Cover journalist Li Yuxin
"Midwinter is booming, and the green grass is still growing." In the middle of winter, the leaves fall and the grass withers, and the land is full of depression. But in the cold winter, do you also look forward to the new year and the Lunar New Year? Don’t worry, with the arrival of the solar term winter solstice, the atmosphere of the New Year can be "arranged" in advance.
On December 22nd, the winter solstice, which marks the beginning of the cold season, arrived as scheduled. This is not an ordinary solar term. It is not only one of the "four seasons and eight festivals", but also a traditional festival of ancestor worship in China. In ancient times, there was a saying that "the winter solstice is as big as a year". "In the past, Chengdu people called the winter solstice a small year, which was a very lively day." Liu Xiaochang, a folklore expert, said that in the old days, Chengdu folks circulated to plow the fields on the winter solstice, which could get rid of the grass roots forever, so this day was also called the "Grass King’s Club". "At the same time, it is still fashionable to worship ancestors, kill pigs, bacon sausages, eat mutton soup and so on."
Folk expert Liu Xiaochang
The shortest day and the longest night. After the winter solstice, the days in the northern hemisphere increase day by day. Therefore, in the eyes of the ancients, the winter solstice is an auspicious day, just as Han Shu said: "The sun is shining on the winter solstice, and the monarch is long, so congratulations." This day is an auspicious day, which indicates that it is a great celebration. Therefore, the ancients thought that the winter solstice was as important as the New Year, so the winter solstice was also called "sub-year-old". Want to know how the ancients had a holiday on the winter solstice? That definitely makes you envious.
The winter solstice is as big as a year, with a maximum of seven days of "Golden Week" holiday.
"The winter solstice is as big as a year", this folk proverb is believed to be familiar to many people. Whether we eat jiaozi, mutton soup or glutinous rice balls, we can still see the importance attached to this solar term despite the regional differences between the north and the south. "According to legend, the winter solstice is the New Year’s Day of the last generation in history." Liu Xiaochang said that it was said that since the Zhou Dynasty, Zhou people had the custom of offering sacrifices on the winter solstice (November).
According to documents, as early as the pre-Qin period, there was a ritual of offering sacrifices to ghosts and gods on the winter solstice. "Zhou Li, Chunguan Zongbo, Third Dasi Music" contains: "Winter solstice, played on the mound on the ground, if the music changes six times, the gods will all fall, and you can get the ceremony."
At the same time, according to the "Taiping Yu Lan", "From the beginning of the winter solstice, the owner and his ministers will have fun for five days, and all the people in the world will also have fun for five days to welcome the ceremony of the solstice." According to legend, the Han Dynasty had to take five days off from the winter solstice, and in the Tang and Song Dynasties, officials at home and abroad had seven days off during the winter solstice, which was called the ancient "annual leave" and equivalent to the "Golden Week" today. It is also recorded in the Dunhuang document Zheng Yuqing’s Shuyi: "On the Yuan Zheng and the Winter Solstice, it is allowed to take a vacation for seven days, the first three days and the last four days."
In the Northern Song Dynasty, people in the Northern Song Dynasty even referred to cold food, winter solstice and New Year’s Day as three festivals, and celebrating the winter solstice was as lively as celebrating the New Year. In the "Tokyo Dream of China" written by Senator Meng, he once wrote: "On the winter solstice in November, this festival is the most important in the capital. Although the poor have accumulated false pretences in a year, it is easier to get new clothes, prepare meals and enjoy worshipping their ancestors today. The official put off the robot (a kind of opera) to celebrate the exchanges, just like the New Year Festival. " It can be seen that, regardless of wealth, men, women and children, people in ancient times would buy new clothes, sacrifice their ancestors and enjoy delicious food on the winter solstice. In addition, the Records of Jiaxing written by the Ming Dynasty also recorded: "The winter solstice is sacrificed first, and the crown is covered with congratulations, such as New Year’s Day ceremonies."
"In the eyes of the ancients, the winter solstice is the transformation of yin and yang, so people attach great importance to the winter solstice. In the Han Dynasty, the winter solstice was the festival, and congratulations were held and holidays were held, and relatives and friends gave each other delicious food. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, the winter solstice was a day to worship the heavens and ancestors. So … The winter solstice is as big as a year’, which is a unique winter solstice custom formed for thousands of years. "
The map of eliminating cold in 1999 (according to Wuhou Temple Museum)
After counting 9981, winter comes to an end and spring comes.
"In 1929, the bosom; 3949, freezing pigs and dogs; 5969, see the willows along the river; In 7963, pedestrians on the road stripped off their clothes; In 9981, Zhuang Jiahan was in Tian Zhongli. " Have you ever heard this song "The Song of Eliminating Cold in 1999" (also called "Counting Nine Songs"), which was familiar to people in the old days?
Although the winter solstice is an auspicious day to celebrate exchanges in ancient times, it also means that the coldest day of the year is coming. In ancient times, there was no accurate weather forecast, and people invented a folk method to calculate the dates of cold weather and warm spring flowers, which was called "Counting Nine", also known as "Winter Nine Nine".
According to the folk algorithm, the number nine is counted from the beginning of the 24 solar terms winter solstice, and it is also said that it is counted from the winter solstice. Count nine every nine days, and so on. "Generally speaking, it is the coldest time in March 9th, which is the coldest time in a year. There is a saying of’ 3949, freezing pigs and dogs’. " When nine "nine days" are counted, that is, 9981 days are counted, then spring is deep and warm, and everything is full of vitality. It is time for spring ploughing.
"In the past, dolls had a special pastime in the winter season, that is, drawing the" Nine-Nine Cold Relief Map ". Engraving printing in Chengdu is very popular. Every winter solstice, there are large and small book shops around Wolong Bridge. A small table will be placed at the door to sell all kinds of "Nine-Nine Cold Relief Maps". These cold relief maps are very elegant and exquisitely designed, adding a lot of interest to the long and lonely winter. " As long as you finish painting this "Nine-Nine Cold Relief Map", the days of spring flowers are just around the corner.
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