The origin and custom of June 6th of the Han people

The origin and customs of June 6th of the Han people

June 6th is a traditional festival for the Han people and some ethnic minorities. The following is the origin and customs of the Han people for June 6th that I have collected for you. For reference!

God's Gift Festival

In many places in our country, June 6th is called "God's Gift Festival". Legend has it that Tang Monk finally obtained the Buddhist scriptures from the West after eighty-one difficulties, but accidentally dropped the Buddhist scriptures into the sea on his way back. Tang Monk had to fish them out and dry them in the sun. Originally, this was just a legend, but the ancients decided that the day Tang Monk was posting scriptures was June 6 of the lunar calendar, and accordingly named this day "Tianci Festival", which means that this day is "God gives Buddhist sutras to save all living beings".

Tiankuang Festival

June 6th is also called "Tiankuang Festival" (kuang, meaning gift), which originated from Zhao Heng, Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty. On June 6 of a certain year, he claimed that God had given him the Book of Heaven, so he designated that day as Tiankuang Festival, and built a grand Tiankuang Hall at the Dai Temple at the foot of Mount Tai. Although the folk activities of Tiankuang Festival have been gradually forgotten by people, there are still remnants in some places. In many places in Jiangsu, on this morning, the whole family, old and young, will congratulate each other and eat a kind of fried noodles made of flour mixed with sugar and oil. There is a saying on June 6th that eating cake crumbs will make you grow meat. It seems that this fried noodles and these "cake crumbs" should have the same meaning.

It is also said that the Tiankuang Festival originated from Yingzhou in the Song Dynasty. Song Shenzong was an emperor who was superstitious about gods. It is said that when he was the prince in Yingzhou, one year on June 6, he told others that in his dream the gods gave him a heavenly book, and he would become emperor after reading it. In the third year, he indeed became emperor. For this reason, he designated this day as the Tiankuang Festival and changed the name of Yingzhou to Shunchang, which means the place of prosperity. But as time goes by, this festival gradually disappeared, and was replaced by "Sunfu". Among the people, practical people used the good sunshine on this day to dry clothes, bedding and other supplies to prevent mildew, so it is also It's called sun mildew.

Washing and Sun Festival

On the sixth day of the sixth lunar month in the lunar calendar, it is known as the Washing and Sun Festival. There is a saying that on June 6, cats and dogs bathe together. Pan Rongbi of the Qing Dynasty's "Records of Successes in the Imperial Capital" records: On this day, Luan Yu's ceremonial guard and collections of poems and documents written by the imperial officials of previous dynasties were aired in places such as Luan Jia Ku and Huang Shi Cheng (the imperial archives of the Qing Dynasty). In the homes of scholars and common people, the clothes and shoes are also exposed. Most women bathe their hair in the sun, saying that it will not be greasy or dirty. As for mules, horses, cats, dogs and livestock, they also bathe in the river. ? There is an old saying in Zixing, Hunan: "On June 6th, make a soak and grow a piece of meat?" It means that washing and drying on this day will bring many benefits.

After the Summer Solstice Festival, it coincides with the solar terms of Little Heat and Great Heat. The temperature rises, sometimes reaching around 40°C, which exceeds the body temperature of humans and animals. Liu Xi of the Han Dynasty said: "Shu means cooking, and it is as hot as boiling things." ?The air temperature and water temperature are high, which is a good time to take a bath. And because the weather was already very sultry at this time, there had been a plum rainy period that lasted for several weeks. The climate was humid and everything was easily damaged by mold and rot. Therefore, on this day, there are many customs of bathing and drying things, from the palace to the private sector, from towns to farmyards. At that time, ordinary people's homes did not have bathing facilities, but people also attached great importance to cleanliness and hygiene. They were used to bathing and cleansing themselves during every festival or solar term. Buddhists, especially those who believed in Buddhism, had to burn incense and worship Buddha with a clean body to show their piety.

