What's the point of getting a haircut when the dragon looks up?
On February 2nd, there was a saying "getting a haircut to get old". Giving a child a haircut is called "shaving". When the dragon looks up, it will bless the child to grow up healthily and get ahead when he grows up. Adults get a haircut, called "scraping the tap", to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, hoping to bring good luck. There is a folk proverb to prove it: "On February 2nd, dragons look up, and children and adults have to shave their heads.
It is best to choose an auspicious time for a dragon haircut. Generally speaking, it is best to get a haircut in the morning when the dragon looks up. Try to get a haircut during the day, not at night.
It's best to get a haircut, even a trim, on the day when the dragon looks up on February 2. Reminder: The so-called trimming scissors mean that you can trim the trimming scissors at home without going to the barber shop. For example, you can give your family, even a baby, a haircut. Hairdressing is not about quantity, but about attitude. Even if you cut off a hair for yourself, you are lucky.
The custom of dragons raising their heads on the same day
1. yinganlong
① Painting dragons on the ground with stove smoke in Shandong area. First, ask the dragon to come back to make clouds and rain and pray for a bumper harvest; Second, the dragon is the god of all insects. When the dragon comes, the insects hide, which is beneficial to human health and crop growth.
(2) Attracting Money Dragons in Northwest Shanxi, choose a big tree or a big stone, scatter it around with gray lines, tie a copper coin in the circle with red lines, take it home and cover it with containers.
(3) In other areas, early in the morning, people carry water from wells and pour it into water tanks. Whoever picks the home first will be led to Qianlong first. This year's fortune will be very good, so there will often be cases of rushing to fetch water early in the morning.
Tap the tap
Knock on the tap to wake up the dragon: On the morning of February 2, some parts of Northeast China knocked on the beams with long poles, which was called "knocking on the tap". Wake up the dragon and save one side. Adults and children still read: "On February 2, the dragon looked up, the big warehouse was full, and the small warehouse flowed." In some places, kitchen ashes are scattered in the yard to form a big circle, and whole grains are put in the middle, which is called "hoarding" or "filling the warehouse". I wish you a bumper harvest and a full warehouse in Man Cang.
Scraping faucet
The second day of the second lunar month is the day to kill dragons and ascend to heaven. People believe that shaving your head on this day will make people lucky. Children's haircut is called "shaving their heads". When the dragon looks up, it will bless children to grow up healthily and get ahead when they grow up. Hairdressing for adults means saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, hoping to bring good omen and good luck. Therefore, the folk proverb says, "Shaving the tap on February 2nd is a good year.". On this day, every barber shop is full of customers and business is booming. In addition, there is a folk saying that "my uncle died in the first month", and many people only visit the barber shop from the twelfth lunar month to February 2.
Eating dragon food
On this day, there is also a certain emphasis on diet, because people believe that "Rowen has great wealth", so the diet of this day is mostly named after dragons. Eating spring cakes is called "eating dragon shower", eating noodles is called "Fulong beard", eating rice is called "eating Zi Long", eating wonton is called "eating dragon ears", eating noodles is called "eating dragon beard", cooking noodles with wonton is called "Longna not cooking", eating pig's head is called "eating dragon head" and eating scallion cake is called "tearing dragon". Everything carries symbols and meanings related to dragons. All these have pinned people's strong desire to pray for the dragon's blessing.
Eating pig's head meat
On this day, there is also a certain emphasis on diet, because people believe that "Rowen has great wealth", so most of the diet on this day is named Dragon. Eating spring cakes is called eating Longlin, eating noodles is called fulongxu, eating rice is called eating Zi Long, eating wonton is called eating Longlin, eating jiaozi is called eating Longlin, eating noodles is called eating Longxu, cooking noodles and wonton together is called Longnazhu, and eating pig's head is called eating. Everything carries symbols and meanings related to dragons. All these have pinned people's strong desire to pray for the dragon's blessing, the good weather and the bumper harvest of grain.
6.mustard rice
Mustard rice is a traditional snack of Han nationality in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. Soft and tender, sweet and refreshing, with unique flavor. Eating mustard rice on the second day of the second lunar month is a popular custom in Wenzhou. It is said that eating mustard rice will not cause scabies. At the same time, mustard rice is also a must-eat meal for Yongding Hakkas on the 20th day of the first month. Because mustard tastes bitter, it shows that the new year has passed and everyone has plans to work hard and prepare for the new year. Mustard is refreshing and delicious, and contains a lot of chlorophyll and vitamin C. Regular consumption can improve immunity and enhance resistance.
popcorn
After the Spring Festival, the countryside is about to enter the spring sowing season, and the germination rate of seeds should be identified. At that time, the corn and soybeans saved as seeds last year were put into the pot for frying. Seeds that are moth-eaten or spoiled by moisture will not burst, and farmers can determine whether they can be used by judging the germination rate of seeds. Fried corn beans are snacks. At the same time, there is a legend that the Dragon King went against the jade emperor's will to save Li's people. The Jade Emperor didn't let him go until the golden beans blossomed, so the people fried corn and burst flowers to save the Dragon King.
