In memory of Qu Yuan, this theory originated from the records of Wu Jun's "The Peace of Continuation of Qi" in the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty and "The Chronicle of Jingchu" in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. It is said that Qu Yuan threw himself into the river on the fifth day of May. Trapped by dragons after death, the world mourned. He throws colorful silk zongzi into the water every day to drive away the dragon. It is also said that after Qu Yuan threw himself into the Miluo River, the local people immediately rowed for rescue, and all the way to Dongting Lake, but Qu Yuan's body was not found. It was raining at that time, and the boats on the lake gathered at the pavilion on the shore. When people learned that it was to salvage the sage Dr. Qu, they went out in the rain and rushed into the vast Dongting Lake. In order to mourn, people rowed on rivers, and later it gradually developed into a dragon boat race. Eating zongzi and racing dragon boats on the Dragon Boat Festival seems to be related to commemorating Qu Yuan, as evidenced by Wen Xiu's poem "Dragon Boat Festival" in the Tang Dynasty: "The festival is divided into Dragon Boat Festival, and it is rumored that it is Qu Yuan. It is ridiculous that the Chu River is empty and cannot be washed directly. "
Welcome to Tao Shen, this is the tablet of Cao E from the Eastern Han Dynasty. During the Spring and Autumn Period, after the death of Wu Zixu, a loyal minister of the State of Wu, he became Shen Tao, and the world mourned and sacrificed, so there was the Dragon Boat Festival.
Dragon Boat Festival, this statement comes from Wen Yiduo's Dragon Boat Festival Examination and Dragon Boat Festival History Education. He believed that the fifth day of May was the day when the "Dragon" tribe in ancient wuyue held totem sacrifices. The main reason is: (1) Eating zongzi and dragon boat racing are the two most important activities of the Dragon Boat Festival, both of which are related to dragons. Zongzi thrown into the water is often stolen by mosquitoes and dragons, and dragon boat races. (2) The relationship between race crossing and ancient wuyue is particularly deep. Besides, Wuyue people have the custom of tattooing constantly to look like a dragon. (3) The ancient folk custom of "tying the arm with colored silk" on the fifth day of May should be a relic of the tattoo custom of "Like a dragon".
Bad day, in the pre-Qin era, it was generally believed that May was a poisonous month and the fifth was a bad day. Midsummer in Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals stipulates that people should abstain from sex and fast in May. "Xia Zheng Xiao" records: "Store medicine this day to get rid of poisonous gas." It is recorded in "Da Dai Li" that "the livestock orchid takes a bath on May 5", and there are many legends that the fifth day is the taboo day for bathing to exorcise evil spirits. The famous Meng Changjun in Historical Records and Biography of Meng Changjun was born on May 5th. His father asked his mother not to have him, thinking that "a child born in May is longer than a family, which is not good for parents." "Custom Pass" was lost. "It is said that on May 5th, a child was born, and the male harmed his father and the female harmed his mother". Wang Chong, the author of Lun Heng, also described: "The first month and May are taboos; Kill your father and your mother in May of the first month. " Wang Zhene, a general of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, was born on the fifth day of May. His grandfather named him "Zhen Xie". Evonne and Song Huizong were born on the fifth day of May, and were fostered outside the palace since childhood. It can be seen that it is a common phenomenon to regard the fifth day of May as an evil day in ancient times. It can be seen that this day has been an unlucky day since the pre-Qin period. In this way, it is logical to insert calamus and mugwort leaves to exorcise ghosts, smoke atractylodes rhizome and angelica dahurica and drink realgar wine to avoid the epidemic on this day.
