What does Shangsi Festival mean?

Shangsi Festival, commonly known as March 3rd, is a traditional festival of the Han nationality? Before the Han dynasty, this festival was designated as the fourth day of early March, and later it was fixed on March 3 in the summer calendar. Shangsi Festival is the most important festival in ancient times. People go to the water to take a bath together, which is called "praise" Since then, sacrificial banquets, meandering water and outings have been added.

In ancient times, "dry branches" were used as the Japanese standard, and the first day of early March was called "Shangsi". The word "Shangsi" first appeared in the documents of the early Han Dynasty. Zheng Xuan noted in "Zhou Li": "Except for the old, this is like water in March." After Wei and Jin Dynasties, the festival of Shangsi Festival was changed to the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar, so it was also called "Chongsan" or "March 3".

There is a saying in Shangsi Festival that witchcraft originated from blue soup to ward off evil spirits, and blue soup is used to ward off evil spirits. Blue grass, as a spiritual thing, has the characteristics of aroma. Before major sacrificial ceremonies were held, the ancients fasted, including the best bathing method at that time, "blue soup bathing".

The origin of festivals

In ancient times, Shangsi Festival was a "sick" day, and it was customary to hold ominous sacrificial ceremonies at the water's edge. Shangsi Festival has a long history and lacks records. The word "Shangsi" first appeared in the literary works of the Han Dynasty. After Wei and Jin Dynasties, Shangsi Festival was changed to March 3rd, and gradually became a festival for drinking at the water's edge and having a spring outing in the suburbs.

It is said that Shangsi Festival originated from the witchcraft activities in Lantiang to ward off evil spirits. When the blue soup bath becomes an exorcism ceremony, this bathing activity must be organized and led by a full-time witch.

Shangsi Festival originated from the witchcraft activities of orchid soup to ward off evil spirits. Bluegrass is used as a spiritual object in this activity. Bluegrass has the characteristic of fragrant smell. The ancients fasted in advance before holding a major ceremony of offering sacrifices to the gods, including adopting the best bathing method at that time-blue soup bathing. The only difference between bathing in blue soup and bathing in blue soup is that bathing in blue soup is an individual behavior, mostly indoors, which can be implemented at any time, while bathing is a group activity and must be held regularly by the river.

Another view is that Shangsi Festival originated from the reproductive worship activities of ancestors. For example, Tao Siyan pointed out that the activity of swaddling is originally a belief behavior of men and women enjoying spring scenery and praying for pregnancy, while bathing with bluegrass or aromatic herbs is a function of arousing desire. Water is a mysterious allelopathic substance. Linjiang women not only want to wash away the dirt on their bodies in winter, but also hope to get pregnant when they get wet. This belief in raising children near water related to primitive religion is the real reason for the March custom of babies.

Others believe that Shangsi Festival originated in memory of Xuanyuan Huangdi. According to legend, March 3rd is the birthday of the Yellow Emperor. In the Central Plains, "On February 2nd, the dragon looked up; I was born in Xuanyuan on March 3rd.

Development and evolution

Shangsi Festival has a long history. In ancient times, Shangsi Festival has become a large-scale folk festival. In spring and quiet time, people go out of their homes and gather at the water's edge to hold ceremonies to clear up the ominous. Shangsi was first included in the documents of the early Han Dynasty. "Zhou Li" Zheng Xuan's Note: "When I was old, I was removed. This March is like water." Shangsi Festival is the most important festival in ancient times. "The Analects of Confucius": "People in late spring, spring clothing achievements, five or six top scholars, six or seven boys. Bathing is almost a deduction, and the wind is dancing and singing. " I wrote about the baby's situation at that time. The baby had to go to the water bank to wash away the dirt, and at the same time it took away the evil spirits from me, which was meaningful for prayer. "The Book of the Later Han Dynasty": "It is the fourth day of the month, and the officials and the people are all clean in the east water, which is called washing and descaling." The article talks about a custom of washing the body with running water and letting disasters and diseases drift with the tide.

