Rural Carnival Activities at Spring FestivalWord下载.docx
《Rural Carnival Activities at Spring FestivalWord下载.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《Rural Carnival Activities at Spring FestivalWord下载.docx(5页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
CacelebrationofthelunarNewYear?
Cstartsonthe23rddayofthe12thmonthoftheagriculturalcalendarandfinishesonthe15thdayofthefirstmonth.LunarNewYear’sEveandthefirstdayoftheNewYearareitsclimax.China’sgrandestandmostimportantholiday,SpringFestivalhasformillenniabeencelebratedindiversewaysthroughoutthecountry.
AmongthevariousstoriesabouttheoriginsoftheSpringFestivaltheonemostcommonlyacceptedtellsofhowEmperorShun,legendaryleaderofancientChina,inaugurateditmorethan4,000yearsagoonthedayhesucceededtothethroneandmadeobeisancetoheavenandearth.PeoplehavesinceperceivedthatoccasionasthefirstdayoftheNewYear,andashowtheChineselunarNewYearcameintobeing.
WinteristheslackseasoninChina,historicallyanagriculturalcountry.Havinglaboredforawholeyear,peopletakearestatthistimetoprepareforthecomingyear.ThecomingNewYearalsosignalstheapproachofspring,whengrassandtreeleavesstarttosprout.Thesacrificesthatpeopleoffertogodsandancestorsareprayersforfavorableweather,peace,andbumperharvests,andgiveSpringFestivalitsjoyfulambience.
Offeringsacrificetothekitchengodonthe23rdofthe12thlunarmonthistheprologuetoSpringFestivalcelebrations.
Folkloretellsofthekitchengodthatprotectsthehearthandfamily.ManyhouseholdsinruralChinamaintainthetraditionofofferingsacrificestothisdomesticdeitywhosepicturehangsonthewall.Thekitchengodisbelievedtoreturntoheavenonthe23rddayofthe12thlunarmonthtoreporttotheJadeEmperorontheactivitiesofeachhouseholdoverthepastyear.TheJadeEmperoraccordinglyeitherrewardsorpunishesafamily.Thatevening,foodisofferedandincenseburntbeforethekitchengodreturnstoheaven.Familymembersplythekitchendeitywithstickymaltsugarinhopesthatitwillsweetenwhathehastosayaboutthehousehold,orthatitwillmakehislipssticktogether,somakinghimincapableofbadmouthingtheirhouseholdtotheJadeEmperor.Thecoupletshangingoneithersideoftheimageofthekitchengodoftensay,“Reportinsweetwordsafterascendingtoheaven;
bringblessingsandpeaceuponreturningtotheworld.”Familymembersthenkowtowtothegod,andburnhispicture,signifyingthattheyhaveseenhimoffonhisjourneybacktoheaven.OnthefirstdayofthelunarNewYear,theyhanganewpaperpictureofthegodonthewalltowelcomehimback. Afterthe23rd,preparationsforNewYearcelebrationsgetintofullswing.Theseincludecleaningthehousefromtoptobottom,andshoppingexpeditionsforfood,giftsforfamilymembers,andnewclothesforchildren.Nimble-fingereddaughtersmakeattractivepapercutstopasteonthewindows,andredlanternsarehunginfrontofthemaindoor.ManyfamiliespositiontheChinesecharacterfu,meaningfortuneorgoodluck,upside-downontheirfrontdoors.Asthewordsfor“upside-down”and“toarrive”arehomophonousinChinese,anupside-downfusignifiestheimminentarrivalofgoodluck.
ThesepreparationsarenotcompleteuntilNewYear’sEve.Itistraditionalonthatdaytohaveafamilyreuniondinner.Itisindeedthemostimportantmealoftheyear.Dishesnormallyincludechicken,becausethefirstcharacteroftheChinesephrasejixiangruyi,whichmeans“goodfortuneasonewouldwish,”isahomophoneofjimeaningchicken.Fishisalsoincludedforsimilarreasons.ThelastcharacteroftheChinesephraseniannianyouyu,meaning“surplusesyearafteryear,”meanssurplus,whichisahomophoneofthecharacteryuthatmeansfish.Dumplingsareanessentialcom-ponentofNewYearfamilydinnersinnorthChina.Theentirehouseholdgatherstogethertomakedumplings,chatandlaugh.Itisalaborofgreatjoyforallconcerned.Whilewrappingdumplings,somefamiliesaddacointothefilling.ThepersonwhofindsitinhisorherdumplingisbelievedtohavegoodluckinthecomingNewYear.RicecakesandglutinousriceballsarethestaplefooditemformostfamiliesinsouthChina.Ricecake,inChineseniangao,isahomophoneofthefirsttwocharactersofthephrasenianniangaosheng,whichmeansapromotionineachcomingyear.TheChineseforglutinousriceballs,tangyuan,alsosoundssimilartotuanyuan,whichmeansfamilyreunion.
Repleteaftertheirreuniondinner,familymembersgathertogethertoawaitthecomingoftheNewYear,andatthestrokeofmidnightsetofffireworks.Thelyricstoachildren’ssongtelloftheadventofNewYear,whenpeoplegiveofferingsofstickymaltsugartothekitchengod,girlsyearnforflowers,boysforfireworks,womenseniorswantcolorfulcotton-paddedjackets,andmeneldersbrandnewfeltcaps.
