Review of the customs of the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month (I)
Introduction: The Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month is also known as the "Shangyuan Festival" and "Spring Lantern Festival". It is one of the four major traditional festivals in my country. It has many customs and activities, and is very rich in content and form. Besides the well-known customs of eating Yuanxiao (Chinese rice dumplings) and watching lanterns, what other customs are there for the Lantern Festival? Next, please follow the editor to learn about it! In addition to the grand and festive celebrations of the Spring Festival, we also need to pay attention to some taboos regarding the Spring Festival. Next, let’s take a closer look at the Spring Festival special topic compiled by Mr. Shui Mo!Stealing vegetablesAccording to legend, "stealing vegetables" during the Lantern Festival will bring good luck, especially if someone discovers you while you're stealing. On the 14th or 15th night of the first lunar month, villagers will beat drums and gongs to steal vegetables from each other's vegetable fields in order to be discovered. It is said that the more you are scolded, the better your luck will be in the coming year. In ancient times, the stolen vegetables had to be eaten on the same night, but nowadays they are usually eaten the next day. It is said that eating these stolen vegetables can drive away evil spirits and cure diseases, and people will become smart, generous, and kind-hearted.Prayer dollDuring every Lantern Festival, people can see devout pilgrims kneeling and burning incense before the Goddess of Childbirth, and taking home lively and cute clay dolls of various shapes. This is the custom of praying for dolls in the Heluo area. The time for praying for a baby is not fixed, but it is usually on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The custom of praying for a baby is actually the parents' hope that the newlyweds will give birth to a baby soon and that the family will prosper. It is also a form of supervision and reminder to their sons and daughters-in-law.Happy New YearAs the old saying goes: "On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, we wish you a happy new year." In traditional folk customs, "Chinese New Year" generally refers to the period from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month to the 15th day of the first lunar month, and visiting relatives and friends during this period is collectively referred to as "paying New Year's greetings." Therefore, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the last "deadline" for New Year's greetings. As long as the visit lasts no longer than the fifteenth day, it is considered as a New Year's greeting. Many people are too busy during the holidays, so they postpone their New Year greetings. However, they still have to visit and send New Year gifts on the 15th day of the first lunar month at the latest, which is commonly known as "New Year greetings on the 15th day of the first lunar month." Therefore, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, many people bring large and small bags of gifts to visit relatives and friends, which has become a scene on the streets of old Beijing.LanternOn the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the people of Lecheng would carry the City God out of the temple and carry him around in a sedan chair to check on the people's livelihood. Wherever the City God went, there were sounds of firecrackers and every household would offer fat chickens in the hope that everything would go well in the coming year. In addition, the lantern parade on the 15th day of the first lunar month is also a big happy event in Qionghai.Watching LanternsThe main activity on the night of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is watching lanterns. In the early years, people started to take action from the tenth day of the first lunar month, and almost everyone took part in making lanterns in every household. On the night of the Lantern Festival, people hold candles and lights and play together. Especially during the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were many styles of lanterns, including lotus lanterns, eight-treasure lanterns, octagonal lanterns, high-angle lanterns, dragon lanterns, etc. In today's Dengshikou, Gulou and Dazhalan areas, there are a large number of lanterns. People light lanterns and appreciate lanterns. The lights are bright, and the place name "Dengshikou" comes from this.Listen to the incenseThere is a custom of "listening to incense" on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. In ancient times, a young girl who wanted to find a good husband would first burn incense and worship before the gods at home, tell them her worries, and pray to the gods to tell her the direction to listen to the incense. Then, she would remember the first words she heard accidentally or overheard on the way according to the direction indicated, and then go home to throw the dice to judge whether the divination would be good or bad. For example, when fortune-telling about one's lifelong events, if one hears things like eating sweet cakes, blooming flowers or a full moon, it means a good omen and happiness is approaching. However, nowadays, the custom of listening to incense and fortune-telling is no longer common.Burn a strong fireIn the Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia regions, there is a custom of "burning strong fire" in the first month of the year. As for the big fire, some areas burn bamboo branches, some areas burn pine branches, and some areas burn coal. According to the elders, the purpose of burning a strong fire is mainly to drive away evil spirits and pray for blessings, but of course it also has another meaning of welcoming gods and receiving blessings. In areas such as Daning and Jixian in Shanxi and Yan'an Prefecture in Shaanxi, which are located in the Jin-Shaanxi Grand Canyon area, there is a custom of burning a big fire in the countryside on the fifteenth night of the first lunar month.Guess lantern riddles"Guessing lantern riddles" is also called "playing lantern riddles". It is an activity added after the Lantern Festival. Lantern riddles were first developed from riddles and originated in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It is a literary game full of satire, admonition, humor and jokes. The practice of hanging riddles on lanterns for people to guess began in the Southern Song Dynasty. Nowadays, every Lantern Festival, riddles are posted in various places, hoping that this year will be joyous and peaceful.Summary: The eight customs introduced in the above article are the customs of the Lantern Festival that the editor wants to introduce to all readers. You can learn about them. If you want to know more, readers are welcome to visit Mr. Shui Mo! After reading this article, there are more exciting content in the Spring Festival special topic, let’s take a look! |
<<: Review of the customs of the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month (Part 2)
>>: What is the fate of people born on the tenth day of the first lunar month?
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