What does it mean to pick up the spring?

Welcome to Spring: A traditional annual custom that marks the beginning of spring.

It is a traditional custom to welcome spring. The Beginning of Spring is the first of the 24 solar terms in a year, and it marks the beginning of spring.

Every year on the day of the Beginning of Spring, everyone celebrates the coming of spring, and the various ceremonies to welcome the spring are more grand than celebrating the New Year. There is a folk custom in China of picking up spring or picking up spring cows.

In those ancient times when the economy was underdeveloped, cattle were the best labor force for mankind. If the person receiving the Spring Festival is from a better family, they will hang up a hanging firecracker, ceremoniously take the Spring Cow home, and then give the Spring Festival sender a red envelope. If someone from a poor family simply pays the spring sender five cents or ten cents to the spring sender, the spring sender won't mind and will still say: Spring is here.

Customs of welcoming spring in various places:

The custom of welcoming spring has been passed down. On the first day of spring, people wrap a vegetable called "spring vegetables" in red paper, or put Plant them in the sand, or hang them at the door, and then stick them with the four characters "Welcome the Spring and Bring the Blessings" to worship heaven and earth sacredly. Wherever firecrackers can be lit, a long one will be lit. It was very lively.

In some places, celebrating the Spring Festival is more lively and grand than the Spring Festival. People will consciously gather together and dance happily.

The Hakka custom of worshiping the spring god in Sanming City in western Fujian is called "Jie Chun". At the turn of spring, the Gengdu House puts up red paper banners such as "Welcome Spring and Bring Blessings", "Spring Comes and Brings Blessings", "Spring Comes and Brings Blessings", and "Spring Comes and Blessings Come" on the door to welcome the God of Spring.

The Beginning of Spring falls on February 4 or 5 of the Gregorian calendar (also known as the "Western calendar") every year, which is around the time of the "Old Calendar Year" for the Hakka people in western Fujian. The beginning of spring is called "nianlichun" after the new year, and the beginning of spring before the new year is called "nianwaichun".

Reference for the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Jie Chun