The dragon raises its head on the second day of February
According to folklore, on the second day of the second lunar month, it is the day when the Dragon King in charge of clouds and rain in the sky raises his head; from then on, the rain will gradually increase. Therefore, this day is called "Spring Dragon Festival". There is a folk proverb widely circulated in northern China: "On February 2, the dragon raises its head; when the big warehouse is full, the small warehouse flows."
The second day of the second lunar month is a "festival" that has been passed down to this day in the old capital. Not only this is the case in Beijing, but Chinese people all over China and around the world still retain this "Taoer".
Folk legend says that the dragon opens its eyes on the first day of February, the dragon raises its head on the second day of February, and the dragon sweats on the third day of February. Since around the end of the New Year, when "Spring Fights Six-nine Heads", when we meet in old streets and old shops, we will always talk about the day "February 2" and the rituals and etiquette of "February 2". Er and Ling'er. The "Wei Dong'er" in the third month of winter really makes the old and young who are suffocating in the hut feel panicked and itchy.
As I said, the dragon sleeping in the soil can't rest or sleep, so what is this man waiting for? Then stop chatting in the house and go outside to get some fresh air! The old people who talked about talking about children, talking about rituals, and talking about talking listened to the thunder of "Jingzhe" shaking the windows of the big and small stools and rustling paper, and began to arrange and tell the late birth of "baby Ya'er" What does the dragon look like in the younger generation? How does the dragon open its eyes? How does the dragon raise its head majesticly? How does the dragon sweat and turn over!
At this moment, the women who are in charge of the family take advantage of the first day of February and take off their winter clothes for the family. According to old rules, children from the first to the third year of junior high school are not allowed to do work, and they are not allowed to use scissors, needles, and thread. Kind-hearted women, especially elderly ladies, have been shouting and bluffing in the first few days that everyone in the family must not touch or cut things. Things were collected in piles. No matter how urgent, annoyed, or urgent you are, you will definitely not be able to figure out where to put the things from the old lady's mouth. When you are in a hurry, the old lady will get angry and will ignore the things and curse angrily: "What's wrong with that house?" Why, aren't you afraid of blinding the dragon's eyes and scratching its skin?" If she gets too anxious, she will get angry and say, "I've hidden them all in the mouse hole. You can go find them!" Any clue? Can the mouse talk?
Cotton trousers have turned into trousers, and cotton-padded jackets have turned into jackets. It is really difficult for the women who are in charge of the family. There are seven or eight people in the family. The Chinese New Year has just passed, and before they can calm down, they are busy again. The season changes in February, not to mention getting up early, staying up all night, lighting a lamp and burning oil!
To be honest, these old ladies are very concerned about February 2nd.
It is said that "if you hit the roof beams on February 2, scorpions and centipedes will not be able to get off the wall."
In the ancient capital city, the courtyard houses should have been hundreds of years old. The old houses provide a place for insects and ants looking for warmth. Who is not afraid of being in the house? Stay well, something will fall from the rafters, even if it is a scorpion tiger (gecko), it will be enough to scare you out of your soul. Beating, muttering, and waking up the living creatures on the beam, asking you to move around so that you don't oversleep and fall off! "Sweep the bottom of the pot on February 2 to save firewood and fire without wasting rice."
In my old days in the capital, we slept on kangs and burned firewood pots. During the winter, the leaves, firewood and bituminous coal used for heating and cooking would stain the bottom of the pots with thick black ash. Taking advantage of this season, After a while, a round of cleaning is not a bad thing. As for Fermi not spending any money, it is probably to make it smoother. Your family has a large population and the bottom of the pot is thinned, so you should eat as much as you should! "Sweeping the kang mat on February 2 will keep you refreshed until the end of the year."
