What is the origin of the Spring Festival in China?

Several views on the origin of the Spring Festival: What exactly does the Spring Festival come from? Why did the ancients celebrate the Spring Festival? Different scholars have different views on these issues. At present, there are several representative views on the origin of the Spring Festival in academic circles. The following is a brief introduction: (1) It is quite popular that the Spring Festival originated in La Worship and La Worship. Mr Duan, a folklorist, is one of the main representatives of this view. The Spring Festival originated in La Worship, a primitive society that worships gods. La Worship was originally a "ghost sacrifice" in Shennong era. At the end of the year, people use their harvest to pay homage to their ancestors and gods and worship the next year's harvest, which is called "wax". Dictionary of Chinese Folk Beliefs and Customs (China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Press, 1992). The article "Spring Festival" said: "As for the origin of the Spring Festival, or it originated in La Worship in ancient society, wax is the name of the gods at the end of the year, so the Spring Festival comes from repaying the gift of God after farming for one year." Mr Duan said in the article "China Ancient Carnival-Spring Festival, La Worship, Nuo": "Spring Festival is the biggest festival in China, with a history of four or five thousand years. It is generally believed that its source is ancient wax sacrifice. " (2) The Spring Festival originated from witchcraft ceremonies and was mainly held in Wang Juan. Teacher Wang Juan pointed out in the article "Spring Festival in China", the second episode of China culture lecture series: "From a series of ceremonies during the Spring Festival, the Spring Festival should originate from the ancient witchcraft ceremony, which is a concrete manifestation of witchcraft, one of the ancient primitive beliefs. The so-called witchcraft ceremony means that primitive people believe that the development of natural things can be regulated by people's own will and strength. During the Spring Festival, all kinds of activities, such as eating, offering sacrifices, decorating, entertainment and pastime, as well as all kinds of taboos during the Spring Festival, including language, behavior, diet and other taboos, are all around exorcism and blessing. People get rid of or avoid evil through their own behavior, language and performance, and get peace and happiness. With the development of society, the Spring Festival gradually lost its witchcraft connotation and evolved into a celebration. " (3) The view that the Spring Festival originates from Ghost Festival is mainly found in Mr. Xu Hualong's article "Spring Festival originates from Ghost Festival". Mr. Xu Hualong said: "In ancient times, people had poor ability to resist natural disasters because of their poor scientific knowledge and low productivity. In winter, they are often harassed by cold waves and worry about food shortage. In early spring, when their lives are threatened, the old people and children will first die of hunger, cold and other bad reasons. When people see this scene, they will be afraid and think it is a worship of ghosts and gods ... Once people have passed such a mysterious and frightening solar term, they will be deeply grateful and cheer and congratulate each other, which will become a custom over time ... Therefore, we can assert that celebrating the Spring Festival is because of winning ghosts. " (4) Two legends about the Spring Festival: China folks have the habit of keeping watch on New Year's Eve. Watching the new year begins with eating New Year's Eve dinner. This New Year's Eve dinner should be eaten slowly, starting with lighting lanterns, and some families have to eat it until late at night. According to the Chronicle of Jingchu in the Song Dynasty, at least in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, there was a custom of New Year's Eve. The custom of observing the old age not only includes the feeling of farewell and nostalgia for the fleeting time, but also expresses the good hope for the coming New Year. The ancients wrote in the poem "Shousui": "Invite Shousui Arong's family to spread red to blue gauze with candles; Thirty-six years have passed, and I cherish the years since this night. " It is human nature to cherish the years, so the great poet Su Shi wrote a famous sentence: "There will be no years next year, and I am worried about waste; Try to do it tonight, and the teenager can still boast! "This shows the positive significance of New Year's Eve. Another name for the Spring Festival is China New Year. What is "year"? One saying is: Nian is an imaginary cruel animal that brings disaster to people. There are many legendary versions of "Nian". Some people say: "Year" has come, trees wither, vegetation is not alive "Year"-"country", everything grows and a hundred flowers bloom; It is also said that Nian is a fierce animal, which will come out every New Year's Eve to hurt people and livestock. The latter is a popular saying, but there are also different versions of this statement: (1) "Legend of Nian Beast" said that there was a monster named Nian in ancient China, which had long tentacles and was fierce. Nian lived on the seabed for many years, and climbed ashore every New Year's Eve, devouring livestock and killing people. Therefore, every New Year's Eve, people in the village fled to the deep mountains to avoid the harm of the "Nian" beast. On New Year's Eve this year, people in Taohua Village were taking refuge in the mountains when an old beggar came from outside the village. He was leaning on crutches, carrying a bag on his arm, with elegant silver whiskers and staring at Matthew. Some villagers sealed windows and locked doors, some packed their bags, some herded cattle and drove sheep, and people shouted boo