After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, due to the fashion of advocating nature and indulging in landscapes, the significance of celebrating the last festival was greatly weakened for people, while the significance of enjoying the Spring Festival became stronger and stronger. The Biography of Xia Zhongyu in the Western Jin Dynasty described Luoyang as "a talented man and a rotten woman". The festival of Shangsi Festival is scheduled for March 3rd of the lunar calendar. In the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Shangsi Festival gradually evolved into a festival for royal nobles, ministers and literati to drink water, from which another important custom of Shangsi Festival, Qushui, was derived.

In the Tang Dynasty, Shangsi became one of the grand festivals at that time. The contents of the festival are mainly spring outing and drinking by the water. Song and Wu wrote in Dream Volume II: "The Tang Dynasty hosted a banquet in Qujiang and poured all their money into it for an outing." What he said was the scene of men, women and children in Chang 'an feasting on the banks of Qujiang River. Du Fu's "Two Ways" also describes this grand occasion: "On March 3rd, the weather is sunny, and there are many beautiful women by Chang 'an Waterfront ..." Bai Juyi, a poet in the middle Tang Dynasty, also recorded this grand occasion in detail.

After the Song Dynasty, the Shangsi Festival on March 3rd suddenly disappeared in the north, which was not recorded in the literature, but it still circulated in some parts of the south and southwest.

Holiday nickname

Women's festival

March 3rd, also known as Daughter's Day and Peach Blossom Festival, is an adult ceremony for ancient Han girls. Generally, a rite of passage is held on this day. Daughters "play in spring", walk by the water, pick orchids by the water, put on beautiful clothes and dance to drive away evil spirits. Women like to play by the water in spring.

Unlike Japan's Daughter's Day, Japan's Daughter's Day is also on March 3, also called "Young Sacrifice". Because the third day of the third lunar month is the season when peach blossoms bloom, it is also known as the "Peach Blossom Festival", which was introduced to Japan during the Sui and Tang Dynasties in China. But the difference is that Japanese also celebrate festivals for young girls, mainly girls of several years old, while China pays more attention to unmarried young girls. On this day, the adults began to dress up their little daughters at home, all dressed up, and their mother led them to visit each other, wearing pomegranate flowers to ward off evil spirits and seek happiness.

This is China Valentine's Day recorded in the Book of Songs, which is earlier than Western Valentine's Day 1000 years. After the pre-Qin period, Valentine's Day on March 3rd was spread in different generations. In the Tang Dynasty, Du Fu's "March 3rd was sunny and beautiful, and there were many beauties by Chang 'an Waterfront" brought its swaying amorous feelings to a higher level. Since the Song Dynasty, Neo-Confucianism prevailed, ethics became more and more strict, and the custom of Valentine's Day on March 3rd gradually declined in China culture. The romantic love, beautiful vision and elegant taste of Qushui on March 3rd have all gone.

One of the main activities of Shangsi Festival is to meet men and women, which is Valentine's Day when men and women express their love. There is a saying in The Book of Songs Zheng Qin Feng Yan: "Both Qin and Yan are clear. Scholars and women are rich. The woman said, "What do you think?" The scholar said,' Both.' Watch it? Besides, you can enjoy yourself. Wizards and women, benefiting qi and teasing, feed them a spoonful of medicine. "

folk custom

Shangsi Festival has a long history. In ancient times, Shangsi Festival has become an important festival for people to hold "bathing the shore" activities. Every season, people will come to the water's edge to hold sacrifices, wash the dirt and eliminate the ominous. This day is also called spring bath day. Because China has a vast territory, the latitude difference between north and south is tens of degrees, and the latitude of the Yellow River valley is on the high side, the beginning of March is still a cold season of "spring is cold and cold and cloudy nights, and people in the northern region can't bear to play in the river at this time." Probably in the Jin Dynasty, the custom of splashing water on the river was changed to "Qushui" by northern literati-let a small glass drift in the river, and whoever stays with the glass will drink it. This form has been completely changed, but its customary meaning remains unchanged.

tie

Sickness (refers to disaster relief, given by ancient witches. Hot springs were very popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties. In the past, people bathed by the water and the river, washed their bodies with bluegrass, and nodded with willow branches dipped in petal water to bless disaster relief. Because at this time, the seasons are changing, and the yin is not exhausted, people are prone to get sick and need to go to the water to wash. The so-called "crisp" means "clean", so "crisp" is a ceremony to eliminate evil spirits through self-cleaning. Why choose the third day? Ying Shao explained that "the dead are also blessed", which not only removed the pathogenic factors, but also prayed for the arrival of Ankang ("custom Yi Tong, sacrificial ceremony"). This view has been recognized by many scholars, such as modern scholar Wu Bingan, who believes that the original intention of the festival is "the ancient custom of keeping in good health in spring to ward off evil spirits and avoid epidemics". In ancient times, the function of festivals was to ward off evil spirits and avoid disasters. The actual reason is that the river is too cold in winter, and the water temperature is just right in early March, so people are eager to take their first bath after winter.

