What is the origin of the Dragon Raising its Head? What are the activities for the Dragon Raising its Head in 2021?
Chinese traditional culture is profound and symbolizes the wisdom of the ancients. In the eyes of the Chinese, the "dragon" is a symbol of good fortune. Various activities are held in various places to explore and promote the custom and culture of "dragon raising its head". Let's take a look at the origin of the dragon raising its head? What are the activities for the Dragon Raising its Head in 2021?What is the origin of the Dragon Raising its Head?Legend has it that this festival originated in the period of Fuxi, the first of the Three Sovereigns. Fuxi "attached great importance to agriculture and farming" and on the second day of February every year, "the empress brought food and the emperor personally plowed the fields", taking care of his one and a half mu of land. Later, Huangdi, Tang Yao, Yu Shun and Xia Yu all followed the example of the former king. Later, this traditional practice was not only followed, but also implemented as an important national policy. On the second day of the second lunar month, a grand ceremony was held in which all civil and military officials were required to personally till one acre and three mu of land. This is the historical legend of the Dragon Raising its Head.There is another saying that the dragon in the dragon raising its head does not refer to the dragon that can ride on the clouds, but the star in the sky: the Azure Dragon Star. In the traditional twenty-eight constellations, the starry sky is divided into four parts, one in the east, south, west and north. These are the famous Eastern Azure Dragon, Southern Vermillion Bird, Western White Tiger and Northern Black Tortoise. The seven constellations of the Eastern Azure Dragon correspond to the horns, throat, claws, heart and tail of the Azure Dragon. On the second night of the second month of the lunar calendar every year, Jiao Su, representing the dragon's horns, begins to appear on the eastern horizon. About an hour later, the dragon's throat "Kang Su" also appears. At midnight, the dragon's claws also appear, which is equivalent to the dragon's head rising from the horizon. Therefore, this day is called the day when the dragon raises its head. February 2 is also known as the "Outing Festival" The custom of spring outing on the second day of the second lunar month is said to have begun in the Tang Dynasty. At that time, in order to liven up their lives, people in Chang'an went to the suburbs in groups of three or five on the second day of the second lunar month for an outing. Some women even carried baskets and shovels to dig fresh shepherd's purse as a side dish. What is the meaning? The first thing is to walk away all diseases. As winter passes and spring comes, taking a walk in the fields is very beneficial for restoring physical strength and cultivating temperament. The second is agricultural production labor. The folk custom of digging wild vegetables during spring outings is mostly carried out in the fields, which can remove weeds in the fields and ensure the normal growth of wheat seedlings. The third is folk eating customs. People call eating wild vegetables "eating greens" or "eating fresh vegetables". It is said that the shepherd's purse in the wheat fields in spring is not only nutritious, but also can clear away heat and reduce internal heat. What are the activities for the Dragon Raising its Head in 2021?Due to the impact of COVID-19 in 2021, folk activities involving gatherings of people are not allowed, so there will be no Dragon Raising Ceremony in 2021, but the activities in previous years are as follows:1. 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. 2. Shaving dragon head 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. 3. Stir-fried scorpion beans The most popular custom on this day is frying scorpion beans. In Weixian, Laizhou and other places, it is called "Baojie", which is homophonic to "Baozhe". It is said that if you eat fried scorpion beans, you will not be stung by scorpions for a year. 4. Pick up the "girl" Another important custom on February 2 is to pick up the "girl", that is, the girl's family takes back her married daughter, so there is a saying "February 2, bring the girl back". People in northern Jiangsu have many etiquettes. Among them, a "girl" cannot live in her parents' home during the first month of the lunar year. After visiting her parents' home to pay New Year's greetings on the second day of the lunar year, she must return to her husband's home on the same day. But on the second day of the second month, her parents would come to take their daughter back to stay for a few days. First, she had been busy for a long time in the first month of the year and was quite tired, so they wanted to take her back to her parents' home to have a good rest; second, the new year had just begun and they would be busy again, so they wanted to reward her. Dragon Raising Head or Spring Ploughing FestivalThe second day of the second month in the lunar calendar is called "Dragon Raising its Head", which means that the seven stars of the "Blue Dragon" begin to appear in the east. At this time, the earth comes back to life, all things revive, and spring ploughing begins from south to north. Therefore, February 2 is also known as the "Spring Ploughing Festival" and the "Farming Festival". In fact, in the past, water conservancy conditions in rural areas were poor, and farmers attached great importance to spring rain and celebrated the "Dragon Head Festival" to show their respect to dragons and pray for rain, asking God to bless the harvest. This is a good wish, so the "Dragon Head Festival" has been passed down to this day. |
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