What festival is on the first day of the second lunar month? What are the customs?
Introduction: There are many folk festivals in my country during the second month of the lunar calendar. The solar terms such as the Dragon Raising its Head on February 2, Waking of Insects, and Spring Breeze also occur in the second month of the lunar calendar. So, as the first day of the second lunar month, what special significance and festival does this day have? What are the traditional customs and cultures? Let’s take a look together! February is such a beautiful month, when everything comes back to life and welcomes spring. Let us have a deeper understanding of every detail of the second month of the lunar calendar.Customs on the first day of the second lunar month: TanchunOn the first day of the second lunar month, people start going out to explore spring. The time to enjoy the scenery of early spring has arrived. "Tianbao Yishi" records: "On the 15th day of the first lunar month, the men and women of the capital ride in carriages and on horses to hold a banquet to explore spring in the suburbs." The same was true in Lin'an during the Southern Song Dynasty. "Wulin Jiushi" records: "After the lights were turned off in the capital, the rich and powerful all rushed to go out to the suburbs to explore spring." Su Shi wrote in a poem: "I want to explore spring in the eastern suburbs, but I don't see any traces of orioles or flowers."Customs on the first day of the second lunar month:On the first day of the second lunar month, officials and civilians would exchange various standard measuring instruments such as knives and rulers, as well as good varieties of grains, melons and fruits. This day was called Zhonghe Festival in the Tang and Song dynasties. During the reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang, at the request of Prime Minister Li Mi, a ruler was given to ministers and relatives on that day, which was called Caidu. Among the folks, people put green cloth bags with good seeds of grains, melons and fruits and give them to each other as gifts, which is called "offering a son".On this day, people in the countryside brew spring wine to worship the god Gou Mang, pray for a good harvest, and give each other knives and rulers as gifts. All officials presented agricultural books to show their practical and down-to-earth spirit. Officials of the Tang Dynasty held banquets at Jiangqu in the southeast corner of the capital Xi'an. The scholars and common people could wander around there, hold colorful prayer beads, and line the embankments. There were fine carriages and strong horses, and people were shoulder to shoulder. It was a very prosperous time. This trend continued until the Song Dynasty and never disappeared. Knife and ruler are essential tools for needlework. After spring, when the weather is nice and sunny, women, in addition to sightseeing, also enjoy making spring clothes and busy themselves with needlework. Today's gift of exquisite knife and ruler conforms to the meaning of "If you want to do your work well, you must first sharpen your tools", and also promotes women's needlework. Customs on the first day of the second lunar month: digging ditchesOn the first day of the second lunar month, local officials in ancient times inspected farmland, ditches and fisheries. The so-called ditches were waterways in the fields. When Zichan assisted the State of Zheng in the Spring and Autumn Period, he built wide canals, so the people were prosperous, food was sufficient, and the country was well governed. In the Warring States Period, Li Bing guarded Shu and dug the Li Dui in Yushan, irrigating trillions of farmlands, so Shu was known as the Land of Abundance.The Qin State made great use of the hydraulic engineer Zheng Guo, who dug the Yishui River into a canal, and Guanzhong became a fertile land from then on; the Chu State's Prime Minister Sun Shuao built the Qisi Weir, which diverted the Qisi River to irrigate the Yulou Plain, and northern Anhui no longer suffered from bad years from then on. The above are some anecdotes. All of these illustrate the importance of water conservancy to agriculture. Customs on the first day of the second lunar month: prohibition of killing beneficial insectsIn the past, it was forbidden for people to kill beneficial insects on the first day of the second lunar month. The so-called beneficial insects. Some are directly beneficial to humans, such as bees and silkworms, while others are indirectly beneficial to humans by eating pests, such as dragonflies, locusts, and maggots.Customs on the first day of the second lunar month: protecting lifeOn the first day of the second lunar month, people used to not use female animals as sacrifices, cut down trees, cover nests, or capture young animals. The mating season of animals is mostly in spring. Avoiding hunting at this time is to protect the reproduction of species. At this time, it is forbidden to use "tan" (female animals) as sacrifices for fear of harming the young in the mother's womb.In addition, at this time, birds have just laid their eggs in their nests and are incubating them, so it is forbidden to build larger nests. This practice originates from the ancient custom of "not killing birds that have returned to their nests". Newly born animals are called "babies", and the ancients did not take "babies" when hunting, in the hope that they would continue to grow. After the beginning of spring, the saplings sprout vigorously and become luxuriant with branches and leaves. At this time, it is forbidden to cut down the saplings to prevent them from being trampled by cattle and sheep, and theft by criminals is strictly prohibited, in order to help the trees grow. Summary: The above article is an introduction to some traditional customs and culture of the first day of the second month of the lunar calendar. You can refer to it and learn more about the connotation of traditional culture! You have finished reading this article. For more exciting content, please check out the special topic of the second month of the lunar calendar! |
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