What customs did Taoism rise among the people?

There are all kinds of traditional festivals that have been around for a long time in China. These festivals and their related customs are inextricably linked with Taoist culture, and many of them are originated from Taoist legends and even pure Taoist festivals. Now the Japanese and China Taoist legends that still exist and still have certain influence among the people are listed as follows, from which it is not difficult to see the influence of Taoist culture on our lives.

The Spring Festival is the biggest, most lively and joyful festival among the traditional festivals in China, which is full of fairy tales and customs related to the birth of Taoist figures. The fifth day of the first month is said to be the birthday of the goddess rice. It is disrespectful to cook without washing rice. It is especially popular in rural Hubei. This day is also the birthday of Zhao Gongming, the mysterious altar of the God of Wealth. Merchants and enterprises have strong financial resources; Those who eat well and wear well should get up early on this day and greet him with firecrackers, gongs and drums and three sacrificial banquets. On this night, the whole family will eat glutinous rice balls, because the shape of glutinous rice balls is like "gold ingot", also called "gold ingot", which is said to symbolize the treasure given by the god of wealth. The ninth day of the first month is the birthday of the Jade Emperor. Taoist classics say that after 3200 robberies, he "gradually entered the nihilistic Shinto", and after 100 million robberies, he became the Jade Emperor. He also said that he was a descendant of the Buddha in the early Yuan Dynasty and was sent to earth by the old gentleman. Therefore, no one dares to ignore the birthday of the "master of the universe". On this day, temples all over the country will hold fairy fairs, and good men and women will go to the temples to kowtow and make pilgrimages. Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month is the first full moon night after the New Year, so it is also called "Shangyuan Festival". Taoism believes that heaven, earth and water are three elements, also known as three officials, which are in charge of the fate of mankind and the rise and fall of ghosts and gods. The fifteenth day of the first month, the fifteenth day of July and the fifteenth day of October are the birthdays of the three officials, and the fifteenth day of the first month is the birthday of the emperor Tianguan. On this day, Taoist temples often hold fasting meetings, and good men and women also go to Sanguan Hall to burn incense. On the 15th day of the first month, it is the memorial day of Zigu, Ce Shen. People put offerings to welcome Zi Gu, and divined silkworm cultivation and good or bad luck.

February is coming, spring is blooming, and the second day of February is the Christmas of the land god. This land god is closest to the people. He can bless the bumper harvest of grain, the prosperity of six livestock, the safety of their homes and the import of more grain. So on the second day of February, people burn incense to worship. In Jia Qinglu written by Gu Tieqing in Qing Dynasty, villagers celebrated the birthday of the land god: "Officials pay homage to those who burn incense and make a fire, and every sacrifice is gladly offered." Farmers in the village also make syrup cans to pray for god's blessing. "This kind of scene is hard to see today, and now, this ritual custom is still preserved in remote rural areas.

Tomb-Sweeping Day in March is another traditional festival in China. Folk activities are mainly to sweep graves to worship ancestors, take a walk and wear willows. In rural Zhejiang, Tomb-Sweeping Day not only offered sacrifices to his ancestors, but also offered sacrifices to the silkworm god. Taoism calls the silkworm god a "mysterious real person". It is said that Lingbao Tianzun sympathizes with the uneven suffering and happiness of human beings and has no income from clothing. He ordered the mysterious real person to become a silkworm moth, taught the people to raise silkworms and weave clothes, made the villagers feel virtuous, and set up a shrine to sacrifice.

The fifth day of May is the Dragon Boat Festival. There are different views on the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival. As far as national customs are concerned, it is believed that the Dragon Boat Festival originated from Qu Yuan and commemorates Qu Yuan. However, some scholars believe that there is no record of the Dragon Boat Festival in the Book of Jin, and the formation of this festival may be related to Taoist sacrifices to water gods or dragon gods. For example, some people think that dragons and dragon ceremonies were invited before the Dragon Boat Festival in Jiangxi. Although this statement is a family statement, it at least shows that there is a certain connection between the Dragon Boat Festival and Taoism.

The Mid-Autumn Festival on July 15 is also called "Ghost Festival". Mid-Autumn Festival is the birthday of the Taoist immortal emperor, and it is also a "time to forgive sins". On this day, ghosts will come out, or visit future generations on earth, or make trouble and bring disaster to people. This is a ghost festival, so people should worship their ancestors and go to the grave on this day. The Mid-Autumn Festival is highly valued among the people, and the southern provinces still retain the custom of worshipping ancestors and sweeping graves.