Folks also say that June 6th is the birthday of cats and dogs, and cats and dogs must be caught and bathed in the river to prevent heatstroke and epidemics. Since this is a bathing day for cats and dogs, visitors must stay out of the way. For this reason, there are also jokes circulating: In ancient times, a man named Mao Li'an went to visit his friend Yang Nanfeng. It happened that Yang was taking a bath and Mao could not be seen. Feeling slighted, Mao followed suit. When Yang came to visit, he also refused to see him by taking a bath. Yang thought it was funny, so he left a limerick for Mao: "You come to worship me and I bathe, I come to worship you and bathe." You worshiped me on April 8th, and I worshiped you on June 6th. ? He ridiculed Mao.

According to an article written by Zhang Dianbing of "Anhui Daily": Some farmers in counties and cities around Fuyang will also bathe their cats and dogs on June 6th. The joke is? June 6th, cats and dogs Take a bath together? In Linquan, June 6th is called the Double Yin Festival. In the Book of Changes, the Yin Yao is called six, and the Yang Yao is called nine. Therefore, the ancients regarded six as yin and nine as yang. On this day, every family eats fried noodles to express the lack of water. It means praying to God to send more nectar in the hot summer, to provide rain to relieve drought, and to make the harvest abundant. There is a farmer's proverb that says: "It's hard to buy money. There will be drought in May, but there will be plenty of food in June with continuous rain."

Ming Dynasty Shen Defu's "Yehuobian" records: On June 6, Emperor Shicheng of the Imperial Palace revealed a large letter of collected works written by Shengshi, which was a story for each year. ?The sixth day of June is midsummer, and it is the day when the sun is strongest in the year. The ancients regarded this day as a day to expose clothes, objects, and books to the sun. It is said that clothes that have been dried on this day will not be infected by insects. If it happens to be a sunny day, all the palace palaces will be displayed and exposed to the sun. Imperial history, palace archives, records, imperial collections, etc. will also be placed in the courtyard for ventilation and drying. Over time, it influenced the people, and the people imitated it, so they exposed their books, clothes, and fur to the sun on this day, forming a custom. Folk sedan shops, clothing appraisal shops, leather goods shops, second-hand book shops, calligraphy and painting shops, pharmacies and all kinds of shops have to dry all kinds of goods. People in cities and rural areas need to dry their clothes and bedding.

There is a folk proverb: "On June 6th, people dry their clothes and dragons dry their robes"; "On June 6th, every family shows off their red and green clothes". "Red and green" refers to all kinds of colorful clothes. In the Qing Dynasty, Beijing residents rummaged through their boxes and took out their clothes, shoes, hats, and bedding to dry on the sixth day of June. Therefore, some places are called "Shayi Festival" or "Shaifu". This custom was so important in ancient times that even the statues of the City God in temples had to reshape their faces and change into "new robes" on this day, which was called "showing the robes".

The "Customs of Xishicheng" written by Chen Qingnian, a scholar in Zhenjiang, records the customs in Zhenjiang at that time: "No matter rich or poor, everyone must wear brocade clothes and expose them." ?Red and green? In the city, it refers to clothes and bedding. This day is very solemn among the people. Every household gets up early in the morning, puts the bamboo poles and bamboo plaques, and takes out the clothes one by one to dry in the sun. The cotton quilts are placed on the bamboo poles to dry, and other clothes are placed in the bamboo plaques to dry. Every house is covered with red and green colors. According to folklore, no matter whether silk or cotton is exposed to the sun on this day, there will be no insect infestation throughout the year. The common people joked that on June 6th, the emperor would take out his dragon robes to dry them. "Red and green" in rural areas also refers to rice, wheat, beans and other grains stored at home. In the dog days, the sun is also hot. After being exposed to the sun, the grain will no longer become moldy, and the bacteria attached to the grain will also be killed by the sun. Therefore, there is a folk proverb in the Dantu Nanxiang area of ??Zhenjiang: On the sixth day of June, six grains are harvested.

The "Shishuo Xinyu" compiled by Liu Yiqing of the Southern Dynasties said that Hao Long of the Jin Dynasty was seen lying on his back in the sun on the day of the Exposure Festival. When asked why, he replied: "I expose books." Ask again, where are the books? He patted his stomach and said, they are all in his stomach. Hao Long is a famous scholar. His family is poor but full of knowledge. Because on this day, rich people hang silks, ancient books, calligraphy and paintings to dry, which also has a sense of ostentation. Because Hao Long's family was poor and he had nothing to show off, he made fun of him by showing off his belly.