The kang in winter is warmer than the open air outside. There are probably money strings (centipedes) and woodlice hidden in the cracks of the kang, in the corners of the kang, and under the quilt. something. From time to time, the old man and the old lady frightened the ignorant and young boys and girls, saying nonsense things about the insects crawling here and there, in order to frighten the children who were not afraid of anything and dared to play with anything. However, after February 2nd, the bugs become more active. If you are bitten by them, it will be bad luck on the New Year's Day. There are two kinds of bugs that must be eliminated at this time, that is, hibernating country bugs and bedbugs hiding in the cracks of walls, pillars, and tattered quilts on the bed. Don’t look at them. One of them is so hungry that they are naked, and the other is. Their skin was reduced to two layers of hunger. Don't believe it. They are still alive and well. After a month or two, the male will fly with wings and the female will run away as fast as possible. The bedbugs, in various ways, crawled onto people's bodies in the middle of the night and sucked blood, eating them into little red lanterns the size of soybean pellets. Liuliu powder, which has long been deprecated, is their deadly nemesis.
There are so many mothers talking about children, talking about children, and etiquette in "February 2", but the old people like it endlessly, and the young people also like it very much, otherwise How come we have so many dragon sons and grandsons in the Year of the Dragon!
Actually, the dragon is a kind of spiritual inheritance. Don’t ordinary people just find something to talk about? Besides, only when you have eaten well can you speak with energy and talk.
On the twenty-third day of the first month of the lunar calendar, after eating the last meal of meat soup and meat dishes in the new year, it is time to think about how to spend the second day of February.
In the first month of the year, no matter how much chicken, duck, or fish you have in your house, whether you eat sparingly or wastefully, on the 23rd day, you have to "clean up" it quickly, I think. For good luck? Or is it too hot to stay? Anyway, I can't explain it clearly.
But there is one thing you have to think about. February 2 will arrive in a few days. What you will eat on that day and how you will spend every year are all obvious without having to think about it.
"February 2, the dragon raises its head." Now that we have said it, we have to add color to the dragon. No, why should we talk about eating first? After eating well, the body can take off only if the bones are strong. You see, these ladies are using all their skills.
Yuanxiao is the eyes of the dragon; noodles are the seeds of the dragon; steamed buns are the tongue of the dragon; dumplings are the ears of the dragon; pancakes are the skin of the dragon; rice are the seeds of the dragon; steamed buns are the eggs of the dragon. . The most puzzling thing is that there are a few pairs of chicken feet on the table, which are thought to be dragon claws. Dishes that add to the fun include: stir-fried soybean sprouts with mustard tassels. The homophone of mustard is "borrowing money", and soybean sprouts (not soybean sprouts) represent "golden beans"; old pickled eggs are oily when cut open, which is called "wealth is rolling in". "; The last plate of tofu was named "Doufu"; the cabbage head was specially left, the leaves were peeled off and washed, and used to wrap the vegetables and rice on the table and be eaten. This is called " Bao Wealth". Don't talk about it when you eat the "guaranteed wealth". Hold the picture with all your strength to make it easier for you to talk about it.
Customs
Whenever the Spring Dragon Festival comes, in most parts of northern China, every household carries lanterns to the well or river to fetch water on this morning, and lights lanterns when they return home. , burn incense, offer offerings, and get a haircut (it is customary to get a haircut in the first month of the first month for the deceased uncle). In the old days, people called this ceremony "Yintianlong". On this day, every household also eats noodles, fried cakes, and popcorn, which are compared to "carrying dragon heads", "eating gentian", "golden beans bloom, the Dragon King ascends to the sky, clouds spread rain, and the grain is abundant" to show auspiciousness. .
Relevant records
This custom has been seen in the Ming Dynasty. Shen Bang's "Miscellaneous Notes of Wanshu" records: "The Wan people call the second day of the second lunar month for the dragon to raise its head. The villagers use ashes from outside the door to euphemistically put them into the kitchen of the house, swirl them around the water tank, and call them to lead the dragon back." Ming Dynasty people Yu Yizheng and Liu Dong's "A Brief Introduction to the Scenery of the Imperial Capital", Volume 2, records in the Spring Festival: "On February 2nd, the dragon raised its head, fried the remaining cakes for the New Year's Day sacrifice, and smoked the bed to smoke insects, which is said to attract the dragon and prevent the insects from coming out." The dragon is among the Chinese people. It has an extremely lofty status in people's minds. In ancient times, the dragon was believed to be a symbol of the emperor, an auspicious object, and the master of peace, weather, and rain. Therefore, the proverb "On February 2, the dragon raises its head" means that with the coming of spring, all things will revive. The Hidden Dragon begins to move, indicating that the year's agricultural activities are about to begin.
