What is the festival and customs of March 3rd? Eating shepherd's purse and boiled eggs on March 3rd

Tomorrow is the third day of the third lunar month. Some people are not quite sure what festival it is, but I believe most people remember eating shepherd's purse and boiled eggs on this day. The older generation said that eating eggs on this day can prevent back and leg pain and headaches throughout the year. Let's take a look at the customs of March 3rd!

What is the festival and customs on March 3rd?

The third day of the third month of the lunar calendar was called Shangsi Festival in ancient times. It is a traditional festival of the Han nationality and many ethnic minorities, and is a festival to commemorate Emperor Huangdi. According to legend, March 3rd is the birthday of Emperor Huangdi. There is a saying in ancient China that "On February 2nd, the dragon raises its head; on March 3rd, Xuanyuan is born." Therefore, March 3rd can also be said to be the "Chinese Christmas". On this day, people go out of their homes, participate in colorful celebrations, feel the joy of the festival, and enjoy the beautiful spring.

Eat shepherd's purse and boiled eggs on the third day of the third lunar month

On the third day of the third lunar month, old Nanjing people have the custom of eating shepherd's purse and boiled eggs. The old people say that eating it can prevent back and leg pain and headaches throughout the year.

Nanjing folk custom expert Wang Yongjian said that there are many different stories about the origin of eating shepherd's purse and boiled eggs on March 3rd. According to legend, the famous doctor Hua Tuo encountered heavy rain one day while collecting herbs, so he took shelter in an old man's home. Seeing that the old man was suffering from a headache, he picked a handful of shepherd's purse and told the old man to use it to boil eggs. The old man recovered after eating 3 eggs. Another saying is that the third day of the third lunar month every year is the day when the Han people welcome the souls of their ancestors. They commemorate their ancestors by eating eggs and hope to get some spiritual energy.

Flying kites on the third day of March

The people in the south of the Yangtze River have had the custom of flying kites during Qingming Festival since ancient times. A Shanghai proverb goes, "On the second day of the second month, people twist hemp thread; on the third day of the third month, people fly kites." Another example is, "When the Yangliuqing River is green, people fly kites." When flying kites, people sometimes run while pulling the strings, and sometimes look up into the distance. Not only can they enjoy the joy and interest of spring, but they can also keep fit. There is also a folk saying that if you send a kite into the sky, cut the string, and let it fly away, the illness and troubles of the year will be taken away with it.

The Zhuang Nationality Song Festival on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month

The March 3rd Singing Festival, also known as the Singing Women’s Festival, is an important festival for the Zhuang ethnic group. On the day of the Zhuang ethnic group's March 3rd Song Festival, every household makes five-colored glutinous rice, dyes colored eggs, and celebrates the festival happily. That day, young men and women gathered in groups of three or five, looking for partners to sing to each other, and the singing continued all night long. The content of the songs ranges from astronomy to geography. In the singing festival, people also throw embroidered balls as a token of engagement, so it is also an occasion for young lovers to express their love.

Li Nationality Love Festival on the 3rd day of March

"March 3rd" is a traditional festival of the Li people, also known as the "Love Festival". This is a traditional festival for the Li people to mourn their ancestors, celebrate the new life, praise life, sing the praises of heroes and love. It is said that in ancient times, humans suffered a great flood. A man and a woman hid in a gourd and drifted with the flood to the uninhabited Hainan Island. In order to reproduce the human race, on the third day of March, the two sang songs to express their love, got married, and gave birth to the descendants of the Li nationality. The descendants of the Li people commemorate the happy marriage of their ancestor and his contribution to the reproduction of the Li people in various ways on March 3rd every year.