Talk about Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival
Why do we eat Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival?
The Lantern Festival is also called the Lantern Festival or the Lantern Festival. It is a festival for eating glutinous rice balls and admiring lanterns. According to folk customs and history books, the Lantern Festival began in the late Sui Dynasty. It is said that it was celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in 610 AD. In order to whitewash peace and show off the prosperity of the people and the country, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty ordered the erection of high-stage theaters in Luoyang City, and mobilized master theater troupes from all over the country. Starting from the night of the 15th, night after night, lanterns and tricks were performed, and people sang and danced throughout their lives. , the strings and songs are endless. All of a sudden, there was a huge crowd of people watching the lanterns, listening to the opera, and doing small business, making the whole city of Luoyang boiling. It is said that at this time, the owner of a snack shop came up with an ingenious idea. He ground glutinous rice into powder, wrapped it with sugar fillings to make dumplings, and then boiled them. It filled the stomach and warmed the body. It was very popular. Because in ancient times the fifteenth day of the first lunar month was called Shangyuan Festival and the night was called Xiao, so the Lantern Festival got its name from this.
It is called Yuanxiao in the north, but it is customarily called Tangyuan in the south. Also, the yuanxiao is rolled out like this, while the glutinous rice balls are wrapped one by one by hand.
Tangyuan is a flavored food made of fine glutinous rice noodles, mixed with various fillings such as sugar, and rolled through a sprinkling process. The north is customary to call it Yuanxiao, while the south calls it Tangyuan. The biggest difference is that in the South, the dumplings are made one by one by hand, and the fillings are soft, while in the North, the fillings for Yuanxiao are pre-made, dried and cut into small quarters. Square, then place in a machine and roll in flour. No matter which one it is, it is fine powder filling essence.
There is also a certain way to eat Yuanxiao. When cooking, don’t cook too much at one time. Add more water. Because the temperature of Yuanxiao is low in cold weather, it will be difficult to boil the pot if you add too much. The soaking time is longer. The long flour will fall off, causing the soup to be mixed. After the water boils, add cold water twice. The pot will be ready in two or three minutes. The cooked Yuanxiao should be fluffy and cotton-like. The Lantern Festival is also known as the "Lantern Festival" or "Lantern Festival". According to records, the Lantern Festival has already appeared around the Han Dynasty. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was known as the three major traditional Chinese folk festivals along with the Spring Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival. It has a history of more than 2,000 years.
Yuanxiao is another name for glutinous rice balls. It is an old custom to eat glutinous rice balls during the Lantern Festival, so it is called "eating Yuanxiao". In the past, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, people would grind glutinous rice into flour and make it into spherical stuffed food for cooking. Urban residents mostly bought it in the market. The custom of eating Yuanxiao has been passed down to this day.
Eating Lantern Festival is the most important activity of the Lantern Festival. In ancient times, people called Yuanxiao food glutinous rice balls, glutinous rice balls or dumplings. Because they were eaten on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, this day was called the Lantern Festival. Why do we eat Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival? Because the Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, it is the first full-moon day of the lunar year. The shape of the Lantern Festival is round, and contains a homonym for the word "yuan", symbolizing reunion, happiness, auspiciousness, There is a harmonious family, so people tend to eat Yuanxiao according to their wishes. Then why is there such a thing as "making Lantern Festival"? "Nao" means a lively and joyful day. Because our country is mainly based on agricultural production, the "Winter Three Months" are relatively leisurely in the year. After the Lantern Festival, the temperature gradually warms up and everything recovers. The winter leisure has passed, so it is necessary to prepare for farming and not have any leisure time. Therefore, having fun on the Lantern Festival is not only a "relaxing" leisure activity, but also expresses people's prayers for good weather and a bumper harvest in the new year. With joyful laughter and festive gongs and drums, people pray for good luck in the auspicious New Year. In the atmosphere, we welcome the arrival of a good harvest year.
According to legend, there was a palace maid named "Yuanxiao" during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. She stayed in the palace for many years, missing her parents and crying all day long. Minister Dongfang Shuo was determined to help her, so he lied to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that the God of Fire was ordered by the Jade Emperor to burn Chang'an on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The only way to escape the disaster was to let the "Yuanxiao Girl" do a lot of things on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The God of Fire loves to eat glutinous rice balls, and is worshiped by all the subjects with lanterns. Emperor Wu got it right, and "Yanxiao Girl" finally met her family. Since then, the Lantern Festival has been formed.
There are many opinions on the formation of the custom of the Lantern Festival, but it is generally believed that it took shape in the Han Dynasty. According to historical records, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty wanted to worship a god named "Tai Yi". It is said that Taiyi was a very prominent god at that time, his status was higher than the Five Emperors, and he was benevolent to the Han Emperor, so he was worshiped more prosperously. According to legend, another Han Dynasty emperor, Emperor Hanwen, was also related to the Lantern Festival.
