Before and after the Chinese New Year -- Traditional Chinese Festivals

Author: Cui Pukuan
Publisher:
Publish 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 more. These Western cultural products, which were once only seen in newspapers and publications, are now familiar to most urban youth. In a sense, it has made people's lives more diverse, allowing them to more leisurely enjoy the interests of life, to receive the blessings of nature and civilization, and to grasp the pulse of the objective world. This book takes China's traditional Spring Festival—Chunjie—as the theme, documenting various folk activities from the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month to the second day of the second lunar month. These include: the origins of the festival, its customs, taboos, imperial court New Year rituals, Confucius Mansion New Year rituals, royal 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. It also provides a comprehensive introduction to the seasonal and solar terms of this period, such as "Counting the Nine" and "Lichun." The folk activities recorded in this book are based on the Beijing region, with a vertical scope (150 years in history) and horizontal scope (extending to the northern part of China). The book is rich in folk knowledge and includes many anecdotes and interesting stories of famous figures celebrating the New Year, making it both informative, readable, and engaging. The language of the book is colloquial and local, with a red-printed layout that conveys the festive atmosphere of the New Year, and nearly 100 illustrations that enhance the visual appeal.