With regard to the solstice in summer, Liu Deqian, who holds this view, put forward three main reasons and an interesting talk about the traditional festivals in China in Dragon Boat Festival: (1) The authoritative book "Jingchu Sui Ji" did not mention the festival custom of eating zongzi on the fifth day of May, but wrote it on the solstice in summer. As for Du Jing, Du Taiqing's Jade Candle Collection in the Sui Dynasty listed it as an entertainment activity from summer to the sun, which shows that it was not necessarily to salvage Qu Yuan, a great poet who threw himself into the river. (2) Some contents in the custom of Dragon Boat Festival, such as "stepping on a hundred herbs", "fighting a hundred herbs" and "picking herbs", have nothing to do with Qu Yuan. (3) The first explanation of the Dragon Boat Festival in Ji Huali is: "The sun shines, and the Dragon Boat Festival is in midsummer, so it can also be called midsummer festival. Therefore, the earliest origin of the noon festival is the summer solstice. There are many controversies, and the theory of commemorating Qu Yuan has the most extensive influence. Because of Qu Yuan's outstanding personality and art, people are willing to attribute this anniversary to him.
The earliest food of the Dragon Boat Festival should belong to the "owl soup" of the Western Han Dynasty. Quoting Historical Records and Biography of Emperor Wudi, he said: "The Han Dynasty sent owls to Dong Jun, and on May 5th, officials were given owl soup. Eat it because of bad birds. " Probably because owls are difficult to catch, the custom of eating owl soup didn't last. Filing is the protagonist of the Dragon Boat Festival-Zongzi, which appeared after the Eastern Han Dynasty. It was not until the Jin Dynasty that zongzi became the festival food of the Dragon Boat Festival. "Local customs": "May 5, the summer of the same solstice, ... first celebrate these two festivals, then wrap them with glutinous rice leaves, mix them with millet, and cook them with pure ash juice. At the same time, there is a kind of Dragon Boat Festival food called "turtle", which was only a flash in the pan in the Jin Dynasty and then disappeared. Only Zongzi, called "Zongzi" in Local Conditions and Customs, has become the most popular Dragon Boat Festival food in Qu Yuan's legend for thousands of years.
According to the practice recorded in "Local Customs", the zongzi at that time was mainly millet, and no other fillings were added except millet. However, under the ingenious management of China people who pay attention to diet, the zongzi I can see today has changed in shape and content.
First of all, as far as modeling is concerned, there are triangles, quadrangles, pillows, small towers, round sticks and so on. The material of zongzi leaves varies from place to place. Because bamboo is abundant in the south, local materials are used to wrap zongzi with bamboo leaves. Most people like to use fresh bamboo leaves, because zongzi tied with dried bamboo leaves have no fragrance of bamboo leaves after cooking. Northerners are used to tying zongzi with reed leaves. Reed leaves are slender and narrow, so two or three leaves should be used overlapping. The size of zongzi also varies widely, ranging from giant bean zongzi weighing two or three pounds to sweet zongzi that is small and exquisite and less than two inches long.
As far as taste is concerned, zongzi stuffing is both meat and vegetables, sweet and salty. Jiaozi in the north is mainly sweet, while jiaozi in the south is less sweet and more salty. The content of the material is the part that can best highlight the local characteristics.
There are about three kinds of zongzi in Beiping: one is white zongzi made of glutinous rice, steamed and eaten with sugar. The other is jujube zongzi, which is mainly filled with dates and preserved fruits. The third kind is red bean paste zongzi, which is relatively rare. There is also a kind of zongzi in North China, which uses yellow rice instead of glutinous rice and is filled with red dates. When steamed, I saw Huang Chengcheng's red dates embedded in sticky millet. Some people called them "agate wrapped in gold".
Zhejiang Huzhou Zongzi is fragrant and soft, and it is divided into two varieties: salty and sweet. Pickled with fresh pork and soaked in superior soy sauce. Each zongzi contains a piece of fat and a piece of lean meat. Tangyuan is filled with jujube paste or bean paste. Add a piece of pork suet on it. Steamed, lard mixed with bean paste is very smooth and palatable. Zongzi produced by Wufangzhai is especially famous. The fillings are all specially selected, including eight-treasure dumplings, chicken dumplings, bean paste dumplings, fresh meat dumplings and so on, each with its own characteristics.
