Festivals in Ancient China

8/4/2019 Festivals in Ancient China

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Festivals in Ancient ChinaCHINESE NEW YEAR

When The first day of the first month.This is the biggest festival,oE:the Chinese calendar. It began as China's

Spring Festival and took place before the FIrst spring plantings. Ancient farm-ers gave thanks for the earth's fertility and abundance. They asked to beblessed with a bountiful harvest in the coming year. Chinese New Year contin-ues to be a time to "start fresh," to settle old quarrels and pay back debts.The Story of the Kitchen God There once was a man, who was considered verybad. He left his wife for a younger woman. His new wife spent all of his moneyand then kicked him out of the house. While he was out begging for food, hecame to the home of his first wife. She took him in. When he realized who shewas, he was so ashamed that he jumped into the oven. Because he realized theerror of his ways, he was spared and given his life back. Some versions of thisstory say that the kitchen god is an old woman.

The Chinese believe that the kitchen god will come down from Heavenand take stock of how the family is doing. Sweets are left out so all the tales aregood.The Story of the Nian There once was a monster, named the Nian, who cameout of hiding at the end of winter. He terrorized a small village by eatingeverything in sight, including people. A wise man of the village said that theNian was afraid of three things; noise, lights, and the color red. The man lit abonfire, set off firecrackers and painted everyone's doors red. This kept theNian away and everyone safe..The festival lasts for 15 days. During the first three days, businesses andschools are closed..The house is cleaned to sweep out the old year and bring in good luck..No cooking is done the FIrst three days, so that no knives are used. A knifemay "cut off" good luck..Honey (or a sweet sugar water) is spread on the lips of household statues ofthe Kitchen God before the festival. This helps ensure that when he journeysto the Jade Emperor to report on the activities of the family, he will only saysweet things..Exploring firecrackers are used-t;his day to keep away the Nian..People hang red banners on their homes to gain protection..People decorate banners with messages of good will and kindness. They hangthese banners outside homes and businesses. Gong xi fa cai, which means"wishing you prosperity" is a common saying.

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.Families come together for special feasts, with foods like kumquats and meatdumplings, to bring them good luck..Mter the family feast, children stay up late. It is believed that the later theystay awake, the longer the lives their parents will live..Since red stands for joy, people exchange gifts wrapped in red paper andchildren receive money in red envelopes..On the fourth day of the festival, daughters return home to visit theirparents.

LANTERN FESTIVALWhen The fIfteenth day of the first month.

The Lantern Festival falls on the first full moon of the New Year andcelebrates the closing of the New Year's Festivities. Originally the LanternFestival began as a celebration to welcome back the strengthening light andwarmth of the sun, after a long, cold winter. During the Han dynasty, theLantern Festival also honored a man who ousted an unfair emperor from histhrone. During the Tang dynasty, emperors began closing down thegovernment for the Lantern Festival..Paper lanterns, in all shapes and sizes, are made and hung outside homesand businesses throughout the town or city. The lanterns welcome back thelight of the sun..Throughout both the New Year and Lantern Festivals, Lion Dancersentertain onlookers. Two to three people, dressed in orange and black, form alion. Lion dancers are often invited to people's home to bring the householdgood luck for the coming year..The high point of the festival, is often the Dragon Dance. Several, often overa dozen, people operate a dragon made from paper or silk and stretched overa bamboo frame. Another dancer holds a red ball, signifying the SuD. In thedance, the dragon tries to catch the sun. H it catches the sun, the dragon willeat it and the earth will no longer have sunlight. Luckily, in the dance, thedragon never catches the sun.

QING MING OR PURE BRIGHTNESS DAYWhen The third day of the third month.

Qing Ming means "pure brightness" and was originally a day to welcomespringtime and the freedom of being outdoors. As time wore on, it became aday to show respect for one's anceltors. Once outside, Chinese people beganvisiting and caring for the graves of their ancestors.

and Legends .The Chinese people often rentember the legend of how the kite helped win aHan dynasty battle, as they celebrate Qing Ming. The legend tells of two states

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that were at war. A clever Han general built a kite strong enough to hold aman. The army flew the kite over the camp of their enemy. The soldier insidethe kite sang songs of the enemy, making them so homesick, they left the battleand returned home..Families travel into the country to enjoy being outdoors..People fly kites, shaped like butterflies, birds, frogs, other animals, andheroes from Chinese operas..People visit the graves of family members. They sweep them clean, pullweeds, and plant new flowers..People attend Chinese operas, which often honor the spirits. Chinese operadjffers from Italian opera in that it uses songs, mime, speaking parts, andbright costumes.