As a traditional custom of drying clothes and books in summer, it is said that it originated in the Han Dynasty. To the north of the Jianzhang Palace in the Han Dynasty was the Taiye Pool, and to the west of the pool was the "Warm Clothes Pavilion" of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. On June 6th, the palace maids went up to the pavilion to expose their clothes, which is called showing off their dragon robes. Later, people also dried dragon lanterns on this day to pray for good weather.

Also, the Eastern Han Dynasty historian Cui Shi's "Four People's Monthly Orders" said that it was a custom on the seventh day of July. Liu Yiqing's "Shishuo Xinyu" of the Southern Song Dynasty recorded the story of Ruan Xian, a famous scholar in the Jin Dynasty, and also said: "On July 7, Ruan Sheng in the north was drying his clothes, all decorated with gauze. ?It can be seen that the custom of turning things to dry in the Jin Dynasty is still on July 7th. Nowadays, there is still a custom of drying clothes and books on July 7 in Qufu, Jining, southwest of Shandong Province. There is no historical record of when it was changed to June 6 in the future. It must be because the sun is stronger and more poisonous on June 6. This custom was extended to the Qing Dynasty. According to the Records of the Years of Yanjing written by Fucha Dunchong of the Qing Dynasty: The capital master dried clothes and books on June 6th, saying that there would be no insects or beetles. ?Now most areas in our country have the custom of drying clothes on June 6th.

Elephant Washing Day

During the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, the sixth day of the sixth lunar month was still the legal "Elephant Washing Day". At that time, in order to show his majesty, the emperor would put up a huge guard of honor consisting of chariots, horses, elephants, drums, music, flags and umbrellas during court meetings, sacrifices or outings. In every grand celebration, elephants were indispensable members. More than 1,200 years ago, after Kublai Khan established his capital in the Yuan Dynasty, Siam, Shan, Annan, Korea, Java, etc. all brought valuable gifts to congratulate him. Among them, Siam, Shan, Annan, etc. Every year, elephants are brought in for worship. On hot days, elephants would bathe and play in the Jishui Pond near the capital city of the Yuan Dynasty, attracting people to watch. In order to domesticate and manage elephants, the emperor also established an elephant room, an elephant performance center and an elephant training center, and recruited elephant slaves and mahout trainers from Myanmar. They are usually raised by elephant slaves and trained by elephant trainers. During the Qianlong period, there were at most more than 30 elephants and as many as 100 elephant slaves and trainers. At that time, the Xiangfang was located near the base of the city wall on the west side of Xuanwumen. It is said that the old site is now the Xinhua News Agency compound of Xuanwumen. It still has the reputation of "Xianglai Street" and "Xiangfang Hutong". During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, an elephant washing ceremony was held on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month. It is recorded in "Miscellaneous Odes of Dumen" by Yang Jingting of the Qing Dynasty: "The sound of cars on Sixth Street is like thunder running, and all come to Xuanwumen at day and noon." The sound of gongs and drums urges the elephants to wash away, and the water under the Yuhe Bridge becomes muddy. ?On this day, the elephant slaves and mahout in the elephant room, playing flags and beating drums, led the elephants out of Xuanwu Gate and went to the moat at the base of the south wall of the city to let the elephants take a bath. On this day, a tent will be set up near the elephant washing place, and a supervisor will be responsible for supervising the washing. There will also be many tea stalls and food stalls temporarily set up on that day, just like attending a temple fair, with cars and sedans and people and horses and spectators like ants. In order to watch the elephant washing activity, wealthy people will occupy good seats in nearby restaurants and restaurants in advance to feast their eyes on it. Elephants were, after all, a rare thing to the people at that time. When observing the elephants, the sound of elephants playing in the water, the sounds of surprise and admiration from the viewers, the shouts of small traders and hawkers, and the laughter and laughter are all mixed together.