Sichuan's pepper and salt beans jiaozi is also very distinctive. First, soak glutinous rice and red beans for half a day, add pepper noodles, Sichuan salt and a little diced bacon, and wrap them into four-corner dumplings. Boil for three hours, then put it on barbed wire and bake it with charcoal. It tastes crisp outside and tender inside, which is quite tasty.
Guangdong Zhongshan Ludou Zongzi is characterized by a round stick shape and a thick arm. There are also sweet and salty ingredients. Sweet ones are lotus seed paste, red bean paste, chestnut paste and jujube paste; Salty bacon, roast chicken, egg yolk, scallops, mushrooms, mung beans and barbecued pork.
Zongzi in southern Fujian is divided into alkali zongzi, meat zongzi and bean zongzi. Alkaline zongzi is steamed by adding lye to glutinous rice. It's sticky, soft and slippery. Ice with honey or syrup is especially delicious. Jiaozi's meat stuffing consists of braised pork, mushrooms, egg yolk, dried shrimps and dried bamboo shoots. The meat buns in Xiamen are the most famous. Bean buns are very popular in Quanzhou. They are made of September beans mixed with a little salt and wrapped in glutinous rice. When steamed, the beans smell sweet, and some people eat them with sugar.
Ren Jian, an ornament for women in Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the old days. Generally made of gold and silver thread or copper wire and gold foil, it looks like a villain riding a tiger, and there are bells, bells, tassels, garlic, zongzi and so on. Inserted in a woman's bun, it is also used for breastfeeding. "Jia Qinglu" says: "(May 5) people in the city use gold and silver silk as numerous tassels, chime bells and ride tigers, which are extremely thin, decorated with small hairpin, strung into strings, or use copper wire and gold foil for women to insert their temples. They also sacrificed to each other, called Ren Jian. " When healthy people say they agree with Ai people, they just exchange diaosi for Ai people. Wu Manyun's Preface to Jiangxiang Festival said: "Hang the custom, the healthy person loves the people, and the silk is easy to use to make it like a tiger, and women wear it." It seems that this will have the effect of exorcising evil spirits and controlling epidemics; When it comes to walking in ancient times, it was purely the ornament of women (note Cai Yun's Five Immortals).
Douniang, the headdress of women with five knots in the old days. More common in Jiangnan. Some areas are also called healthy people. This thing originated from ancient walking and is a different form of Ai people. Jia Qinglu quoted the legacy of Tang and Song Dynasties as saying: "It is ingenious to win the first prize in five days in the north and south of the river. All the mugwort leaves are pressed and sold, or embroidered with fairy, Buddha, harmony, martial arts, insects, fish, beasts, sweet flowers and other shapes. Crepe spider, Mei Fong forest, cocoon tiger velvet tuo, lawn lizard, mantis cicada scorpion, gourd melon, vivid colors. Covered with a treasure, there are countless hydrangeas and hundreds of shapes of bells, or strung together. The name is Douniang, invincible. "
Ai Hu, the exorcist of the old Dragon Boat Festival, was also used as an ornament. In ancient China, the tiger was regarded as a god beast, and it was thought that it could suppress evil spirits and keep peace. "Custom Pass" says: "A tiger is a penis, and a beast is also long. Can eat ghosts, ... is also evil. " Therefore, people often use tigers to ward off evil spirits, especially during the Dragon Boat Festival in Ai Hu. Ai Hu either cut it with mugwort leaves or cut it into a tiger's ribbon, glued it with mugwort leaves and put it on her hair. For more than 1000 years, the Dragon Boat Festival has been decorated with Ai Hu customs. Song Chen Yuan-gui quoted the title of Song Ben Guang Ji as a miscellaneous note: "In the Dragon Boat Festival, Ai is regarded as a tiger, even as big as a black bean, or cut the ribbon to be a tiger, and the leaves of Ai are attached to wear it. Wang's "Dragon Boat Festival Post" poem: "Hairpin Phoenix, know how to drive away evil spirits and drive the seven treasures of Xiangyun. "Notes on Yanjing Years by Fu Cha Dunchong in Qing Dynasty": "Every evening, those who are clever in boudoir make tigers out of silk, wear zongzi ... with colorful threads, hang them on the hair clips, or tie them on the children's backs. That's what the ancient poem said,' Jade swallows hairpin, but loves tiger lightly'. In addition to decoration, the Dragon Boat Festival also has the custom of painting "Wang" on children's foreheads with realgar, which also means using tigers to ward off evil spirits.
