Chapter 27 The second quarter of the beginning of spring

Lichun is the first of the twenty-four solar terms in the lunar calendar.Lichun not only symbolizes the coming of spring, but also heralds the beginning of a year's farming activities. "A year's plan lies in spring." The people of our country place their hopes on the arrival of spring, so they have always attached great importance to this festival.On this day, ancient emperors often led their officials to hold a grand ceremony to welcome the spring, and some even helped plow a piece of land by themselves to show their importance to farming. "Han Shu · Wendi Ji" records that in the first month of the spring of the second year of Han Wendi's ascension to the throne, he issued an edict saying "My relatives lead the farming".Later, Emperor Jing and Emperor Wu also expressed the same content in their imperial edicts.This kind of spring welcoming ceremony continued until the Qing Dynasty.

In addition to holding the Spring Festival Ceremony in Lichun, there is also a large-scale "Spring Cattle" activity.Cattle are the main tool of ancient agriculture and a symbol of farming.Dachun Niu, also known as "whip spring" or "dachun", is to flog the earth cattle made of yellow mud on the first day of spring to encourage farming and encourage people to pay attention to agricultural production.According to the sixth volume of "Tokyo Menghualu", in the Song Dynasty, "the day before the beginning of spring, the Kaifeng government entered the spring and the cattle were forbidden to whip the spring."The two counties of Kaifeng and Xiangfu will also place spring cattle in front of the Kaifeng mansion the day before the beginning of spring. On the morning of the beginning of spring, the officials of Kaifeng government will lead their subordinates to beat the spring cattle.All prefectures and counties should also "make soil cattle and farming people according to their shapes and colors, and show them to the public at the beginning of spring" (Volume 8 of "Sui Shi Guang Ji").Beating the cattle in spring is a ceremony to spur the cattle and encourage farming.After the ox rested all winter, people feared that it would be lazy, so they used colorful whips and wooden sticks to encourage it to work hard.According to the eighth volume of "Sui Shi Guang Ji" by Chen Yuanliang in the Song Dynasty, when the spring cattle are being hunted in the beginning of spring, the people watching around are "cluttered".After the whipping, everyone immediately "split up" the broken spring cattle, and then robbed each other again.The reason why the spring cattle are to be smashed is that it can bring good luck.It is said that if the soil from the spring ox is kept at home, the home is suitable for raising silkworms; if the soil from the horns of the spring ox is placed at home, the home is suitable for farming, and the home will have a good harvest; it is also said that this soil can cure diseases.At the same time, the government and folks in the Song Dynasty also produced many small spring cattle for sale, and people also gave spring cattle to each other to herald "a sign of abundance" (Volume 1 of "Menglianglu").The emperor will also decorate a batch of pre-made small spring cattle with colorful flags and snow willows on the first day of spring, and distribute them to princes and relatives.In the Qing Dynasty, the Ministry of Rites directly participated in the Spring Festival activities, and the rituals increased accordingly.According to the "Yanjing Years": "One day before the beginning of spring, the officials of Shuntian Prefecture went to the spring field one mile outside Dongzhimen to welcome the spring. On the day of Lichun, the Ministry of Rites presented the throne of Jinchun Mountain, and Shuntianfu presented the picture of Jinchun cattle. After the ceremony, it was returned to the office and cited. When a spring ox hits it, it is said to strike spring." The Spring Mountain Throne is the seat of the legendary figure Tai Hao (Haohao) who is regarded as the God of Spring.Probably in the Qing Dynasty, the Spring Mountain Throne became a must-have decoration in the spring ceremony.

At the beginning of spring, spring flags should be hung and spring wins cut.Spring banners are a kind of flags, which were mostly hung on tree branches in the Han Dynasty as a symbol of the arrival of spring.In the Song Dynasty, ribbon-cut silk was made into small flags and inserted on the head, which became an ornament on the head, called Chunsheng.On the day of the beginning of spring, the emperor also rewarded Langguan, Yushi and others with spring banners made of silk according to their ranks, and rewarded Zaizhi, princes and other high-ranking officials with gold and silver banners.As soon as a hundred officials entered the palace to celebrate the end of the Spring Festival, they all wore banners and returned to the mansion, so that it formed a grand occasion of "Caisheng Flying Hundreds of Crowns (generally referring to public officials and senior officials)" (Su Shi's poem).

After the Tang and Song Dynasties, there was also the custom of drinking spring wine and eating spring dishes in Lichun. "Four Seasons Mirror" records that people in the Tang Dynasty had "spring eclipse of reeds (radish), spring pancakes, and lettuce called spring dishes".From the Northern Song Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there are many records of emperors giving spring plates or pancakes to officials on Lichun Day.For example, in the Northern Song Dynasty, "the day before the beginning of spring, spring pancakes and wine were brought out in Da Nei (imperial palace) to give to the ministers. The lettuce and radish dyed on the plate were decorated and placed in the dowry." "The folks also feed each other with spring plates", which has become a mutual blessing etiquette. (Volume 8 of "Sui Shi Guang Ji" cited "Miscellaneous Notes of Dynasty Sui Shi") During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there was a custom of eating raw radishes in the beginning of spring in the Beijing-Tianjin area, which was called "biting spring".It is said that biting spring can save people from diseases.

In short, various activities in Lichun have the meaning of praying for blessings and eliminating disasters.Due to the direct participation of the court and government at all levels, there are regulations for various ceremonies, and of course the color of etiquette is quite strong.