Sacrifice Gao Qing

On Shangsi Festival, the most important activity is to offer sacrifices to Gao Yun, the god who manages marriage and childbirth. Gaoqing, also known as Jiao Qing, is named after its use in the suburbs. Through this witchcraft activity, people avoid evil spirits and pray for fertility. Therefore, Shangsi Festival is also a courtship festival and a fertility festival.

Panyu

Bathing (bathing, ancient people went to the river, hot springs were popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties, especially in the open-air hot spring pool) and washing dirty with spring water. It is believed that this can remove the diseases accumulated throughout the winter, clean up immunity and make the New Year auspicious. At that time, people thought that women's infertility was caused by ghosts and gods, so they used the bath of Shangsi Festival to treat infertility. In this way, over time, bathing has become an important part of Shangsi Festival.

Xiumao

There are also activities such as swaddling, pruning or bathing in Shangsi Festival. Bathing is for disaster relief. Prehistoric humans believed that fertility was the result of totem entering women. After entering the era of male chauvinism, people realized that copulation between husband and wife was the cause of childbirth. However, both the concept of totem worship and the understanding that copulation between husband and wife leads to fertility admit that women are the embodiment of fertility and children are conceived by their mothers. However, not every woman can give birth normally, and some women are often unable to get pregnant because of illness. At that time, people thought that women's infertility was caused by ghosts and gods, so they used the bath of Shangsi Festival to treat infertility. In this way, over time, bathing has become an important part of Shangsi Festival.

feather

Feather is a kind of binaural wine glass in ancient China, named after it looks like a bird. There is also a saying that it is named "feather" because it can be inserted with feathers. It is made of various materials, such as wood, jade and pottery. Wood feather is relatively light, and other materials need to be put on the lotus leaf to "walk" on the water smoothly.

Pray for fertility

On Shangsi Festival, the most important activity is to offer sacrifices to Gao Yun, the god who manages marriage and childbirth. Gaoqing, also known as Jiao Qing, is named after its use in the suburbs. From the same media, the same place. It turns out that Gao Qi is a woman and an adult woman, pregnant. In fact, in ancient times, some nude female statues had very developed thighs and breasts, as well as protruding abdomen, which was a symbol of fertility. Stone reliefs in the Han Dynasty have the image of Gao Qi, which is also associated with babies. Pottery sculpture, the goddess of Hongshan Culture site in Liaoning Province, is the god of fertility. Later, Gao Qi changed a lot. For example, Fuxi, enshrined in the ancestral temple in Huaiyang, Henan Province, is the God of Gao Qi under the patriarchal clan system. At the same time, the worship of sexual tools appeared, including female genital worship and male root worship. Shangsi Festival was originally a witchcraft activity. By offering sacrifices to Gao Qi, meeting men and women and other activities, it is used to ward off evil spirits and pray for fertility.

Give each other vanilla

The ancients believed that vanilla had the function of exorcising evil spirits and was of great benefit to the body.

Go for a spring outing in the suburbs

Spring outing in the suburbs (the first thought) is not only a festival to eliminate disasters and evil spirits, but also a free and happy spring outing. Young men and women go out for an outing, splash water on each other and choose their spouses freely. It is the real Valentine's Day in China, and it is based on peony)

Enjoy the hot spring

Soak in hot springs (I went for a spring outing in the suburbs during the Tang and Song Dynasties, and later went to wild hot springs)

Drink water in the winding canal with a glass floating on it to wash away evil.