Yuanxiao is also called glutinous rice balls. In history, there are many other names such as "noodle cocoon, pink fruit, ingot, soup cake, round without falling corners", etc. It was not officially named "Yuanxiao" until the Yongle period of Ming Dynasty. .Yuanxiao can be divided into two kinds: with stuffing and without stuffing. The ones without filling are small and sweet, and are seasoned with sugar, longan, osmanthus, lotus root and candied fruit. They are also called "pearl glutinous rice balls". The ones with filling are large and shaped like walnuts. Northern Lantern Festivals mostly have sweet fillings, including sugar, bean paste, sesame, hawthorn, etc., while those in the South have sweet, salty, meat and vegetarian fillings, especially Ningbo glutinous rice balls and Guiyang Wujia glutinous rice balls. .
"Wrapped with walnuts stuffed with sweet-scented osmanthus, glutinous rice is like pearls washed out of well water. I heard that Majia's dripping powder is good, and they sell yuanxiao in the wind." This poem "Shangyuan Zhuzhi Ci" of the Qing Dynasty reflects this Beijing has long had the habit of eating glutinous rice balls during the Lantern Festival, and at that time there was already a brand famous for selling glutinous rice balls.
The Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month is approaching. Lantern Festival is the festival of lights. In China, the custom of viewing lanterns during the Lantern Festival left over from the Tang Dynasty has been spread among the people. In addition, the custom of eating glutinous rice balls during the Lantern Festival has been preserved to this day, because people eat glutinous rice balls on the night of the Lantern Festival - Lantern Festival, so people are accustomed to calling the glutinous rice balls "Yuanxiao".
During the Lantern Festival, Beijing’s restaurants, pastry shops, and even stalls on both sides of the road sell glutinous rice balls. Every household eats steaming bowls of glutinous rice balls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. People are nostalgic for the legacy of our ancestors. What a custom!
Tangyuan is also called Tangyuan and Fenguo. Because it floats on the water when ripe, it was also called Fuyuanzi in ancient times. People eat glutinous rice balls during the Lantern Festival, which actually means missing their loved ones and longing for reunion. "Poetry of Boiled Rice Balls at Yuanxiao" written by Zhou Bi in the Song Dynasty is the earliest poem describing rice dumplings in my country:
"What evening do you know today? Reunion and things are done together.
Tang Guan is looking for old memories, The kitchen maid is amazed at the new work.
The stars are shining in the dark clouds, and the beads are floating in the turbid water. Zhou Bida was a minister during the reign of Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty. He usually rectified the military and political affairs and worked hard to govern. This short poem has already revealed his longing for holding up a bowl and looking forward to the reunion of the people across the country. Even the girl who lit the fire under the stove was surprised to be immersed in the deep emotion of missing her hometown while cooking glutinous rice balls for everyone! The habit of eating glutinous rice balls and remembering relatives has been passed down to this day. Talking about Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival
Why do we eat Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival?
The Lantern Festival is also called the Lantern Festival or the Lantern Festival. It is a festival for eating glutinous rice balls and admiring lanterns. According to folk customs and history books, the Lantern Festival began in the late Sui Dynasty. According to legend, it was celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in 610 AD. In order to whitewash peace and show off the prosperity of the people and the country, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty ordered the erection of high-stage theaters in Luoyang City, and mobilized expert theater troupes from all over the country. Starting from the night of the 15th, night after night, lanterns and tricks were performed, and people sang and danced throughout their lives. , the strings and songs are endless. For a time, there was a huge crowd of people watching the lanterns, listening to the opera, and doing small business, making the whole city of Luoyang boiling. It is said that at this time, the owner of a snack shop came up with an ingenious idea. He ground glutinous rice into powder, wrapped it with sugar fillings to make dumplings, and then boiled them. It filled the stomach and warmed the body. It was very popular. Because in ancient times the fifteenth day of the first lunar month was called Shangyuan Festival and the night was called Xiao, so the Lantern Festival got its name from this.
It is called Yuanxiao in the north, but it is customarily called Tangyuan in the south. Also, the yuanxiao is rolled out like this, while the glutinous rice balls are wrapped one by one by hand.
Tangyuan is a flavored food made of fine glutinous rice noodles, mixed with various fillings such as white sugar, and rolled through a sprinkling process. The north is customary to call it Yuanxiao, while the south calls it Tangyuan. The biggest difference is that in the South, the dumplings are made one by one by hand, and the fillings are soft, while in the North, the fillings for Yuanxiao are pre-made, dried and cut into small quarters. Square, then place in a machine and roll in flour. No matter which one it is, it is fine powder filling essence.
There is also a certain way to eat Yuanxiao. When cooking, don’t cook too much at one time. Add more water. Because the temperature of Yuanxiao is low in cold weather, it will be difficult to boil the pot if you add too much. The soaking time is longer. The long flour will fall off, causing the soup to be mixed. After the water boils, add cold water twice. The pot will be ready in two or three minutes. The cooked Yuanxiao should be fluffy and cotton-like.
