Brother Aneng, what are you standing here thinking about? Liang Jinhui and Liang Jinlian were holding New Year's goods and saw Hui Neng standing in front of the stone gate halfway up the mountain, meditating, so they quickened their pace and came up the path on the mountainside.
"Ah, Ah Hui, Ah Lianmei, you are here." Huineng came forward to greet them. I saw Liang Jinhui carrying a bag of rice and a live chicken in his hand. Liang Jinlian was holding a piece of pork, yuba, mushrooms, silk, yellow buds, etc., as well as firecrackers, couplets, ingots, candle incense, etc. to celebrate the New Year. supplies.
"Brother Aneng, come and pick up the New Year's goods." Liang Jinlian said as she handed the New Year's goods in her hand to Huineng.
Liang Jinhui put down the bag of rice, wiped the sweat on his forehead with his hands, and panted slightly, "Not far from the door, the chicken took off its rope and walked out. I chased it for a while before catching it, so I came late. ”
"You really have the heart of our mother and son." Mrs. Li heard the voices of Liang Jinhui and Huineng talking in the villa, and came out with staggering steps.
Liang Jinhui said to Mrs. Li: "Aunt, you are being polite to us again. Amei, hurry up and help aunt wash the pot, boil water and kill chickens to worship the gods. Dad said that he will invite aunt and Brother Aneng to our house for dinner later. Dad is preparing the reunion dinner at home."
"Brother Aneng, what were you thinking about just now? You were so absorbed in your thoughts." After not seeing each other for a few days, Liang Jinlian wanted to stay with Huineng for a while longer, so she asked Huineng for an excuse.
Huineng smiled and said, "I'm thinking about when I was a kid, I went to watch lion dance, dragon dance, and 'Walking King' with my friends in the village during the Chinese New Year!"
Liang Jinlian looked at Huineng and said with a smile: "We also have a 'Zou Da Wang' during the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month! Then I will take you to see our 'Zuo Da Wang' here. It's so lively!"
"You're the only one who talks too much! Why don't you go in and help your aunt boil water and kill chickens to worship the gods." Liang Jinhui looked at his sister, a little impatient.
"Okay, okay, okay, aunt, let's go into the house to boil water and kill chickens, and let them post couplets." Liang Jinlian glared at Liang Jinhui, made a face, then held the chicken in her right hand, and held Li's arm in her left hand. He said as he went into the house.
"As soon as you brothers and sisters arrived, this place immediately became lively and joyful." Mrs. Li looked at Liang Jinhui and Liang Jinlian with a smile that was rarely seen on her face.
Hui Neng and Liang Jinhui also gathered in front of the house.
After they had posted the couplets and door gods, Li took the steaming pork and chicken out of the pot, put them on a large plate, took them out from the kitchen, and placed them on the tray handed over by Liang Jinlian.
Liang Jinlian opened the countertop, and Mrs. Li placed the pork and chicken on the trays on the countertop, and then placed the incense burner;
Liang Jinlian placed three wine glasses in front of the incense burner and filled them with wine;
Li lit a pair of candles and three sticks of incense and began to worship the gods...
Liang Jinlian cooperated very well with Li's series of actions to worship the gods, just like a mother and daughter.
After worshiping the gods, Hui Neng held up a long string of firecrackers with bamboo poles. Just as Liang Jinhui was about to strike a match and light it, Liang Jinlian pulled out a burning stick of incense from the incense burner and walked over quickly. The string of firecrackers was lit.
As Liang Jinlian laughed "haha", the string of firecrackers also sounded "crackling".
…
Early in the morning on the Lantern Festival, Liang Jinlian and Liang Jinhui, as well as the sweet-scented osmanthus in the village, dressed in new New Year clothes, went up the mountain in a joyful atmosphere, and came to invite Huineng to go to Wudong Village to watch the "Walking King" together.
Hui Neng thought that Liang Jinlian was just talking casually on New Year's Eve, but he didn't expect that today would actually come, so he took advantage of the New Year atmosphere before it faded and said cheerfully: "Okay! Go ahead and eat Yuanxiao dumplings. "
So, Liang Jinlian, Liang Jinhui and Guihua happily followed Huineng into the villa.
Mrs. Li saw Liang Jinlian and three others coming inside. She entered the room and came out with three packets of cash. Liang Jinlian stepped forward, took Mr. Li's hand, and cheerfully said "Happy New Year and good health". After the kind words of congratulations, he called Osmanthus fragrans over and introduced to Mr. Li, "She is the Osmanthus fragrans in my village."
Osmanthus nodded to Mrs. Li sensibly, and said a little unnaturally, "Auntie, happy New Year!"
While handing out the red packets, Mr. Li said happily, "I wish you all the best in the New Year!"
