When is the Dragon Raising its Head in 2017? What are the traditional customs on the second day of the second month?

When is the Dragon Raising its Head in 2017? What are the traditional customs on the second day of the second month?
Introduction: There is a saying among the people that "On February 2, the dragon raises its head." This day has many customs and traditions. So what are the traditional customs and etiquette on this day? Let’s take a look together! The first month of the lunar calendar is about to begin with various festivals. Let us count the important traditional festivals and customs of this month. A good year starts with spring.

February 2nd Dragon Raising its Head Custom: Eating Dragon Food

There are certain dietary requirements on February 2, and most of the food on this day is named after dragons. Eating spring rolls is called "eating dragon scales", eating noodles is called "holding dragon whiskers", eating rice is called "eating dragon eggs", eating wontons is called "eating dragon eyes", and eating dumplings is called "eating dragon ears". All of this is to awaken the Dragon King and pray for him to bless the year with good weather and a good harvest. Of course, different regions have different foods, but eating spring rolls is a universal custom. It is recorded in the Ming Dynasty book "Zhuo Zhong Zhi": "On the second day of February, each family uses millet flour and date cakes, fried in oil, or white flour and thin spread into pancakes, called 'fumigation of insects'."

February 2nd Dragon Raising Head Customs: Haircut

On the second day of the second month, the barber shop is particularly busy. Everyone has to get a haircut on this day. There is a saying among the people that "don't get a haircut in the first month of the lunar year". Many people will not get their hair cut again for a month after getting it cut in the twelfth month, but will wait until the second day of the second month. Why do people get a haircut on the second day of the second month? Legend has it that shaving your head on this day will bring good luck and fortune, so the proverb says "Shaving your head on the second day of the second month will bring you good luck for the whole year." It seems that getting a haircut on this day will bring good luck and smooth sailing for the whole year.

The custom of the Dragon Raising its Head on February 2: welcoming the "girl"

Another important custom on February 2 is to pick up the "girl", that is, the girl's family takes back her married daughter, so there is a saying "February 2, bring the girl back". People in northern Jiangsu have many etiquettes. Among them, a "girl" cannot live in her parents' home during the first month of the lunar year. After visiting her parents' home to pay New Year's greetings on the second day of the lunar year, she must return to her husband's home on the same day. But on the second day of the second month, her parents would come to take their daughter back to stay for a few days. First, she had been busy for a long time in the first month of the year and was quite tired, so they wanted to take her back to her parents' home to have a good rest; second, the new year had just begun and they would be busy again, so they wanted to reward her. During the days after being brought back, the "girl" spent her time eating and drinking, visiting friends and chatting, and her life was relaxed and happy. While city dwellers "bring a girl" means bringing back the girl and her son-in-law for a sumptuous lunch together. This custom is also very popular in Beijing and most areas in northern my country, and many areas have continued to this day.

February 2nd Dragon Raising its Head Custom: Leading the Dragon

In Shanxi, the most important custom is "attracting the dragon", which is called "Si Qian Long" in northwest Shanxi. On the morning of February 2 before the sun rises, every household has to carry buckets to the river or well to fetch water. When drawing water, put copper coins in the bucket. After fetching water, sprinkle it while walking. When you get home, pour the remaining water into the water tank, so as to lead the "money dragon" back. Do not speak when attracting the money dragon, so as not to scare it away. In eastern Henan, on the morning of the second day of the second lunar month, every family will use the ashes in the furnace to build a granary in the yard and outside the gate. That is, they put wood ash on a long-handled iron shovel and scatter it into a circle, and then put different grains in the center of the circle. This is actually a farmer's wish for a good harvest.

February 2nd Dragon Raising its Head Customs: Offering sacrifices to the community

In the south, the custom of worshipping the community is still followed on the "February 2nd" day, such as in Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and other regions; in addition, a new "February 2nd" custom has been formed that is similar to the Dragon Head-raising Festival but is based on the custom of worshipping the community, such as in the Hakka area of ​​Guidong. The land god was called "She" or "Sheshen" in ancient times. Legend has it that he is the god who manages the land. Because "the earth carries all things" and "wealth is gathered on the earth", humans have developed a worship of the land. After entering the agricultural society, people began to associate belief in the land with the harvest of crops. The land god is widely worshipped in southern my country, also known as the "soil god" or the "God of Fortune and Fortune". The Hakka people call him "Tudi Bogong". The customs of the "February 2" community day are rich in content. The main activities are offering sacrifices to the land and gathering together for drinking, which is a way of honoring and entertaining gods and entertaining people.

