The Origin of New Year's Day: The Thousand Years of Evolution from the New Year's Day to the Gregorian Calendar New Year
In our traditional Chinese calendar system, the word "New Year's Day" has existed a long time ago, and it means "the day of the beginning." However, the "New Year's Day" as it is called now actually has the same name as the ancient regulations, but the essence is different. To trace its origins, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty promulgated the "Taichu Calendar" in the first year of Taichu, which is 104 BC, and stipulated the first day of the first lunar month as the beginning of the year. This was the day formerly known as "Yuan Day", "New Year's Day" or "Zhengdan". This is the Lunar New Year that the Chinese nation has continued for more than two thousand years. After the Revolution of 1911, in order to facilitate statistics and integrate with international standards, the government of the Republic of China implemented the Gregorian calendar and designated January 1 of the Gregorian calendar as the "New Year", while the first day of the first lunar month was renamed the "Spring Festival". It was not until 1949 that the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference formally established the AD calendar, and "New Year's Day" on January 1 of the Gregorian calendar was finally confirmed as a legal holiday system. This historical evolution not only demonstrates the inclusiveness of Chinese civilization in absorbing Western learning and making appropriate adjustments according to the current situation, but also retains the profound foundation of traditional festivals and customs in civil society.
Festival rituals: changes in etiquette and customs from the lingering traces of the wax festival to the welcome of spring and blessings
Although New Year's Day appears as a new festival, when it comes to its folk customs and etiquette, it is truly rooted in the deep soil of traditional New Year's culture. In the past, at the handover between the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, there were grand ceremonial procedures in the court and among the people, such as the "Zhengdan Congratulations" promoted by the Han Dynasty court. Many officials came to see them. The ceremonial scene was very grand and spectacular, fully demonstrating the unity of the family and the country. To construct this political and ethical concept, people have the custom of offering sacrifices to their ancestors, paying homage to their elders, and drinking Tusu wine to ward off epidemics, which contains the core connotation of the cultural spirit of praying for blessings against disasters, treating the dead with caution, and tracing the origins of the disease. Although today's New Year's Day celebrations have simplified many ancient rituals, they still continue the core themes of "renewal" and "prayer". Every New Year's Day, people wish each other "Happy New Year", which contains a sense of comfort for their hard work in the past and their expectations for a smooth future. Simple greetings such as "May your salary increase in the coming year" and "Get more new money" are actually a popular expression of the traditional "seeking wealth and receiving blessings" psychology in contemporary society. They reflect the eager yearning of ordinary people for a better life, and this is a vivid embodiment of the connotation of festival customs that contains the value of the times.
Regional customs: diverse expressions and cultural identity under the celebration of Kyushu
In the vast land of China, there are differences in customs between regions, which form the background of a rich, diverse and colorful festival culture. Although New Year's Day is calculated according to the Gregorian calendar, its folk customs are less unified than the Spring Festival. However, in the process of inheritance and innovation in the contemporary era, each place has also incorporated unique local characteristics. The northern region often focuses on family gatherings for meals. Dumplings are still a common food on the dinner table. They have the meaning of "new year's hand" and inherit the wisdom of solar terms. Many cities in the south will hold New Year's Eve light shows and fireworks performances. As described in "the moment when fireworks are brilliant, joy and happiness fly all over the sky", modern light and shadow technology is used to create a joyful atmosphere. This is an innovative change of the traditional custom of "setting off firecrackers" to drive away evil spirits and welcome auspiciousness based on environmental protection and safety considerations. Whether in the south or the north, people use climbing, fitness activities, and writing New Year's wishes to jointly express a spiritual pursuit, that is, forgetting the world and troubles, leaving behind beautiful things that will accompany them forever. This situation of "everyone appreciates his own beauty, and the beauty is shared" strengthens the cultural identity of the Chinese national community and enhances its cohesion.
Continuing spirit: contemporary inspiration from saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new to building a harmonious human relationship
The significance of New Year's Day is not limited to the change of time scale, but more importantly, it gives people an opportunity. This opportunity has the effect of prompting people to look back on the road they have traveled and at the same time look forward to the road ahead.
People often say that the ancient saying says "gains and losses are ordinary things, right and wrong are left to chance." This contains an open-minded outlook on life that contains Taoist wisdom. Having such an outlook on life is particularly valuable in today's fast-paced modern society. It also helps individuals to adjust their own psychological state, thereby maintaining a clear, clean and pure state of mind.
At the same time, the festival is also a golden moment to strengthen social ethics .
Friendships can be deepened through caring, and family ties can be warmed by caring about them. Such affectionate family ties include "Father said: I just hope to come back for the New Year", and such sincere co-worker friendships include "everything goes well for all my colleagues in the company." They all demonstrate the role of the festival as an emotional bond, linking the feelings of family and country and the harmony of the community.
Under the background of the new era, the way we advocate for celebrating the festival is green, simple and civilized, such as drinking moderately ("drinking will not 'get drunk'"), paying attention to health ("following health"), and combining traditional virtues with modern civilization concepts, making the New Year's Day not only a happy node, but also an important carrier for inheriting China's excellent traditional culture, promoting core socialist values, and enhancing cultural confidence.
Let every time of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new become a new starting point for accumulating strength and forging ahead.
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