Book Exhibition Festival

This day is also known as "Book Exhibition Festival" among the people.

In order to prevent the Heavenly Book from mold, Zhao Heng would take out the Heavenly Book and expose it to the sun on the sixth day of June every year. Later, scholars also spread their collection of books, calligraphy and paintings in the sun on the sixth day of June, saying that the sunlight on this day could kill the moths in the books. The sixth day of June became the "Book Suning Day". In the Ming Dynasty, this festival began to become official. In the Ming Dynasty Shen Defu's "Ye Huo Bian" records: On June 6, the emperor of the inner palace, Chen Cheng, exposed the holy records, imperial collections and other large letters, which were the stories of each year.

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During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the "Sikuquanshu" compiled by Ji Xiaolan and other great scholars, only seven copies were copied across the country, one of which is stored in the Wenzong Pavilion of Jinshan Temple in Zhenjiang. It must be shocking to imagine that Wenzong Pavilion, which was a national-level book collection unit at that time, would move and publish books on June 6 every year.

Another saying is that during the Book-Drying Festival, during the Kangxi period, scholar Zhu Yi, who was full of economics, exposed his belly and chest to bask in the sun on June 6, which is called "Book-Drying Festival". However, he was seen by Kangxi who was on patrol incognito. After talking and interviewing, he was indeed talented. He was appointed as a reviewer of the Hanlin Academy and was responsible for compiling the history of the Ming Dynasty. From then on, scholars would post poems, calligraphy and paintings on this day to show their profound knowledge, which became the "Book Exhibition Festival".

Sutra-drying Festival

It is said that Tang Monk returned from collecting sutras from the West. On the way, the sutras fell into the river, and he quickly picked them up and dried them. This day was June 6th, and later the temple June 6th is the day for drying scriptures, and is known as the "Sutra-Drying Festival". Temples and Taoist temples, large and small, across the country will hold sutra-drying meetings on this day, where all the sutras they have stored will be put out to dry in the air to prevent them from getting damp and being bitten by insects and rats. For example, the Baiyun Temple in Beijing contains more than 5,000 volumes of Taoist scriptures. From the first to the seventh day of June every year, Baiyun Temple holds a sutra-drying meeting. Take out all the Tao Zang inside and ventilate and dry them. The famous Shanguo Temple in Guang'anmen also observes fasting every sixth day of June and holds a "Sutra Drying Ceremony". The monks have to worship the Buddha and chant sutras, and the temple will be open for one day. At that time, people who had watched the elephant washing would flock to Shanguo Temple to watch the sutras being hung, so a temporary market was formed in front of the temple, which was very lively. Folks in Jiangsu call June 6th the "Sutra Translation Meeting". On this day, all temples want to expose the Buddhist scriptures. There are so many scriptures and books in the Buddhist scripture pavilions in the temples that the monks have no time to move and expose them in one day, so they recruit believers to help. There is a saying that if you read the sutra ten times, you can turn into a man in another life? The monks told the women that if they read the sutra for ten consecutive years, they will turn into a man after reincarnation. In the old society, women worked harder than men throughout their lives, giving birth to children and taking care of housework. They all hoped to become men and have more freedom. Therefore, with this concept, they would consciously go to temples to read scriptures and share books. In Shanghai, all the tailors in the city gathered at the City God's Temple on that day to dry their robes (clothing and accessories) for the City God.

Insect King Festival

Like other solar terms, there are many special food customs on June 6th. From the sixth day of June, Chinese medicine shops in the markets and some temples began to give away ice water, mung bean soup and summer soup made with Chinese medicine. Housewives also start making their own miso on this day. Every June 6th, vegetarian meals are eaten on that day, such as fried leeks, fried eggplants and fried pancakes. It is not known whether the custom of eating vegetarian food has a profound meaning in addition to its lightness. ?June 6th, watch the valley show? The sixth month of the lunar calendar has been extremely hot, and the crops are growing vigorously. It is the time when the beards and ears of wheat are showing off. Farmers need to observe the growth to predict whether the harvest will be good or not.