Talk about Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival
Why do we eat Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival?
The Lantern Festival is also called the Lantern Festival or the Lantern Festival. It is a festival for eating glutinous rice balls and admiring lanterns. According to folk customs and history books, the Lantern Festival began in the late Sui Dynasty. According to legend, it was celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in 610 AD. In order to whitewash peace and show off the prosperity of the people and the country, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty ordered the erection of high-stage theaters in Luoyang City, and mobilized expert theater troupes from all over the country. Starting from the night of the 15th, night after night, lanterns and tricks were performed, and people sang and danced throughout their lives. , the strings and songs are endless. For a time, people watching lanterns, listening to operas, and doing small businesses were crowded with people, making the whole city of Luoyang boiling. It is said that at this time, the owner of a snack shop came up with an ingenious idea. He ground glutinous rice into powder, wrapped it with sugar fillings to make dumplings, and then boiled them. It filled the stomach and warmed the body. It was very popular. Because in ancient times the fifteenth day of the first lunar month was called Shangyuan Festival and the night was called Xiao, so the Lantern Festival got its name from this.
It is called Yuanxiao in the north, but it is customarily called Tangyuan in the south. Also, the yuanxiao is rolled out like this, while the glutinous rice balls are wrapped one by one by hand.
Tangyuan is a flavored food made of fine glutinous rice noodles, mixed with various fillings such as sugar, and rolled through a sprinkling process. The north is customary to call it Yuanxiao, while the south calls it Tangyuan. The biggest difference is that in the South, the dumplings are made one by one by hand, and the fillings are soft, while in the North, the fillings for Yuanxiao are pre-made, dried and cut into small quarters. Square, then place in a machine and roll in flour. No matter which one it is, it is fine powder filling essence.
There is also a certain way to eat Yuanxiao. When cooking, don’t cook too much at one time. Add more water. Because the temperature of Yuanxiao is low in cold weather, it will be difficult to boil the pot if you add too much. The soaking time is longer. The long flour will fall off, causing the soup to be mixed. After the water boils, add cold water twice. The pot will be ready in two or three minutes. The cooked Yuanxiao should be fluffy and cotton-like.
Reference materials: /life/shenghuo/yizhan/yz2k0323l.htm
The Lantern Festival is a traditional festival in China. It existed as early as more than 2,000 years ago in the Western Han Dynasty. Lantern viewing began During the period of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Ming advocated Buddhism. Hearing that on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, monks observed the relics of the Buddha and lit lamps to worship the Buddha, he ordered that on this night, lamps should be lit in palaces and temples to worship the Buddha, and all the nobles and common people hung lamps. Later, this kind of Buddhist ritual festival gradually became a grand folk festival. This festival has experienced the development process from the palace to the folk, and from the Central Plains to the whole country.
During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month was designated as the Lantern Festival. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the sacrificial activities for "Taiyi God" were held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. (Taiyi: God who controls everything in the universe).
When Sima Qian created the "Taichu Calendar", he had already identified the Lantern Festival as a major festival.
Another theory is that the custom of lighting lanterns during the Lantern Festival originated from the Taoist "Three Yuan Theory"; the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Shangyuan Festival, the fifteenth day of July is the Zhongyuan Festival, and the fifteenth day of October is the Zhongyuan Festival. For the Xiayuan Festival. The three officials in charge of the upper, middle and lower elements are heaven, earth and man respectively. The heavenly officials are happy, so lamps must be lit on the Lantern Festival.
The festival period and customary activities of the Lantern Festival have been extended and expanded with the development of history. In terms of the length of the festival, it was only one day in the Han Dynasty, three days in the Tang Dynasty, and as long as five days in the Song Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, the lights were lit from the eighth day of the lunar month until the lights were turned off on the night of the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, a full ten days. Connecting with the Spring Festival, the city is bustling during the day, and the lights are lit at night, which is spectacular. Especially the exquisite and colorful lights make it the climax of entertainment activities during the Spring Festival. By the Qing Dynasty, "hundred operas" such as dragon dance, lion dance, land boat running, stilt walking, and Yangko dancing were added, but the festival period was shortened to four to five days.
There are several interesting folk legends about the origin of the Lantern Festival:
1 The legend about lanterns
It is said that a long time ago, there were many ferocious birds and beasts. , hurting people and livestock everywhere, people organized to fight them. There was a magical bird that got lost and landed on earth, but was accidentally shot to death by an unsuspecting hunter. The Emperor of Heaven was very angry when he found out. He immediately issued a decree and ordered the heavenly soldiers to set fire to the human world on the 15th day of the first lunar month and burn all the human and animal property in the human world. The daughter of the Emperor of Heaven was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see the innocent people suffer, so she risked her life and secretly came to the world on auspicious clouds to tell people the news. When everyone heard the news, it was like a thunderbolt ringing above their heads. I was so frightened that I didn’t know what to do. After a long time, an old man came up with an idea. He said: "On the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth of the first lunar month, every family will decorate their homes with lanterns and colorful lights. Sound firecrackers and set off fireworks. In this way, the Emperor will think that people have been burned to death."