Legendary Stories
Story 1
Farmer proverb "On February 2, the dragon raises its head". Legend has it that in ancient times there was a long drought in the Guanzhong area and there was no rain. To sow rain. The little dragon was so playful that he dove into the river and never came out again. A young man went to the cliff to collect "dragon water" to muddy the river water. Xiaolong emerged from the river to compete with the young man. Xiaolong was defeated and had to make rain. In fact, the so-called "dragon raises its head" refers to the insects starting to wake up after hibernation. So as the saying goes, "On February 2, the dragon raises its head, and scorpions and centipedes appear."
Story 2
"On February 2, the dragon raises its head, and the spring rain falls everywhere. There is a thunderclap. Shocking the world, how could one know that the Dragon King was sad?" There is a touching story in this earthy nursery rhyme.
A long time ago, the Dragon King of the East China Sea gave birth to three dragon sons, but one dragon girl was missing. The Dragon King thought, how wonderful it would be if there was another princess with children! When the Queen Mother knew about this, she gave the Dragon Mother an elixir. Soon, the Dragon Mother became pregnant. On February 2 of the following year, Mother Dragon gave birth to a fat and white daughter.
The little princess grew up day by day. She was tired of the life in the Dragon Palace and longed to find true happiness in the human world. The dragon mother knew her daughter's heart, and she advised the princess: "My child, there is no care in the dragon palace. You can have whatever you want. Why do you want to go to the human world?" The dragon girl said: "The dragon sons and grandsons only know how to eat, drink and have fun. I must go to the human world to find a truly fun life." Mother Long was determined when she saw her daughter. He quietly sent her out of the Dragon Palace and gave her a bag of tips.
The dragon girl said goodbye to her mother reluctantly, flew over ninety-nine rivers, crossed ninety-nine mountains, and came to the foot of a big mountain. The princess looked around and saw that the land far and near was dry and cracked. Mouths and crops were all lowered, and the sun was scorching the earth. Not far away, a young man was working hard in the fields. The princess walked over and asked: "In such a dry day, will you gain anything from your farming?" "The farmer smiled bitterly and said, "What can I do? My old mother still depends on me to support her!" The dragon girl felt sorry for him and took out a few red beans from her bag and sprinkled them on the field. Thick fog rose, and the dry grass seedlings glowed green. When the farmer saw it, he hurriedly saluted her and said, "Fairy aunt, there is a severe drought for hundreds of miles around here. Please ask the fairy aunt to save the poor people." The dragon girl was very moved. She thought, he is really a good person. , thinking only about others. He is truly my soulmate! So she grabbed a handful of red beans from the kit and threw them into the sky. Suddenly there was lightning and thunder, and a heavy rain fell. After the rain, the sky is clear, the mountains are green, the crops are green, and people have a comfortable smile on their faces. The young man thanked the girl gratefully, and a red cloud flew on the princess's face, saying, "No need to thank me, I just want us to be together forever." After hearing this, the young man took the girl home sweetly.
Besides, when the Dragon King found out about the princess leaving the Dragon Palace, the Dragon King was very angry and refused to let the Dragon Mother see her daughter. Mother Dragon misses her daughter every day. Every year on the second day of the second lunar month, she rises from the sea, raises her head and cries bitterly in the direction where her daughter left. Her cries turned into thunder, and her tears turned into spring rain.
Story 3
There is another saying for "February 2" called Spring Dragon Festival. Xu Shen's "Shuowen Jiezi" records: "Dragon is the longest among scales. It can be dark or bright, thin or huge, long or short. It ascends to the sky at the spring equinox and dives into the abyss at the autumnal equinox." This is probably the "Spring Dragon" The earliest record of the custom of "Festival".
