The Shangyuan Festival, the Zhongyuan Festival, and the Xiayuan Festival, collectively referred to as the "Sanyuan Festival", are an important part of traditional Chinese festivals. Although these three festivals are all named after "Yuan", their respective origins, historical evolution and cultural connotations have their own characteristics. Below, we will introduce the origins of each of these three festivals in detail.
1. Shangyuan Festival.
Shangyuan Festival, that is, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, is also known as the Lantern Festival and the Lantern Festival. On this day, people will hang all kinds of lanterns, guess lantern riddles, eat Lantern Festival, enjoy lanterns, and celebrate the end of the new year and the beginning of the new year.
The origin of the Shangyuan Festival is said to have been traced back to the Han Dynasty. During the Yongping period of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty, Buddhism was introduced into China, and Emperor Ming ordered the fifteenth night of the first lunar month to "burn the lamp and show the Buddha" in the palace and temple in order to promote Buddhism. Since then, this Buddhist ritual has gradually evolved into a grand folk festival custom. The custom of putting lanterns on the Lantern Festival gradually spread from the court to the people, forming the Lantern Festival.
With the development of the times, the activities of the Lantern Festival are becoming more and more abundant. In addition to viewing lanterns, guessing lantern riddles is also one of the important activities of the Lantern Festival. Fun and full of wisdom, these riddles are a way for people to be entertained and contemplative during the festival. In addition, eating Lantern Festival is also an important custom of the Lantern Festival. The Lantern Festival is made of glutinous rice, and the filling is mostly sweet, symbolizing reunion and happiness.
Second, the mid-year festival.
The Midyear Festival, also known as the Ghost Festival, the Seventh Half Festival, and the Obon Festival, is the 15th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. Originating from the Buddhist Bon Festival, this festival aims to remember the ancestors and transcend the souls of the dead.
The origin of Obon is said to have been traced back to the story of Meren saving his mother. Muren is a great bodhisattva in Buddhism, his mother fell into the path of hungry ghosts after her death, and suffered from hunger and thirst. In order to save his mother, Mulian asked the Buddha for the Dharma, and the Buddha taught him to do a Bon festival on July 15, offering all the monks from all directions with a hundred flavors and five fruits, and surpassing his mother with the help of the power of the monks. This is the origin of Obon.
In China, the Obon festival is gradually combined with the local Halloween culture to form the midyear festival with Chinese characteristics. During this festival, people pay homage to their ancestors, burn paper money, and pray for the souls of the deceased, hoping that they will be well in the other world. In addition, some places also hold grand dragon and lion dances to ward off evil spirits and pray for peace.
3. The next metaverse.
The Xia Yuan Festival is the 15th day of the tenth month of the lunar calendar, also known as "Xia Yuan Day" and "Xia Yuan". This festival is relatively unpopular in traditional Chinese culture, but it has an important place in Taoism.
The origin of the Xia Yuan Festival is said to have been traced back to the Taoist Emperor Shuiguan. Taoism believes that heavenly officials, earth officials, and water officials are the three auspicious gods in the sky. Among them, the Emperor of the Water Officials is responsible for the resolution of misfortune and holds the authority of the waters of the world. The Lower Yuan Festival is the birthday of the Emperor Shuiguan, and people will hold a puja on this day to pray for the Emperor Shuiguan to relieve his distress and bring good luck.
In traditional Chinese culture, there is also the custom of worshipping ancestors during the Xia Yuan Festival. On this day, people return to the cemetery of their ancestors, make offerings, burn paper money, and pray for the blessings of their ancestors. In addition, various folk activities such as swinging and playing with lanterns are held in some places to celebrate the festival.
In general, although the Shangyuan, Zhongyuan, and Xiayuan Festivals are all traditional Chinese festivals, their origins, historical evolution, and cultural connotations have their own characteristics. These festivals not only enrich China's traditional culture, but also provide us with an important carrier for understanding and inheriting traditional culture.
In this era of rapid development, we should cherish these traditional festivals and inherit and carry forward their cultural connotations. By participating in festivals, we can better understand the wisdom of our ancestors and the charm of traditional culture, and we can also enhance our cultural self-confidence and national pride. At the same time, we should also embrace the elements of the new era with an open mind, so that traditional festivals can be rejuvenated and add more color and fun to our lives.
I hope that these contents can help you better understand and recognize these traditional festivals, and I also hope that you can feel the charm and value of traditional culture in these festivals.
Lantern Festival