What are the characteristics of agricultural production folklore in China?

In China, a big agricultural country, the agricultural production folklore not only has a long history, but also has rich contents and diverse forms of expression, mainly showing the characteristics of natural agricultural folklore:

First, agricultural production is completely arranged according to time sequence and season, with strong seasonality. Spring ploughing, autumn harvest, summer sowing and winter storage are actually formed by long-term observance of agricultural production according to time series and seasons. People often say that "the season waits for no man", which means that farming can't go against the seasonal laws of time series and festivals. Agricultural production has a strong periodicity.

The second is to predict farming by divining astronomical phenomena. In the era of underdeveloped productive forces and backward technology, people are in awe of the imaginary natural forces, and believe that the abundance of agricultural production is related to supernatural forces. Therefore, they hope that with the help of supernatural gods, they can realize the desire of favorable agricultural conditions and abundant crops. These customs are not only a summary of people's experience in the long-term production process, but also a portrayal of people's prediction of farming according to the law of heaven and earth change.

Third, farming taboos are full of superstition. People in China have always believed that agriculture is the foundation of the country, so there are many taboos in farming activities, which make farming activities have the characteristics of ritual and mystery. There are many taboos in seed selection, sowing and harvesting, including agricultural breeding activities. With the development of agriculture and the realization of agricultural modernization in China, these agricultural taboos have gradually disappeared in many areas.

Fourth, there are frequent activities to celebrate the harvest. In ancient times, farmers basically depended on the weather for food, and agricultural production was greatly influenced by natural and climatic factors. Therefore, after the harvest, people should sincerely thank the gods of heaven and earth for their blessing, and finally formed a series of festive celebrations, naturally forming a folk culture that originated from labor practice and has the nature of entertainment.