Detailed explanation of Shaanxi's unique and interesting Lantern Festival customs
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Introduction: Shaanxi is one of the provinces of my country with a long history. It is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization. It is an important hub spanning the middle of the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins, connecting China's eastern, central, northwestern and southwestern regions. So, how do people in Shaanxi celebrate the Lantern Festival? What are the traditional customs? Let’s take a look at it together below! The first month of the lunar calendar is the beginning of spring, and there are beautiful festivals everywhere in this month. Mr. Shui Mo lists these traditional Chinese festivals and customs for you one by one. The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival, which is named after the customary food eaten on this day, called Yuanxiao. Yuanxiao is a round food made of glutinous rice flour and filled with sugar filling. The one rolled with flour is called Yuanxiao, and the one wrapped with flour is called "Tangyuan", which symbolizes reunion and harmony. The main activity of this day is viewing lanterns, so it is also called the "Lantern Festival". Taoism calls the fifteenth day of the first lunar month the Shangyuan, the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month the Zhongyuan, and the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month the Xiayuan, collectively known as the "Three Yuans", which are the birthdays of the three officials of heaven, earth, and water. "Sending flower lanterns" is abbreviated as "sending lanterns", and its actual meaning is sending lanterns to children. That is, before the Lantern Festival, the daughter’s parents would send lanterns to her family, or relatives and friends would send lanterns to the family of a newly married couple who are infertile, in the hope of having a child, because “lantern” and “ding” are homophones. It means that the daughter will be blessed with good fortune after marriage and give birth to a son soon. If the daughter is pregnant, in addition to the large palace lantern, one or two pairs of small lanterns should also be given to wish her a safe pregnancy. During every Lantern Festival, riddles are posted in various places, hoping that this year will be joyous and peaceful. Because riddles can enlighten the mind and are interesting, they are welcomed by all walks of life during the process of circulation. During the Tang and Song dynasties, various acrobatic performances began to appear in lantern fairs. In addition to lantern riddles and various kinds of singing and dancing, the lantern fairs in the Ming and Qing dynasties also added opera performances. Stilt-walking clubs are usually organized by the masses spontaneously. The street parade begins on the 11th and 12th day of the first lunar month, implying that people should register for one of the many folk flower festivals this year. The street festival officially starts on the 15th day of the first lunar month and ends on the 18th. Zi Gu is also called Qi Gu, and in the north it is often called Toilet Gu or Keng San Gu. According to ancient folk customs, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, people would welcome the toilet goddess Zi Gu and offer sacrifices to her, and predict silkworms and other matters. On the night of the Zigu Festival, people would make a life-size portrait of Zigu out of straw and cloth, and worship her in the pigpen between toilets at night. It truly reflects the thoughts and feelings of the working people, who are kind, loyal, and sympathetic to the weak. The rat-chasing ceremony is held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, families who raise silkworms cook a big pot of sticky porridge. Some even cover it with a layer of meat. They put the porridge in bowls and place them on the ceilings and corners where mice are active. They put the porridge in bowls and chant something while putting it in their mouths, cursing the mice that they will have a miserable death if they eat silkworms again. It is said that if you do this, mice won't eat silkworms this year. Summary: The above article provides us with a detailed analysis of the customs of celebrating the Lantern Festival in Shaanxi Province. You can learn about it. I wish you all the best and good luck in the new year! After reading this article, there are more exciting contents in the special topic of the first month of the lunar calendar. Let’s take a look! |
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