According to legend, when Wu Zetian became emperor, the Jade Emperor ordered not to rain on earth for three years. But the Jade Dragon in charge of the Tianhe River could not bear the suffering and starvation of the people, so he secretly sent a heavy rain. When the Jade Emperor learned about it, he knocked the Jade Dragon in charge of the Tianhe River down from the Heavenly Palace and pressed it under a mountain. There is also a monument erected at the foot of the mountain, which reads: The Dragon King's rainfall violates the laws of heaven and deserves to be punished for the rest of the world. If you want to return to Lingxiao Pavilion, you will have to wait until the golden beans bloom.
In order to save the Dragon King, people looked for blooming golden beans everywhere. On the second day of February of the following year, people were drying golden corn seeds, and suddenly remembered that the corn was like golden beans. When they were fried and bloomed, weren't they just golden beans? So every household popped popcorn, set up a table in the courtyard to burn incense, and offered "flowering golden beans" for the Dragon King and the Jade Emperor to see. The Dragon King knew that the people were trying to save it, so he shouted to the Jade Emperor: "The golden beans are blooming, let me out!" When the Jade Emperor saw the golden beans blooming in the courtyards of every house in the world, he had no choice but to pass on an edict to the Dragon King to return to heaven. Continue to bring rain to the world.
Since then, people have formed a habit. Every February 2nd, people pop corns and some fry beans. Adults and children also chant: "On February 2, the dragon raises its head, the big warehouse is full, and the small warehouse is full." In some places, stove ashes are spread into large circles in the yard, and grains are placed in the middle, which is called "beating". "Hoard" or "fill in". Its meaning is to wish for a good harvest and a full warehouse. During festivals, it is common in various places to add the title "dragon" to the name of food. Eating dumplings is called "dragon ears"; eating spring cakes is called "dragon scales"; eating noodles is called eating "dragon whiskers"; eating rice is called eating "dragon seeds"; eating wontons is called eating "longyan".
There are many customs on this day. Before getting up, you should recite "February 2, the dragon will raise its head. If the dragon does not raise its head, I will." After getting up, you should light a lantern to shine on the beams of the house, and recite while doing so: "On the second day of the second lunar month, when a beam of light shines on the roof, scorpions and centipedes have nowhere to hide." In some places, women do not move their needlework for fear of hurting the dragon's eyes; in some places, they stop washing clothes for fear of hurting the dragon's skin, and so on.
From a scientific point of view, the second day of the second lunar month is around the time of the "Jingzhe", when the earth begins to thaw and the weather gradually gets warmer. Farmers bid farewell to the slack and start working in the fields. Therefore, in ancient times, "February 2" was also called "Shang Er". Therefore, the Spring Dragon Festival, which is popular among Chinese people, was also called the "Spring Plowing Festival" in ancient times. It is said that if you don't wake up on this day, the rumbling thunder will call you.
Folk custom activities
1. Picking up the "aunt"
Another important activity on February 2 is to pick up the "aunt", that is, the mother's family picks up the "aunt" To return married daughters, there is a saying of "picking up the baby on February 2nd". Because old Beijingers have a lot of etiquette, "aunts" are not allowed to live in their parents' homes during the first month of the year. After visiting their parents' homes to pay New Year's greetings on the second day of the Lunar New Year, they must rush back to their husband's house on the same day, especially "aunts" who are newly married. But on the second day of February, her parents’ family came to take her daughter back and stay there for a few days or half a month. First, she had been busy for a long time in the first month and was quite tired, so she took her back to her parents’ home to have a good rest; second, it was the start of the new year. At the beginning, she will be busy again, so she should be rewarded. Usually spring cakes, also known as pancakes, are used as a treat. During the days after she was brought back, "aunt" did not only eat and drink, but also visited the house to chat, which was relaxed and happy.