8. put on the dragon lantern
There is also the custom of "putting dragon lanterns" in the river delta and some areas along the river. Many people make boats out of reeds or straws, insert candles or put small oil bowls dug with radishes, and light them in rivers or bays at night to light the way for dragons. Take this opportunity to entertain and convey a good wish.
9. surround the granary
On the morning of the second day of the second lunar month, many villagers in northern China get up early. Housewives took out a basket of firewood and the rest of plant ash from their own cookstoves, took a small shovel and shoveled some plant ash. People walk with their hands and draw circles on the ground. The circles around the warehouse are large and small, ranging from three to five, and the list is not double. After the warehouse was surrounded, the food at home was piously placed in the middle of the warehouse and deliberately scattered on the periphery of the warehouse to symbolize the bumper harvest of that year.
10. Sacrifice society
In the south, February 2 still follows the custom of offering sacrifices to society. For example, in Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and other regions, there is a new "February 2" custom, which is similar to the custom of holding the dragon's head up, mainly focusing on the custom of offering sacrifices to the society. Because "the earth contains everything" and "wealth gathers in the earth", land gods are generally worshipped in southern China, also known as "society", "society god", "land god" and "blessing god", and Hakka people call them "land gods". The "February 2" social day is mainly about offering sacrifices to the land, gathering social parties and entertaining people by worshipping and entertaining God.
1 1. Taboos at home
Women can't do needlework on this day, because the black dragon will look up at the world on this day, and using a needle will hurt the dragon's eyes. Before getting up, the woman said, "On February 2nd, the dragon looks up, and if the dragon doesn't look up, I will look up.". After getting up, I will light the beams with lanterns and read "February 2nd, light the beams, scorpions and centipedes have nowhere to hide". In some places, women don't wash clothes because they are afraid of hurting dragon skin or something.
12. Pick up the girl
In the old society, in the first month, the bride didn't go back to her family and her daughter-in-law didn't become a monk. After the first month, February 2 is another auspicious day, so all families take their daughters back to their parents' homes. Especially those pregnant kannika nimtragol, there is a saying that the dragon spirit will be taken back to her family. In the days of her mother's family, besides eating and drinking, "girl" just stops by to chat and relax. City people "bring girls" means that girls and their son-in-law bring them back together for a sumptuous lunch. This custom is very popular in most parts of the north, and many areas continue to this day.
13. Sacrifice in the wild
People in Nantong, Jiangsu Province use flour to make birthday peaches and livestock, which are steamed and inserted on bamboo sticks as a tribute. In the evening, I took it to the ground to plant it. I thought it was food for insect gods and ancestors, praying for ancestors to drive away insect disasters and hoping that insect gods would not hurt crops.
14. Opening ceremony
The third day of February is Wenchang's birthday. Japanese scholars worship Wenchang and seek the first place in the imperial examination. According to the old custom, children began to study formally on February 2. In the past, scholars had to perform four ceremonies, namely the opening ceremony, the advanced ceremony, the gratitude ceremony and the champion ceremony, among which the opening ceremony was the first gift of life. When you start writing, you start writing articles. The ceremony mainly includes the worship of Confucius, the teaching of the most basic principles of life, and the presentation of Four Treasures of the Study. Now many places have resumed this activity.
The meaning of dragon's head rising
"The Rise of the Dragon" originates from the worship of natural phenomena, which is related to ancient people's understanding of the operation of stars and farming culture. Although the "Dragon Rise" has a long history, it only became a national festival after the Yuan Dynasty and appeared in literature. There are many activities related to the "Dragon Head Up", but no matter which way, they are all around the beautiful dragon god belief. It is an activity that people place their hopes for survival. As far as the whole country is concerned, due to different regions, customs vary from place to place.
Dragons are mythical creatures living in the sea. It is often used to symbolize good luck. Since ancient times, people have celebrated dragons on the day of "Dragon's Head Raised" in mid-spring, in order to pray for dragons to eliminate disasters and bless them, with good weather and abundant crops. The second day of the second lunar month is not only the "Dragon Head-raising Festival", but also the "Social Day Festival" for the birthday of the Earth God. Due to the overlapping festivals, February 2 in some parts of the south has both the custom of raising the head of the dragon and the custom of offering sacrifices to the society. For example, in Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and other regions, on February 2nd (the fifth May after ancient beginning of spring), the country (the land god) was mainly sacrificed, and dragon festival in Duanyang was called "Longxiang".