Painting forehead is the custom of daubing children's foreheads with realgar during the Dragon Boat Festival. Clouds can drive away poisonous insects. The typical method is to draw the word "Wang" on the child's forehead with realgar. One is to use realgar to drive away the poison, and the other is to use the tiger's forehead (the "king" is like a tiger, and the tiger is the king of all animals, because it is replaced by a tiger) to suppress evil. Fu Cha Dunchong's Chronicle of Yanjing in Qing Dynasty: "From the first day of the first lunar month, take realgar and sprinkle wine on the collar and nose and ears of children to avoid poison." In addition to the forehead, nose and ears, other places can also be painted, with the same intention. Shanxi Hequ county records: "Drinking realgar wine during the Dragon Boat Festival and applying children's forehead, hands and feet ... can prolong the illness."
Longevity is continuous, and I hate wearing accessories during the Dragon Boat Festival. Also known as longevity line, longevity line, longevity line, longevity line, white rope, less ice, colorful line, etc. , different names, basically the same shape and function. During the Dragon Boat Festival, it is made of five-color silk, or hung at the door, or worn around the child's neck, or tied on the child's arm, or hung on the bed curtain, cradle and other places. It is said that it can avoid disasters and get rid of diseases, bless well-being and prolong life. This festival has five shapes: simple five-color silk threads are combined into a rope and tied to the arm; Decorate Suk Kim ornaments on colorful ropes and hang them around your neck; Colorful ropes are folded into squares and decorated on the chest; Colorful knots are worn by portraits; Embroider the sun, moon, stars, black beasts and other things with colored silk thread to pay tribute to the elders. This custom began in the Han Dynasty. Ying Shao wrote "Lost Customs" in the Eastern Han Dynasty: "In the afternoon, tie your arms with colorful silks to avoid ghosts and soldiers, so that people will not get sick. One is a long-lived ghost fire, and the other is a soldier. " Later, they gradually got used to it, until it was near modern times. Qing Fu Chaton's "Yanjing Years" recorded the custom at that time: "Every time the sun goes down, those who are clever in the boudoir will make tigers, zongzi, gourds, cherries and mulberries with colored threads and hang them on their hair pins or tie them on the backs of children." Among them, in the Tang and Song Dynasties, the imperial court gave ministers things like saving things. In the first year of Xingyuan in Tang Daizong, the court gave one hundred rope axes. "Book of Rites XV": "The day before, the golden thread was given an official life extension, and the colored thread was given an official life extension. Wear it on holidays. "
Wear sachets, also called sachets and sachets; Wallets, etc It is made of colored silk thread and rags, and is filled with spices (made from Chinese herbal medicines such as Radix Angelicae Dahuricae, Rhizoma Chuanxiong, Herba Hedyotidis Diffusae, Rhizoma Sparganii, Rhizoma Kaempferiae, Gan Song and Rhizoma Kaempferiae). Wear it on your chest. It smells good. Chen Shiliang quoted Miscellaneous Notes on the Year of the Year as saying that "the Dragon Boat Festival is red and white, like a bag, with colored lines running through it and shaped like a flower." Another kind of "mussel powder bell": "On the fifth day, mussel powder is placed in silk and decorated with cotton, if there are several beads. Let the children take it to absorb sweat. " The things in these carry-on bags have changed several times, from sweat-absorbing mussel powder, amulets to ward off evil spirits, copper coins and realgar powder to sachets filled with spices, and their production has become increasingly exquisite, becoming a unique folk art of the Dragon Boat Festival.