Everyone nodded in agreement after hearing this, and then went separately to prepare. On the night of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Emperor of Heaven looked down and found that the world was filled with red light and loud noises. It was like this for three consecutive nights. He thought it was the flames of a fire, so he was very happy. In this way people saved their lives and property. In order to commemorate this success, from then on every fifteenth day of the first lunar month, every household hung lanterns and set off fireworks to commemorate this day.
2 It was established during the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty to commemorate "Ping Lu"
Another legend is that the Lantern Festival was established during the time of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty to commemorate "Ping Lu". After the death of Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, Liu Ying, the son of Empress Lu, ascended the throne as Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty. Emperor Hui was weak and indecisive by nature, and his power gradually fell into the hands of Empress Lu. After Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty died of illness, Empress Lu took over the affairs of the country and turned the Liu family into the Lu family. The senior officials in the court and the Liu family were deeply indignant, but they were all afraid of Empress Lu's cruelty and dared not speak out.
After Empress Lu died of illness, all the Lus were anxious and fearful of being hurt and excluded. Therefore, they secretly gathered at the home of General Lu Lu to plot a rebellion in order to completely seize the Liu family.
This matter reached the ears of Liu Nang, the king of Qi, the Liu family. In order to protect the Liu family, Liu Nang decided to launch an army to attack Zhu Lu. Then he contacted the founding veterans Zhou Bo and Chen Ping, and designed to remove Lu Lu. , the "Zhu Lu Rebellion" was finally completely put down.
After the rebellion was over, the ministers supported Liu Bang’s second son Liu Heng to ascend the throne and became Emperor Wen of Han. Emperor Wen was deeply aware that peace and prosperity were hard-won, so he designated the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the day when the "Zhu Lu Rebellion" was quelled, as a day of fun with the people. Every house in the capital decorated with lights and colors to celebrate. Since then, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month has become a popular folk festival - "Lantern Festival".
3 Dongfang Shuo and the Yuanxiao Girl
This legend is related to the custom of eating Yuanxiao: According to legend, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had a favorite named Dongfang Shuo, who was kind and funny. One winter, it snowed heavily for several days, so Dongfang Shuo went to the Imperial Garden to pick plum blossoms for Emperor Wu. As soon as I entered the garden gate, I found a palace maid with tears streaming down her face and ready to throw herself into the well. Dongfang Shuo hurriedly stepped forward to rescue her and asked her why she wanted to commit suicide. It turns out that the palace maid's name is Yuanxiao, and she has parents and a younger sister at home. Since she entered the palace, she has never had the chance to see her family again. Every year when Spring comes, I miss my family even more than usual. I felt that if I could not fulfill my filial piety in front of my parents, it would be better to die. Dongfang Shuo felt deeply sympathetic after hearing her experience, and assured her that he would try to reunite her with her family.
One day, Dongfang Shuo left the palace and set up a divination stall on Chang'an Street. Many people are vying to ask him for divination. Unexpectedly, what everyone asked for was the sign of "burning the body with fire on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month". Suddenly, there was great panic in Chang'an. People have been asking for solutions to the disaster. Dongfang Shuo said: "On the evening of the 13th of the first lunar month, Lord Vulcan will send a red-clothed goddess down to earth to investigate. She is the envoy who ordered to burn Chang'an. I will give you the copied verses so that you can think of a solution today." After finishing, he threw down a red post and walked away. The common people picked up the red sticker and hurriedly sent it to the palace to report to the emperor.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty took it and took a look, and saw that it read: "Chang'an is in tribulation, Emperor Huo burns the palace, fifteen days of fire, flame red supper", he was shocked, and quickly invited the resourceful Dongfang Shuo. Dongfang Shuo thought for a while and said, "I heard that Lord Vulcan loves glutinous rice balls the most. Doesn't the Yuanxiao in the palace often make glutinous rice balls for you? You can ask Yuanxiao to make glutinous rice balls on the night of the 15th. Long live the incense and offer it to Kyoto. Every family makes glutinous rice balls and worships the God of Fire together.
Then he ordered the subjects to hang up lanterns on the night of the 15th, light firecrackers and set off fireworks all over the city, as if the city was full of fire, so that they could hide it from the Jade Emperor. In addition, the people outside the city were notified to come to the city on the night of the 15th to watch the lanterns and mingled with the crowd to eliminate disasters and solve problems." After hearing this, Emperor Wu was very happy and sent an order to follow Dongfang Shuo's method.
On the first month of the year, On the 15th, the city of Chang'an was decorated with lanterns and was bustling with tourists. The parents of the palace maid Yuanxiao also took their sister to the city to watch the lanterns. When they saw the big palace lantern with the word "Yuanxiao" written on it, they shouted in surprise: " Lantern Festival! Lantern Festival! ", Yuanxiao heard the shout and was finally reunited with her relatives at home.
