What are the customs and rituals of the last spy in ancient Chinese New Year? When did New Year's Eve come?

What are the ancient Chinese New Year customs and ceremonies brought to you by Bian Xiao of Calendar Learning Network today? I hope I can help you.

Firecrackers, the old year has passed; The warm spring breeze ushered in the New Year, and people happily drank the newly brewed Tu Su wine. Thousands of families always trade new peaches for old ones.

Wang Anshi's Yuan Ri

On New Year's Eve, the last day of the lunar calendar, people are now more likely to reunite with their families to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

New Year's Eve originated from the custom of offering sacrifices to ancestors at the end of ancient times. The name "New Year's Eve" was first mentioned in the local chronicles written in the early Zhou Dynasty in the Western Jin Dynasty. From then on, the day before New Year's Eve was called Chu Xiao, or New Year's Eve. For New Year's Eve, that is, New Year's Eve. New Year's Eve is usually called New Year's Day, but in fact, due to the lunar calendar, the date of New Year's Eve may be 65438+February 30 or 65438+February 29, but in any case, it is the end of the lunar calendar.

In the ancient Song Dynasty, this New Year's Eve was a different scene. In the Song Dynasty, New Year's Eve was also called New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve and so on. Song people say that "the month is poor and the year is exhausted", so the activities on New Year's Eve are extremely grand. Many of their preparations before New Year's Eve are similar to those now. Door gods, peach charms and Spring Festival couplets are sold everywhere in the market. "Spring Brand" is red paper with the word "Fu" written on it, and the food business is even more popular. On New Year's Eve, Tao Fuchun's brand dusting and nailing were the same as today. However, the exorcism ceremony can only be understood through the words at that time.

So why is there such a ceremony?

According to the ancients, this disease was caused by an epidemic disease. So, on the last day of the end of this year, "drumming out the epidemic". There is a difference between court exorcism and folk exorcism. The one in the palace is called "Da Yinuo". "A Dream in Tokyo" describes this scene in detail: "The guards in the palace are all wearing masks, embroidered clothes and holding golden guns and dragon flags. Dress up as a general, keeper, judge, Zhong Kui, kitchen god, etc. And about 1000 people in this palace are exorcising demons. " The ceremonies in the Song Dynasty were similar.

Nuo is an ancient primitive ceremony, from which the Nuo culture is formed. This kind of activity ceremony can be traced back to Shang Dynasty. "Party has a detailed description. Palm bear skin, four eyes gold, advocating, holding Ge Yangdun, handsome and bailing, but difficult, it is difficult to get rid of the epidemic. " The book Zhou Li Xiaguan in Song Dynasty concretized Nuo and pointed out its source.

This small Nuo ceremony should be a blessing ceremony for the Zhong Kui town house, which was held by the folk houses for the victims. There are many programs, including eight. This Zhong Kui can sing and dance. Finally, I will bless this demon and precious family, and the house will be safe this year. Moreover, there is also a folk custom of exorcising evil spirits and praying for blessings, that is, burning scattered pots, which was called "burning bamboo pots" at that time. This flax used as fuel is the residue of sesame oil. In addition, many people will burn Atractylodes lancea on New Year's Eve. Atractylodes lancea has the function of eliminating dampness, so people hope it can eliminate dampness and protect health.

In order to bless his ministers, the Emperor of Song Dynasty will give all ministers a statue of Zhong Kui on New Year's Eve. For example, during the period of Northern Song Shenzong, Song Shenzong ordered the painter to copy the statue of Zhong Kui, and then printed it into a hardcover, and then handed the finished product over to the officials of the Chinese Book Province and the Privy Council. In the folk, a few days before New Year's Eve or on New Year's Eve, relatives and friends will also give New Year's gifts, including statues of door gods and Zhong Kui. As recorded in the Song Dynasty historical book "Custom Drives Current Events", on New Year's Eve, "you must accompany two big bamboo poles when sending things".

Read some history books of the Song Dynasty, and you will find that people in that era had a unique taste in food. On New Year's Eve, they will eat a special snack, a soup cake like mutton and steamed bread. At that time, there was a custom of "winter wonton is delicious in the middle of the year". On New Year's Eve, people will prepare some supper, which is also called "supper fruit". A passage describing what people in the palace eat when they celebrate their birthday: "On that day, our government will prepare a fruit box for supper, which will contain a lot of food, including fine fruits, seasonal fruits, honey fried, sugar fried, market food and so on."

For example: Chengsha Tuan, Guo Yun, honey ginger soy sauce, soap cake, honey crisp, etc. Looking at these names gives people an appetite. In addition, there are cards, stickers and other playthings. The people in the palace will not be so delicate and changeable, but they will make every effort to ensure everything goes well in the coming year. Before dawn, everyone will take out a bamboo pole covered with copper coins and beat the ash pile or garbage dump hard. At the same time, they will pray to the gods and express their wishes. This is called "bumping into a wish". Yes, if you do, something good will happen in the new year and your wish will come true.

Children also have important things to do before dawn. They have to go to the street to "sell" themselves: "sell dementia, sell your stupidity, and sell your stupidity. ................

On New Year's Eve, people don't sleep and greet the New Year with fatigue and malaise. Tell children to go a long way, and ask people to buy dementia on the cloud. Who has nothing but two things? China farmers still have surplus; North-South Lane can't be sold, so we laugh when we meet. Oak blocks sit under a heavy curtain, just buy another order and ask the price. Yun Weng doesn't need money to buy it.

In the folk, everyone hopes to make their children smarter in this way.

These sacrificial activities have too many superstitious colors at present, but they were regarded as an orthodox cultural tradition at that time. Once a year, everyone puts New Year's wishes on this day to pray. Even among the people, we will use this day's gambling to see the luck of the new year, and there is a special term called "try 30". There is a sentence in Lu You's Chicken Ribs: "Huluyuan celebrates the New Year." Self-note: "It's called annual review, and folk customs get together late."

In fact, this is a very ridiculous practice. How can we let those dice or poker games decide whether our life is satisfactory or not? Maybe everyone cares too much about the peace and success of this coming year, and can't wait to drive away "precious" in various ways and usher in more good luck. It's just that the good of the people is closely related to the good of the country. The annual Nuo ceremony did not bring peace to the Northern Song Dynasty, but in the Southern Song Dynasty, the suffering of the people was even worse.

Look at these folk prayer activities, their requirements are not high: children are smart and healthy, and adults are safe and smooth. However, only a powerful country can bring real good luck.