Liang Jinhui, Liang Jinlian, and Guihua took the red packets and said in unison, "I wish my aunt a happy new year like the East China Sea and a longevity as long as the Southern Mountains!"
When Mrs. Li heard this, her face was filled with a festive smile, and she kept praising them for their sensibleness and good nature.
After tasting the Yuanxiao glutinous rice balls that Li made early this morning, and drinking the fragrant New Year tea, Liang Jinlian praised the delicious glutinous rice balls and said to Li: "Auntie, after finishing the Lantern Festival glutinous rice balls, we will treat you later." Brother Neng went to Wudong Village to watch ‘The King of Walking’.”
Mrs. Li said understandingly: "Okay! It's rare that you have the intention. During the New Year, young people should be lively and lively."
Liang Jinhui took advantage of the situation and said, "Aunt, we are going now."
Ms. Li smiled and waved her hand, "Go ahead and remember to have fun and enjoy yourself."
"Remember, Auntie!" Liang Jinlian and the others said as they walked out of the villa with Huineng and headed towards Wudong Village.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Wudong Village at the foot of Tianlu Mountain ushered in the grand annual "Zou Dawang" festival.
There are more than ten villages in Wudong Village, and each village has an "authoritative king" passed down from their ancestors. These clay or wood carvings of the king are usually enshrined in the Dawang Temple at the head of the village.
On the "King Walking Festival", villagers from each village hold colorful flags with the words "Good weather", "Guotai Minan" and other words, and carry the king of their village through the village with great pride, beating gongs and drums, and dancing lions in front of them. open circuit.
Then came the villagers disguised as warriors, holding swords, guns, swords and halberds as guards, shouting loudly and majestically.
Along the way, the eight notes of the suona were played in unison, and the sound shook the sky. The "cracking" sound of firecrackers was deafening, and the exploding firecracker fragments splashed everywhere like red rain. Villagers use this to drive away evil spirits and pray for happiness and good luck in the year.
After the villagers carried the king around the village, the lion troupes from each village gathered in the square in front of the king's temple.
The martial arts masters danced with lions, flipping, falling, jumping, jumping high, worshiping... They used all their strength to perform, showing off their lion skills with many tricks and high difficulty. Finally, there is a "green picking" competition to see which lion team can stack the human tower the highest and pick down the hanging "green", in order to compete for the "high on the top" crown. Villagers wearing new clothes crowded the square. Laughter, applause, cheers, gongs, drums, and firecrackers mixed together to form a festive symphony, which was very lively.
Xialu Village, Huineng’s hometown, also has the custom of walking the king. Today, we celebrate this rare festival in Wudong Village. I feel particularly cordial and applaud happily.
At the King Walking Site, Hui Neng discovered that Liang Yaocai was among them, so he walked over to say hello.
When Liang Yaocai saw that Hui Neng and others also came to Wudong Village to see the "Walking King", he was very happy to distribute red packets to the four of them, wishing them "full of wealth, peace and health, all wishes come true, couples, and happy reunion" in the new year. ” and other festive and auspicious words.
A tall, red-faced man over fifty came to Liang Yaocai. After greeting him, he turned to Huineng and said, "Who is this?"
Liang Yaocai quickly introduced the man: "This man is a distant relative of A Tian's family, named Aneng. The one next to him is A Hui, A Tian's son. This is A Tian's daughter A Lian. And the one next to A Lian, It’s the sweet-scented osmanthus in our village.”
After Liang Yaocai introduced Huineng and the others, he then introduced to Huineng and the others: "This is the leader of Longtan Village in Tiantangping. His surname is Long and he is a famous writer. He has a good academic background and is well-educated. He is usually kind-hearted and charitable."
Long Wenhao took out four red packets from his bag, and while handing them out, he asked Huineng, "Aneng, I just heard the New Year greetings Uncle Yaocai said to you, do you know what they mean?"
Huineng said humbly: "I don't know much about it, but I'd like to hear the details."
"Okay." The leader of Longzhai sat down on a large stone on the side of the field and began to talk to Huineng and the others:
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the traditional Lantern Festival. The first lunar month is the first lunar month, and the ancients called the night "Xiao". The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the first full-moon night of the year, so the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is called the Lantern Festival.
The Lantern Festival, also known as Xiaozhengyue, Lantern Festival or Lantern Festival, is the first important festival after the Spring Festival. Since the Han Dynasty, people have had the custom of lighting up and enjoying lanterns on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, so people call this day the Festival of Lanterns.
On a night when spring returns to the earth, the bright moon hangs high in the sky and there are thousands of colorful lanterns on the ground. People watch lantern festivals, guess lantern riddles, eat Lantern Festival, and reunite with their families happily, which fully embodies the cultural connotation of the Lantern Festival.
