The sound of firecrackers marks the end of the year, and the spring breeze brings warmth to Tusu.
Thousands of households always replace old talismans with new peaches.
In the "Book of Songs·Xiaoya·Ting Liao" in the Spring and Autumn Period: "There is a record of "Ting Liao's Light".
The so-called "Ting Liao" is a torch made of yellow bamboo such as bamboo poles.
After the bamboo torch burns, the air inside the bamboo joints expands, and the silk cavity bursts, making a crackling sound in an instant...
The origin of the word "firecracker" started from Ting Liao!
"..."
"Zhuangzi" records: "Put a peach branch in the house with ashes underneath. Children will not be afraid when they enter, but ghosts will be afraid."
This is the earliest peach charm and the predecessor of Spring Festival couplets.
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It is recorded in the Pre-Qin Dynasty's "Lu Shi Chun Qiu Ji Dong Ji" that on New Year's Eve, the ancients would hang peach charms and set off the flames of the courtyard to drive away the ghosts of disease...
These two customs are also considered an essential part of the New Year's Eve festival.
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During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, although people did not have the concept of celebrating the New Year, the basic customs had still been formed.
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January 20th is a very important day for the Han people.
Because, among the three hundred and sixty-five days of the year, the biggest festival is coming soon.
New Year's Eve is the last night of the Lunar New Year.
New Year's Eve means getting rid of the old and welcoming the new, and it is also a celebration of the last harvest of the year.
"..."
In the Han Dynasty, people no longer hung peach branches on New Year's Eve. Instead, they used more complicated techniques to peel peach boards to make images of Shen Tu and Yu Lei and hang them on the front door.
The Taofu at this time was the prototype of the door god and the predecessor of the inscribed Spring Festival couplets.
In the Han Dynasty, the so-called Spring Festival couplets were all made of peach wood boards, so they were also called peach charms.
The appearance of Taofu is related to an ancient legend.
In ancient Chinese mythology, there was a special era. In that era, it was said that there was no reincarnation.
The ghost world is just the ghost world. The gate of the ghost world is located in the northeast of a huge peach tree.
Standing by the door were two gods named Shen Tu and Yu Lei.
The priestly duties of Shen Tu and Yu Lei are responsible for managing ghosts.
If a ghost does something harmful to nature at night, when the two great gods Shen Tu and Yu Lei discover it, they will immediately catch it, tie it up with a rope made of awning reed, and send it to the divine tiger.
"..."
In order to frighten all ghosts, the people carved images of the two great gods Shen Tu and Yu Lei out of peach wood and hung them in front of their doors.
Eight hundred years later, Meng Chang, the empress of the Five Dynasties of Shu, suddenly had a whim and wrote on the peach symbols "New Year's Festival Number Changchun" and "Festival Number Changchun".
This is the earliest Spring couplet with words in Chinese historical records.
Since Meng Chang's inscription on the Taofu, later generations of literati and scholars, seeking fame and fortune, all followed suit.
Therefore, the trend of writing Spring Festival couplets on New Year's Eve gradually spread.
It is worth mentioning that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Liu Che, only decided on New Year’s Day, the predecessor of the Spring Festival, in the first year of Taichu.
Before the first year of Taichu, there was no New Year's Day, let alone Spring Festival.
At that time, New Year's Eve was the biggest festival of the year.
Historical records record: In the first year of Taichu of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, that is, in 104 BC, astronomers Tang Du, Luo Xiahong, and Deng Ping formulated the "Taichu Calendar".
"Taichu Calendar" changed October 1st in winter as the beginning of the year, and January 1st in spring as the beginning of the year, calling it New Year's Day.
Of course, this was decades later.
There is a popular saying among the people, "It's the new year, so post Spring Festival couplets."
Although at this time, there is no such thing as the Spring Festival in the Han Dynasty.
However, New Year's Eve at this time is the Spring Festival of the Han Dynasty.
"..."
Therefore, when New Year's Eve is approaching, peach charms are posted on the courtyard and house doors of every household.
The door god peach charms of Shen Tu and Yu Lei can be seen everywhere.
There are also some wealthy landlords and squire families who are more particular about their doors and have some gold-pink door charms posted on them.
"..."
Cough cough cough, let’s get back to the topic.
At this moment, in front of the military camp in Houtu County, a big red peach talisman was posted on the door god in response to the occasion.
The soldiers in Houtu County fought hard for a long time because of the Huns' invasion, resulting in numerous casualties.
These battles, one after another, damaged not only the physical body of the soldiers, but also the mental aspect.
A group of soldiers, including Wei Qing, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The cruelty and terror of war are far beyond what normal people can bear.
It was full of cold arrows, sparks from the collision of swords, spears and halberds. The battlefield was littered with broken limbs and limbs.
Even if the war is over, they can still see mountains of corpses and seas of blood when they close their eyes.
The smell of blood, rust, corpse odor, etc. can still be smelled to this day...
This New Year's Eve comes at just the right time...
Washing away the old dust on New Year's Eve can clear away the fatigue of the old year and usher in the peace of the new year.
The five blessings of reunion, blessing, peace, and gratitude are enough to heal psychological trauma.
As the years pass by, we get closer and closer, smelling the aroma of fat meat and white flour buns in the air, and looking at the joy everywhere.
Everyone in the military camp felt a little restless and confused.
Especially those soldiers who had families and families were all looking straight at Wei Qing.
Wei Qing understood the thoughts and feelings of these people, so he issued an order.
"In the past few days, the army will give them holidays in batches, and each person will be given an extra fifty copper coins for the holiday."
Amid cheers of "Sir, Sir, thank you!", Wei Qing ended the lecture.
After appeasing the anxious hearts of his soldiers, Wei Qing returned to the camp and began to deal with daily matters.
The Huns had just retreated, and the thick-soiled county was in dire straits, so there really weren’t too many daily chores to do.
No, Wei Qing had just sat down on the chair when a group of officers and scribes crowded in from outside the military tent.
These people all came to him for business.
Among them, some wanted approval documents, some wanted regulations, some were waiting for his signature to approve money or goods...
There are also requests for annual leave from him, visits to relatives, and frictions between various teams...
After he had finished handling most of the daily chores, the dusk scene of burning clouds had already appeared in the sky outside.
After he signed his name on the last document, he looked at the back of the clerk and disappeared outside the account...
Wei Qing was relieved and took a long breath.
"…………"
Looking at the few remaining pieces of paper on the table.
Wei Qing seized the time again and began to check the materials, supplies, military pay and other data for a long time. After registering and checking with the quartermaster, he returned to his residence.
By this time, it was already dark.
The place where Wei Qing lives now is a small mansion.
