The only 5 years in history when the Spring Festival was not allowed to be celebrated: people who went to work canceled their vacations, and whoever dared to celebrate was arrested

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Text: Abbot

Edited by the abbot

Preface:

Can you imagine? Spring Festival, the most important festival for Chinese, is not allowed to be celebrated for five years!

During these years, the vacation of office workers has been completely canceled, and even the reunion dinner of every family is considered a "taboo".

Whoever dares to put on a holiday appearance in these few days will be arrested immediately!

This is not some fictional story, but a dark time that really happened in history.

What is the reason why the Spring Festival has become so taboo during this time?

The early years of the Republic of China: the confrontation of old and new ideas

The fall of the Qing Dynasty ushered in a new era for China.

At the beginning of the Republic of China, a wind of learning from the West swept across the land of China.

In 1915, Chen Duxiu and others launched a vigorous New Culture Movement, holding high the banner of democracy and science, and launching a fierce attack on feudal ideas.

The New Culture Movement is like an ideological storm that swept through China, which shook the foundation of traditional culture and opened the door for the penetration of Western civilization.

Western clothing, Western etiquette, Western education...... All aspects of Chinese society are branded with the mark of "foreign goods".

However, public opinion is divided on what kind of attitude the New Culture Movement should hold.

Those in favor believe that the feudal ideology has shackled China for a long time, and only by learning from the West can the Chinese nation regain its former glory.

However, opponents denounce it as "total westernization", believing that it is a betrayal of traditional culture and a loss of national consciousness.

In this clash of old and new ideas, even the most important festival for the Chinese, the Spring Festival, has not been spared.

Some radical intellectuals began to question the value of the Spring Festival, arguing that it was a concentrated expression of feudal dross and a stumbling block to China's progress.

At the same time, the government of the Republic of China also hopes to demonstrate its determination to learn from the West by reforming the Spring Festival.

In this way, a cultural game around the Spring Festival kicked off in the Republic of China.

1929: The Spring Festival was "encircled and suppressed"

At the end of 1929, under the influence of the New Culture Movement, the government of the Republic of China made an astonishing decision: to cancel the Lunar New Year holiday!

As soon as the news came out, it was like thunder on the ground.

The decree stipulates that from 1930 onwards, on the day of the Lunar New Year, everyone must go to work on time, shops will continue to open as usual, and any form of celebration will be prohibited.

At the same time, the government also abolished the long-standing lunar year and replaced it with the Western Gregorian calendar.

The old calendar and the New Year thus lost its "legitimate" status overnight.

Patrolling police officers have become the most common figure in the streets and alleys, and they are like falcons constantly monitoring the surrounding movements: pasting Spring Festival couplets, hanging lanterns, setting off firecrackers, and saying good New Year to each other...... Any activity that is related to the Spring Festival will be severely prevented and punished.

The unsuspecting people are still immersed in the joy of the New Year, but they don't know that a "encirclement and suppression" for the Spring Festival has been quietly launched.

The Spring Festival of 1930 was destined to be a not peaceful Spring Festival.

Silent markets and stubborn people's hearts

The cold wind of the wax moon is cold, but people's faces are filled with the joy of welcoming the new year.

However, when they changed into new clothes and walked out of the house with gifts, they were greeted by deserted streets.

The fiery Spring Festival couplets are gone, the festive lanterns are gone, and even the familiar "one year old in the sound of firecrackers" has been replaced by the stern reprimand of the patrolling police.

People looked at each other, not understanding what had happened to the city overnight.

Soon, they got the answer - the Spring Festival, which was banned.

I can't say "Happy New Year", I can't put up window flowers, and this Spring Festival is no longer happy, because happiness is "illegal".

In order to survive, everyone can only put away their smiling faces, swallow the auspicious words back into their stomachs, and go to work numbly.

But the dissatisfaction in my heart is like a volcano about to erupt, and people are secretly discussing: "Why not have a Spring Festival?" What a reason for this! "

However, even the toughest decree cannot completely imprison people's hearts.

Some stubborn old people are still secretly kowtowing and praying for blessings, women are still secretly preparing New Year's goods, and children are taking advantage of the adults' unpreparedness to put two kicks...... Despite the constant danger of being arrested, people are always reluctant to give up the precious legacy of their ancestors.

This year's Spring Festival, on the surface, is deserted, but in fact, there is an undercurrent.

Under the silent market, there are stubborn people's hearts.

Cai Yuanpei's appeal: no one responded

The Spring Festival ban for several years in a row has not made the people comply.

This made the government of the Republic of China feel very troubled.

They thought to themselves that if they could find someone with prestige to come forward and do ideological work for everyone, maybe the situation would improve.

So, they fell in love with Cai Yuanpei, the president of Peking University.

As a well-known educator, Mr. Cai Yuanpei was highly respected at that time.

The government believes that if he comes forward to wave the flag and shout, the people will be obedient.

On the 28th of December 1930, Cai Yuanpei was invited by the government to deliver a speech at the headquarters of the Kuomintang.

Facing the crowd of black and oppressive people in the audience, Principal Cai, who had passed the sixtieth birthday, said sonorously: "Compatriots! The New Year is here, and I hereby advise everyone not to celebrate the Spring Festival from this year onwards! The Spring Festival is the dregs of feudal society, a symbol of ignorance and backwardness......"

As soon as these words came out, the scene was silent.

The old people were displeased, and the young people exchanged heads, and Cai Yuanpei's words obviously did not get the approval of the people.

Seeing the increasingly dissatisfied expressions of the people, President Cai had to end the speech hastily.

This appeal not only did not dispel the people's obsession with the Spring Festival, but instead made Cai Yuanpei infamous as a "government lackey".

Some radical students even distributed leaflets on campus, denouncing President Cai for betraying the conscience of intellectuals and acting for the tiger.

The people's hearts are turned back, and they must not be observed.

1934: The Spring Festival returned to the world

In this way, there were voices of opposition, criticism, and complaints of dissatisfaction.

And the government is beginning to feel invisible pressure.

They found that the ban was not only difficult to enforce, but also caused more public resentment and even affected the fiscal and tax revenues.

Entrepreneurs seized the opportunity of the cancellation of the Spring Festival and defaulted on old accounts from previous years.

Their reason is simple: "Isn't it just the Spring Festival?" The 'feudal dross' of account settlement can also be thrown away, right? "The government is no longer able to hold back as it sees that its financial resources are drying up.

At the beginning of 1934, a decree was quietly issued: the Spring Festival ban was officially abolished! When this news came out, it was like a long drought, and the streets and alleys were boiling! People cheered, as if they had been given a new lease of life.

It's been five years, and they can finally celebrate a Spring Festival again!

On February 13, 1934, the land of China ushered in the Spring Festival after a five-year absence.

The sound of firecrackers sounded again, the Spring Festival couplets were red and glamorously pasted on the wall, and the children were wearing new clothes, carrying lanterns, and running on the streets with a smile and shouting "Happy New Year...... The Spring Festival of that year was particularly lively and jubilant, and people did their best to celebrate the lost reunion moment.

The Spring Festival has returned to the side of the Chinese.

Epilogue:

When we look back at that not so distant period of history, we will find that the joys and sorrows in it are nothing more than a process of a nation's self-exploration.

The merits of the matter, future generations have their own comments.

As the descendants of Yan and Huang, what we have to do is to remember history and cherish the present.

Let the traditional fireworks, in the leap of the times, more and more bright.

References:

The government of the Republic of China once banned the Spring Festival for 5 years

The Spring Festival of the old calendar was banned for 5 years: the government ordered severe punishment for those who celebrated the New Year