Within China's traditional festival system, although the National Day began in modern times, it is deeply rooted in the fertile soil of the Chinese nation's civilization that has thousands of years of history. It bears the profound and heavy historical memory and feelings of family and country.
Unlike traditional folk festivals such as the Spring Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival, the key to the National Day is national identity and national cohesion. Its spiritual core can be traced back to the ancient ancestors' belief in the country, the defense of the territory, and the hope for a prosperous and peaceful age.
Now, on this day, when we celebrate this festival in the form of handwritten newspapers and theme paintings, we are actually continuing the long-standing tradition of Chinese people using rituals to express their emotions and relying on images to engrave history.
The Origin of the Festival: Historical Evolution from Ancient Celebrations to Modern National Day
Although there was no "National Day" in ancient China, it was actually a "national celebration".
It is recorded in the "Book of Rites of Zhou" that whenever a new monarch ascends the throne, returns victoriously from an expedition, or usher in a harvest year, the emperor will hold a grand worship ceremony to enjoy joy with the people. This is called "Daqing".
During the Han Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty, the birthdays of emperors and empresses were designated as the "Qianqiu Festival" and "Tianchang Festival". The whole country had a holiday to celebrate joyfully, which already took the initial form of a national celebration.
Tracing back to its roots, the origin of National Day, which has truly modern significance, is the incident on October 1, 1949, which marked the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Since 1950, October 1 has been officially established as National Day. This has become a sacred moment for all Chinese people to commemorate the birth of the country and to demonstrate sovereignty, independence and national rejuvenation.
Fortunately, in 2024, it will be the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. This is a critical node in the past 16 years and 15 years. We especially need to use solemn ceremonies to recall those eventful years.
Historical evolution: the construction process of National Day symbols and collective memory
The celebration forms of National Day have evolved with the times.
At first, large-scale military parades and mass demonstrations were used to demonstrate national power, such as the 10th anniversary celebration of the National Day held in 1959, which is still a classic memory today.
After the reform and opening up, celebration methods gradually became more diverse, and festival symbols such as lanterns, balloons, and sunflowers gradually became more popular: lanterns symbolize light and reunion, which originated from the palace lanterns of the Han Dynasty and later evolved into a folk symbol of celebration; balloons, as a modern element, represent the meaning of flying dreams; sunflowers implicitly mean "born toward the sun", which is a metaphor for the people's following and love for the country.
In handwritten newspapers and paintings, these elements are widely used, forming a unique visual language called National Day, which transforms abstract national concepts into collective emotions that can be touched and felt.
Folk Etiquette: Ritual Norms and Cultural Metaphors in the Creation of Handwritten Newspapers
What seems like a simple handwritten newspaper drawing actually contains the deep logic of traditional folk etiquette .
An example is to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The number "75" is in the center of the picture, the lanterns and cakes are arranged symmetrically, and sunflowers are embellished below. This composition follows the axial symmetry aesthetics of ancient China and shows the etiquette thought of "keeping the center and keeping integrity."
The lanterns are drawn in red because vermilion means it can ward off evil and bring good luck; the number of layers of the cake is usually three, which secretly corresponds to the integration of the three talents of "heaven, earth, and man"; the number of sunflower petals is either nine or twelve, which correspond to the "Yang Yao" and the December Order in the "Book of Changes" respectively, thereby conveying endless good wishes.
When writing the masthead, leave a blank space above the numbers to imitate the "breathable" style of calligraphy and painting. It not only has practical characteristics, but also conforms to traditional aesthetics.
Festival rituals: the symbolic system and creative process of theme painting
Drawing a painting with the theme of "Celebrating National Day" is a complete festive ritual process.
The core image must be determined by the creator first. The cake is used as the main frame, which is transformed from the shape of the ancient "food box", and its implication is to use delicious food to worship the motherland; the balloons are combined as the title frame, which can be traced back to the "lantern ball" entertainment in the Song Dynasty, which symbolizes rising blessings; the surroundings are decorated with lanterns, flowers, and stars, thus building an "auspicious system", in which the lanterns represent safety, the flowers represent prosperity, and the five stars represent political aspects.
