master and the master, although this practice is gradually declining, but it was very popular in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. If a disciple wants to worship a teacher, he must always have an expression. "Ten pieces of bacon" was the prescribed worship service of that era. Zhu Xi believes that "those who cultivate it to the thin" mean that these "ten pieces of bacon" are not a generous gift.

I've also heard of a friend who has such a custom. Some villages in the Fuzhou area of Jiangxi Province do not regard the girls who marry as spilling water, but always regard them as their own families. On the day of the winter solstice, no matter how far the girl is married, please come back and have a reunion dinner together. Later, with the process of reform and opening up, they were allowed to walk the red carpet to show respect and love for these distant pedestrians. Later, of course, these people also spontaneously donated money and materials to the village's public utilities to show their love. (The informant forwarded this information to Professor Diao to enrich her lecture.) ）

The winter solstice is as big as the year, always on the road. Professor Diao said that Shandong University will make certain efforts for the inheritance of winter solstice culture. That's going to be a big deal!

About author:Zhang Kuntang is a member of the Shandong Provincial Essay Literature Association, a member of the Jinan Writers Association, a member of the District CPPCC Literature and History Committee, and the vice president of the Qilin Reading Club. He has published articles in jinan daily, qilu evening news, selected essays, dongfeng literature and other newspapers and periodicals.

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