It's May Day again, and it's a holiday for all working people. Although this year's May Day holiday has caused controversy among many netizens on the Internet because of the holiday, the holiday has become a fact.
And it is worth mentioning that this year's May Day holiday is destined to be extraordinary, because on the first day of the May Day holiday, this day is very special, it is the 23rd day of March of the lunar calendar. What does the old man mean when he says, "On March 23, it rains"? What does it mean when it rains?
What day is March 23? It is Mazu's birthday.
For the majority of netizens in the north, Mazu may not know much about it, but in the southern region, especially in the coastal areas, this is a well-known god and the only god with an ID card. And every year on the 23rd day of the third month of the lunar calendar, it is Mazu's birthday.
In traditional Chinese culture, many folk beliefs and customs carry rich historical and cultural connotations. In the Fujian and Taiwan regions, the Mazu faith is particularly prevalent, and the 23rd day of the third lunar month is the birthday of Mazu every year, and it is also one of the important festivals of the local people.
According to legend, Mazu's original name was Lin Mo, and she was a strange woman on Meizhou Island in Putian, Fujian during the Northern Song Dynasty. She was born with a natural talent for medicine, a good predictor of the weather, and rescued countless ships in distress at sea.
However, he died young, and was tragically killed at the age of 28 while rescuing fishermen, and was gradually revered by local fishermen as the protector of the sea, and gradually evolved into the Mazu faith.
It is worth mentioning that the Mazu belief is not only prevalent in the Fujian region of the mainland, but also spread to Taiwan, Southeast Asia and other places with the development of navigation, becoming one of the important folk beliefs in these regions.
The 23rd day of the third month of the lunar calendar is the birthday of Mazu, and it is also the most solemn festival for Mazu believers. On this day, there is a grand celebration at the Mazu temple everywhere, and devotees will go to the temple to offer incense, pray for blessings, and pray for Mazu's blessing and protection.
At the same time, various theatrical performances and folk activities will be held to express respect and gratitude to Mazu. And this year is very special, May 1, the first day of Labor Day, is the 23rd day of March in the lunar calendar, which happens to be Mazu's birthday.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience in years. It is both a holiday and Mazu's birthday, which makes it more convenient for locals to worship and celebrate Mazu's birthday.
What does "March 23, Mazu Po Rain" mean?
This proverb comes from an old local folklore. It is said that it is because it rains on the 23rd day of the third lunar month every year, and a strong wind blows on the 15th day of the third lunar month, so there is a legend among the people.
That is related to Mazu, because before Mazu became an immortal, he often fought with a local man called Dadaogong, but both sides won or lost. In the end, it was the reconciliation of the gods in the sky that allowed the two to end years of vicious fighting.
But the two sides are still competing in their hearts, so Dadaogong is on Mazu's birthday every year, and the heavy rain is to make Mazu ugly. And Mazu knew that it was the ghost of the Great Dao Gong, so she also did it on the birthday of the Great Dao Gong on March 15 every year, blowing a strong wind to take revenge on him.
So there is the legend of "the road is the wind, the rain of Mazuma". It is said that there will be special weather phenomena on the 15th and 23rd days of the third lunar month every year, one is windy, and the other is heavy rain. According to local villagers, there is a good chance that it will be windy and rainy during these two days every year.
But there is also a legend that it rains on this day, and it is actually Mazu who is blessing the world. Because this period is the critical period for spring ploughing, all kinds of crops need rain, so Mazu cast a spell to rain to save the world from drought.
After all, in ancient agrarian societies, weather had a crucial impact on the growth and harvest of crops. Therefore, people often arrange agricultural activities by observing and predicting the weather.
And the proverb "March 23, Mazu Po Rain" means that on the 23rd day of March of the lunar calendar, it is Mazu's birthday, and it will rain on that day.
This statement not only reflects people's ability to observe and predict weather changes, but also reflects the desire and prayer of agricultural culture for rain.
Moreover, it is generally believed among the people that if it rains on Mazu's birthday, it is a good omen, indicating that the wind and rain will be smooth and the grain will be harvested.
The farmers believed that the rain on Mazu's birthday was Mazu's gift and shelter to people. They believe that if it rains on this day, then the year's crops will be moistened with enough rain to produce a good harvest.
There is a saying among the people that "March 23, there is a rainy year", which means that if it rains on March 23, Mazu's birthday, it indicates that there will be more rain in the future, so that the crops will not suffer from drought, and it will be easy to harvest.
However, if there is no rain on this day, it does not bode well, indicating that there will be less rainfall and the crops will be more likely to fail due to drought.
In fact, in most years, it rains on Mazu's birthday. There is nothing strange about this, just because this time is basically in the Guyu solar term, and the characteristic of the Guyu solar term is that the rain has increased significantly.
In particular, the hot and humid air in the south moves northward, and the coastal areas are prone to convection of hot and cold air, and rain is formed when it is cold, so this is a normal natural phenomenon.
Another reason why this year's May Day holiday is very special is that there will be heavy rain, heavy rainfall, and even hail weather in many places during this year's May Day holiday. #头条创作挑战赛#