The winding water is also called floating eggs near the water (floating eggs near the water are the oldest, and boiled eggs are put in the river and left to be eaten by whoever finds them). Winding water is called "drinking winding water in a flowing cup". The so-called "flowing cup", also known as "flowing cup", is to throw a cup upstream of the water, listen to it drift down, stop somewhere, and then people pick it up and drink. Generally speaking, water is curved. "The Story of Jingchu Times" "Scholars go out of the river pond together, all drinking a cup of water." Everyone sits by the winding water, puts the cup full of wine on the running water and lets it flow down. Whoever stops in front of it will gulp down the wine in the cup and write a poem, otherwise three glasses of wine will be fined. Wei Mingdi has specially built a flowing cup pavilion.

It is worth mentioning that the winding scenery should be elegant, except for the early natural waterside, mixed with natural beauty. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, due to the rise of literati culture, most of the nobles lived in elegant courtyards, solemn houses, fake pavilions and rocks, and artificial meandering water. People sit neatly on the grass, put screens better, and have attendants with fans and incense burners. After drinking water, there are poems, which should be relative to people.

Linshuiyan

Waterfront Banquet (also known as Qushui Banquet) (When flowing, there are mats, tea sets and flowers at the water's edge for banquets and poems. Very elegant) It and Qushui are the evolution of this witchcraft and become the entertainment activities of literati. This kind of wind was particularly strong in the Tang Dynasty, but it gradually disappeared after the Song Dynasty.

Shoot geese and silkworms

During Shangsi Festival, there is another activity of shooting geese, that is, shooting wild geese with arrows with silk thread, and taking them down after shooting. This kind of wild goose is not so much prey as the best gift. Working women in the south began to raise silkworms and collect mulberry to feed them.

In Taiwan Province Province and Fujian Province, March 3rd is the "March Festival", and "the first worship is to pick the vermicelli mixed with the rat weed" (Gan Qing Tommy Tam's "Ode to Taiwan Province Province"). There is a "March Meeting" in Zhongxian County and other places in Chongqing, and a grand event is held to commemorate the anti-enemy general Ba Man Zi. On that day, the crowd carried the statue of Ba Man Zi and marched around the city, followed by the social fire team, playing dragon lanterns and dancing lions. Everyone decorated lanterns and set off firecrackers, which was very lively.

Japan

Japanese are also deeply influenced by China culture. Daughter's Day is a festival for Japanese girls, also known as Puppet Festival, Shangsi (じょぅしじょぅみ) and Young Sacrifice (Young Sacrifice り). Like China, it was originally the third day of the lunar calendar, but it was changed to the third day of the solar calendar after the Meiji Restoration. During the Daughter's Day, most family members try to get together and wish girls healthy and safe growth. Parents will build a ladder-shaped display platform for their daughters, with dolls wearing Japanese kimonos placed from top to bottom. This kind of doll is called humanoid in Japan. Japan's Heian period was influenced by the custom of "Qushui flowing" in the third day of the Tang Dynasty. People make paper into the shape of an adult to show their discomfort, then transfer it to a human figure and put it into the river to flow away. At present, this custom is still maintained in some places in Japan, and all kinds of humanoid dolls drift with the tide that night, praying for health and safety. Japan's boys' day is scheduled for the Dragon Boat Festival.

loochoo

In Ryukyu, women will bathe at the seaside and pray for health.

Literary narration

handicraftsmen

Wang Xizhi's Preface to the Lanting Pavilion is an activity written by a scholar. "In the spring, I will repair things in Lanting in Huiji Mountain." With the elegant precedent of the book of sages, March 3, a good day for the government and the people to have fun together, has become a good opportunity for poets to compose poems. Wu's "Dream" Volume III "March" says: "On the third day of March, the story of Qushui began in Jin. (referring to Wang Xizhi's "Preface to Lanting Collection") The Tang Dynasty hosted a banquet in Qujiang, the capital of they nest (the whole city was out, what a big scene. " There are countless poems describing the grand occasion of March 3. In the later period, people can often wash their bodies with bluegrass, nod their heads with wicker or touch petals with water to pray.

Zhang Hua of Jin Dynasty

Garden meeting after March 3, Taikang six years

In late spring and January, the sun is shining.

It's raining in Qi Qi, and the cream is flowing.

Learn from the auspicious wind, and it will stagnate and be born differently.