After such a lively night, Chang'an City was indeed safe and sound. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was overjoyed and ordered that glutinous rice dumplings be made every fifteenth day of the first lunar month. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, lanterns and fireworks are hung all over the city, so people call the dumplings Yuanxiao, and this day is called the Lantern Festival.
Lighting up lanterns during the Lantern Festival is a traditional custom of our people. Throughout the ages, there have been not only a large number of popular poems about chanting lanterns during the Lantern Festival, but also countless interesting couplets about chanting lanterns during the Lantern Festival.
In the Northern Song Dynasty, there were When a man named Jia Sidao was guarding Huaiyin (today's Yangzhou), one year he put up lanterns for the Lantern Festival. Some of the guests picked up Tang poems and wrote a couplet for the door lanterns: "On a bright moonlit night in three parts of the world, a small red building ten miles away from Yangzhou." "It is said that this couplet is the earliest lantern couplet in our country. Since then, people in all dynasties have imitated it and hung wall lantern couplets and door lantern couplets on gates or conspicuous pillars, which not only adds festive flavor to the Lantern Festival, but also brings joy to people who appreciate the lanterns. Added content for appreciation.
Zhang Ying and Zhang Tingyu from Tongcheng, Anhui Province in the Qing Dynasty were both good at poetry during the Lantern Festival one year. As usual, lanterns and fireworks were put up and firecrackers were set off. "When Xiao Tingyu was thinking, she heard the sound of fireworks outside the door, and she suddenly understood and said to him, "The fireworks shook the earth, the sound was loud, and the breath was rising to the sky. "The dialogue is neat and seamless, which can be called a wonderful pairing.
The most talked about story is probably the story of Wang Anshi's wonderful couplet as matchmaker in the Northern Song Dynasty. When Wang Anshi was 20 years old, he went to Beijing to take the exam and passed by a certain place during the Lantern Festival. While walking and admiring the lanterns, I saw a large family hanging a revolving lantern high, with a couplet hanging under the lantern, which said, "The revolving lantern, the horse moves when the light is turned off, and the horse stops when the light is turned off." When Wang Anshi saw it, he couldn't answer the question for a while, so he kept it in mind. When he arrived in the capital, the examiner came out with a flying tiger flag fluttering in the wind and said, "Flying tiger flag, flying tiger in the flag, tiger hiding in the flag roll." "Wang Anshi responded by recruiting relatives and was selected as a Jinshi. When he returned home and passed by that family, he heard that no one had come forward to ask for relatives, so he responded with the examiner's invitation and was recruited as a quick son-in-law. It was a coincidence. The couplet actually brought about two great joys for Wang Anshi.
It is said that Zhu Di, the emperor of Ming Dynasty, traveled incognito during the Lantern Festival one year. The lanterns are bright and the moon is bright, the lanterns and the moon are always bright, and the Ming Dynasty is unified. The scholar immediately wrote the following couplet: "The king is happy and the people are happy, the king and the people are happy together, and there will be eternal happiness for thousands of years." "Yongle" is the reign name of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Di was overjoyed and gave him the title of No. 1 Scholar.
Legend has it that during the Lantern Festival one year, Emperor Qianlong and a group of civil and military ministers went to watch the lantern festival with great interest. See left The various lanterns are colorful and beautiful; on the right, the various lanterns are unique, interesting and intriguing. When Emperor Qianlong was happy, he also asked his ministers to guess a couplet. I wrote a couplet on the palace lantern
Black is not, white is not, red and yellow are not. They are like jackals, cats and dogs, neither domestic animals nor wild beasts.
The poem is not, the lyrics are not, and the Analects is not. It is vague about east, west, north and south. Although it is a short piece, it is also a wonderful article.
Emperor Qianlong thought hard after reading it, and all the civil and military officials scratched their heads and couldn't figure it out. In the end, it was Ji Xiaolan who revealed the answer to the riddle:
Poetry for Appreciating Lanterns
"A Sheng song is like the sea, and the night is like daylight with thousands of lights." Literati and poets of the past dynasties praised the beauty of the Lantern Festival. There are countless poems, which are still interesting to read today.
During the Tang Dynasty, the Lantern Festival had developed into an unprecedented lantern market. , burning fifty thousand lamps, clustered into flower trees." The Tang Dynasty poet Su Weiwei's poem "The Fifteenth Night of the First Month" goes like this: "The fire trees and silver flowers are closing, and the iron locks of the star bridge are opening. The dark dust follows the horse, and the bright moon follows the person. "It depicts the lively scene where the lights and the moon shine together, and there are thousands of tourists. Zhang Yue, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, also used a poem to praise Taoism: "The calyx tower gate is fresh with rain and dew, and the people of Chang'an City are in peace. The dragon holds the fire tree with thousands of lanterns in its mouth, the chicken steps on the lotus and lives forever in spring. " vividly describes the scene of lantern viewing during the Lantern Festival. Li Shangyin described the grand scale of lantern viewing at that time with the poem "The moonlight lights filled the imperial city, and the incense chariots and precious chariots overflowed the thoroughfare." It is worthy of praise and should be recommended first. Tang Dynasty poet Cui Ye's "Shangyuan Night" said: "Don't rush the leaky jade and copper pot, the iron gate and the golden lock are clear and open; who can sit leisurely when seeing the moon, and who can't look at the lamp when they hear it." "Although there is no positive description of the Lantern Festival here, it contains a very happy, lively and bustling scene.
