What activities will be held on the Dragon Raising Day in February 2021? What is the custom of dragon sacrifice?

What activities will be held on the Dragon Raising Day in February 2021? What is the custom of dragon sacrifice?
The second day of the second month of the lunar calendar is the day when the dragon raises its head. This day is called the "Dragon Head Festival". It is one of the traditional festivals in rural my country. There will be many related activities in rural areas. So let’s find out what activities will be done on the second day of February in 2021 when the dragon raises its head? What is the custom of dragon sacrifice?

What activities will be held on the Dragon Raising Day in February 2021?

Dragon Sacrifice
In the past, the Dragon Head-raising Festival was a day for worshiping the Dragon God. On this day every year, people would go to the Dragon God Temple or the waterside to burn incense and offer sacrifices to the Dragon God, praying for the Dragon God to create clouds and rain and bless a good harvest for the year. However, in many areas, especially in the south, people also regard the second day of the second lunar month as the "birthday of the God of Land" and hold community sacrifices to worship the God of Land.
Scattering Ashes
This festival custom has a long history and is still popular in many rural areas today. The ash used for spreading ash is generally wood ash, but some people also use lime or rice bran. The specific practices vary from place to place, but generally speaking: scattering ashes in front of the door is called "blocking the door to ward off disasters"; scattering ashes in the corners is intended to "ward off insects"; scattering ashes in the yard to make circles of varying sizes, and symbolically placing some grains, called "enclosing the granary" or "making ash storage", to pray for a good harvest; scattering ashes beside the well is called "attracting the dragon back", in order to pray for good weather. The way of spreading the gray line varies from place to place. Generally, it starts from the well, spreads all the way to the kitchen, and surrounds the water tank. The gray line is winding and continuous, which is quite interesting.
Money Dragon
The dragon governs water, and water brings wealth. In some areas, it is popular to "attract the money dragon" on the second day of the second lunar month. Of course, the ways of attracting it are slightly different. For example, some people put a few coins in a kettle, and then fetch a kettle of water from a well, flowing river or lake near their home. They sprinkle the water all the way back home and pour the water and coins in the kettle into a water tank, meaning that the dragon will follow the water to their home. Some people use copper coins to pull a red string, take it home and put it in an urn. Some people use coal ash as a guide.
Shaving faucet
The most well-known custom on the day of the Dragon Raising its Head is probably "shaving the dragon's head". On this day, children get a haircut, which is called a "happy head" shaving. It takes advantage of the auspicious moment of the dragon raising its head to bless the children to grow up healthily and become successful when they grow up. Adults get a haircut to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, hoping to bring good luck and a smooth new year.

What is the custom of dragon sacrifice?

Many places in Shanxi, Shandong, Shaanxi and Henan have the custom of offering sacrifices to the Dragon King on the second day of the second lunar month. For example, in Mayi, Shanxi, farmers offer sacrifices to the Dragon King in the Dragon King Temple on this day. They also gather to drink near the Dragon King Temple, which is called "opening a temple fair." Farmers in Mizhi, Shaanxi also gather at the Dragon God Temple on this day. Kill a sheep for sacrifice. It is called "opening the temple door". Around Qufu, Shandong. People play with dragon lanterns on the second day of the second lunar month. The day before, they go to the Dragon King Temple in the southeast of the city to fetch water and hold a sacrificial ceremony. The watermen who fetched water for the Confucius Mansion had to take a piece of incense and a piece of paper on this day and go to the well outside the south gate where they fetched sweet water to burn the paper and incense. In Fanzhuang, Zhao County, Hebei Province, there is a grand Dragon Tablet Festival on the second day of the second month. The Dragon Tablet Society worships the Dragon Tablet, commonly known as "Dragon Tablet Lord". The Dragon Tablet is usually enshrined in the home of the head of the society, who is responsible for burning incense and offering sacrifices every day. On the first and fifteenth day of every month, people from the village or other villages come to burn incense and make wishes.
The Dragon Tablet Festival starts on the first day of February and ends on the fourth day, lasting four days. By then. A special dragon shed needs to be built. It is called formaldehyde shed. A Taoist priest held a ceremony and brought the dragon tablet to the reef shed in a yellow sedan chair for people to worship. During the Dragon Tablet Festival, there will be opera performances and community fire shows. Every household invites relatives and guests, and meets friends. It is the most important and lively festival of the year in the local area. In comparison, the Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival pale in comparison.
The meaning of the Dragon Raising its Head on February 2
The emergence of the festival "February 2, the Dragon Raises its Head" is due to the development of my country's farming culture. In ancient times, the hardworking and wise working people still maintained their love and longing for life under their heavy working life, and thus many festivals related to labor were developed. On this day, hardworking farmers would pray for the whole year's harvest through simple but plain celebrations, and would also take a short rest and adjust on this day. Therefore, February 2 is not only a reflection of the wisdom of the ancient working people, but also reflects the working people's yearning for a better life.

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