User:April in 12 months/Chunshe (Spring Community Day)

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Returning from drinking

Li Tang, painter Southern Song Dynasty (1066－1150）

Chunshe (Spring Community Day) is a traditional folk festival originating from China. In Shang Dynasty and the Western Zhou，it was a carnival where lovers could date. Gradually, it became a sacrifice ritual to appease/in honour of Tudishen (God of the Soil and the Ground). People usually celebrate this festival on the fifth Wu Day (according to Sexagenary cycle) after Lichun, which is near Chunfen[a]. According to the folklore, the date could be February 2, February 8, February 12, February 15 based on the lunar calendar.

The record of Chunshe can be traced as far back as on oracle bones. With a history of more than 2000 years, It is one of China's oldest festivals. Chunshe remained a significant traditional festival in China before the Yuan Dynasty. Nowadays, though part of China (including mainland and Taiwan) still keeps the custom of worshiping Tudigong[1] on February 2 (lunar calendar),[b] the new celebration, now called Tudidan (the birthday of Tudigong), is not exactly the same as the traditional one. The Longtaitou Festival (meaning dragon raising its head), which is celebrated by the northern region of China, also retains some customs of Chunshe. A scholar once summarized the whole trajectory of Chunshe as "originating in the period of the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, springing up in the Qin and Han Dynasties, continuing in Wei, Jin, and the Northern and Southern dynasties, flourishing in Tang and Song dynasties and declining in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties."[2]. Like many other traditional festivals relevant to sacrifice, Chunshe can be divided into two types according to different hosts, namely the official Chunshe and the folk Chunshe [2]. Official celebrations were grand and solemn with complex ceremonials, while the folk ones were full of life. People would hold parties in their communities and attend various leisure activities at that day. The customs included beating drums, feasting, drinking and watching drama in the community. Such merry occasions were rare. The Chinese word “Shehui" (society) actually has its root in community activities in Chunshe [3].


Every year, the festival of Sheri (Community Day) is held two times, one in spring and one in autumn. It was because ancient Chinese believed that "the prayer in spring can be rewarded in autumn"[4]:540. Shang Binghe, a famous scholar of I Ching at the turn of the Republic of China, described Sheri as "the oldest and the most prevailing festival in Chinese history". One of its legacies is the temples housing the Tudishen which are still common across China. [5]: 422 现今各地遍存的土地庙即是社日祭社时的遗存[6].


History[edit]

Originates in the period of the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties[edit]

In ancient China, "She", according to Shuowen Jiezi, refers to the deity of the land [4]: 540 在上古时期，中国的主要食物获取方式由渔猎、畜牧开始转为以农耕为主[7]: 89 . In ancient times, the main way of food acquisition in China changed from fishing, hunting and animal husbandry to agriculture. Therefore, people came to realize the importance of the land and began to worship it. The land was personalized and then the idea of "deity of the land" came into existence. The rulers, as well as the people at that period, began to offer sacrifices to the deity [8]）. The descriptions of the ceremony could be found in oracle bone scripts[9]. Gradually, this customs of sacrifice developed into what people later called Chunshe. It is fair to say that Chunshe can be dated back to the time when the "deity of the land" was created, namely the late patriarchal clan society[7]: 90 。因此春社自社神诞生以来，就开始存在，具体时间约在父系氏族社会晚期[4]: 540 .

In general, the purposes of Chunshe include:
[4]: 544-551 ：

诗经·小雅·甫田[10]

以我齊明，與我犧羊，以社以方，我田既臧，農夫之慶。
琴瑟擊鼓，以御田祖，以祈甘雨，以介我稷黍，以-{穀}-我士女。

《诗经》中描写祭社时的热闹场面

  • pray for a good harvest
  • pray for a good wether
  • pray for good luck
  • entertain the deity and the people
  • pray for a good marriage and for having children
  • pray for victory

A considerable amount of scholars reckon that In addition to the deity of the land, people also offer sacrifice to the deity of five grains [8][3].