The Lantern Festival in the Song Dynasty was unprecedentedly grand, and the lantern market was even more spectacular. Su Dongpo had a poem that said, "The Lantern Festival" The house is full of music and singing everywhere. "Fan Chengda also wrote in a poem: "Wutai, a prosperous place in ancient and modern times, prefers Lantern Festival shadow and lantern shows. "The "shadow lantern" in the poem is the "revolving lantern". The great poet Xin Qiji once had a poem praising the grand occasion of the Lantern Festival that has been passed down through the ages. "The east wind blows thousands of flowers into the trees at night, and they blow down, and the flowers are like rain. BMW's carved cars fill the road with fragrance.
The sound of the wind flute moved, the light of the jade pot turned, and fish and dragons danced all night long.
The Ming Dynasty was even more extravagant and changed the Lantern Festival Lantern Festival from three nights to ten nights. Tang Bohu once wrote a poem praising the Lantern Festival, bringing people into the charming Lantern Night. The poem says: "If there is a lamp but no moon, it will not miss people. If there is a moon but no lamp, it is not spring. When spring comes to the world, people are like jade, and when the lamps are burning, the moon is like silver. The streets are full of pearls and green girls wandering around, and the boiling ground is singing and singing to the gods of the society. No." How can you spend such a good time with a smile on your face?"
In addition to various lanterns, the lively scenes of the Lantern Festival in the Qing Dynasty also included torch dancing, fireballs, fire rain, etc. Ruan Yuan has a poem about the Yangcheng Lantern Market: "The sea chela, clouds and phoenixes are exquisite and exquisite, and the Gui De gate is brightly decorated with colorful screens. The market is full of fire, and the guests have enough resources. The sheep virtues have returned to their fairy spirits all year round. The moon can fill the whole night with spring light, and people are like horses that have not stopped to explore flowers. It means that when two guests from Yingzhou arrive, the book windows will be filled with green lights. "The poem "Ode to the Lantern Festival" written by the Qing Dynasty poet Yao Yuanzhi goes like this: "The bees and butterflies are in a state of joy among the flowers, and the car is full of fragrance on the twelfth floor. The headlights are like fire, and the moon outside Siping Street is like frost." It is even more vivid, wonderful and unique.
The Lantern Festival, full of poetry and romance, is often associated with love. There are many poems in the past dynasties that use the Lantern Festival to express love and affection. Ouyang Xiu of the Northern Song Dynasty wrote a poem: "On the Lantern Festival this year, the moon and the lights are still the same; when I don't see the person from last year, my spring shirt sleeves are filled with tears." He expresses the pain of missing his lover.
Food Customs
In addition to lantern viewing and entertainment during the Lantern Festival, the food customs are also very fascinating. The food of the Yuanxiao Festival appeared in the Tang and Song Dynasties. The "Sui Sui Ji" of the Song Dynasty said: "The Jiaochui in the Shangyuan Festival is the most popular and long-lasting." It means that the Youchui is the Bianzhong (now Kaifeng, Henan) Lantern Festival in the Song Dynasty. holiday food. What kind of food is oil hammer? According to the Song Dynasty's "Taiping Guangji": After the oil is hot, take out the hammer stuffing from the silver box. The ingredients are mixed into the soft dough and mixed together. Put the dough hammer into the pot and cook. Fish it out with silver and put it into the newly dug well water to soak. Then put the oil hammer into the oil pan, fry until it boils and take it out. It tastes "crispy and delicious, indescribable." It turns out that the oil hammer in the Tang and Song Dynasties was what later generations called fried yuanxiao. This record can be used as a reference when developing "imitation Tang cuisine" today. After more than a thousand years of development, the production methods and varieties of Youhui have become quite local. In Guangdong Province alone, there are "Tongxin Jiandui", Dongguan's "Ludui", and Jiujiang's "Jiandui". Wait, it can be said that the food style of the Tang and Song Dynasties is still there today.
