After the first month, the first traditional festival is the "Zhonghe Festival" on the second day of the first month of February. At this time, it is the time when spring returns to the earth and everything recovers, and the legendary dragon will also wake up from its slumber, so the folk also call this day "dragon head up". In the eyes of farmers, February 2 is a very important traditional festival, so on this day, there are many customs and activities in the folk, the following are briefly listed.
First, shave your head
In parts of the north, a haircut on February 2 is called "shaving the dragon's head.". Because there is a folk song that is widely spread, that is, the sentence "Do not shave your head in the first month, shave your head to die uncle", so many people will wait until the day of "the dragon looks up" to get a haircut, and also want to dip the good luck brought by the dragon's head, hoping that in the new year, the lucky stars are high.
Second, knock on the money
In the Jining area of Shandong Province, there is a custom of knocking out money on the second day of February. After dinner that day, the children of each family took out the small wooden sticks prepared in advance, knocked everywhere, or knocked on the door frame, or knocked on the door pier, or whatever, and everyone would get together to compete to see who knocked more tricks, hoping that the family's wealth would roll in the next year and make a fortune.
Third, lead the dragon back
In Beijing and parts of Shandong, the custom of "leading the dragon back" is popular. Then on the day when the dragon looks up, everyone starts from the outdoor well, starts to throw white ash, and sprinkles it all the way to the end of the stove fire in the house, and the lime line looks like a long curved dragon, which means to lead the dragon to their own home, hoping that the whole family will be auspicious and prosperous.
Fourth, fight the ash hoarding
In some parts of Shandong and Jilin, on the morning of February 2, families sprinkled grass and wood ashes in their yards and formed a pattern in the shape of a round hoard. In the middle, a small amount of grains and grains are placed, some directly put the grain on the ground, some dig a pit in the "hoard" to put grain, and then press stones and bricks on the grain, which means that the grain is hoarded and the new year is full of harvest.
Fifth, women do not do female red
Legend has it that on the second day of February, the dragon will look up at the world, and the needle used by women to do needlework will stab the dragon's eyes, so on this day, women are taboo to do needlework.
6. Eat pork head meat
On the day of the Festival, we Chinese have the custom of eating pork head meat. Generally, farmers have worked hard for a year, and at the end of the year, pigs are slaughtered and slaughtered, and after the first month of the month, the pork killed in the waxing moon is basically almost finished, and finally one pig head is left, which is left on February 2 to eat. Because this day is the dragon's head, and the legend says that the dragon king is in charge of rainfall, the farmers put the best sacrifice, the pig's head, to the dragon king in the hope of blessing the wind and rain for a year.
7. Smoke worms
Since the Ming Dynasty, the folk custom of "smoking insects" has been popular. On the second day of February, people put the cakes used for the Spring Festival ancestors or newly made pies in a frying pan and fry them, using the smell of fried oil to smoke the "worms" that will be revived in the room, hoping to smoke them to death and ensure the health of the family.