Cover news reporter Li Yuxin
"The law returns to the old age with less frost, and the grass and trees in the spring are known to the world." On February 4th, the first of the twenty-four solar terms, Li Chun, has arrived with spring. Since ancient times, people have regarded spring as the first of the four seasons, and Lichun represents the beginning of spring. Therefore, in ancient times, the people paid special attention to the festival of Lichun, and many folk activities related to Lichun were also held to welcome the arrival of this festival.
The arrival of spring marks that the winter when all things are hidden has passed, although the cold has not faded at this time, and many areas are still shrouded in ice and snow, but the spring of wind and sun warmth and the growth of all things is close at hand. After entering the rainy season, the southern region will usher in a spring scenery full of spring, and the earth will show a thriving scene.
In the distant sky, the geese flew in the clouds, and the fish swimming in the near water burst out of the ice
Lichun February 4 (the fourth day of the first lunar month)
The ancient book "The Seventy-two Waiting Interpretations of the Moon Order" contains: "Li Chun, the First Moon Festival; Li, Jianshi Ye; The Five Elements Qi who come to the past continue here; and the Qi of Spring Wood begins to arrive, so it is called Li Ye; Li Xia, Autumn and Winter are the same." It is explained that standing means "beginning", and lichun is the beginning of all things, the meaning of all rebirth. In ancient times, Lichun was regarded as one of the "four li", "four li" refers to the beginning of the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, corresponding to the four solar terms of "lichun, lixia, liqiu, and lidong", and its agricultural meaning is "spring seed, summer long, autumn harvest, winter hiding".
It is often said: "The plan of the year lies in the spring, and the plan of the day lies in the morning." As the first of the twenty-four solar terms, spring is the beginning of the four seasons, and the ancients naturally attached great importance to this festival. "As early as the pre-Qin period, on the day of the establishment of spring, Tianzi would lead the three dukes and nine secretaries to the suburbs to welcome the spring. Later, this became a common custom observed by the government and the people. Folklore expert Liu Xiaochang said that the custom has been passed down for thousands of years, until the old Chengdu, county officials and government officials will also go to the countryside to organize villagers to hold spring and spring ploughing ceremonies.
Welcoming spring, whipping spring, biting spring... On the day of Spring Festival, folk customs and activities are rich and diverse, and the ceremony of welcoming spring is particularly solemn. It is reported that the spring was carried out on the day before the establishment of spring, with the purpose of bringing back spring and the god of Jurman. And Jurmang is the spring god in ancient Chinese folk mythology, responsible for the germination and growth of trees. Before the spring, there is also a need to make a special thing, that is, the spring cow.
Spring Cow Diagram (Source Network)
According to Liu Xiaochang, spring cattle are generally made of yellow clay, also known as "earth cattle". In addition to the spring cow, there is also another mangshen (i.e., the god of jurchen), and the mangshen is the boy who drives the cattle. "In the old days of Chengdu, on the first day of Lichun, in order to welcome spring, spring cattle and mangshen would be displayed together at the entrance of the county gate, indicating that the government paid attention to farming. On the day of the spring, officials led the crowd out of the East Gate and went to the spring field to worship the spring cow and the god of mango. After the completion of the blessing sacrifice, an important ceremony in the spring festival, the whip spring, officially began.
Whipping spring is to beat the spring cattle, and the spring day will break the clay sculpture of the spring cow, which is the legacy of the era of agricultural civilization. Through the custom of beating spring cattle, farmers are reminded that spring has arrived, and they should not violate the time of farming, sow grain in time, and pray for a year of abundant grain and peace for the country and the people. "Fighting spring is the beginning of spring ploughing, and the purpose of beating spring is to whip the cattle with the purpose of beating off the laziness of people, hoping to cultivate diligently in the coming year and enjoy a good harvest, which is also a custom in Chengdu for thousands of years."
Spring Cake (Image Source Visual China)
As an important festival, Lichun naturally has a unique food custom - biting spring. "In the past, Chengdu had the habit of biting spring in both rural areas, and the so-called biting spring was eating spring cakes on the day of Lichun." Liu Xiaochang said.