2. The emperor plows the fields
Another activity on February 2nd is the emperor plowing the fields. Because the second day of February every year is around the time of the Waking of Insects, "The Waking of Insects plows the soil, and the spring equinox clears the earth." From then on, it is a busy time for spring plowing in the north. In order to mobilize people to quickly engage in spring plowing and production and not miss the farming season, on February 2nd, the emperor would symbolically lead all officials out of the palace to plow and loosen the soil on his "one-third of an acre". The emperors of the Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty would go to the Xiannong Altar to plow and loosen the soil on February 2 every year. Starting from Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty, they would go out of the Old Summer Palace on February 2 every year to the "One Mu Garden" (today's Haidian District). (West side of Yuanmingyuan) plowing the fields. There was a New Year painting in the past called "The Emperor Plowing the Fields". In the painting, an emperor wearing a crown and a dragon robe is plowing the fields with his hands on the plow. Behind him is a minister, holding a bamboo basket in one hand and holding a basket in the other. The one who sows the seeds and leads the cows is a seventh-grade county magistrate in a long robe, and in the distance are the queen and palace maids carrying baskets and delivering meals. There is also a limerick inscribed on the painting: "On February 2, the dragon raises its head, the emperor plows the land and ministers drive cattle, the empress of the palace brings food, the ministers of the dynasty throw away the seeds, spring plowing and summer work lead the world, the grain is abundant and the peaceful autumn." This painting. The painting also shows that people hope to have an enlightened emperor who can personally cultivate spring and summer work so that the people can have enough food and clothing.
3. Folk custom: The dragon raises its head.
"On February 2, the dragon raises its head. If the dragon does not raise its head, people will raise their head." This old saying sets the tone for people's high spirits. The dragon is a kind of divine creature imagined by people, and it is the master of harmony, wind, and rain. "It won't rain if the dragon doesn't raise its head." "The dragon raises its head" is synonymous with rain. During this period, the average temperature in most areas has steadily risen above zero degrees Celsius. As the weather gets warmer, cumulus clouds formed by convection gradually increase, and precipitation naturally increases significantly.
"February 2" is a day related to astronomy, climate, farming, health, etc., and it is very special. Since you want the dragon to raise its head, you must try to lure the dragon out.
Since the Ming Dynasty, there has been a practice of spreading ashes to attract the dragon. Shen Bang's "Wanshu Miscellaneous Poems" writes: "The Wan people call February 2nd the dragon to raise its head. The villagers use ashes to euphemistically spread them into the kitchen from outside the door, swirling around the water. "The water tank is called to attract the dragon back." Every February 2, every household goes from the front door to the house and then goes to the kitchen to spread lime around the water tank. On this day, sweeping the floor and doing needlework are not allowed, saying that they are afraid of injury. The dragon. Another purpose of spreading lime powder is to prevent resurrected bugs from breeding in the house. To do this, use open fire to illuminate the walls, beams, and nooks and crannies. "On February 2, if you shine the beams, there will be nowhere for scorpions and centipedes to hide." Some old ladies were saying "kang banging ballad" while banging the kang with a broom in their hands: "Knock, knock, knock on the head of the kang, gold and silver will flow home, knock on, knock on the edge of the kang, scorpions and centipedes will not meet!" In the countryside, On this morning, farmers will draw five large circles with stove ashes in the yard and place grains and grains in the middle, which is called "hoarding" to wish for good weather, good harvests, and full warehouses. How about saying "February 2, the dragon raises its head, the big warehouse is full, and the small warehouse is full".
In the north, on the second day of February, spring has begun to thaw, geese are flying north, and plow cattle are everywhere. It is about to be a good time to prepare the land for sowing. According to "Ancient and Modern Beijing", it was customized in the Qing Dynasty that on Zhonghai day every year, the emperor would go to the Xiannong Altar to worship the God of Agriculture. After the ceremony, one has to help oneself plow the land to show that it is the Jade Emperor who plowed the land himself, and then sit on the viewing platform to watch "the common man's final acres". The emperor worshiped the God of Agriculture at this time. The original intention was to call on the people to get up for spring plowing. Later, after some people deified it, it became a beautiful legend about the dragon raising its head on February 2.
There has always been a folk saying of "getting a haircut to get rid of the old". Getting a haircut on February 2 is said to bring good luck for the year. On this day, hairdressing places will be very busy because people haven't had their haircuts in more than a month. All the barbers took a full month off, and arrived on February 2nd. They opened the door early and did not have to greet the customers. The customers naturally flocked to the barber shop. "On February 2nd, the dragon raises its head, and children and adults want to have their heads shaved."