Farmers also call it "Insect King Festival" on June 6th. They burn incense and offer sacrifices in farmland and courtyards to pray for God's protection and a good harvest. On June 6th, old Beijing still has the folk custom of picnicking and appreciating lotus flowers. In order to prevent the heat, literati and poets often went on picnics to famous places with temples and shade trees, as well as to the banks of the Changhe River, the Yuhe River, and the Second Gate outside Dongbianmen. The old second gate was the location of the second gate on the Tonghui River. It was a tourist attraction for people in old Beijing in spring and summer. At that time, there were rows of weeping willows on both sides of the Tonghui River, the water was rippling, and grain transport ships and various pleasure boats shuttled back and forth. At the gate of the second gate, there is also a splashing waterfall, and there are pavilions, private gardens and some teahouses and restaurants on the bank, just like the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan. The Qing Dynasty's "Beijing Bamboo Branch Ci" describes it this way: "I want to explore the secluded place by boating through two gates, and the fish soup tastes sweet. It's best to go upstairs to the east, where the masts and masts are like mist and rain in the south of the Yangtze River." ?June is when lotus flowers are in full bloom, and people often go to Shicha Seaside to taste lotus roots. There are willows on both sides of the bank, and lotus flowers are blooming in the water. It is a unique charm to enjoy the coolness and relax and eat iced food here.

Returning to one's parents' home day

"On June 6th, invite aunts", "June 6th, go back to one's parents' home", in the southern Shanxi area it is called "returning to one's parents' home day" and "aunt's day". . In ancient times, on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, every household would invite married girls back to their parents' homes to entertain them. According to legend, this custom came from the story changed by Hu Yan, the famous prime minister in the Spring and Autumn Period. During the Spring and Autumn Period, great powers competed for hegemony. Among the five hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period, Jin was the next country to gain hegemony after Qi. The king of Jin at that time was Duke Wen of Jin, and a large number of good ministers and prime ministers were gathered around Duke Wen of Jin. Hu Yan was one of the good prime ministers. Hu Yan, the uncle of Duke Wen of Jin, was already over sixty years old when he fled with Chong'er, but he still worked tirelessly to help protect Chong'er and gave him many strategies, so that Chong'er could finally return to Jin and pursue his hegemony. After Prince Chong'er succeeded to the throne, he worshiped Hu Yan as his prime minister. However, Hu Yan was proud of his merits. His children's relatives, Zhao Shui, a hero of the Jin Dynasty, bluntly accused him of his misdeeds, but he was angered to death. Hu Yan's son-in-law wanted to secretly kill him on June 6, Hu Yan's birthday, and negotiated with his wife, Hu Yan's daughter. Hu Yan's daughter couldn't bear to see her father trying to kill her, so she secretly returned to her parents' home to inform her mother. At this time, Hu Yan saw the suffering of the people with his own eyes while feeding grain, and he also came to his senses. When he returned home and heard about his son-in-law's plan, he felt even more regretful, so he repented and reconciled with his son-in-law and became more friendly. In order to remember this lesson, Hu Yan would invite his daughter and son-in-law back every June 6 to solicit opinions and understand the people's sentiments.

This practice later spread to the people, and the common people all imitated it. They all invited their daughters back on June 6th, taking the meaning of correcting their mistakes, resolving grievances, and avoiding disasters, and it became a custom later on. On this day, people in counties in northern Jiangsu steam bacon elbows and buy fruit bonuses as gifts for their married daughters. In some areas in the north, it is a custom to prepare new fruits and vegetables to worship ancestors during the day and at night.

There is a saying in southern Shanxi: "On June 6, let's go out." ?Taking wheat away is a unique custom in southern Shanxi. On the sixth day of the sixth lunar month in the lunar calendar, people take back all the wheat home after intense work. At this time, the newlyweds carried several kilograms of large moon-shaped steamed buns made of new wheat flour on their shoulders and other gifts, and went back to their parents' home together. Today, some of them are walking side by side, and some couples are riding bicycles and rushing forward. There were songs and laughter along the way, people came and went, and the atmosphere was full of happiness.

