What is the festival on the fifth day of the first lunar month? Do you know what is the festival on the fifth day of the first lunar month?

The fifth day of the first lunar month is the fifth day of the New Year. The first lunar month should be the most festive time of the year, and everyone lives happily. So what festival is on the fifth day of the first lunar month?

What festival is on the fifth day of the first lunar month?

The fifth day of the first lunar month, commonly known as Po Wu Festival, is one of China's traditional festivals with a long history. It gets its name from the fact that Chinese folk customs believe that many previous taboos can be broken on this day. Since this day carries too many hopes and aspirations of the people, there were many taboos on this day in ancient times. For example, people had to eat dumplings, could not cook with raw rice, and women were not allowed to visit neighbors. "Yanjing Sui Shi Ji" said: The fifth day of the lunar month is called "Po Wu". During this period, no raw rice can be used for cooking and women are not allowed to go out. On the sixth day, princesses, noble ladies, eunuchs and others came and went in their attire and congratulated each other. Newly married women also returned home on the same day, and merchants gradually resumed their trade. The Qing Dynasty Bi Lei Chao also states: "The fifth day of the first lunar month is called Po Wu, and women are not allowed to go out.

Folk customs on the fifth day of the first lunar month

Worship the God of Wealth

Offering sacrifices to the God of Wealth is not only a tradition in the south, but also in many places in northern my country, sacrifices are offered to the God of Wealth on the fifth day of the first lunar month. According to folklore, the God of Wealth is also known as the Five-Road God, namely the household god, kitchen god, earth god, door god and travel god. The so-called five roads refer to the east, west, south, north and center, meaning that you can make money by going out of any of the five roads.

Therefore, every Chinese New Year, people open the doors and windows, burn incense, set off firecrackers, and light fireworks at midnight on the fifth day of the first lunar month to welcome the God of Wealth. After receiving the God of Wealth, everyone has to have a road-opening wine feast, which often lasts until dawn. Everyone is full of hope of getting rich, hoping that the God of Wealth can bring gold, silver and treasures to their homes and make them rich in the new year.

Send away poverty

"Sending away poverty" on the fifth day of the first lunar month is a very distinctive seasonal custom among the ancient Chinese people. The meaning is to sacrifice to the poor ghost (the god of poverty). There are many nicknames for "sending away the five poor", such as "sending away the five poor", "driving away the five poor", "sending away the poor soil", and "sending away the poor clothes". Folk customs believe that if you don't throw away garbage from New Year's Day to the fifth day of the New Year, you can gather wealth, otherwise you will lose your "good fortune". However, too much garbage pile up affects hygiene after all, so it must be thrown out on the fifth day of the New Year. There is a custom to do this, which is called "sending away poverty."

Opening

According to the old custom, during the Spring Festival, all shops, big and small, are closed from the first day of the Lunar New Year and reopen on the fifth day of the first lunar month. It is customary to regard the fifth day of the first lunar month as the holy day of the God of Wealth, and to believe that choosing this day to open the market will surely bring in wealth and fortune.

Eat dumplings

In addition to eating dumplings for the New Year’s Eve dinner, dumplings are also eaten on the fifth day of the first lunar month, which is called “Po Wu”. There is a saying that there are many taboos from the first to the fifth day of the New Year, and people should not "act rashly". After the fifth day, the New Year is basically over and there are no more taboos, so people have to eat dumplings to celebrate.