Yuanxiao is also known as Tangyuan, Tuantuan, Yuanzi, etc. Eating glutinous rice balls during the Lantern Festival was first seen in the Southern Song Dynasty poet Song Bida's "Pingyuan Continuation". The book contains a record of "cooking glutinous rice balls during the Lantern Festival, which seems not to have been mentioned by the predecessors." The floating circles in the Song Dynasty were also called glutinous rice balls. By the Southern Song Dynasty, Lin'an's Shangyuan Festival food included lactose dumplings, yam dumplings, pearl dumplings, Chengsha dumplings, kumquat water dumplings, Chengfen water dumplings and glutinous rice balls. So, why does this "yuanzi" made of rice noodles become a festive food in Shangyuan? It turns out that Yuanxiao must be eaten during the Lantern Festival to take the auspicious meaning of "round as the moon". By the Ming Dynasty, the Lantern Festival was a common food in Beijing. The preparation method is to make thin glutinous rice noodles, stuffed with walnut kernels, sugar and roses, sprinkled with water and rolled into balls as big as walnuts, which are also called glutinous rice balls in the southeast. In the Qing Dynasty, the imperial dining room made the palace-flavored "Eight Treasures Lantern Festival". As early as the Kangxi period, it was rumored by both the government and the public. Kong Shangren, the author of the famous drama "Peach Blossom Fan", once wrote a poem about the Eight Treasures Lantern Festival: "Ziyun Tea House pours nectar, and the Eight Treasures Lantern Festival is cooked within the effect." As the Lantern Festival has developed to this day, it has formed regional differences, different flavors, and rich Colorful features. Noodle lamps are also called Youmian lamps, which are lamps made of flour and are mostly popular in northern areas. There are many forms of face lamps. Some are made of twelve lamps (thirteen lamps in leap years), and cooking oil is put in the lamps to light them. Or the noodle lamps are steamed in a pot. Depending on the amount of oil remaining in the lamps after the lamps are extinguished, the lamps are steamed. The amount of water left in the back lamp can be used to predict the flood and drought conditions in the next twelve months. This is understandable in an era when science was not developed. For example, the "Zuinan County Chronicle" of Shaanxi Province during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty recorded that "on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, buckwheat noodles are steamed and burned to predict rain." It expresses people's desire to pray for good weather. Noodles are boiled or steamed and eaten on the 16th day of the first lunar month when the lanterns are turned off. During the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty, Shanxi's "Chengcheng County Chronicle" recorded that "on the 15th day of the first lunar month, steamed buckwheat noodles were used as lamps, filled with oil to light the lamps, and eaten early the next day." This custom is still present in rural areas.
Noodles are the food for dinner on the Lantern Festival. There is an ancient folk proverb that goes like "light up the Lantern Festival, put down the lanterns, and look forward to the next year after eating." This food custom is mostly popular in areas north of the Yangtze River. "Yi Hui Sui Sui Ji" records: "On the eighteenth day of the first lunar month (the first lunar month), when the lanterns are turned off, people eat noodles. It is commonly known as 'the lanterns are rounded and the lanterns are turned down'. Each family has its own feast to celebrate." Eating noodles when the lanterns are turned off means endless joy. Continuous meaning.
Sticky cake is also known as rice cake. In addition to Yuanxiao and noodles, people also eat sticky cakes during the Lantern Festival. Sun Simiao, a famous doctor in the Tang Dynasty, wrote in "Essential Prescriptions for Emergencies: Food Treatment" that "Ziliang rice is sweet, slightly cold, non-toxic, removes heat and replenishes qi." After the Tang Dynasty, there were also records of eating cakes during the Lantern Festival in the Yuan Dynasty. .
Zhao Tang is eaten every year on the 14th day of the first lunar month in Taizhou, Zhejiang after watching the lanterns. It is fried with shredded pork, shredded winter bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, fungus, fresh dragonfly, dried tofu, soaked in oil, Sichuan bean paste, spinach, etc. When cooked, add a little rice flour and cook into a salty paste. The glutinous rice soup consumed on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is sweet, made from sweet potato starch or lotus root starch mixed with lotus seeds, sweet dates, longan, etc.
In addition, steamed buns and wheat cakes are eaten in Pujiang, Zhejiang. The steamed buns are made from fermented dough, while the wheat cakes are round, which means "making children and grandchildren happy and reunited".
Eat Yuanxiao
Eat Yuanxiao on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. "Yuanxiao" has been a food in our country for a long time. In the Song Dynasty, a novel food eaten during the Lantern Festival was popular among the people.
This kind of food was first called "Fu Yuanzi" and later "Yuanxiao". Businessmen also euphemistically called it "Yuanbao". Yuanxiao, or "tangyuan", is stuffed with sugar, rose, sesame, bean paste, cinnamon, walnut kernels, nuts, jujube paste, etc., and is wrapped into a round shape with glutinous rice flour. It can be meat or vegetarian and has different flavors. It can be boiled in soup, fried or steamed, and has the meaning of happy reunion. Shaanxi glutinous rice balls are not wrapped, but are "rolled" in glutinous rice flour. They are either boiled or deep-fried and heated until they are round and round.
