The fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar is the traditional festival Lantern Festival, also known as New Year's Eve, in Taoism, this day is called Shangyuan Festival, also known as Tianguan Festival.
The Three Officials of Heaven and Earth and Water are the earliest gods worshipped in Taoism, and the Shangyuan Festival, the Middle Yuan Festival, and the Lower Yuan Festival are combined into three elements, which are the merits of the three officials of Heaven and Earth and Water, the day of condemnation and blessing, the blessing of the Heavenly Officials, the forgiveness of sins by the Earth Officials, and the relief of the Water Officials. Shangyuan Festival is the Day of Heavenly Officials Inspection, also known as Heavenly Officials Blessing Day
During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the sacrifice of the "Taiyi God" was scheduled to be held at the Ganquan Palace on the fifteenth day of the first month (Taiyi was the god who dominated everything in the universe). It can be seen that when Sima Qian created the "Taichu Calendar", he already designated this day as an important festival, and it was also regarded by posterity as the precursor of the sacrifice of the gods on the fifteenth day of the first month.
Tianguan (天官), no.: Shangyuan Jiuxi blessed Tianguan, Emperor Ziwei of Yaoling Yuanyang. It belongs to the Jade Qing Realm, the Emperor of the Heavens. On the feast of the First Yuan, that is, on earth, the school abstains from sin and blessings, and blesses the virtuous in the world. On this day, the Taoist temple is set up to pray for sacrifices, in order to ask the heavenly officials for blessings.
Shangyuan Festival, also known as Lantern Festival, means "Shangyuan Festival Night", representing the first full moon night of the Lunar New Year. On the night of the Lantern Festival, the streets and alleys are illuminated, and people appreciate the lanterns, guess the riddles of the lanterns, and eat soup yuan, which pushes the celebrations that began Chinese New Year's Eve continue to another climax and become a custom that has been passed down from generation to generation. At the time of the formation of the early festival, the Lantern Festival was only called the fifteenth day of the first month, the half day of the first month or the moon, and after the Sui Dynasty, it was called New Year's Eve or New Year's Eve, the early Tang Dynasty was called the Yuanxia, the Late Tang Dynasty was also called Lantern Night, and the Qing Dynasty was also called lantern festival. Abroad, the Lantern is known as The Lantern Festiva.
Traditional customs
Repair the fasting and set up the sauce
Shangyuan Festival is the day of fasting stipulated in the Taoist fasting law. In Taoism, all things that rely on divine power, such as praying for blessings, disasters, pulling out sufferings, apologizing for sins, seeking immortals, prolonging life, and surviving death, must be fasted. Therefore, the Taoist Temple has set up an altar on this day to offer offerings to the gods in order to seek blessings and avoid disasters.
Watch the lights guess the puzzle
Guessing lantern riddles, also known as "playing lantern riddles", is an activity added after the Lantern Festival Lantern Riddle was first developed from riddles, originating in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It is a literary game full of ridicule, discipline, humor, and ridicule. The riddle hangs over the lamp for people to guess and shoot, and began in the Southern Song Dynasty.
Lion Dance
Lion dance is an excellent folk art in China, and every Lantern Festival or gathering celebration, the folk use lion dance to help entertain. This custom originated in the Three Kingdoms period and became popular during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and has a history of more than 1,000 years.
Play with dragon lights
Dragon Lantern, also known as Dragon Dance Lantern or Dragon Dance. Its origins can be traced back to ancient times. Legend has it that as early as the Time of the Yellow Emperor, in a large-scale song and dance of "Qingjiao", the image of the dragon head bird body played by a person appeared, and then six dragons interspersed with each other's dance scenes were choreographed. The Chinese nation reveres the dragon and regards the dragon as a symbol of auspiciousness, and the dragon dance is popular in many parts of China.
Send baby lights
Referred to as "sending lights", also known as "sending flower lamps". That is, before the Lantern Festival, the mother's family sends flower lanterns to the newly married daughter's family, or generally relatives and friends give them to the newlywed infertility family, in order to add Ding Auspicious, "lamp" and "Ding" harmonic sound.
Taste the Lantern
"Lantern" as a food, has a long history in China. In the Song Dynasty, folk were popular for a novelty food eaten during the Lantern Festival. This kind of food was first called "Floating Yuanzi" and later called "Lantern", and businessmen called it "Yuanbao".