Spring to the human world is like jade, and the lamp burns the moon and the next month is like silver
Lantern Festival 15 February (15th day of the first lunar month)
After the Spring Festival, when the first full moon night of the Lunar New Year is ushered in, it means that the Lantern Festival has arrived. The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar, and the ancients called the night "supper", so the fifteenth day of the first month was called the "Lantern Festival". Because it was influenced by Taoism during the Tang Dynasty, it was also known as the Shangyuan Festival. On the night of this day, people admire the lanterns, guess the riddles, eat the Lantern... Lights are everywhere, and it seems to push the joyful atmosphere of the New Year to the climax.
"The Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month is also the end of the New Year, because after the Fifteenth Lantern Festival of the First Month, the year is over." Therefore, in the old Chengdu, this festival was particularly lively, and the custom of putting lights on the Lantern Festival continued here for thousands of years. In the "Genealogy of the Years of Hua Ji" written by The Chengdu people of the Yuan Dynasty, quoting the Tang people's "Old Records of Putting Lanterns" to say that during the Anshi Rebellion, Tang Xuanzong came to Chengdu to avoid the disaster of war, so he brought the custom of the Lantern Lantern Festival to Chengdu.
"Qianlong Emperor Lantern Xingle Map" axis, Qing, The Palace Museum collection
During the Northern Song Dynasty, the famous minister Zhao Wei clearly recorded the December City of Chengdu in the "Chengdu Ancient and Modern Collection", of which the first month was the lamp market. According to the record of the "Annals of the Year": "Song Kaibao was in the second year, and he ordered the next year to put on the lanterns for three nights. "It can be seen that the date of the lantern festival is generally on the night of the First Yuan, that is, the Lantern Festival. The Song Dynasty poet Lu You also wrote "Ding Youshangyuan", in the poem "Advocating the boiling of the five doors in the sky, the lantern mountain ten thousand torches moving at dusk", describing the grand situation of the Chengdu Lantern Festival.
"By the Ming and Qing dynasties, chengdu's Lantern Festival was more lively, and from this time on, the Lantern Festival should be described with a 'noisy' word." Liu Xiaochang said that at that time, there were lights everywhere in Chengdu, and people inside and outside the city also had to come out to see the lights. "Sichuan opera origami drama has a husband and wife watching the lanterns, which is the story of watching the lanterns, which is very popular with Chengdu people. The lantern festival can be said to be a thousand lights and a bustling event. ”
"The Lantern Fights to See the Lotus Boat, and the BMW Fragrant Car Picks Up the Falling Tungsten." In the middle of the stormy night, people scattered, and the lone lamp called for sugar balls. "The Qing Dynasty poet Li Tiaoyuan once wrote this poem "Lantern", depicting the scene of joy and joy at that time." These are the most appropriate compliments for the Chengdu Lantern Festival. Liu Xiaochang said.
Spring rain is as fine as silk, like silk and hail
Rain 19 February (19th lunar month)
The "Seventy-two Waiting Solutions to the Moon Order" is written: "In the middle of the first month, the sky is full of water. Spring begins with wood, and those who give birth to wood will also have water, so the spring will follow the rain. And when the east wind is thawed, it scatters into rain. "It can be seen that with the advent of rain, the temperature gradually rises, and at the same time, the precipitation gradually increases." At this time, the earth warmed up, and the spring weather between heaven and earth was open.
The twenty-four solar terms are the product of the ancient agricultural civilization and are closely related to agricultural activities. In the Gannan region, there is a custom of "occupying rice color" during the rainy season. The so-called "rice color" is to divine the abundance of the rice harvest that year by frying the glutinous grain rice flowers. Whether there can be a good harvest in the new year depends on how many glutinous rice flowers are bursting, and the more glutinous rice that bursts out of the white flowers, the better the harvest; and the fewer the rice flowers that burst out, it means that the harvest is not good, and the price of rice will be expensive.
In the "Five Elements of the Tian Family" written by Lou Yuanli in the Yuan Dynasty, it is written: "Rain festival, burning dry wok, bursting it with glutinous rice, called Polo flowers, accounting for the color of rice." The Southern Song Dynasty Fan Chengda's "Wu Junzhi" also mentioned: "The burst glutinous valley is in the kettle, the name is Bo Lou, also known as the rice flower." It can be seen that the custom of "occupying the color of rice" has a history of thousands of years in the land of China.