The Spring Festival is an important part of traditional Chinese culture, which carries rich historical, cultural and folk connotations. It is not only a festival, but also an emotional sustenance, cultural inheritance and historical continuation. The Spring Festival symbolizes reunion, harmony and rebirth, and is one of the most solemn and lively traditional festivals of the Chinese nation.
1. The history and origin of the Spring Festival.
The Spring Festival, also known as the Lunar New Year, originated from the first year of the year in ancient times, from which it evolved.
In ancient times, the first year of the year was a primitive religious ritual in which people would hold sacrifices on the first day of the year to pray for a good harvest and prosperity for people and animals in the coming year.
In ancient times, it was believed that this day was an important moment for gods such as the gods of heaven and earth, ancestral gods, and other gods to descend on the earth and bless mankind. Therefore, people hold grand rituals to pray to the gods for peace, good harvest, and good luck in the new year.
This kind of year-first prayer ritual activity already existed in the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, and gradually developed and perfected. During the rituals, people will offer offerings to the gods, such as grains, fruits, wine, etc., and will also perform dances, ** and other performances to express their respect and prayers to the gods. In addition, people set up altars in their homes to pray to the ancestral gods for protection and protection.
The date of the Spring Festival is not uniform in different historical periods. The Xia Dynasty used Mengchun (i.e., the first month) as the first month, the Shang Dynasty used the wax moon (December) as the first month, and after Qin Shi Huang unified the Six Kingdoms, October was the first month.
It was not until the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that astronomers Luo Xiahong and others formulated the "Taichu Calendar", which changed the original October as the beginning of the year to Meng Chun as the beginning of the year, which gradually formed the basis of the current lunar calendar, and the date of the Spring Festival was determined.
Regarding the origin of the Spring Festival, there is also a legend about the "year". Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a ferocious monster called "Nian", which would appear at the end of each year, harming people and animals, and destroying farmland and villages.
At the end of the year, people hold rituals such as fireworks, gongs and drums, dragon and lion dances, etc., to pray for the blessings of the gods and to ward off the threat of the year.
These activities have gradually evolved into the current form of celebration of the Spring Festival.
2. Traditional customs and activities of the Spring Festival.
1.Sweeping: Before the Spring Festival, it is necessary to carry out a general cleaning, clean all kinds of utensils, remove and wash bedding curtains, sprinkle and sweep the courtyard, etc.
This is to ward off evil spirits and eliminate disasters, say goodbye to the old and welcome the new, welcome auspicious blessings, and entrust people's wishes to break the old and establish the new and pray for the new. According to the records of the Spring and Autumn Period of the Lü Family, this custom was established in the Yao Shun era.
2.Paste Spring Festival couplets, blessing words, door gods.
Spring Festival couplets are also called door pairs, spring stickers, couplets, pairs, peach symbols, etc., it depicts the background of the times with neat, dual, concise and exquisite words, expresses good wishes, and is a unique literary form in our country.
Every Spring Festival, whether in the city or in the countryside, every household should select a big red Spring Festival couplet and paste it on the door to add a festive atmosphere to the festival. At the same time, people will also paste the word blessing and the door god, which means praying for blessings and warding off evil spirits and welcoming the arrival of the new year.
3.Ancestor worship and worship to gods: During the Spring Festival, people will worship ancestors and gods to express their respect for their ancestors and gods, and pray for family safety and career success. This is the embodiment of the Chinese nation's respect for the elderly, love for the young, and attention to family ethics.
4.Eat Chinese New Year's Eve rice, dumplings, rice balls, rice cakes, etc
During the Spring Festival, families prepare a sumptuous Chinese New Year's Eve meal, and families sit around to share the food.
Dumplings, glutinous rice balls, rice cakes, etc. are common foods during the Spring Festival, implying reunion, harmony and happiness.
5.Keeping the New Year, pressing the New Year's money: On Chinese New Year's Eve, people have to keep the New Year, that is, wait until the bell rings in the middle of the night before they can go to sleep.
This is to pray for peace and good fortune in the coming year. At the same time, the elders should give the younger generations New Year's money, which means wishing them a safe, healthy and smooth growth.
6.Dragon and lion dances: Dragon and lion dances are traditional forms of performance during the Spring Festival, they originated in the Han Dynasty and have survived through generations. The dragon and lion dances are performed in different forms, but they all symbolize the exorcism of evil spirits, good luck and good luck.
7.Setting off fireworks: Setting off fireworks is one of the traditional activities during the Spring Festival, which means expelling ** and welcoming the arrival of the new year.
3. The cultural significance and symbolism of the Spring Festival.
The cultural significance of the Spring Festival is far-reaching and significant, it is an important cultural symbol and emotional sustenance of the Chinese nation, embodies the wisdom and crystallization of the Chinese people, and inherits China's long history and cultural tradition.
Reunion and harmony: The Spring Festival is a time for family reunions, and it emphasizes the importance of family affection and family. No matter where they are, people try to go home and spend the holidays with their families.
This spirit of reunion is the traditional virtue of the Chinese nation, and it is also one of the core cultural meanings of the Spring Festival. It embodies people's pursuit of harmonious family relationships and the cherishing of family affection.
Say goodbye to the old and welcome the new: The Spring Festival symbolizes the beginning of a new year and is an important moment to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new. Through activities such as worshiping ancestors, sweeping dust, and pasting Spring Festival couplets, people bid farewell to the past year and welcome the arrival of the new year.
Inheritance of filial piety: Ancestor worship activities during the Spring Festival are to pay homage and commemorate ancestors, and it is also a manifestation of traditional filial piety. Through ancestor worship, people express their gratitude and respect for their ancestors, and at the same time, they also inherit the filial piety culture of the Chinese nation. Lay the foundation for social stability and family harmony.
Harmony between nature and man: Spring Festival customs and rituals demonstrate Chinese's belief in harmony with nature. People respect nature, conform to nature, and protect nature, and this idea of the unity of nature and man has profoundly influenced all aspects of Chinese social life.
Cultural Inclusion: The Chinese New Year culture demonstrates the inclusiveness of Chinese culture. Different Spring Festival customs and rituals across the country reveal the spiritual essence of Chinese culture, that is, harmony and difference. Although people in different places have different rituals, the concept of harmony and tolerance is enough to make them get along.
Pray for good fortune: During the Spring Festival, people will carry out various blessing activities to pray for peace, auspiciousness and happiness in the new year. This reflects people's yearning and pursuit of a better life, and also expresses people's confidence and hope for the future.
Conclusion: The Spring Festival is a joyful, peaceful and festive festival, which carries the historical memory, cultural inheritance and social customs of the Chinese nation. At this special moment, let us feel the charm of traditional culture, inherit and carry forward the excellent traditions of the Chinese nation, and let the joy and harmony of the Spring Festival always accompany us. At the same time, let us also pray for the new year, wishing the motherland prosperity and the people's happiness and health!