Before and after the Chinese New Year: Traditional Chinese festivals

Author: Cui Pquan / Liu Guorong / Cui Yi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-01-01
Features: With the increasing and deepening opening-up of China, various forms of foreign cultures have also arrived, infiltrating and influencing this ancient land: Valentine's Day, April Fool's Day, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Christmas, and so on. These Western cultural products, which were once only seen in newspapers and publications, are now familiar to most urban youth. In a certain sense, it has made people's lives more diverse, allowing them to more leisurely enjoy the pleasures of life, appreciate the blessings of nature and civilization, and grasp the pulse of the objective world. This book takes China's traditional Spring Festival—Chunjie—as its theme, documenting various folk activities from the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month to the second day of the second lunar month, covering approximately 50 days. These include the origins of the festival, its customs, taboos, imperial New Year rituals, Confucian Mansion New Year rituals, princely mansion New Year rituals, the festive culture of common people during the New Year, and folk activities from various perspectives such as merchants, opera performers, and beggars. The book also provides a comprehensive introduction to the seasonal solar terms during this period, such as "Shujiu" (the 24-day counting of cold) and "Lichun" (the Beginning of Spring). The folk activities documented in the book are rooted in the Beijing region, with a vertical span of (approximately 150 years) and a horizontal scope (extending to the northern part of China). The book is rich in folk knowledge and includes many anecdotes about famous figures celebrating the New Year, making it both informative, engaging, and entertaining. The language of the book is colloquial and localized, with a red cover design that exudes the festive atmosphere of the New Year. Nearly 100 illustrations further enhance the visual appeal.