Traditional customs and culture of celebrating the second day of the second lunar month in various parts of my country
Introduction: The second day of the second month of the lunar calendar every year is the well-known Dragon Head Festival, also known as the "Spring Dragon Festival". If the dragon does not raise its head, there will be no rain. Therefore, people who make a living by farming will pray for good weather and a good harvest at this time. So, how do people across the country celebrate this day? What are the traditional customs and cultures? Let’s find out together! Mr. Shui Mo summarized many festivals and solar terms in the second month of the lunar calendar to help people better understand how to face every day in February.Customs of the Second Day of the Second Month in Shandong ProvinceOn the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, all housework should be stopped, especially needlework, so as not to "hurt the dragon's eyes"; and washing clothes should be stopped for fear of "hurting the dragon's skin". On the evening of the first day of February, families with stone mills would lift them up. It is said that this is to avoid affecting the "dragon raising its head". Only in this way can "the drizzle fall all over the ground, and there will be no worries about food and clothing for the whole year".However, the most indispensable thing about February 2nd is the custom of eating fried beans, which is widely spread in Shandong. In the early morning, every family fries beans with salt or sugar, which is called "fried scorpion claws". Many places still use a very simple method: frying soybeans with pre-screened sand. In Shandong, many supermarkets prepare a variety of fried beans more than half a month in advance, including broad beans, soybeans, popcorn, green beans, peas and other varieties, as well as fried chess pieces made of flour, eggs, etc., with different flavors. Customs of the Second Day of the Second Month in BeijingBeijing folk food, a kind of very thin pancake, also known as pancake. Every year on the beginning of spring, Beijingers eat spring pancakes, which are called "Yaochun". The second day of the second month in the lunar calendar is the day when the dragon raises its head as mentioned in an ancient Chinese proverb ("February 2, the dragon raises its head"). On this day, Beijingers also eat spring rolls, which is called "eating dragon scales." Spring rolls are larger than the pancakes used for roast duck, and are tougher (Beijingers call this "bone-standing strength") because they are made to wrap a lot of vegetables. In the past, when eating spring rolls, people would go to a box shop and order "Su Pan" (also known as box dish). A box shop is a shop that sells braised meat, and the store sends people to deliver the food to your home.The box is divided into compartments to hold smoked pork belly, pork belly with pine nuts, oven-roasted pork, clear sauce pork, smoked pork elbow, sauce pork elbow, sauce noodles, smoked chicken, sauce duck, etc. These need to be cut into thin strips when eaten, and served with several home-cooked stir-fried dishes (usually shredded pork with leek sprouts, shredded pork with spinach, green bean sprouts cooked with vinegar, stir-fried vermicelli, scrambled eggs, etc. If there is the newly-launched "pheasant neck leek" stir-fried with lean pork shreds and served with scrambled eggs, it will be even more fresh and refreshing), and then rolled into spring rolls to eat. The condiments include shredded green onions and yellow sauce drizzled with sesame oil (roast duck with sweet noodle sauce). When eating spring rolls, the whole family sits together, puts the baked spring rolls in the steamer, and takes them out as they eat, so that they can eat them while they are hot. If spring pancakes are eaten on the second day of the second lunar month, Beijingers also pay attention to bringing married girls back home. In Beijing, there is also a kind of bean flour cake, which is a Beijing halal snack. Steamed yellow rice (or glutinous rice) is kneaded into a ball, sprinkled with fried soybean flour, and then added with red bean filling. Rolled into long strips, sprinkled with sesame, osmanthus and sugar before eating. In the Qing Dynasty, when food stalls were operating, "Lu Da Gun" was made and sold on the spot, and bean flour was sprinkled as it was made, just like a donkey rolling on the ground in the countryside and covered with yellow soil, hence the humorous name. According to the old Beijing custom, people always like to buy "Ludagun" to taste in the second month of the lunar calendar, so there are many vendors and cart vendors operating this food. The most famous ones are the Bai surname food stall in Tianqiao Market and the "Nian Gaohu" (Tiger Zhanfu). Customs of the Second Day of February in Shanxi ProvinceIn some places in northwestern Shanxi, the money-attracting dragon chooses a big tree or a big stone and sprinkles a circle of gray line around it. Then tie a copper coin with a red string, place the coin in the gray coil first, pull the string back home, and cover it with a container.Customs of the Second Day of the Second Month in Shaanxi ProvinceIn Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, it is common for the grandmother (uncle) to give popcorn and steamed buns to the nephew (daughter) on this day.Customs of the Second Day of the Second Month in Hehe, RuichengThere is an ancient festival that has lasted for more than a thousand years and can be called a strange custom. It is said to have started during the reign of Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty, and it has been more than 1,800 years since then. It is also called the "Three Societies Ceremony" because the three societies held a joint ceremony to commemorate the