Rural Carnival Activities at Spring FestivalWord下载.docx

Rural Carnival Activities at Spring FestivalWord下载.docx

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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