What is the origin of March 3rd? The origin and customs of March 3rd

Every year on the third day of the third lunar month, China celebrates the traditional Shangsi Festival, which is an important festival for many ethnic groups. So, do you know the origin of March 3rd? Next, let us learn about the origins and legends of March 3rd among different ethnic groups.

What is the origin of March 3?

Han Chinese March 3rd Festival

The third day of the third lunar month every year is the "Ghost Festival" of the Han people. Legend has it that a long time ago, the souls of the dead could visit the world of the living, and the souls of the living could visit the underworld. On the third day of the third lunar month every year, the boundary between yin and yang, life and death becomes more relaxed. Therefore, the third day of the third lunar month became a day of terror and anxiety in the world and was called "Ghost Festival". Generally, on the eve of the Ghost Festival, people will go to the temple to burn incense and kowtow, praying for blessings from gods and Bodhisattvas. The strong incense from the human world rushed straight to the lotus seat of Guanyin Bodhisattva. One night, Guanyin gave grass to an old lady in her dream, and said that if she picked Artemisia annua, ground it into flour and made cakes to eat, she would be able to successfully survive the "Ghost Festival". Therefore, until now, on the third day of the third lunar month every year, the Han people living south of the Yangtze River have the custom of eating mugwort cakes.

March 3rd Festival of the Zhuang Nationality

March 3rd is a traditional festival of the Zhuang people and a song festival of the Zhuang people. Therefore, March 3rd is also called the "Song Festival." Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a pair of lovers, both of whom were famous singers. They often sang folk songs to express their love for each other. However, due to the constraints of feudal ethics, they could not get married, so they both died in despair. In order to commemorate the lovers, people sing songs to express their condolences on the third day of March.

She Nationality March 3rd Festival

Among the She people, March 3rd is an important festival that can be compared with the Spring Festival. The legend goes that in the Tang Dynasty, Lei Wanxing, a hero of the She ethnic group, led an uprising army to fight against the encirclement and suppression by government troops. The army used black apples to satisfy their hunger and boosted their morale. They successfully broke through the encirclement on March 3 and won battle after battle. Finally, to commemorate this event, the She people have every family slaughter livestock, eat black rice, and worship their ancestors on March 3rd every year.