great emperor Huang Feihu's contribution to flood control. On this day, the mountain people celebrate and display the most precious treasures in their homes. This is also known as the "Treasure Display Meeting" among the people. They believe that the treasures can ward off evil and avoid disasters, and they hope that the year will be good with good weather and a good harvest. At that time, women will wear colorful costumes and sing traditional folk songs and operas, while men will play the rough and strong gods of heaven and earth, military generals and civil officials, the Eight Immortals, folk gods, etc. Some of them may ride horses, sedan chairs, ride oxen, or carry poles; some may be naked with wild cloth tied around their waists; some may wear homespun cloth shorts and carry guillotines, icicles, rough rafters, and stone mills on their backs, showing their masculinity. Locals jokingly call it "Hehe Ergan". The atmosphere of the community fire is composed and created by gongs and drums. The beating method is simple and primitive, commonly known as "pie gongs and drums". Other traditional programs include lion dance, land boat racing, stilt walking, carrying people on the back, etc. The entire event started from outside the village and ended at the former site of Mount Tai Temple.Customs of the Second Day of the Second Month in Coastal AreasThe custom of "cutting the dragon head" on the second day of the second lunar month has been passed down. On this day, both adults and children have their heads shaved, which is called "shaving the happy head." Boys in particular all have to have a haircut, which is called "cutting the dragon's head". It is said that getting a haircut on this day can bring good luck for the whole year, and it also means that if you want good luck, you should get a haircut.Customs of the Second Day of the Second Month in the Yellow River DeltaThere is a custom of "releasing dragon lanterns". Many families make small boats with reeds or sorghum stalks, insert candles or put small oil bowls made of radishes on them, put them in the river or bay and light them to light the way for the dragon. The inland areas of Shandong pay more attention to the "February 2nd". One of the important folk activities is surrounding the granary. Early in the morning of the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, the villagers get up early. Housewives take a basket of wood ash from under their stoves, take a small iron shovel to scoop some of the ash, and draw circles on the ground as they walk. The circles of the enclosure are big inside small, with at least three and at most five, and they surround odd numbers but not even numbers. After the granary is enclosed, the family’s grain is reverently placed in the middle of the granary and intentionally scattered around the outside of the granary, symbolizing a good harvest that year.Customs of the second day of the second lunar month in other regionsThere is also a saying about eating pig's head on the second day of the second lunar month.Since ancient times, offering sacrifices to gods have always required the use of three animals: pigs, cattle and sheep. Later, it was simplified to the heads of the three animals, and the pig head was one of them. Another story recorded in "Qiuchi Notes" of the Song Dynasty: After Wang Zhongling pacified Bashu, he felt very hungry, so he broke into a small village temple, but met a drunk monk. Wang Zhongling was furious and wanted to kill him, but the monk showed no fear. Wang Zhongling was very surprised and turned to ask him for food. Soon the monk presented a plate of "steamed pig's head" and wrote a poem for it: "It has a long mouth, short hair and fat, and has been eating medicinal seedlings in the mountains for a long time. It is wrapped in banana leaves when steamed, and poured with apricot juice when cooked. The red and fresh one is called Jinpanting, and the cooked and soft one is worthy of being picked with jade chopsticks. If there is no hair root to compare, the felt root should eat rattan sticks." Wang Zhongling was very happy while eating the steamed pig's head and listening to the witty and unique "pig head poem", so he named the monk "Purple Robe Master". It looks like the pig's head is really a delicious dish, and it is also an auspicious symbol of turning danger into safety and rising to a successful career. Nowadays there is a famous dish called "Braised Pig's Face", which goes through twelve steps including selecting ingredients, cleaning, spray roasting, washing, soaking, and sauce making, and takes more than ten hours of cooking before it can be served on the table. There are three kinds of "braised pig face": one is to eat it as it is; the second is to eat it with sauce; and the third is to eat it rolled in pancakes. Each way of eating it has a different taste. "Braised Pig's Face" is fat but not greasy, the meat and bones are separated, and it is glutinous and delicious, bringing beauty and brain-enhancing effects to modern people. Eating modern "braised pig face" on the "Second Day of the Second Month" and reminiscing about the ancient catering history is truly a perfect experience blending the contemporary and historical customs. After the Qinglong Festival, the entire "New Year" is considered to be over. Summary: The above article provides us with a detailed analysis of some of the customs and traditions of Dragon Head Festival for people across the country. You can refer to it and hope it can help you! You have finished reading this article. For more exciting content, please check out the special topic of the second month of the lunar calendar! |
>>: What are the taboos on the second day of the second lunar month in 2017? Can we get married?
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