3rd "Li Chun": Spring, hello

Poster Maker: Fang Jinyang

"The willow color is early and yellow, and the hydrology is new and green." The "Chinese Astronomical Calendar" shows that at 22:59 Beijing time on February 3, the "Lichun" festival will be ushered in. At this time, the earth begins to thaw, the stings gradually awaken, and the fish float under the unmelted crushed ice, "from then on the snow disappears and the wind softens, and the plum blossoms make the willow new."

Luo Shuwei, a historian and researcher at the Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences, introduced that february 3 to 5 of the Gregorian calendar every year is "Li Chun", also known as "Playing Spring", which is the first of the twenty-four solar terms and the beginning of the four o'clock of the year. "Li" has the meaning of the beginning, and "Li Chun" opens the prelude to spring and marks the arrival of spring when all things recover.

The plan of the year is spring. The ancient Chinese people attached great importance to "Lichun" and always regarded it as a festival.

Luo Shuwei introduced that the word "Lichun" appeared as early as the Zhou Dynasty three thousand years ago. According to the Book of Rites, during the Zhou Dynasty, whenever there was a "Spring Festival", Zhou Tianzi personally led the secretaries, princes, and scholars to hold a Spring Festival ceremony in the eastern suburbs, and then rewarded the courtiers and benefited the people. After the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were "spring greeting" rituals in the government and the public, such as women "cutting ribbons to make headdresses for yan" and pasting "Yichun" on the door. During the Tang and Song dynasties, on the day of the "Li Chun", the following courtiers of the prime minister wanted to enter the court to congratulate him. The Ming and Qing court, whether it is "welcoming spring" or "whipping spring", the ceremony is extremely solemn.

To this day, some folk customs of "lichun" in China are still preserved, such as the "spring fighting" of whipping mud cattle in the countryside, which is intended to prepare for ploughing for the first time in the year, hoping that the wind and rain will be smooth. In addition, the family also eats spring plates, spring cakes, spring rolls or radishes to "bite spring", and the atmosphere of welcoming spring can be seen everywhere.

"Li Chun" is only a prelude to spring, and for some time afterwards, the weather will still be cold and warm. Although the southerly winds gradually increased, the temperature often rose significantly, but the cold air visited from time to time, and there was often a "spring cold" of wind cooling.

Luo Shuwei suggested that the public should continue to keep warm and not to reduce their clothes prematurely. It is advisable to go to bed early and get up early to maintain the yang. For three meals, you can appropriately choose spicy and sweet green leeks, garlic seedlings, chives, etc., and eat less spicy things. Pay attention to mental pleasure and optimism to prevent the liver fire from rising. In daily life, wash frequently, ventilate more, maintain nasal and eye hygiene, and strengthen outdoor exercise to enhance autoimmunity. (Reporter Zhou Runjian)

Source: Xinhua News Agency