Wearing sachets is very particular. In order to prevent diseases and keep fit, the elderly generally like to wear plum blossoms, chrysanthemums, peaches, apples, lotus flowers, dolls riding fish, dolls holding cocks, double lotus flowers and other shapes, symbolizing birds and flowers, all the best, loving each other and family harmony. Children like birds and animals, such as tigers and leopards; Monkeys, cockfights, etc. Young people are most particular about wearing sachets. If they are lovers in love, affectionate girls will carefully make one or two sachets with their own characteristics a long time ago in order to meet their lovers before the festival. The young man is wearing a sachet from his sweetheart, which naturally causes discussion among men and women around him and praises the young man's unique object.
(1) Collect herbs. This is one of the oldest customs of the Dragon Boat Festival. "Xia Zhengxiao" contains: "Store medicine this day to remove toxic gas." Volume 22 of Miscellaneous Medicine Collection quotes the lost article of Miscellaneous Medicine Collection at the Age of Jingchu: "On May 5, competing for miscellaneous medicine can cure all diseases." In the miscellaneous notes of Qi Yaomin's Book at the end of Wei Dynasty, there is a record of catching toads in May, which is also used in pharmacy. Later, many areas have the custom of catching toads on the Dragon Boat Festival. For example, in Jiangsu, toads are harvested at noon and their foam is punctured to make traditional Chinese medicine toad venom. People in Hangzhou also give their children toads, saying that summer can reduce fire and prevent sores. On the 5th, Mo Ding was put into the toad's mouth, hung and dried, and became a toad ingot, which could be dissipated by applying it to the abscess. This custom of catching toad medicine originated from the legend of "toad fighting for soldiers" in Han Dynasty. Another example is the custom of "collecting herbs" on the Dragon Boat Festival in Jianli, Hubei Province, which is also collecting herbs. Herb picking is because the stems and leaves of herbs are mature and have good medicinal properties around the Dragon Boat Festival, and this custom was formed on this day.
② Mulan decoction. Taking a bath with orchid soup at noon is an ancient custom recorded in Da Dai Li. At that time, orchids were not orchids today, but flying grasses of Compositae, which were fragrant and could be decocted and bathed. "Nine Songs in the Cloud" also has the sentence "Bathing orchid soup will make you fragrant". "The Chronicle of Jingchu": "May 5th is called the Blue Bath Festival." "Five Miscellanies" records that people in the Ming Dynasty took a bath with five-colored grass at noon because "there was no orchid soup". Later, herbs such as cattail and wormwood were usually fried for bathing. In Guangdong, use wormwood, cattail, impatiens, magnolia and other flowers and plants; In Hunan, Guangxi and other places, cypress leaves, anemone roots, wormwood, cattail and peach leaves are used for bathing. Regardless of men, women and children, the whole family washes. This custom still exists today. It is said that it can cure skin diseases and ward off evil spirits.
