Qiu Chuji, as an important leader of Taoism Quanzhen Dao, is one of the seven sons of Quanzhen, and is the founder of the Longmen School, whose prominent position in the Taoist world is irreplaceable, and is deeply admired by the majority of believers. The traditional festival of Yanjiu Festival is deeply rooted in people's worship of the legendary story of Qiu Chuji.
The nineteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar is said to be the anniversary of the birth of the sage of Qiu Chuji. On this day, according to ancient myths and legends, Qiu Chuji real people will transform into all kinds of worldly characters, such as **, merchants and even children, and quietly return to the Baiyun Temple where he has devoted himself to cultivation, and carry out a "secret tour" like fireworks in the world.
Believers generally believe that if they are fortunate enough to meet a real person at this miraculous moment, they will be bathed in their holy grace, which will not only ward off disasters and misfortunes, but also strengthen their bodies and prolong their lives. As a result, on the nineteenth day of the first lunar month, many people will flock to Baiyun Temple, hoping to be able to kiss the fairy wind bones of the real people in the hill, and this firm belief and custom together give birth to the unique Yanjiu Festival celebration.
Pray for blessings every nine days
During the Yanjiu Festival, Baiyun Temple attracts visitors from all over the world like a magnet and becomes the core of the entire celebration. A series of solemn and rich ceremonies will be held in the temple, such as sacrifices, chanting and Jiao, with the aim of praying for well-being and tranquility.
At the same time, a bustling temple fair has emerged outside the temple, where merchants and artists from all walks of life gather, and a dazzling array of goods and wonderful performing arts programs are intertwined, so that people can participate in religious services while also immersing themselves in a rich and colorful cultural and entertainment experience.
Warehouse filling section
As the finale of a series of celebrations for the Lunar New Year, and one of the important folk festivals that symbolize a bumper harvest in the coming year, the Warehouse Filling Festival on the 19th day of the first lunar month is particularly solemn and full of far-reaching significance in China, a land deeply rooted in the fertile soil of agricultural culture. As a country that has lived on the land and crops for generations, many traditional festivals are closely related to agricultural activities, and the warehouse filling festival is a unique celebration that highlights the wisdom and expectation of farmers.
The festival originated from the fervent yearning for a bountiful harvest"Filling"The two words intuitively express the good wish to enrich the granary. On this particular day, every household will carefully draw circle patterns of different shapes and sizes with screened lime sprinkles on their courtyards or threshing fields, and symbolically place all kinds of grains in the circle, so as to convey the ideal picture of a full warehouse and a bumper harvest of grains. Not only that, but families also share a sumptuous meal, a custom that is like a silent prayer for the years of abundance to come, for a new year of abundant food, abundant barns, and abundant life.
Worship and visit the temple fair
Every year on the 19th day of the first lunar month, the day known as the "Door Official's Day" carries profound cultural connotations. It is rumored that the role of the gatekeeper originated from the mighty guardian general of the heavenly realm, and then obeyed the mandate of heaven to go down to the mortal world and took on the important mission of protecting the peace of the people's homes. This deity, who is revered as the "god of good fortune and righteousness in the land of the gatekeeper", is not only the protector of the peace of the family, but also a symbol of power to protect wealth and eliminate evil.
On this special day, people go to the Land Temple and City God Temple to worship devotionally, and through the sacrificial ceremony, they express their beautiful vision for the new year: pray for family harmony and prosperity, wealth will come from one source, and future generations will prosper and pass on this blessing from generation to generation.
Welcome mother-in-law
The "mother-in-law" mentioned here does not refer to the elders of the family in real life, but to refer to the sacred female figures who are regarded as blessings and blessings, although the objects of worship vary from place to place, for example, in some places worship the "goddess of fertility and the goddess of fertility", while in others worship the "compassionate, child-sending goddess of mercy". On specific festivals, people will solemnly hold a festival to pray that the "mother-in-law" can ward off ill and protect the children and grandchildren, and ensure the prosperity of the family and continue to prosper.
On the special day of the Yanjiu Festival, there are three special avoidance customs among the people, 1This includes emphasizing the cleanliness of speech and avoiding foul language;
2.Advocating life and putting an end to killing;
3.Pay attention to environmental hygiene and do not dump sewage at will.
As for food, there are specific foods on the Yan Jiu Festival that symbolize good fortune and wealth. People will enjoy fluffy and plump bread because its inflated image symbolizes the accumulation and growth of wealth;
Tofu, as another indispensable food, represents the hope of retaining wealth and blessings because of its homonym "Doufu".
In addition, there are many popular ways to celebrate, such as worshipping incense and praying for the Buddha's blessings and peace; Eating dumplings is an indispensable tradition, and the form of dumplings is like gold and silver ingots, which means that the more ingots are swallowed, the more prosperous the new year. What's more interesting is that on the day of the Yan Jiu Festival, people will creatively cook dumplings and noodles together, the noodles symbolize gold thread, and the dumplings are shaped like ingots wrapped in gold wire, which convey people's good wishes for wealth and happiness in the new year.