After Long Wenhao briefly explained the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, he began to talk about the origin of the Lantern Festival——
The origin of the Lantern Festival is very ancient, stemming from ancient humans using torches to ward off evil spirits during the festival. This festival involves worshiping the gods. Since it is held at night, torches are naturally used. Later, it gradually evolved into the Lantern Festival.
The Lantern Festival began as early as the Western Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago.
Lantern viewing during the Lantern Festival began during the period of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Because Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty promoted Buddhism, it coincided with Cai Min's return from India to seek Buddhism. Cai Min said that every fifteenth day of the first lunar month in Magadha, India, monks gathered to pay homage to the Buddha's relics, which was 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. Therefore, the custom of lighting lanterns on the fifteenth night of the first lunar month gradually spread in Eastern China with the expansion of the influence of Buddhist culture and the addition of Taoist culture.
Since then, this Buddhist ritual festival has gradually expanded into a grand folk festival.
In addition, there is also a saying that the Lantern Festival originated from the Torch Festival. People in the Han Dynasty held torches in the countryside to drive away pests and beasts, hoping to reduce pest damage and pray for a good harvest. Since the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it has been very popular. Tens of thousands of people participated in the singing and dancing, starting from dusk on the first day to dark on the second day.
There are also some folk legends about the origin of the Lantern Festival.
There is a legend that it was created by Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty to quell the rebellion.
According to legend, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty put down the "Zhu Lu Rebellion" on the 15th day of the first lunar month, so he designated this day as the Lantern Festival.
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 government and turned the Liu family's world into the Lu family's world. The Liu clan, veterans of the court, were deeply indignant, but they were afraid of Empress Lu's cruelty and dared not speak out.
After Empress Lu died of illness, the Lu family was in panic, fearing that they would be harmed and excluded. Therefore, they secretly gathered at the home of General Lu Lu and conspired to cause rebellion in order to completely seize the Liu family.
This incident reached the ears of Qi Wang Liu Nang, the Liu clan. In order to protect the Liu family, Liu Nang decided to launch an army to attack Zhu Lu.
Later, Liu Nang got in touch with Zhou Bo and Chen Ping, the founding veterans, and designed to depose 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, which was the day when the "Zhu Lu Rebellion" was quelled, as a day to enjoy with the people. Every house in the capital lit up lights and colors to celebrate.
Since then, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month has become a folk festival celebrated by everyone, namely the "Lantern Festival".
"First of all, when talking about the origin of the Lantern Festival, I have to mention the Lantern Festival girl." After the leader of Longzhai made the opening remarks, his eyes glanced at Liang Jinlian and Huineng. Then, he shook his head and turned to the topic:
Speaking of the origin of the Lantern Festival, it is related to the custom of eating Lantern Festival——
According to legend, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had a favorite named Dongfang Shuo, who was kind and funny.
One winter, there were several heavy snowfalls, 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 stepped forward to rescue the palace maid and asked her why she wanted to commit suicide.
It turns out that this 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 opportunity to see her family again. Every year when the Spring Festival comes, she misses her family even more. 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 wanted was the sign of "burning the body with fire on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month".
Suddenly, there was great panic in the city of Chang'an, and people asked for solutions to the disaster.
Dongfang Shuo said matter-of-factly: "On the evening of the 15th day of the first lunar month, Lord Vulcan will send a red-clothed goddess down to earth to investigate. She is the envoy who was ordered to burn Chang'an. I will give you the copied verses for you to think about today. Way." After saying that, he threw down a red note 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 looked at it, and saw that it read: "Chang'an is in disaster, the emperor's palace is burned, fifteen days of fire, flame red supper".
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was shocked when he saw it, and quickly invited the resourceful Dongfang Shuo.
Dongfang Shuo thought for a while and said, "Your Majesty, 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? On the night of the 15th, you can let Yuanxiao make glutinous rice balls. Long live the incense." I ordered everyone in Kyoto to make glutinous rice balls and worship the God of Fire together. Then I 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 can hide it from the Jade Emperor."
When Dongfang Shuo said this, he secretly glanced at Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty who was listening attentively, and said, "I thought that I would inform the people outside the city to come to the city on the night of the 15th to watch the lanterns and eliminate disasters among the crowd."
After hearing this, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was very happy and immediately issued an order: Follow Dongfang Shuo's method. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the city of Chang'an was decorated with lights and colorful, and there was an endless stream of tourists, making it very lively.
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: "Yuanxiao, Yuanxiao".
Yuanxiao heard the shouting and was finally reunited with her relatives at home. After such a lively night, Chang'an City was indeed peaceful.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was overjoyed and ordered that glutinous rice balls be made as offerings to the God of Fire every fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Lanterns and fireworks would still be hung throughout the city on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
Because the dumplings made during the Lantern Festival are the most delicious, the Lantern Festival comes from this.