③ Drink Pu wine, realgar, cinnabar wine and spray wine. Jingchu Chronicle: "Acorus calamus (a perennial herb, born by the water, has reddish roots underground and leaves shaped like swords and spikes." . The rhizome can be used as medicine or medicine) or carved or shredded to cool the wine. "Pu wine is fragrant and refreshing. Later, realgar and vermilion were added to the wine. Xie Ming Zhao Zhe's "Five Miscellaneous Drunks": "Drinking calamus wine is also ... drinking with realgar. "Feng Ming Yingjing's Generalized Moon Order": "On the fifth day, cinnabar wine was used to ward off evil spirits and detoxify, and the forehead, chest, hands and feet were dyed with wine, so there was no danger of poisonous snakes (poisonous snakes mentioned in ancient books). Sprinkle water on walls, doors and windows to avoid poisonous insects. "This custom is very widespread. Up to now, in Binyang, Guangxi, there are packages of medicinal materials for sale during the Dragon Boat Festival, including realgar, Zhu Lei, Platycladus orientalis, peach kernel, Folium Typhae and Folium Artemisiae Argyi. People soak in wine, and then dip it in corners, doors and windows, under beds and so on. Then put wine on the child's ears, nose and navel to drive away poisonous insects and ensure the safety of the child. In addition, in some areas, realgar wine powder is used to draw the word "Wang" on children's foreheads, so that children have the mark of tigers to ward off evil spirits. From a health point of view, these activities are still scientific and reasonable. Realgar mixed with water and wine can be disinfected indoors, and drinking general sprinkling is also quite beneficial.
4 pick tea and make herbal tea. In some areas in the north, people like to pick tender leaves and steam wild vegetable leaves to make tea during the Dragon Boat Festival. In Chaozhou, Guangdong, people go to the suburbs of Shan Ye to collect herbs and cook herbal tea. This is also good for health.
There are also many activities to ward off evil spirits and eliminate epidemics during the Dragon Boat Festival, which are closely related to the above-mentioned health-keeping customs. It used to be a popular custom to tie arms with five-color silk. In the book "Customs and Righteousness" in the Han Dynasty, it was recorded: "On May 5, five colors were given to prolong life, and folklore was beneficial to people's lives." The Chronicle of Jingchu said: "It is not a disease to tie your arms with colorful silks, which is called' Bing Bing'. In addition, there are long life wisps, even life wisps, soldiers and soldiers, five-color wisps, various ropes and so on. It is said that it was also caused by Qu Yuan, which can drive away disasters. Why are multicolored silk threads so powerful? In "Bao Pu Zi" by Ge Hong in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, there is also a kind of witchcraft that hangs five-color paper in the mountains to summon five ghosts and gods. It is probably a symbol of the protection of the five ghosts and gods, which originated from the concept of five elements in ancient China. In addition, it may stem from the custom of tattooing in ancient southerners. " "History of Han Geography" records that the Yue people "tattooed their hair to avoid harm". Liu Yiqing, a native of A Jin, is the author of Shi Shuo and other books. In the book, rice dumplings are wrapped in five-color silk and thrown into the river, fearing mosquitoes and dragons. Although it is a legend, it reveals some interesting information. Five-color silk tied to the arm, or tattoos, and other accessories. For example, Taiping Yulan quoted "Customs Pass") and wrote: "There are other weaves to give each other a legacy. "Stripes, that is, colored woven ribbons, also go hand in hand with five-color silk. There is also the custom of paying soldiers on credit (this custom has been lost for a long time and is only recorded in Taiping YuLan). These customs spread to later generations, that is, developed into a variety of beautiful and fun sachets and other accessories. For example, "Tokyo Dream Record") remembers Kaifeng in the Northern Song Dynasty and wants to buy it after the Dragon Boat Festival. " Saussurea involucrata and Artemisia argyi (perennial sweet clover, with fragrant leaves, can be used as medicine, as a hemostatic agent and moxibustion. It is also called "osmanthus fragrans and silver-like drum flower". Is wearing accessories. "The Old Story of Wulin" was given to the concubines in Hangzhou in the Southern Song Dynasty: "Cuiye, five-color sunflower pomegranate, golden silk cuifan, real pearl, hundred ropes, hairpin, management, sachet, soft fragrant dragon clothes." Ji Sheng, Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, said, "Young girls cut the ribbon and fold the blessings, sewing the equations of old healthy people, corn millet, garlic, five poisons and tigers with soft silk." During the Dragon Boat Festival, it was made into a small sachet in the shape of a human figure (developed from the ancient Ai people), zongzi, garlic, five poisons and a lane tiger. Jia Qinglu records another kind of healthy person: "People in the city are called healthy people because they use gold and silver silk as numerous tassels (ancient hats are tied to the collar), chime bells and ride tigers, which are extremely exquisite, and use small hairpin as a string, or copper wire and gold foil for women to insert manes and worship each other." Women will also wear mugwort on steamed buns and insert pomegranate flowers, which can ward off evil spirits and play a decorative role.
