The origin of New Year's Day
It is said that New Year's Day began in Zhuan Xu, one of the three emperors and five emperors, with a history of more than 5,000 years.
New Year's Day in China always refers to the first day of the first month of the summer calendar (lunar calendar and lunar calendar). The calculation method of the first day of the first month was also very inconsistent before the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Therefore, the New Year's Day of the past dynasties is not consistent. Meng Xiyue (1 month) is the first month of the Xia calendar, the twelfth month of the Shang lunar calendar (1February) and the winter month of the week calendar (1 1 month). After Qin Shihuang unified China, Yangchun month (October) was the first month, that is, the first day of October was New Year's Day.
From Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, it was stipulated that Meng Xiyue (January) was the first month, and Meng Xiyue (the first day of the first month in the summer calendar) was called New Year's Day, which was used until the end of the Qing Dynasty.
1912 65438+10/3. Sun Yat-sen issued the Provisional Presidential Decree on Promulgating the Almanac, instructing the Ministry of the Interior to compile a new almanac. Later, it was stipulated that Gregorian calendar (Gregorian calendar) 65438+ 10/was called "New Year's Day", but it was not called "New Year's Day".
1914 65438+10, the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of China designated the first day of the Lunar New Year as the Spring Festival. As a result, the traditional Chinese New Year's Eve was officially renamed the Spring Festival, and the traditional names of New Year's Day and New Year's Day were placed on the Gregorian calendar 65438+ 10/this day.
1On September 27th, 949, the first plenary session of the China People's Political Consultative Conference decided: "People's Republic of China (PRC) adopted the calendar year method", which is what we call the solar calendar. In order to distinguish between the two New Years, and in view of the fact that the "beginning of spring" in the 24 solar terms of the lunar calendar is just around the Lunar New Year, the first day of the first lunar month was renamed as "Spring Festival", and the beginning of the solar calendar must be "New Year's Day".
The legend of the origin of ancient New Year's Day;
Legend has it that during the prosperous period of Yao and Shun in ancient times more than 4,000 years ago, when Emperor Yao was in power, he worked diligently for the people and did many good things for the people, which was deeply loved by the people. However, due to his son's incompetence, he did not pass on the throne of "emperor" to his son, but passed it on to Shun, who has both ability and political integrity. Yao said to Shun, "You must pass on the throne in the future, and you will be relieved when I die." Later, Shun passed the throne to Yu, who made great contributions to flood control. Yu also loves the people and has done many good things for the people like Shun, and is deeply loved by the people. Later, after Yao's death, people took the day of offering sacrifices to heaven and earth and the first emperor Yao as the beginning of the year, and called the first day of the first month "New Year's Day" or "Jacky", which was the ancient New Year's Day.
? Customs of New Year's Day:?
? First, drink pepper and cypress wine.
It has appeared in the four-person monthly order of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Pepper is Chinese prickly ash. The ancients said that pepper is the essence of jade star, with fragrant smell, which makes people light and anti-aging. Cypress is a cypress leaf, which is regarded as an elixir by the ancients and can avoid all diseases. Zanthoxylum bungeanum and cypress can be soaked in wine separately, or they can be put into wine together for drinking. Drinking pepper and cypress wine can cure diseases and prolong life.
Yu Xin in the Southern Dynasties wrote "Zheng Dan Monti Wine": "Zheng Dan will brew evil wine, and the new year will bring you a long life cup. The cypress leaves come with the inscription, and the pepper flowers come one by one. " It depicts the joy of being rewarded with pepper and cypress wine on New Year's Day. In the Tang Dynasty, Wu Pingyi's poem "Dedicating Bones to Yuan Guan" expressed his wish to serve the emperor for a long and healthy life with the phrase "I wish to live a long life with cypress leaves".
Drinking pepper and cypress wine has spread among the people so far, and it has been practiced in Licheng, Shandong Province and Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province in the Ming Dynasty.
? Second, post Spring Festival couplets.
Spring Festival couplets, also known as "spring stickers", "door pairs" and "couplets", are one of the red festive elements "Year Red" posted during the New Year. It depicts a beautiful image and expresses good wishes with neat, concise and exquisite words. It is a unique literary form in China and an important custom for Chinese New Year in China. When people put up Spring Festival couplets (Spring Festival couplets, blessings, window grilles, etc. ) At their doorstep, it means that the Spring Festival officially kicked off. ? Each pair of couplets has a horizontal cross and the word "Fu", while the Spring Festival couplets are simply pasted on appropriate places, such as doorposts, like "All the best".
In fact, Spring Festival couplets (including couplets and Spring Festival couplets) were written by special people in ancient times (with a brush), so they are commonly known as "swinging spring". Every Spring Festival, no matter in urban or rural areas, every household should take off beautiful red couplets and stick them on the doors to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, thus increasing the festive atmosphere. Another source of Spring Festival couplets is spring stickers. The ancients posted the word "Yichun" more and more at the beginning of spring, and then it gradually developed into Spring Festival couplets, expressing the good wishes of the working people in China to ward off evil spirits and avoid disasters and welcome good luck.
? Third, set off firecrackers.
Setting off firecrackers on New Year's Day has two meanings:
One of the words:
Setting off firecrackers on New Year's Day has a long history. It was originally used to drive away evil spirits and ghosts. According to traditional folklore, it is said that firecrackers are set off on New Year's Day to drive away "mandrills". Mandrill was a fierce one-horned ghost in ancient times, but it was most afraid of noise, so people used the explosion of burning bamboo to scare it away. With gunpowder, people put gunpowder into bamboo tubes to make firecrackers, and then make paper tubes, also known as firecrackers or firecrackers.
The second statement:
In ancient times, New Year's Day was the first day of New Year's Day. In the Republic of China, New Year's Day became 1 of the solar calendar, while New Year's Day was called the Spring Festival. Setting off firecrackers on New Year's Day can create a festive atmosphere. Red after setting off firecrackers everywhere represents joy, happiness and auspiciousness. Therefore, in this festive festival, we will set off firecrackers to celebrate.
In China, there are many customs like New Year's Day. The arrival of New Year's Day indicates that the old year is about to pass and the new year is about to begin. The beginning of the new year's spring return to the earth, the beginning of the new year's glory, is the beginning of showing your new side. The atmosphere of New Year's Day will make the whole country excited. I also wish you all the best in the new year.