It is said that the original meaning of "June 6th" in our country's drinking order is derived from the custom of "inviting aunt" mentioned above: Since June 6th is a season of changeable climate, whenever this day, Families with daughters who are getting married will pray that the weather will be fine on this day so that their daughters can come home smoothly. As time goes by, people's love for their loved ones will be reflected in the drinking order.

Grain Miao Festival

It is recorded in the "Chinese Yangtze River Culture Series" that plant worship exists in every nation in the world. China's ethnic groups have a long history, and of course there are no exceptions. . As an agricultural nation in an agricultural country, people of all ethnic groups in the Yangtze River Basin worship rice very much, and have formed rice-related festivals, such as the He Miao Festival

On the sixth day of June every year, Dongluo Township in eastern Guangxi Someone will spontaneously form a "He Miao Festival" folk custom team. On that day, a large playground in the small village was filled with gongs and drums, and the suona was loud. More than a dozen people danced the straw dragon, flipping up and down, or turning their heads and wagging their tails, or turning left and right. Turn? The straw dragon is followed by a long team. Six people are carrying a small bag of ripe (harvest) rice in their left hands, a one-foot-sized straw boat (straw boat) in their right hands, and six people are carrying a duckling in their left hands. , holding some sacrificial objects in his right hand, walked towards the farmhouse.

?Grain Miao Festival? Every time the straw dragon in the folk custom team comes to a farmhouse, the family will set off firecrackers to welcome it. The straw dragon enters the house and nods three times to the shrine, and the six ducklings also nod to the shrine. A few nods. Someone in the team delivered a bag of ripe rice to the owner of the house, wishing that the family would have a good harvest this year. After the homeowner catches them in a bowl and puts them away, he takes out a pack of pests from behind the door, such as caterpillars, white leafworms, slap bugs, etc. (the pests caught in advance are wrapped in red paper or pumpkin leaves) and placed Boat boy. This means that the pest in the bag is the king of insects. If the king of insects is caught, all the pests in the field will disappear. Then, the straw dragon dances happily to the melodious sound of suona and the rhythmic sound of gongs and drums. No matter whether the neighbors live on the side of the mountain or on the mountainside, the "He Miao Festival" folk custom team must visit all the houses in the village.

The straw dragon left the farmhouse. Farmers will burn incense and offer sacrifices in the mountains, fields and courtyards to pray for a good harvest. Some people will also kill a duck, take blood and spray it on a square piece of straw paper to make a small flag and put it in the corner of the field. They will prepare wine, candles, incense and other sacrifices to pray to the field god to ensure a good harvest. This is commonly known as "Sacrifice to the Field God". It is recorded in "Guidong County Chronicle".

There, they burned incense and candles devoutly to the portraits of the Bodhisattvas and the Supreme Lord, presented fruits as sacrifices, and killed young ducks as a grand sacrifice. After that, gather the pests in the boat boat and burn them on a flat ground. May the young crops grow strong and have a good harvest.

"Song History" has records. ?The emperor caused a plague of locusts and ordered those who were incompetent in the supervisory department to be promoted to the same supervisory office as Chouruo. ?Also said: ?The thieves in Hu and Guang are forced by hunger and cold, but there are also those who are motivated. Black Wind Cave Bandits In the history of the Southern Song Dynasty, there have been many major locust plagues in southern Hunan. At that time, Guidong (Heifengdong was in Guidong) had not yet established a county (it was established in 1211), and there were no various pesticides to control pests. Crops were destroyed by insects, and farmers were forced to leave their homes. "Nanlong Zhi? Geography" records: In Chinese, it is said to be the sixth day of June. Its purpose is nothing more than to pray against disasters and wish for a good harvest. Later, in order to ensure a good harvest and avoid pests, people only prayed to gods for protection. This is the common praying mentality of the ancients. Six plus six also means "six six, good luck", which is the most auspicious day. Since then, this interesting "He Miao Festival" has been completely inherited by the people in Dongluo, Guidong.

