How much do you know about folklore on February 2nd
Author | Feng Chunzhi
February 2 is a folk traditional festival on the mainland, also known as the Green Dragon Festival, which is said to be the day when the dragon raises its head. On the second of February, before and after the sting of the twenty-four solar terms, some overwintering dormant animals, such as: long worms (snakes), scorpions, centipedes, centipedes, etc. have been revived. Therefore, there is a saying: "On the second of February, the dragon looks up, and the scorpion and centipede appear." Moreover, at the second of February, "Nine Nine", in the Nine Nine Song: "Nine Nine Plus One Nine, Ploughing the Cattle Field", spring has arrived, everything has recovered, and spring ploughing production has begun. Therefore, there are many legends and customs on the second of February, and there are customs such as "hoarding", "frying golden beans", "shaving the dragon head", "beating the beam with a stick" and so on in the territory of Linqu County.
Hoarding
February 2 dozen hoarding, also known as hoarding, is one of them. Legend has it that February 2 is the birthday of Grandpa Land, and there is a saying that "Grandpa Land is still looking forward to February 2". Because the grandfather of the land is Houji, he is the god of grain. In order to pray for a bumper grain harvest, on the second day of February, every household gets up and uses a dustpan to pull out the grass and wood ashes under the pot stove and put it on the second day. In the garden (where the crops are threshed), in the patio (the house), in the door of the house, holding a dustpan in one hand and a rolling pin in the other, and beating the dustpan with the rolling pin while turning in circles. The grass and wood ash in the dustpan fell down due to the vibration, so that it was formed into a circle of grass and wood ash, shaped like a hoard of grain for the farmers. Then grab a handful of grain and put it in a well-laid hoard, and put all the grains on it. Because Grandpa Land is a god who belongs to the land and is in charge of the harvest of grain. When hoarding, while punching in the mouth, he read: "On the second of February, the dragon looks up, the big hoard is full, and the small hoard flows." "On the second of February, the stockpiles are well hoarded, and the grain is hoarded every year", which is intended to look forward to a bumper grain harvest every year.
Sauté golden beans
In the countryside, there is a custom of frying bean kernels on february 2, and fried bean kernels are also called "fried golden beans" and "fried scorpion beans". There is also a legend about this fried golden bean: a long time ago, there was a year when the crops were in full bloom, and God had a long drought without rain, and the crops on the slopes would dry up and die. The people were impatient and worried. At this moment, when there was a green dragon parade in the East Sea Dragon Palace, when he saw this situation, he immediately felt pity. Without the approval of the Jade Emperor, he secretly rained a rain on the people, and the crops were saved. Who knew that the Jade Emperor knew about it, so he wanted to punish this green dragon for violating the heavenly rules. When the East Sea Dragon King heard about it, he immediately went to the Jade Emperor to intercede for the Green Dragon, and the Jade Emperor looked at the Face of the East Sea Dragon King and said, "The death penalty can be avoided, but the living sin cannot be escaped." He pressed this green dragon to the bottom of a big mountain, and took up a pen in his hand and wrote: "The green dragon rains and violates the rules of heaven, and when it is pressed by the mountain, if you want to get the day of salvation, wait until the golden beans bloom." ”
In order to rescue the green dragon as soon as possible, people looked everywhere for flowering golden beans. On the second day of February, when people were frying bean grains, they found that when the golden beans were fried in the pot, they were fried and burst into flames, and they all burst into flames with the sound of "popping". People immediately woke up, isn't this exactly the blossoming of golden beans? At this time, the family placed incense cases in the courtyard and reported the scene of fried golden beans blooming to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor saw that the soybean grains fried in every household had burst into flames, so he sent a big person and rescued the green dragon from the mountain. Since then, the custom of frying golden beans (fried beans) on February 2 has been passed down.
Shave the faucet
Legend has it that february 2 is a good day to shave the head (haircut), and the child's shaving of the head on this day is called "shaving the dragon's head", one is Tujili, and the other is looking forward to Jackie Chan. In the old custom, the first month does not shave the head, saying that the first month shaves the head and dies. Therefore, in the past, people did not shave their heads and get haircuts, and shaving makers and barber shops were also closed.
The first and second months of February are the first day of the first year, so the second of February is the auspicious day when the shaver's haircut shop opens for business, and firecrackers are fired to open the market. People also choose to shave their hair on this day for the sake of auspiciousness, especially children. Say what: "Shave your head on february two, and have a spiritual head all year round." Because there is a saying that "the second dragon looks up in February", it should also give birth to the saying of "shaving the dragon's head" on february 2.
Stick hits the beam
There is also a legend of "sticks hitting beams" on February 2nd. We Linqu is the hometown of mulberry silkworms, known as "ten acres of mulberry planting and seven, sericulture home ten rooms and nine", since ancient times there is a traditional habit of raising silkworms. In the past, the conditions of the farmers were poor, living in earthen houses, and there were more rats in the family. The rats are extremely harmful to silkworms, especially in the silkworm period, and the phenomenon of rats stealing silkworm babies is more serious. In order to prevent the phenomenon of rats damaging silkworm babies, on the second day of February every year, the common people use a rod to beat the beam of the house, and while beating, they read in their mouths: "On february 2, the stick beats the beam, and the daughter-in-law (referring to the mouse) goes to see the mother, asks the daughter-in-law how long she lives, and stays until the silkworm old wheat turns yellow." "The intention is to drive the rats out of the house, prevent them from damaging the silkworm babies, so that the silkworm babies can grow up healthily and obtain a bumper harvest of silkworm cocoons."
On the second day of February, there is also the custom of women not moving needle and thread, and men not going to the well or carrying water in the spring. Ordinary people in the countryside fill the water tank with water on the first day, and do not carry water on the second day of February. It is said that on the second day of February, women moved needles and threads for fear of stabbing the dragon's eye, and went to the well and the spring to carry water for fear of hurting the dragon's eye.
Feng Chunzhi, pen name ZhiYong, is a fool. A native of Shifotang Village, Sitou Town, he has been engaged in communication and reporting work for more than 20 years, and after retirement, he has studied literature, and has published the anthology "Nian Lun", the historical record "Under the Jade Elephant Mountain - Shifotang Village Zhiluo", the intangible cultural folk game "Children's Fun", and the genealogical history "Shifotang Village Surname Preliminary Examination". He is currently a member of the Linqu County Local History Society, a member of the Linqu County Writers Association, and the deputy secretary-general of the Sitou Town Literary Federation of Linqu County.