When painting, you should follow the ancient method of "first darker, then lighter, and blending layer by layer." It is similar to the technique of applying color to Dunhuang murals, which will give the picture a sense of layering.
Finally, write the words of blessing, which are similar to the "prayer words" in traditional sacrifices. The handwriting must be neat and the words must be sincere, so as to show sincerity.
Regional Differences: National Day Expressions and Traditional Variations of Diversity and Unity
China has a vast territory, and National Day customs in various places show distinctive regional characteristics.
The northern region usually likes to add elements such as the Great Wall and red walls into paintings to echo the generosity of the land of Yanzhao; most water towns in the south of the Yangtze River will incorporate elements such as pavilions, pavilions, lotus and carp, thus continuing the graceful style of the Wuyue region; the western ethnic areas often combine their own ethnic patterns with National Day symbols, just like the Miao people draw silver patterns into balloons and the Tibetans use hada to decorate lanterns. This reflects the diversity and unity of the Chinese nation.
Such a variation with regional characteristics allows the National Day culture to maintain a unified theme while also being full of unique vitality of the place. Just as the "Book of Rites" said, "it can modify its teachings without changing its customs; it can make the government orders consistent without changing its appropriateness."
Cultural core: the spiritual code of isomorphism of family and country and collective joy
The deep spiritual core of National Day lies in the Chinese cultural gene that is the same structure of the family and the country .
In the picture, whether it is a cake, a flower, or a child's smiling face, what it ultimately points to is the ethical concept of "a country is like thousands of families, and a family is the smallest country."
The lantern symbolizes the lights of thousands of families, the balloon carries individual wishes, the sunflower represents the people's heart, and the cake is a metaphor for sharing the prosperous times.
This juxtaposed expression of family warmth and national dignity comes from the Confucian value ranking method of "cultivating oneself, harmonizing one's family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world." This makes National Day not only a political ceremony, but also a place where feelings belong.
In contemporary times, it has evolved into a bond that unites the spiritual connection between Chinese people at home and abroad, and strengthens cultural identity and the nation's self-confidence.
Value of the Times: Contemporary Transformation from Patriotic Education to Cultural Inheritance
In the digital age, the traditional manual form of hand-written newspapers has shown a new educational value, and the traditional manual form of theme painting has also shown a new educational value.
They enable young people to touch history through hands-on practice: they need to understand the founding process of the country when drawing the words "75", understand the revolutionary meaning when painting it red, and think about the development of the country before writing blessings.
This immersive experience can inspire patriotic enthusiasm more than mere preaching.
At the same time, a large number of tutorials and material libraries have emerged on the Internet platform, which allows traditional painting techniques to be spread. Knowledge such as lantern painting methods and color matching have become popular through short videos, achieving a living inheritance of intangible cultural heritage.
During the National Day in 2024, primary and secondary schools in various places carried out activities related to theme creation. This is exactly the typical result of practical activities that integrate the feelings of family and country into aesthetic education.
Inheritance and innovation: the integration of ancient customs and modern expressions
The vitality of National Day culture lies in creative transformation and innovative development .
Contemporary creators will retain traditional elements while incorporating modern aesthetics. For the number "75", three-dimensional characters or gradient colors can be used. For cakes, it should be combined with Western-style fondant shapes, and for balloons, highlight shadows should be added to enhance the three-dimensional effect.
As for materials, in addition to hand-painted methods, new forms such as paper quilling, cloth stickers, and digital painting are constantly emerging, allowing ancient folk customs to take on new vitality in the hands of Generation Z.
But when innovating, don’t forget the fundamentals. No matter how the form changes, the lantern must be red, the five stars must be golden, and the composition must be stable. These cultural genes have never changed, ensuring that the roots of the National Day culture will not be interrupted and will become fresher over time.
Drawing handwritten newspapers and creating theme paintings during the National Day is not a simple art assignment, but a cultural practice activity. In this activity, participants must skillfully connect between drawing lanterns and making cakes, thereby completing the respect for history, sincere praise for the motherland, and expectations for the future.
When we pick up the pen to describe that touch of Chinese red, we are actually continuing to write a narrative chapter about our country and family that spans thousands of years, allowing cultural confidence to flow slowly on our fingertips, and making the national spirit immortal in color.
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