The birthday of the Mountain God and King Mai

In addition to the above customs, June 6th is also a day for Shandong folk to worship the mountain god and celebrate the birthday of King Mai. In the old days, it was very popular to worship mountain gods in Linqu and Tengxian areas. It is said that this day is the birthday of the mountain god. The mountain god controls wolves, and offering sacrifices to the mountain god is to pray to the mountain god to control wild wolves and protect the people from the harm of wild wolves. During the sacrifice, the worshiper muttered: "A monk came from the south, carrying a futon on his back to practice." There is a temple in front of Wuyun Mountain, with well-built brick walls and stone tiles. The mountain god sits in the center (middle), accompanied by two brothers. He is not afraid of gold, paper and money, and women cannot see it (referring to wolves) when walking. ?Because in ancient times, the ecological environment was good, wild wolves and other ferocious beasts often appeared, and people formed customs in order to defend themselves. On June 6, the summer harvest had just ended. In order to celebrate the harvest, people celebrated Wheat King's birthday, and some dietary customs were formed.

People in Linyi area of ??Shandong Province still have the habit of eating noodles, which means "June 6th". People in Jimo, Qingdao and other places eat cold noodles. Changdao, Rongcheng and other places in Jiaodong area eat steamed buns. There is a folk saying: "June 6th, look." Guxiu, a bowl-sized bun and a package of meat. There is a saying about eating dumplings in Laiyang: On June 6th, you can watch the valley show and your head will be bald if you don’t eat dumplings. ?Fried noodles are eaten in Zouping, Zichuan and other places. It is said that if the fried noodles are cooked longer, they will not have diarrhea all summer long. Weifang Gaomi and other places say that eating fried noodles can cure dysentery. In fact, it is because the weather is hot on this day, and eating fried noodles is both cool and convenient. Until Nowadays, people still use this custom to cool down the heat.

There is a custom of eating fried noodles on June 6th in Huai'an and Haizhou, Jiangsu. That is to fry the new wheat noodles, season them with water and brown sugar, and it is commonly known as "eating fried noodles". Legend has it that eating fried noodles can prevent diarrhea and reduce summer heat. There is a story told in Qingyun Academy's "A Die Talks about Folk Customs": Legend has it that a long time ago, there was the sea not far from the east gate of Huai'an. Every sixth day of the sixth lunar month, the Dragon King of the Four Seas would play at the mouth of the Yellow River, competing to make clouds and rain. , the people suffered as a result, the Yellow River burst its banks every year, and floods drowned countless people. Every year at this time, every village and household goes to the river embankments to protect them against floods, which makes the people miserable. A few days before the sixth day of June this year, the men went to the embankment to repair the embankment in preparation for the flood. They stayed away all day and all night, while the women were responsible for cooking at home and delivering food to the embankment. At that time, there was a clear water pond on the east side of Suzui Street in Huai'an. There was Hejiazhuang beside the pond. There was a girl named He Shangu in the village who also cooked at home. Seeing that both dry and watery meals were made, it was inconvenient to deliver meals every time, and there was a fear of spoilage if the meals were delivered too much. The men could not eat well, and the women were very distressed. He Shangu thought that we should make something for the men that is easy to carry and will not spoil. , delicious food, and also reduce the pain of women's fatigue. When she saw that there was only semolina at home, she suddenly came up with an idea. She put the flour in the pot and fried it, and it was very fragrant. After frying until slightly yellow, she brought the fragrant fried noodles up the embankment, along with brown sugar, and mixed them with boiling water for the men to eat. The men ate the dried noodles with less water, as they were sweet and delicious, and were very happy. From then on, the method of eating fried noodles spread. On June 6th, every family makes fried noodles, and the aroma is soaring. As soon as the Dragon King of the Four Seas came out, he was attracted by the fragrance. He searched all morning but couldn't find where the fragrance came from, so he went to heaven to tell the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor counted on his fingers and realized that it was He Shangu who took the lead. The Jade Emperor was also very greedy, so he immediately summoned He Shangu to heaven to make fried noodles for him. After He Shangu went to heaven, she would make fried noodles for the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas only on the sixth day of June every year to make them happy and forget about the rain during the competition. In this way, the floods on June 6 in the human world would be avoided, and Huai'an would never be the same again. Affected by floods. In order to commemorate He Shangu, every year on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, the Huai'an area has the custom of eating fried noodles. On June 6th, many places pay special attention to food. A Jiangsu proverb goes: "On June 6th, eating cake crumbs will make you meat?" It is believed that eating pasta made with wheat flour, sugar and oil on this day will make you gain weight; Anhui Jianghuai Zhi It is a must to eat bacon on this day, which is said to prevent diseases; residents in Shanghai have the habit of cooking wontons on this day, thinking that eating them can avoid summer scabies; it is a custom in Yunnan to kill pigs and sheep on June 6th to sacrifice the land. The temple gods then ate these sacrifices, thinking that this would prevent the land from opening its mouth, tigers from eating people, and ensure the safety of livestock and prevent them from being harmed by wolves.

