The origin of Chinese Spring Festival
The Spring Festival , also known as the Lunar New Year or New Year, is one of the most important traditional festivals in China. The Spring Festival has a long history dating back to primitive beliefs and nature worship in ancient times, especially associated with the changing of seasons and the celebration of harvest in agrarian societies. Here are some explanations of the origin of Spring Festival:
Historical and cultural connotation of the Spring Festival: The origin of the Spring Festival contains profound cultural connotation, and it carries a rich historical and cultural heritage in the process of inheritance and development. The early Spring Festival activities include praying for the New Year, worshiping the gods, and remarking the beginning of the New Year in various forms, reflecting people's expectations and wishes for an auspicious and happy life in the New Year.
1.The timing of the Spring Festival: In different historical periods, the specific date of the Spring Festival has varied, depending on the calendar used at the time. For example, after the Revolution of 1911, China began to adopt the Gregorian calendar for the year and adopted January 1 of the Gregorian calendar as the New Year (Yuandan), while retaining the Lunar New Year as the Spring Festival. This practice led to a period of confusion, and it was not until 1949, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, that the first day of the first lunar month was officially designated as the Spring Festival, which is still used today.
2.Spring Festival name change: In the past, the Spring Festival has many other names, such as Yuan Day, New Year's Day, Yuan Chen, Yuan Shuo, three, three dynasties, three, Zhengdan, Zhengshuo and so on. However, it is now collectively referred to as the Spring Festival, which is a matter of modern times. After the Revolution of 1911, officials decided to adopt the Gregorian calendar and renamed the first day of the first lunar month as the Spring Festival in order to be consistent with other countries and avoid confusion.
3.The customs and habits of the Spring Festival: the activities during the Spring Festival mainly include eliminating the old and the new, exorcising evil spirits and fighting disasters, worshipping gods and ancestors, praying for good luck and praying for the New Year, etc., in various forms, reflecting the characteristics of traditional Chinese culture. In addition, the Spring Festival is also combined with family reunions, celebrations, entertainment and food, forming a unique folk culture.
4.To sum up, the Spring Festival is an important festival that integrates history, culture and customs, and its names and customs have evolved over time, eventually becoming one of the most important traditional festivals in contemporary China.