DawnthenextdaysignalsthebeginningoftheNewYear.Everyonedressesintheirbestandgoesouttoexchangegreetingsandgoodwishes.Theyoungestfamilymembersexpresstheirbestwishestotheirelders,andeveryoneextendsgreetingstofriendsandrelatives.Someplacesstillkeepthetraditionofofferingsacrificestoancestors.ChildrenandyoungadultsenjoyaccompanyingtheirparentsonNewYearvisitstoothers’homesbecausetheretheyreceiveredenvelopescontaining“luckymoney”thatisbelievedtowardoffevilspiritsanddisasters.Butchildrenarepermittedtospendthiswindfallonsweetsandtoysastheywish.Thereisnospecificruleaboutgivingorreceivingredenvelopes.Anyunmarriedpersoniseligibleforone,andtheamountofmoneyinsidevaries.Theymainlyactsimplyasgoodwishesfromparentsandgrandparents. ThefirstdayoftheNewYearmarksthestartofvariousformsofcelebrations,suchasliondances,dragonlanterndances,shehuoperformances?
Ctributestothegodofthelandandthegodoffire?
Candtemplefairs.Althoughthesecelebrationsvaryaccordingtoregion,thesamehappy,bustlingatmospherepervadestheentirecountry.
ShehuoPerformances
TheshehuoperformanceisapopularSpringFestivalentertainmentactivitythatoriginatesintheworshipoflandandfire:
shemeansthegodoflandandhuothegodoffire.FarmingcultureisintegraltothatofChinaasawhole.Landplaysacrucialroleinandisamaterialfoundationforhumansubsistence.Fire,thesourceofheatandcookedfood,isalsoanindispensablefacetofhumansubsistence.Alongwithsocialdevelopmentandenhancementofthehumancapacitytounderstandtheworld,theritualofworshipinglandandfirehasgraduallyevolvedintoagrand,lavish,large-scaleperformance.Theshehuoperformanceisindeedofhighculturalvalue,includingasitdoesfolkart,folkmusic,andfolkdancing.
shehuoperformanceinBaojiCity
BaojiCityinShaanxiProvincehasalonghistory.Localsmaintaintheshehuoperformancetraditionbyactingoutancientstories,ordramasandlegends,abouthistoricalfigures.Performerswearcostumesandornatelycoloredmasks.Performersactasscoutsandleadtheprocession,andmusiciansplayinggongsanddrumsbringuptherear.In2006,theBaojishehuoperformancewasincludedonthefirstlistofnationalintangibleculturalheritage.
Theshehuomaskfeaturesboldandexaggerateduseofcolorsthatalsoimplythecharacteristicsofeachrole.Blacksignifieshonesty,redloyalty,whitetreachery,yellowviolence,blueimprudence,andgreenrighteousness.
TheladlemaskexclusivetoShaanxiProvinceoriginatesintheshehuomakeuponmasksmadeofdriedmudorpapiermach.ItisreproducedonthewoodenladlesthatwerepartofeverydaylifeinancientChinaandwhicharegenerallyembellishedwiththepaintedfacesofpowerful,righteousfolkcharacters.Hungonthewallasdecorationandtowardoffevilspirits,theyalsoexpressthehouseholder’swishesforgoodluckandblessings.
InMayof2015,IndianPrimeMinisterNarendraModivisitedChina.HisfirststopwasXi’anCity,capitalofShaanxiProvince.ShehuoladlemasksfromBaojiCitywerethemaindecorationsonthewallandtablesofthehallwhereModi’sgrandwelcomingbanquettookplace. HualianshehuoPerformancesinTaolinpingVillage
TaolinpingisasmallvillageinJingxingCountyofShijiazhuangCity,HebeiProvince.Thetraditionalhualian(literallypaintedface)shehuoperformanceisheldeverySpringFestival.ThelocalshehuoperformancesthatbecamepopularhereandinsurroundingvillagesarebelievedtohavebeenintroducedbymerchantsfromShanxiProvince.Almosteveryvillageintheregionholdsshehuoperformanceseachyear.ThatinTaolinpingisdividedintotwotypes:
wenshehuoandwushehuo.Theformerisakindofacrobaticcombatthatcombinesmusicanddance.Thelatter,whichfeaturesrealswordsandspearsandanintenseambience,refersmoretomartialarts.ShehuoperformancesinTaolinpingaremainlyofthewushehuotype,andhaveahigh,time-honoredreputationforactingtechniques,animpressivelylargecastofactors,andgorgeouscostumes.
Performers,dressers,directorsandmartialartistsareallmale,andeachperformancedemands20to30ofthem.Moreover,ayangko(aformofChinesefolkdance)groupcomposedentirelyofwomenusuallyperformsalongwiththeshehuoperformers.
Shehuoperformancesherebeginwithaceremonyonthegroundinfrontoftheoutdoorstage.Thetroupeparadesandperformsalongthemainstreetofthevillage,kowtowingandburningincenseandpapermoneyinfrontoftemplestoprayforgoodweather,bumperharvests,prosperity,andpeaceinthecomingyear.Aftertheparade,thetroupereturnstothestageforthemartialartsperformance,inwhicheachpersonwieldsasword