There are all kinds of flowers and plants that can exorcise evil spirits in the Dragon Boat Festival, and the source is also long. The earliest example is hanging wormwood on the door. The Chronicle of Jingchu: "Ai Ai is a human being, hanging it on the door with poison gas." This is because mugwort is an important medicinal plant, and it can also be used for treating diseases, moxibustion at acupoints and expelling insects. The temperature in May contains the most oil of mugwort leaves (which is at the peak of temperature growth), so the effect is the best, and people are scrambling to pick mugwort leaves. Besides turning Aiza into a human being, he was also made into the shape of a tiger, which is the so-called Ai Hu. The note in the Chronicle of Jingchu says: "Take Ai as a tiger shape, or cut the ribbon as a tiger shape, and mail it to my wife to try it on." At the same time, there are also Pu bundles, cut Pu Jian and Pu Long tied with Pu on the door. "Jing Di Ji Sheng at the age of four": "(Dragon Boat Festival) insert Pulong Ai Hu." Jia Qinglu Volume 5: "Depp is a sword, cutting the canopy as a whip, and garlic with peach handles are hung in the bed to exorcise ghosts." Peach stalks are auspicious things to ward off evil spirits, and garlic is considered as a bronze hammer symbolizing weapons, which is matched with Pu Jian and Peng Bian to drive away furtiveness. In addition, mugwort was burned to drive away mosquitoes and flies. In Hunan, Zhejiang and other places, kudzu vine is used to hang on doors. It is said that kudzu vine is a chain that locks ghosts and can exorcise evil spirits.
There are games such as playing herbs, playing herbs, etc., which are related to picking herbs and picking Aipu, and are the heritage of ancient people's wild entertainment. Later, it developed into decorative arts such as flower arrangement.
People think that May is the time when the five poisons (scorpion, snake, centipede, gecko and toad) appear, and people should use various methods to prevent the harm of the five poisons. Generally, a map of five poisons is posted in the house, five poisons are printed on red paper, and then five needles are stuck on the five poisons, that is, the poisons are stabbed to death, and they can no longer be rampant. This is a witchcraft legacy to ward off evil spirits. Folk people also embroider five poisons on clothes and decorate five poisons on cakes, all of which mean expulsion.
The Dragon Boat Festival is also decorated with peach blossom seals. Peach is an exorcism in folk customs, which originated from the myth of Shen Tu and Lei Yu. It is engraved with peach characters, which also means to disperse noise. "History of Continuing Han Rites": "Zhu Suo and Five-color Peach Seal are the door ornaments to block evil spirits." This is the origin of ambiguous symbols and auspicious gourds in later generations. "Dream of Liang Lu" Volume III: "It is the custom of the Song Dynasty for the sergeant and other scholars to write the sentence" Mid-Autumn Festival on May 5, red mouth and white tongue all disappear. " "Yanjing Year" also records: "Duanyang cut all kinds of gourds with colored paper for daily use, stuck it upside down on the threshold and released poisonous gas. "This is the custom of the Qing dynasty. Some still hang silk tassels and ribbons on paper gourds to look better, or cut the shape of the five poisons in the gourd and stick it on the door, which also means that the five poisons will be exhausted. You are a "troubled gourd".
There is still the custom of hanging a mirror on the door to ward off evil spirits. At noon on May 5th in the Tang Dynasty, a bronze mirror was cast in the center of the Yangtze River in Yangzhou to pay tribute to the emperor, also to ward off evil spirits (see Tang Shi Bu). Therefore, later generations often hang mirrors in front of the door to exorcise evil spirits.