China News Client Beijing, March 27th (Reporter Shangguan Yun) On the 26th, "March 3" related topics appeared in hot search. Some people say that "March Three" is another name for the Shang Festival. In ancient times, people went to the water to bathe together, which was called "祓 禊", and there were customs such as sacrificial feasts. It is also said that the festival is the "Valentine's Day" in ancient China.

However, folklorist Wang Juan said in an interview with the China News Agency that, from a personal point of view, she tends to believe that the main customs of the Shanghai Festival are still rampant and ward off evil, and cannot be simply regarded as "ancient Valentine's Day".

Origin of the last festival

According to reports, in ancient times, the first leap day in March in the lunar calendar was "shang". The next day is the third day of March. After the Wei and Jin dynasties, the date of the Shangli Festival is fixed at the third day of March, and descendants will follow.

Data Map: Previously, many college students dressed in Hanfu performed interpretations of ancient Chinese charms, such as "祓 禊", "banquet", and "traveling in spring," by Shiyan Lake in Changsha to welcome the upcoming Shangli Festival. Photo by Yang Huafeng

The ancients believed that the Yin Qi had not completely faded away during the "Shangying Festival", and people were prone to getting sick. Taking a bath by the water could eliminate the pain and disaster, and prayed for the coming of well-being. Some scholars believe that this is an ancient health care custom to ward off evil and dispel pestilence in spring.

In legend, the Shangdi Festival is also a festival to commemorate the Yellow Emperor. "March 3" is the birthday of the Emperor Xuanyuan. In the Central Plains, there has been the saying "February 2, the dragon rises; March 3, the birth of Xuanyuan".

The Shang festival was very prosperous from the pre-Qin to Tang dynasties, but after the Tang dynasty, it gradually began to fade out of people's vision. Due to many reasons such as similar dates, the customs of the three festivals, Cold Food, Qingming, and Shangying, show a trend of integration.

Today's "March Three" Customs

In addition, the Zhuang people now also have the traditional festival "March Three". In addition to talking about songs, grabbing fireworks, throwing hydrangeas, and eating five-colored sticky rice are also very interesting holiday customs.

People gather red orchid grass, yellow rice flower, maple leaf, and purple vine, and soak the glutinous rice with the juice of these plants to make red, yellow, black, purple and white glutinous rice. According to legend, after eating this kind of meal, people are prosperous and healthy.

Data Map: The teacher shows the five-color sticky rice making skills online. Photo by Jiang Xuelin

According to reports, on March 24 this year, Guiya Road Primary School in Nanning, Guangxi recorded an "air class" in the headquarters and the osmanthus campus, introducing online the origin of the "Zhuang March Three" festival, the production of five-colored glutinous rice, and the production of hydrangea. .

On March 26th, the 10th "March 3rd" National Song Festival in Xiufeng District, Guilin City, Guangxi opened online, using different types of live performances and live broadcasts.

Shanghai Festival is also ancient Chinese Valentine's Day?

It is worth noting that there has been a previous statement that the alias of the Shanghai Festival is also called "March 3", or "Valentine's Day" in ancient China. Men and women can meet at this time to express love. Is this statement valid?

According to the data, "March 3" is also called Doll's Day, and the ancient Han girls will also hold an adult ceremony "sacrifice ceremony" on this day. The girls "played in the spring" and played Cailan by the water, put on beautiful clothes, danced and danced, thinking that they could dispel evil spirits.

In addition, in The Book of Songs · Zheng Feng · 溱 洧: "溱 and 洧, Liu Qiqing 矣. Scholars and women, Yin Qiying 矣 ... Visi and women, Yi Qi will give 谑, and give them spoon medicine." Recorded is the folk Shangli Festival, where young men and women on the Yangtze River meet and meet.

"But in general, the Shang Festival should be a day to get out of the water and ward off evil spirits. In this way, you can wash away the obscurity of the year and hope to have a clean new year." Wang Juan believes that from this point Judging from the above, Shanghai Festival cannot simply be regarded as the ancient "Valentine's Day".

Data Map: An activity that reproduces the custom of "Squipped Water Flowing, Floating Eggs on the Water, Floating Jujube on the Water" in the Spring Festival in the ancient Chinese Spring and Autumn Period was staged in Yancheng Spring and Autumn Park in Changzhou, Jiangsu. Photo by Tang Juan

Why did the ancient Shang Festival sacrifice to Gao Ling?

It is worth noting that, in the folk custom activities of the Shangying Festival, Gao Ling is also sacrificed. Wang Juan said that this is because it is said that Gao Ling is the god who manages marriage and fertility. Through this activity, people hope to eliminate disasters and avoid evil and pray for fertility.

During the last festival, a "shooting" activity is also performed, that is, a wild goose is shot with a silk-lined arrow, and the goose is taken after the shot. This kind of goose is not so much a prey as the best gift for gifts. Working women in the south began to breed silkworms, picking mulberries and feeding silkworms.

During the Wei and Jin dynasties, the "Shangying Festival" also evolved into a day when literati and princes drank water, for example, there was the custom of "qushuiliu". Calligrapher Wang Xizhi wrote a well-known "Lanting Preface", recording a similar event. "At the beginning of late spring, it will be in the Lanting Pavilion of the Yin of the Huiji Mountain, and repairs will be done."

"Shangying Festival originally had a custom of" floating eggs near the water ": put cooked eggs in the water and let them float, and anyone who eats them can eat them." Wang Juan said, which is also related to the "qushuiliu" activity similar. (Finish)