Birds fly, flowers and trees flourish.

high mountain

March 3rd speaks for itself.

A beautiful day belongs to Si Yuan,

Nianfang is in Sri Lanka,

Trees with withered flowers,

The flower is covered with branches.

Director Chen

Xuanyitang Qushui Three-Day Banquet Poems

Have fun in spring. Chen Fang is very happy to leave the moon.

Gong Bei ordered flutes and drums. The South Pavilion is full of people.

Embroidered columns hold flying pavilions. Diaoxuan is next to Quchi.

Drunk fish sink far away. Floating date overflow and clearing.

Falling flowers hang in the shadows. Flying silk does not hinder branches.

The tree moved and Dan Lu went out. The mountain is steep and green.

Li Zhou Yujue Times. Times have changed.

Don

March 3 Qujiang catering system

shangsi festival

Thousands of officials like to travel in Henan. Welcome from the upper garden to the middle stream.

Vegetation is connected, mountains and rivers are crowned. Draw a flag and shake it. Spring clothes are full of Tingzhou.

Under the immortal dragon media, Shen Gaofeng stayed. Since then, hundreds of millions of years old, Tianbao Ji Chunqiu.

"Sanctification system and the coping system of Prince Edward during the Spring Festival on March 3rd"

The story is a Spring Festival, and the new palace exhibition is a tour. The monarch moved the phoenix chariot, and the prince went out of the dragon building.

Covering Wang Chen's work, the cup is like a flowing water. Jin people came to hold swords and draw snipes to return to the ship.

Garden trees float in the palace, and Tianchi shines on the crown. Zhang Chen is on the cloud table, like a complete imperial country.

On March 3rd, the dining system of Qin Zheng Building.

Colorful battles are connected with the night, and Qionglou is connected with Shushu. In March, the palace is full of flowers.

Not counting the days of the king of Qin, who is with waterinfo? The banquet is too sloppy, and the sleeves are afraid of the spring breeze.

Heaven protects virtue, and people enjoy themselves without merit. Or in the nine banquets, it is even more brilliant.

Wang Chunguan has formulated a system of peace and sacred dedication.

Outside Dongqingmen, Changle Small Garden, Yichun. The building is built on thousands of wells and runs through the flowers.

Draw a snipe and move it to the prostitute's place. The golden mink is listed in the crowd. Qingge invites the sunset and dances to the spring breeze.

Qin Ming Temple in Weishui, and Han Palace in Huangshan. When the king reached infancy, he also worshipped the Sect.

Shi zhengyan

Qin and Yan, Fang Huan and.

Female scholar, Fang Bingxi.

What do women think? Scholars say both. Watch it?

Outside, I long for happiness.

Wizards and women, Ikey teased each other and fed them a spoonful of medicine.

Both Qin and Yan know it.

Scholars and women are rich.

What do women think? Scholars say both. Watch it?

Outside, I long for happiness.

Wizards and women, benefiting qi and teasing, feed them a spoonful of medicine.

In the Analects of Confucius, "bathing in interpretation, wind in dance, and singing back" is a custom of thinking. "The Witch of Zhou Li Chun Guan": "When the witch gets old, remove the bath." Zheng Xuan's note: "It was demolished when I was old, but now it's March, like water;" Bathing is bathing with fragrant herbs. "There are vivid descriptions in Chu Ci, that is, worshipping God requires fasting, fasting requires bathing, and bathing uses blue soup, so blue soup and blue grass are connected with God." On Etiquette in the Later Han Dynasty: "At that time, it was the fourth day of the month, and the officials and the people were all on the east running water (clean), saying that it was a big problem to wash away the pollution. " [2] ? " Zhou Li's Zheng Xuan Note: "When I was old, I was removed, but now March is like water. "In addition, the Shangsi Festival on March 3rd corresponds to the Double Ninth Festival on September 9th, as stated in Han's Miscellanies of Xijing:" On March 3rd, the Double Ninth Festival in September, girls play games, and then climb mountains. "One is late spring, the other is late autumn, and the outing and resignation have reached a climax." "Two Records of Song Shuli" quoted: "The custom of the State of Zheng began in March, and it has attracted the soul from the water to spring, and it is ominous to catch bluegrass. "