In the early Qin Dynasty, celebrations of Chunshe could last for a relatively long time as all sacrifices made to the land in spring can be called Chunshe [6]. At that time, the celebrations included two major types. One type was the sacrifices to the land and ancestors [8][7]: 89 while the other one called Chunxi (spring carnival) was more entertaining in which people can have orgies [11]:42，是当时的人们发泄欲望的狂欢节日[11]: 63 .

Before the Warring States period, "Shela" was the only festival [5]:414. Once, after the recovery of a disease, King Zhaoxiang of Qin ordered to kill the cow and offer it as a sacrifice. However, he was dissuaded by Gongsun Yan as the time for Shela was yet to come [12].

Types of Chunshe[edit]

Chunshe can be divided into different types according to its hosts. There are Da’ she ( the one hosted by the King for the nation) [c], Guoshe ( hosted by feudatories for the people [d]), Hou’ she (the feudatories’ own celebration [e]) and Zhi'she （hosted by officials in groups) [13]. The sacrifices presided over by the rulers are often referred to as official Chunshe with all resources funded by the government. Since the early period of Qin, the official Chunshe did not see many changes in terms of ritual, process and function. However, in different dynasties where there are different political systems and various names for the administrative unit, the name of Chunshe also changed accordingly [14].

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States period, great changes took place in the social and political structure. The types of Chunshe was no longer determined by the rank of the host but by regions [14]. Zhi'she gradually evolved into “Li'she” (the folk Chunshe)[f][3]. Li'she was usually presided over by the local government official and the cost was shared by the people themselves. This form of activity greatly boosted public enthusiasm to participate in social affairs, strengthened the social function of the folk Chunshe, and finally settle it as a festival [14].

The official sacrifice has to follow a full set of etiquette including burying the sacrificial offering, dropping blood on the ground and using a human sacrifice [g]埋祭品、酹酒、滴血于地、杀人衅社等[7]: 91 。

夫齐弃太公之法而观民于社，君为是举而往之，非故业也，何以训民？
土发而社，助时也。收攟[h]而蒸，纳要也。今齐社而往观旅，非先王之训也。

曹刿劝谏鲁庄公不可“如齐观社”，出自《国语·鲁语下》

.


During the spring and autumn period, there were mainly two ways of offering sacrifices in Li'she. One was to offer to gods the quarry hunted together by 25 families. The second was to offer sacrifices together. After the sacrifice, all participants gathered together, eating and drinking to their heart’s content [7]: 91 . This was a festival that the whole community would participate in [15]. It was a time for party and feast [4]: 546 ，人们弹琴擂鼓，食牛羊肉，十分热闹[16]. There is a lively description of the scene of Chunshe in Lao Tzu “the street is dense with the merry crowd” [17]. Shang Binghe called it “an orgy in the name of sacrifice” [5]: 413 . The lively scene even attracted Duke Zhuang of Lu to the state of Qi to watch its sacrificial rites [18].


In the early Qin period, people attached great importance to social sacrifice [5]: 206 . Zi Lu, a disciple of Confucius, was nearly sent to prison by the locals just because he tried to catch the bird in the tree for sacrifice. Luckily, the local people accepted their apology and forgave him [19].