?Eat dumplings on June 6th? It is said that eating dumplings on June 6th will not cause disaster. ?Drink mung bean porridge on June 6th? Drinking mung bean soup or mung bean porridge on June 6th can avoid heat and evil poisons, and prevent prickly heat and sores. "Plant red and green beans on June 6th", that is, around the sixth day of June, rural areas are busy planting red beans and mung beans.

?On June 6th, a hundred ropes of rope are thrown up the house? The hundred ropes of rope are tied to children during the Dragon Boat Festival. On June 6th, after the hundred ropes of rope are thrown on the house, they are picked up by magpies to make colorful The bridge was built so that the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl could meet each other on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. When the impatiens bloom, girls in Zhenjiang paint their nails with the juice of the impatiens on the sixth day of June as a way to dress up for the season. This custom lasted until before the Cultural Revolution.

Many customary behaviors illustrate that June 6th is an important custom day among the people, showing people’s pursuit of a peaceful and healthy life. The deep psychology of this folk custom is actually a kind of full of hope for life.

Cow and Sheep Festival, Temple Fair

The sixth day of June is also known as the "Ox and Sheep Festival" among the people. On this day, the owner will hold a banquet to invite the shepherds.

On the sixth day of June, it has also evolved into temple fairs in many places.

On June 6th in Xiangning County, Shanxi Province, the river god will be worshiped and the city god will be carried out for inspection. Lingqiu County will celebrate Christmas for Mr. Nanyue Mansion on June 6th. According to the "County Chronicle": "The scholars and the people performed sacrifices carefully, and the merchants from all over the world arrived. The people in the city bought all their daily necessities, as well as the wedding hairpins, skirts, clothes, and handkerchiefs on this day." The market change was completed in three days, and the residents returned to agriculture. Merchants are also good at it, and they take it for granted. ?During the 1984 temple fair, as many as 660,000 people attended the temple fair. Datong people attend temple fairs in June, and singing and dancing are indispensable activities. When rushing to a meeting, you may ride a horse or take a car. It is necessary to bring wine, rice, fruits, cakes, and tableware, and men, women, old and young should go out as a family. After arriving at the destination, use woods and open spaces to set up tents, stalls, and umbrellas. Adapt measures to local conditions and occupy each territory. Then they took turns going to the temple fair to burn incense and worship Buddha, buy snacks, watch sideshows, and listen to operas. The children played with each other, swatting butterflies and catching grasshoppers. Girls are used to collecting wild flowers, picking peppers and filling sachets. At noon, everyone lit a hot pot and had a picnic.

After dinner, those who love singing sing to their heart's content, those who love painting paint casually, and everyone has fun and has a good time according to their own hobbies. Except for some theatergoers who wanted to stay to watch the night show and stay overnight at the temple fair, most people rushed back on the same day. Temple fairs in June are the most famous in terms of time and scale in Mount Wutai, which are held for a month from the first day of June to the end of the month. Attendants include people of all ethnic groups including Han, Mongolian and Tibetan as well as international friends. In recent years, there have been no less than 10,000 people every day. It is a comprehensive event integrating religion, culture, tourism, material exchange and scientific investigation. Within a month, villagers in the mountains devote all their energy to serving the grand event, and their income often accounts for more than half of the total annual income.

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