"New Year Taste of China" Series Of Fifth Drafts: Why Drink "Tu Su" During the Spring Festival?
China News Service Beijing, February 1 Title: Why drink "Tu Su" during the Spring Festival?
Author Xu Crown
"In addition to the sound of firecrackers, the spring breeze sends warmth into Tu Su." Drinking Tusu during the Spring Festival is not only an important festival tradition, but also a unique symbol of Chinese culture. What is Tu Su wine, and why is Tu Su drunk during the Spring Festival?
There are many theories about the origin of Tusu wine, one is that it originated from cutting grass as medicine to brew wine to ward off epidemics. The Tang Dynasty customs "Years of Hua Jili" recorded that plagues broke out in the Jin Dynasty, "Every year except for the night left in a medicinal patch, so that the sac is soaked in the well, until the first day, take water and put it in the wine bottle, drink it together, and do not get sick and warm." It is said: Tu Su wine, Tu, Cut also, Su, rotten also. ”
On January 30, citizens shopped for Spring Festival jewelry in a commercial city in Nanjing. Image source: ICphoto
However, the origin of Tusu wine is even earlier, and it is rumored that this wine was created by the Eastern Han dynasty physician Sheng Huatuo. In the Jin Dynasty, Ge Hong referred to Tu Su wine as "this Hua Tuo method", and recorded the earliest Tu Su medicine recipes in the "Elbow Reserve Emergency Formula", including rhubarb, Sichuan pepper, Bai Shu, Gui Xin, Platycodon, Aconitum, Sarsaparilla and so on. This famous party has been passed down for thousands of years, and it is highly respected for its records in the Four Hours, the Essential Formula for Preparing for Emergencies, and the Compendium of Materia Medica. Sun Simiao of the Tang Dynasty called Tusu wine "to ward off epidemics and make people not infected with warm diseases and typhoid fever", and Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty also called it "New Year's Day (that is, today's Spring Festival) drinking to dispel the plague boils".
Either from the fear of plague, or from the admiration of famous doctors, the custom of drinking Tu Su during the Spring Festival arose in the Jin Dynasty, and Tu Su wine was also named "Old Wine". This custom was most popular in the Tang and Song dynasties, and was passed down through the Ming, Qing and Republic of China. After time precipitation and fermentation, Tusu wine has gradually injected emotional and cultural connotations, becoming an important traditional custom and deeply integrated into the Spring Festival "narrative" of the Chinese nation.
"Tu Su 卯 wine red halo, red cabbage spicy pan cui pile" "Phase period of Tu Su wine, enjoy the spring to enjoy the amaranth plate" "Beautiful and abundant years, into my Tu Su Xiang", the poet's Tu Su set off the taste of the Year, the warmth and peace of the Spring Festival also melted into the Tu Su wine aroma. In addition, Tu Su wine "the young get old, so first drink he; the old man lost time, so after drinking", this drinking tradition that began in the Jin Dynasty was continued by posterity, the cup light reflected the joy of children and grandchildren around the knees, and the wine was filled with the joy of family reunion and the hope of prosperity and prosperity. In the Qing Dynasty, drinking Tu Su wine was included in the national rituals, and Yongzheng to Guangxu were drunk in a golden cup on the first day of the first month of the month, performing the "open pen in the open window" ceremony, which means to remove the old cloth and pray for the blessing of the world.
On January 31, Bozhou City, Anhui Province, organized folk artists to perform colorful folk shows such as flower palanquins, kissing, dragon dances, and big-headed dolls in the Beiguan Historical and Cultural Block. Image source: ICphoto
Unlike the Western Dionysian spirit's detachment from this shore world, Tu Su wine has pointed to real social life from birth. In the temple and in the homes of the people, the unique Tusu wine has been precipitated over the years, integrated into the collective memory of the Chinese nation, full of spiritual nutrition of national culture, and presents the collective character of the nation.
Some people may say that in recent years, the Spring Festival custom of drinking Tusu has gradually faded. It is true that the richness of modern lifestyles and material life influences the Spring Festival customs, but Tu Su wine has not disappeared from a variety of choices: the regions with strong annual flavor in China, overseas Chinese gathering areas, Japan and South Korea and other countries influenced by Chinese culture have followed the traditions of Fagu.
It may be said that Tu Su wine is figurative and abstract; it is historical and realistic. Tusu wine, which accompanies the continuous development of the Chinese nation for thousands of years, carries common memories and emotions, is a cultural totem of the Spring Festival to share reunion, joy and peace, and is also a cultural bond that condenses the sons and daughters of China at home and abroad.
Tu Su wine reflects the roots and origins of Chinese culture, telling peace and blessings. (End)