Guan Deng
In the Yongping period of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty (AD 58--75), because Emperor Ming promoted Buddhism, it happened that Cai Min returned from India to seek Buddhism and was called India Mohetuo. On the fifteenth day of every first lunar month in China, monks gather to pay homage to the Buddha's relics. It is an auspicious day to visit the Buddha. In order to promote Buddhism, Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty ordered that on the fifteenth night of the first lunar month, lanterns should be lit in the palace and temples to show the Buddha. Since then, the custom of putting out lanterns during the Lantern Festival has spread to the people instead of being only held in the palace. That is to say, every fifteenth day of the first lunar month, both nobles and common people hang up lanterns, and the cities and villages are brightly lit all night long.
The custom of setting off lanterns during the Lantern Festival developed into an unprecedented lantern market in the Tang Dynasty. At that time, Chang'an, the capital city, was already the world's largest city with a population of one million, and its society was prosperous. Under the emperor's personal initiative, the Lantern Festival became more and more luxurious. After the mid-Tang Dynasty, it has developed into a national carnival. During the prosperous Kaiyuan period of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (AD 685--762), the lantern market in Chang'an was very large, with 50,000 burning lanterns and various lanterns. The emperor ordered a huge lantern tower to be built, with 20 rooms in total and 150 feet high. The golden light is dazzling and extremely spectacular.
In the Song Dynasty, the Lantern Festival was superior to the Tang Dynasty in terms of scale and fantasy and exquisite lighting. Moreover, the activities were more folk-oriented and had stronger national characteristics. Later, the Lantern Festival Lantern Festival continued to develop, and the Lantern Festival became longer and longer. The Lantern Festival in the Tang Dynasty lasted "one day before and after the Yuan Dynasty". In the Song Dynasty, two days were added after the 16th day of the lunar month. In the Ming Dynasty, it was extended to ten days from the eighth to the eighteenth day of the lunar month.
In the Qing Dynasty, when the Manchu people took over the Central Plains, the palace no longer held lantern festivals, but the folk lantern festivals were still spectacular. The date was shortened to five days and continues to this day.
Lamps have the meaning of light and birth in Taiwanese folk. Lighting lanterns means illuminating the future. In Taiwanese, lanterns and ding are homophones for giving birth to boys. Therefore, in the past, women would deliberately walk under the lanterns during the Lantern Festival. , hoping to "walk under the lamp to give birth to a boy."
Lion Dance
Lion dance is an excellent folk art in my country. During the Lantern Festival or gatherings and celebrations, people come to celebrate with lion dance. This custom originated during the Three Kingdoms period and became popular during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. It has a history of more than a thousand years. According to legend, it was first introduced from the Western Regions. The lion is the mount of Manjushri Bodhisattva. With the introduction of Buddhism to China, lion dance activities were also introduced to China. The lion was a tribute brought back together with the peacock and others after Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Zhang Qian as an envoy to the Western Regions. However, the technique of lion dance is derived from the "masquerade" of Xiliang. Some people believe that lion dance originated from the army in the fifth century and was later introduced to the people. Both statements have their own basis, and today it is difficult to judge whether they are right or wrong. However, in the Tang Dynasty, lion dance had become a popular activity in the palace, the military, and among the people. It is said in "Yuefu Zaxun" by Duan'an Festival of the Tang Dynasty: "There are five lions in the play, more than ten feet tall, each dressed in five colors. Each lion has twelve people, wearing red foreheads, painted clothes, and holding red whisks. It is called The lion man dances to the music of peace." The poet Bai Juyi's poem "Xiliang Ji" vividly describes this: "Xiliang Ji, Xiliang Ji, a disguised barbarian with a fake lion's head and silk tail, and a gold-plated head. The eyes are as silver as the teeth, and the ears are as if they have come from quicksand." The poem describes the scene of the lion dance at that time.
In the development process of more than a thousand years, lion dance has formed two performance styles, northern and southern. The Northern Lion Dance mainly focuses on the performance of "Martial Lion", which is the "Auspicious Lion" of the Northern Wei Dynasty designated by Emperor Wu of Wei Dynasty. The small lion dances by one person, and the big lion dances by two people. One person stands and dances the lion's head, and the other bends down and dances the lion's body and tail. The lion dancer wears a lion quilt all over his body, and wears green lion pants and gold-clawed boots with the same coat color as the lion's body. People can't identify the shape of the lion dancer. Its appearance is very similar to a real lion. The lion leader is dressed as an ancient warrior, holding a rotating hydrangea in his hand, accompanied by gongs, drums and cymbals to lure the auspicious lion. Under the guidance of the "Lion Man", the lions perform tricks such as tumbling, falling, jumping, climbing, and worshiping. They also perform difficult actions such as walking on plum blossom piles, jumping around tables, and stepping on rolling balls. The Southern Lion Dance mainly focuses on "literary lion" performances. The performance pays attention to expressions, including tickling, hair shaking, licking and other movements, which are lifelike and cute. It also has more difficult skills such as spitting balls.
Southern Lion is centered in Guangdong and is popular in