February 2nd Dragon Raising its Head Customs: Filling the Warehouse

On the morning of the festival, after getting up, people would spread wood ash in the shape of an "ash circle" around the house and throughout the courtyard to avoid harm from poisonous insects; some would spread ashes or rice bran on the ground to draw a line from the well or river outside to the water tank inside the house, and some would even go around the water tank in a circle, which was called "leading the dragon back", meaning they hoped the dragon that controls water would bring enough rain to everyone this year to ensure a good harvest; some also used ashes to draw patterns of granaries and grain bins on the courtyard, dug a small hole in the middle, and buried some grains, which was called "enclosing the bin" or "removing the hole", and covered them with tiles, which was called "keeping insects away from eating". In Kaifeng and Huaiyang areas, the ash circles are removed at dusk. Not only farmers' homes but also grain and rice shops are removed. There are dozens to more than twenty ash circles, which are as big as millstones with layers of smaller circles inside. The smallest one is as big as a wine pot. The middle is made of loose soil, and grains are buried in it. The idea is to store up grains and the warehouse is high. It is commonly known as "filling the warehouse."

The custom of the Dragon Raising its Head on February 2: Wearing wheat

On the second day of the second lunar month, people in Deng County would get up early in the morning, go to the fields to pull some wheat seedlings, take them home, tie them with ropes and wear them on the lapels of children's clothes, saying, "Wear wheat and you will live to be a hundred years old." People in Huaiyang would stroll in the wheat fields on the morning of the second day of the second lunar month, looking around as they walked. If they saw an iron nail or something, they would be very happy. Because people believe that "if you pick up an iron on February 20, you will live 100 years." People in Xinxian county do not work on this day as they believe that "on the second day of the second month, the dragon raises its head, so you can't use the millstone or oxen." However, in eastern Henan, people try out plows and graft fruit trees on this day as they believe that trying out plows on this day means "skillful hands" and grafting fruit trees means "abundant fruits." They also give each other grains and fruit seeds on this day as a token of "offering children." On this day, men have to shave their heads and get a haircut to reflect the auspiciousness of "shaving the dragon's head and washing the dragon's horns". Because the beginning of February is around the Jingzhe period of the twenty-four solar terms, and sometimes even the second day of February is Jingzhe. The "jing" in Jingzhe means "awakening" and "zhe" means "hibernation", which refers to the hibernation of animals. Jingzhe means that spring has become warmer and the hibernating animals wake up with the rolling spring thunder. Therefore, people have come up with many ideas to conquer them, even if it is just a conquest of intention, that is, a spiritual conquest. For example, on the evening of the second day of the second lunar month, adults and children would bang on tiles, chanting as they bang: Clap, bang on the tiles, the scorpion comes out without claws. Clap, clap, clap on the doorpost, the scorpion will come out and not harm the girl. Knock, knock on the door frame, let the five poisonous creatures meet the King of Hell. Clap, clap, clap at the doorpost, the scorpions, centipedes and long worms are cut off from their roots.

The custom of the Dragon Raising its Head on February 2: Shine the Light on the Wall

There is another custom among the people of Henan Province on February 2nd. Housewives have to hold a rolling pin and knock on beams and door heads, while reciting blessing words, such as: Knock on the door on February 2nd, and gold and silver will flow down. On the second day of the second month, knock on the beams, and the big and small granaries will flow. Underage children would follow their parents' orders and light lanterns at the base of the walls of their homes, commonly known as "shining at the base of the walls." It is said that "On the second day of the second month in the lunar calendar, a bunch of scorpions will die at the foot of the wall." In Tanghe area, children hold a candle in one hand and knock on the beam with a stick in the other hand in the morning, chanting: "On the second day of the second month, light the candle, and the scorpion will come out without a tail."
Summary: The above article mainly introduces us to some traditional customs of the Dragon Raising its Head on the second day of the second lunar month. After reading the introduction in the above article, do you have a better understanding of the Dragon Raising its Head festival?

After reading this article, there are more exciting contents in the special topic of the first month of the lunar calendar. Let’s take a look!

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