everywhere, which was a scene of panic. At this time, who still has the mind to take care of this begging old man? Only an old woman in the east of the village gave the old man some food and suggested that he go up the mountain quickly to avoid Nian beast. The old man smiled and said, "If my mother-in-law lets me stay at home for one night, I will definitely drive Nian beast away. "The old woman looked at him carefully in surprise and found that he was handsome, energetic and different. But she continued to persuade and begged the old man to laugh without saying a word. My mother-in-law had no choice but to leave home and take refuge in the mountains. At midnight, Nian beast broke into the village. It found that the atmosphere in the village was different from previous years: the old woman's house in the east of the village had red paper on the door and lights in the room. "Nian" beast trembled and let out a long whistle. Years "stared at her mother-in-law's house for a while, and then screamed and rushed over. When we were near the door, there was a sudden explosion in the yard, and Nian trembled and dared not go any further. It turns out that Nian was most afraid of red, fire and explosion. At this time, my mother-in-law's door was wide open, and I saw an old man in a red robe laughing in the hospital. "Year" was frightened to disgrace and fled in confusion. The next day was the first day of the first month, and the people who came back from refuge were very surprised to see that the village was safe and sound. At this time, the old woman suddenly realized and quickly told the villagers the promise of begging for the elderly. The villagers flocked to the old woman's house together, only to see red paper on her mother-in-law's door, a pile of unburned bamboo still exploding in the yard, and a few red candles still glowing in the house ... The ecstatic villagers put on their clothes and hats to celebrate the auspicious arrival, and went to relatives and friends' homes to congratulate and say hello. The story soon spread in the surrounding villages, and people all knew the way to drive away the "Nian" beast. Since then, every year on New Year's Eve, every family has posted red couplets and set off firecrackers. Every household has a bright candlelight, so it is better to wait for the New Year. In the early morning of the first day, I want to say hello to my relatives and friends. This custom has spread more and more widely, and has become the most solemn traditional festival among the people in China. (2) Legend of the Year of the Tang Dynasty In ancient times, there was a fierce monster scattered in the mountains, which people called "Year". Nian has a ferocious appearance and a ferocious nature. It specializes in eating birds, animals and scale insects, and changes its taste every day, from kowtowing insects to living people, which makes people talk about "Nian". Slowly, people mastered the activity law of "Year". It turns out that every 365 days in 2008, I went to places where people lived to taste fresh food, and the time of haunt was after dark. When the rooster crowed at dawn, they returned to the mountains. When the ravaging date of "Nian" was determined, men and women regarded this terrible night as the "Year's Eve" and came up with a set of methods for "Year's Eve": every household prepared the New Year's Eve in advance, turned off the stove, tied up all the barns, then sealed their doors and hid in the house to eat the "New Year's Eve" because the New Year's Eve was uncertain. In addition to inviting the whole family to have dinner together to show harmonious reunion, it is also necessary to make sacrifices to the ancestors before eating and pray for the ancestors' gods to bless them to spend the night safely. After dinner, no one dared to sleep, just sat together and chatted, and got up the courage to survive the New Year. It's getting dark, and I escaped from the deep forest in and touched the village where people live together. I saw every household's door closed, sesame stalks piled in front of it, but there was no one in the street. After turning for more than half a night, I found nothing, so I had to chew sesame stalks to satisfy my hunger. After a while, the rooster crowed, and these cruel and stupid monsters had to go home disgruntled. Those who have survived the "Year Pass" are delighted. They want to thank the ancestors of heaven and earth for their protection, congratulate each other on not being eaten by Nian, and open the door to set off firecrackers to greet their neighbors and relatives to congratulate them ... When people meet, they bow and congratulate each other and are glad that they have not been eaten by Nian beast. After many years, nothing happened, and people relaxed their vigilance against Nian beast. On the evening of 30th one year, Nian beast suddenly fled to a village in the south of the Yangtze River. A village was almost eaten up by Nian beast, and only a pair of newly-married couples in red curtains were safe and sound. There are also a few childlike innocence, in the yard lit a pile of bamboo to play, red. Bamboo exploded after burning, and Nian beast turned around and fled when it saw the fire. From then on, people know that Nian beast is afraid of red, light and noise. At the end of each year, every household sticks red paper, wears red robes, hangs red lights, beats gongs and drums, and sets off firecrackers, so that Nian Beasts dare not come again. However, villagers in some places don't know that Nian beast is afraid of red and is often eaten by Nian beast. This incident later spread to the sky in Wei Zi. In order to save people, he is determined to destroy Nian beast. One year the beast came out, knocked it down with a fireball and chained it to a stone pillar with a thick chain. From then on, every New Year, people always burn incense and ask Zixing to come down to keep safe.