Where did the sunshine doll originate?

Sunshine doll originated from China's "sweeping mother".

In order to pray for sunny weather, Japan has the habit of hanging sunny dolls. Sunshine doll is called "Zhu Fang" in Japanese, and the word "Zhu Fang" means boy, so many people think that sunshine doll should be male. Japanese sunshine dolls originated from China's "sweeping mother".

The custom of "sweeping the floor" was introduced to Japan from China in peacetime, referring to a paper doll with a broom. It is said that hanging and sweeping mom can make the weather clear. However, because there are many practitioners or monks praying for rain in Japan, the sweeping mother has gradually evolved into a male role in Japan. In addition, there is a Japanese proverb that it will rain when a doll stands upside down on a sunny day. In western Japan, there is also the custom of hanging black dolls to pray for rain.

The Development History of sweeping monk

"Sweeping the Mothers" existed in the early Yuan Dynasty. Li Junmin wrote in the poem "Sweep the Mothers": "Roll up your sleeves and pick up a broom. When you hang it in the shade, your hands will shake. " During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the custom of clearing Japan prevailed among Chinese people, and it was also recorded in Fu Cha Deng Chong's Yanjing Chronicle. In fact, this is a folk witchcraft activity of praying for rain in China, just like sticking a dragon king to pray for rain, in order to keep out the rain and facilitate drying food and traveling.

In the Yellow River valley areas such as Shaanxi and Gansu, "Sweeping the Goddess of Heaven" is one of the gods and a reproductive goddess similar to "Nu Wa", but this profound cultural connotation is concealed by the symbolic meaning of "Sweeping the Goddess of Heaven". This practice is still maintained in the northern rural areas, and it can be seen occasionally in remote areas.

The image of the "sweeping mother" is mostly a portable broom, and there are also variants with lotus flowers on her head and two portable brooms in her hand. However, the figures are all silhouette-style intaglios, which emphasize the shape and spirit likeness of the outline, and at the same time reduce the detailed description of the face and clothing lines, representing the unique style of China folk paper-cutting art.