BIRTHDAY OF TIAN HOD, GODDESS OF THE SEAWhen The 23rd day of the third month.This celebration developed to honor Tian Hou to help bring about safe and

bountiful fishing expeditions.The legend states that when Tian Hou was a small girl, she had a dream thather father was in danger. She turned herself into a spirit and went to herfather's fishing boat to save him. Her ability to calm storms and save sailorsfrom horrible fates won her respect and honor. She continues to be highlyrevered by the fishers of southern China and Hong Kong..Lion and dragon dancers perform, as do stilt walkers and acrobats..Some cities and villages held community festivals.

DRAGON BOAT FESTIVALWhen The ruth day of the fifth month.

The Dragon Boat Festival probably began as a way to honor the planting ofthe rice and to ask for a bountiful harvest. Ancient Chinese people believedthat dragons controlled rainfall and the flooding of rivers. They threw riceinto the rivers to feed and please the dragons, so they would bring the rightamount of rain and river floods.The legend of the Dragon Boat Festival began more than 2,300 years ago. Thelegend says that a poet, named Qu Yuan, killed himself over his sadness about-how the country was being ruled. "The legend says that he tied a rock to himselfand threw himself into the river. .The people of his village were deeply sadden-ed. They threw rice into the fIver to both feed his spirit and to distract the fishfrom eating his body. Qu Yuan's spirit returned to tell the villagers that the

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river dragon was eating all of the rice. He suggested they wrap the rice inleaves, shaped like pyramids, to disguise it from the dragon..People make and eat triangular-shaped rice dumplings..Rowers participate in rowboat or dragon boat races. The boats are long andnarrow, often holding up to 10 rowers. A carved dragon's head is on the bow(front) of the boat and a dragon's tail is mounted to the stern (rear) of theboat. A drummer beats a large drum to help the rowers develop a rhythm forroWIng.

THE COWHERD AND THE WEAVING MAIDEN FESTIVALWhen The day of the seventh month.

This festival began as a way to honor the work and contributions of womenin Chinese families..Women participate in sewing and weaving competitions.

HUNGRY GHOSTS FESTIVALWhen The 15th day of the seventh month.This festival is focused on respect for one's ancestors.and Legends

Many Chinese people believed that on the first day of the seventh lunar month,the gates of hell are opened. The spirits have one month to wander around onearth. Spirits return to their families' homes and receive gifts.

Because some spirits may not have people to return to, they wanderaround and may make trouble. Offerings are made to these spirits to pleaseand include them.

This is related to the concept of 2 souls -Po and Hun or Shen and Gui.Shen is the kind spririt who helps you, Gui is the mischievous spirit, whomight, for example, cause you to trip..Paper models of things spirits might need (food, clothing, tools, etc.) aremade as gifts for the spirits. People burn these models, so that the objects cantravel to the spirits via the smoke..People also burn paper money, so that the spirits will have some spendingmoney in the spirit world..At this festival and funerals, people burn incense, called joss sticks, to carryprayers to the spirit world. ~.People place offerings and burn incense by the roadsides, for spirits forwhom don't have homes to returl!. Offerings are placed outside, because manypeople do not want to invite stranger spirits into their homes.

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MID-AUTUMN FESTIVALWhen The 15th day of the eighth month.

The Mid-Autumn Festival originally began as a festival of thanksgiving forthe rice harvest. People enjoyed more free time after the hard work of theharvest was complete and spent the day outside with family. Today, the festivalhonors the moon and its cycles. The Chinese believe that the moon is at itsfullest and brightest on this night.and LegendsThe Legend o/the Woman in the Moon Once, long ago, ten suns suddenlyappeared in the sky. The earth became very hot and people feared that theyand their crops would burn up. An archer, named Yi or Hou Yi, shot nine ofthe suns out of the sky, so that just one remained. As a reward for his actions,the Queen of the Immortals gave Yi a pill which would give him everlasting life.However, in order for the pill to work, he must wait 12 months before takingit. The thought of everlasting life so excited Yi's wife, Chang Er, that she tookthe pill. She gained the ability to fly and flew to the moon to hide from herhusband. Her husband was so sad about the disappearance of his wife that hewent to live with the sun. Each month the two see each other again, when themoon is full..The day is often spent outside, picnicking and playing and watching themoon rIse..Because the work of the rice harvest is completed, Mid-Autumn is often atime of family reunions. People have more free time to get together. They oftenfeast together on this day..Moon Cakes are common treats. They are typically round cakes. Inside eachcake is a fIlling, which signifies the full moon. Moon Cakes are typically filledwith lotus paste or a cooked egg yolk and have a sweet taste..Families may visit grave sites to get them ready for winter.

WINTER SOLSTICE FESTIVALWhen The Winter Solstice, typically December 20,21, or 22.

This festival began as an acknowledgment of the waning light and heat of thesun as winter approaches. Many traditions involved asking the spirits toreturn light and warmth to the earth..The Winter Solstice Festival is another day of thanksgiving for bountifulharvests and good health. ~.People, especially children, enjoy tang yuan, a sweet rice treat..Tang Yuan is offered to ancesto.rs as a sign of family unity..-

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Festivals in Ancient China

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