Everything eaten on February 2nd is related to dragons. Rice is called dragon son, noodles are called dragon whiskers, dumplings are called dragon teeth, wontons are called longan, spring cakes are called dragon scales, and meat rolls are called lazy dragons. Sauced meat is a must-eat. The traditional custom of the Han people is to eat pig head meat on February 2nd. In the past, people usually killed pigs and sheep on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month to celebrate the Little New Year. On the first, fifth and fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, all the meat was basically eaten, and only a pig head was left. On February 2nd, this "faucet" was used as an offering and enjoyed.
February 2 is not only the birthday of the dragon, but also the birthday of the Earth God. In the old days, every household would go to the Earth Temple to worship. Just worshiping the land is not enough. Another custom in Beijing is to offer incense to worship the gods. On February 2nd, men and women put gold characters on their foreheads and rode on donkeys to the Bixia Yuanjun Temple in Zhuozhou to burn incense and express good wishes in the hope of being favored by the gods. It's called going to the temple to offer incense, but it's actually an outing. "Sui Hua Ji Li Pu" records: "On February 2, during the Outing Festival, people from the Chu County went on a tour and scattered in the surrounding suburbs."
Folk custom food
Spring cakes
Spring pancake is a folk food in Beijing. It is a very thin pancake, also known as pancake. Every year on the first day of spring, Beijingers eat spring pancakes, which are called "biting spring". The second day of the second lunar month is the day when the dragon raises its head according to an ancient Chinese proverb ("February 2, the dragon raises its head"). On this day, Beijingers also eat spring pancakes, which is called "eating dragon scales."
Beijing Spring Pancakes
Spring pancakes are larger than the pancakes used to eat roast duck, and they are tougher (Beijing people call them "bone strong") because they need to be rolled with a lot of vegetables. In the past, when eating spring pancakes, it was important to go to the box shop to order "Su Pan" (also known as box dishes). A box shop is a sauce butcher shop, and the store sends people to deliver food to your home.
The box is divided into compartments for smoked tripe, pine nut tripe, roasted pork (a hanging oven roasted pork), clear sauced pork, smoked elbow, sauced elbow, sauced strips, smoked chicken, sauced duck, etc. When eating, you need to cut it into thin strips with a knife and add several home-cooked vegetables (usually stir-fried leek sprouts with shredded pork, stir-fried spinach with shredded pork, mung bean sprouts cooked with vinegar, stir-fried vegetarian vermicelli, spread eggs, etc., if there are "newly-launched" "Pheasant neck and chives" are stir-fried with shredded lean pork, and paired with eggs, which is even more delicious and delicious), and rolled into spring cakes to eat together. The condiments include shredded green onions and yellow sauce drizzled with sesame oil (roast duck with sweet noodle sauce).
When eating spring cakes, the whole family sits together, puts the baked spring cakes in the steamer, and eats them as they go, in order to keep them warm. If spring pancakes are eaten on February 2, Beijingers are also particular about taking married girls home.
Donkey Rolling
Donkey Rolling
A kind of bean flour cake, a halal snack in Beijing. Use steamed yellow rice (or glutinous rice) to knead into a ball, sprinkle with fried soybean noodles, add red bean filling, roll into a long strip, sprinkle with sesame, osmanthus and white sugar to eat. Since the food stalls operated in the Qing Dynasty "made it now and sold it" When the "donkey rolls", the bean flour is sprinkled as it is prepared, just like a donkey rolling on the spot in the countryside and covered with loess, hence the humorous name.
It is a custom in old Beijing that people always like to buy "donkey rolling" to taste in the second month of the lunar calendar, so there are many food vendors and cart vendors operating this kind of food, such as the Bai food stall and "rice cake tiger" in Tianqiao Market (Tiger Zhanfu) is the most famous.
Climate Solar Terms
After February of the lunar calendar, the "rain" solar term comes. The lack of rain in winter ends and the rainfall will gradually increase. This is originally a characteristic of the monsoon climate in North China.