1. Sacrifice to the white tiger to resolve right and wrong.
In Chinese folklore, the white tiger is regarded as the god of tongue and right and wrong. Legend has it that on this day every year, the white tiger will come out to forage for food, eat people's wounds, and bring misfortune to people. In order to avoid being influenced by the white tiger, people will perform a ritual to worship the white tiger. The white tiger is sacrificed by drawing a white tiger on paper, usually yellow with black markings, and a pair of tusks on the corner of the mouth. During the sacrifice, people would feed the paper tiger with the blood of a fat pig, so that it would no longer hurt people after it was full. Then, they would rub raw pork on the mouth of the paper tiger so that it would be filled with oil and water, and it would not be able to open its mouth to tell right and wrong.
Second, eat pears in shock.
There is a custom among the people called "eating pears in surprise". It is said that this custom originated in ancient times, but the exact origin is unknown. In the folklore of Qi County, there is such a story that has been passed down from generation to generation. According to legend, Qu Ji, the ancestor of the Jin Shang Qu family, took his two sons and exchanged Lu Ma and pears for coarse cloth and red dates in Qi County, thus earning a certain profit, and finally settled in Qi County. Later, the 14th Qu Baichuan went to the west to do business and get rich, and on the day of the stunning, his father gave him a pear, and told him the hard entrepreneurial process of his ancestors, hoping that he would not forget his ancestors and work hard to start a business. So Qu Baichuan went to the west exit to do business and get rich, and named his shop "Changyuan Hou". Since then, people have followed the example of eating pears, hoping that leaving home to start a business will be successful. Gradually, the custom of eating pears on stunning day became a symbol of striving to honor ancestors.
There are several other explanations for eating pears in a sting:
1. The sting season is the time when everything recovers, and the climate is relatively dry, which can easily lead to dry mouth, cough and other discomforts. Therefore, eating pears can play a role in moistening the throat and relieving cough, helping to strengthen the body and resist the invasion of diseases.
2. In ancient times, due to the epidemic of infectious diseases, the day of the sting was the time when all things woke up, and eating pears could remind people to pay attention to preventing diseases.
3. In northern Jiangsu and Shanxi, there is a proverb that says "the sting eats the pear, the spirit of the year", in which "pear" and "leave" are homophonic, it is said that eating pears can drive away pests and ensure a good harvest throughout the year, so every household will eat pears on the day of the sting.
3. Drum skin.
The day of the sting is often accompanied by thunder. The ancients believed that the sound of thunder was produced by the thunder god beating the drum, so people took advantage of this opportunity to carry out the activity of covering the drum skin. It is recorded in the ancient "Zhou Li": "Whoever rises the drum must be stinged on the day." This shows that the sting is the beginning of spring, the stinging insects begin to wake up, and the drum sound symbolizes awakening. The purpose of the drumming is to conform to the weather season, hoping to bless themselves with a smooth year through this ritual.
Fourth, "beat the villain" to drive away bad luck.
There is also a custom of "beating villains" on this day. It is believed that on the day of the sting, there will be a flat mine that will wake up all the snakes, insects, rats and ants in hibernation. Therefore, in order to drive away these pests, people would smoke the four corners of their homes with fragrance and wormwood, hoping to drive away snakes, insects, rats and ants and prevent the growth of musty smells. This custom gradually evolved into the habit of slapping the opponent when things didn't go well and driving away bad luck, that is, "hitting the villain".
Fifth, stinging health.
In the sting season, the spring is bright and the climate is warmer, but people are easy to feel tired and sleepy, and the so-called "spring sleepiness" appears. In order to eliminate "spring sleepiness", in addition to ensuring adequate sleep, regular work and rest, and strengthening exercise, it is also necessary to eat more light foods rich in plant protein and vitamins in the diet, supplement green vegetables, and avoid excessive intake of greasy food. In addition, it is appropriate to engage in moderate outdoor activities during the sting season, but not too intense.