  1. ^ 此处为中国古代干支纪日法，大体来讲，古时纪日时，按干支顺序以60日为一循环，如某日用干支纪日法记为甲子日，则次日为乙丑日，三日为丙寅日，四日为丁卯日……十一日为甲戌日……十三日为丙子日……六十一日重新为甲子日，六十二日为乙丑日，具体见干支。戊日，即是以天干“戊”为开头的日期，下文提到的“酉日”、“丁日”等，皆是如此。
  2. ^ 日期因地区不同而或有差异，可参见下文残留于现代部分。
  3. ^ 大社，即社稷。古代祭祀土神谷神的地方。《礼记》载：“王为群姓立社曰大社”疏：“群姓，谓百官以下及兆民。……大社在库之内右。”《后汉书·祭祀志》作“太社”。汉蔡邕《独断》作“泰社”。辞源（商务印书馆，1988年版合订本，下同）第360页
  4. ^ 孔颖达疏：“群姓，谓百官以下及兆民。言群姓者，包百官也。”
  5. ^ 百姓，①指百官。《书·尧典》：“百姓昭明，协和万邦，黎民于变时雍。”《诗·小雅·天保》：“群黎百姓，徧为尔德。”皆以百姓与黎民对称。②指平民，庶民。《论语·宪问》：“修己以安百姓，尧舜其犹病诸。”疏：“百姓谓众人也。”《荀子·疆国》：“入境，观其风俗，百姓樸，其声乐不流汙，其服不挑。”或谓古代民无姓，有姓者皆有土有官爵。其后民亦有姓，古民庶亦称百姓。《四书》中百姓凡二十五见，惟“百姓如丧考妣三年”指百官。参阅明杨慎《丹铅总录》二五《琐语》、清阎若璩《四书释地又续·百姓》（《清经解》八）。《辞源》第1176页。
  6. ^ 里，宅院，民户居处。《诗·郑风·将仲子》：“将仲子兮，无踰我里。”《传》：“里，居也。二十五家为里。”《周礼·地官·遂人》：“五家为邻，五邻为里。”后里所居家数不一，时有变更。参阅《文献通考·十二·职役一》。《辞源》第1771页。
  7. ^ 瘞，音同义，埋葬。《诗·大雅·云汉》：“上下奠瘞，靡神不宗。”传：“上祭天，下祭地，奠其礼，瘞其物。”《辞源》第1162页。
  8. ^ 攟，音同俊，拾取。也作“捃”、“攈”、“𢹲”。《国语·鲁上》：“收攟而蒸，纳要也。”《辞源》第719页
  1. ^ 台灣高雄縣政府. "2006高雄左營萬年季". Archived from the original on 2010-07-05.
  2. ^ a b 萧放. "社日与中国古代乡村社会". 北京师范大学学报（社会科学版） (1998年第6期).
  3. ^ a b c 曹书杰 (2007年3月). "稷祀与民间社日研究". 山西大学学报（哲学社会科学版）. 第30卷第2期: 89–94. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e 陈绍隶 (2003年). 中国风俗通史·两周卷. 上海文艺出版社. ISBN 9787532124282.
  5. ^ a b c d 尚秉和 (2001年). 历代社会风俗事物考. 中国书店出版社. ISBN 7-80568-941-5. K·132.
  6. ^ a b 杨江涛 (2008年). "中国传统节日的美学研究（博士论文）". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference 神秘的节俗 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b c 史仲文,胡晓林 主编 (2011年). 中国全史. 中国书籍出版社. ISBN 9787506823630.
  9. ^ 引自《甲骨文全集·13505》，载：“己亥卜，贞王侑石在麓北东，乍邑之。”“王侑石”指商王筑邑时的祭社之举。
  10. ^ 全文见《诗经·小雅·甫田》。
  11. ^ a b 袁方 (1993). 中国性文化史. 哈尔滨: 黑龙江人民出版社. ISBN 9787207025364.
  12. ^ 引自《韩非子·外储说·右下第三十五·说二》，原文为：“秦襄王病，百姓为之祷；病愈，杀牛塞祷。郎中阎遏、公孙衍出见之，曰：‘非社腊之时也，奚自杀牛而祠社？’怪而问之。”
  13. ^ 以上引自《礼记·祭法》，原文为“王为群姓立社曰大社，诸侯为百姓立社曰国社，诸侯自立社曰侯社，大夫以下成群立社曰置设。”
  14. ^ a b c 孔宾 (2011年). "从礼制到节庆——先秦两汉时期社祭的变迁". 山东社会科学 (2011年第7期（总第191期）).
  15. ^ 《礼记·郊特牲》载“唯为社事，单（通“殚”，尽）了里。唯为社国，国人毕作。”孙希旦注“唯为祭社，一里之人单出，每家一人为社田竭力。”
  16. ^ 引自《诗经·小雅·甫田》，原文见起源部分右侧框内文字。
  17. ^ 引自《道德经·第二十章》
  18. ^ 引自《左传·庄公二十三年》
  19. ^ 见西晋·张华《博物志》，全文为：“子路与子贡过郑神社，社树有鸟，子路捕鸟，神社牵挛子路，子路子贡悦之，乃止。”
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