The earliest cultural prototype of the Spring Festival comes from the "豳 (bīn) Wind July" in the Book of Songs. It is from "The Book of Poetry, National Style, and Feng Feng", which is considered to be a work created by working people to describe the things of farming and mulberry crops in a year. It truly reflects the behavior, seasonal timing, New Year's days and the lives of ordinary people in the agricultural society three or four thousand years ago, revealing the calendar of three or four thousand years ago"Daylight Saving Time'October solar calendar'"The calendar of timekeeping and its relation to the four days"Annual leave"relationship.
This poem describes in detail the work and life of the four seasons in an ancient agrarian society. Among them, the description of the New Year mainly focuses on agricultural activities at the end of the year, family preparations, and sacrifices.
Farming activities at the end of the year: In July, we can see the importance that the ancients attached to farming activities. At the end of the year, agricultural activities are basically over, and people begin to prepare for the new year. This busy and fulfilling working atmosphere echoes the preparations before the Spring Festival. The main contents include:
1) Family Preparation: In the "July", it is mentioned that "September dressing" means that in September, women begin to sew winter clothes and prepare New Year's clothes for family members. This is similar to the modern custom of preparing new clothes before the Spring Festival. In addition, the poem may also imply the meaning of family cleaning, although it is not explicitly mentioned, but at the end of the year, it is part of the traditional Chinese custom to clean and repair the ** house.
2) Sacrifices and prayers: In July, there is also a mention of the year-end rituals. The ancients believed that the sacrifice was a bridge between humans and the gods, and that through the sacrifice they could pay homage to the gods and pray for a good harvest and peace in the coming year. This sacrificial culture occupies an important place in traditional Chinese festivals, and the Spring Festival is no exception. During the Spring Festival, people perform various rituals, such as ancestor worship, worship to gods, etc., to show respect for ancestors and gods, and pray for good luck and happiness in the coming year.
Although the Spring Festival is not directly mentioned in the Book of Songs, we can get a glimpse of some of the customs and atmosphere of the New Year celebration in ancient times. These customs and atmosphere share many similarities with modern Spring Festival celebrations, reflecting the long cultural traditions and profound cultural heritage of the Chinese nation.