Beginning of Spring customs: interesting activities you don’t know about

The Beginning of Spring is the first of the 20 solar terms, and there are many interesting customs and activities on this day. Friends who are interested, let’s take a look together.

Customs and Activities on the Beginning of Spring

Bite of Spring

There are also dietary requirements on the day of the Beginning of Spring. For example, people should eat food related to spring on this day, which is called "Biting Spring". For example, the spring plate is mainly made of vegetables, such as lettuce, fruits, cakes and candies. They are placed on a plate as a spring plate (or put together into a plate) and given to relatives and friends or eaten by oneself to welcome the spring. There are five main items on the plate: fruits, vegetables, candies, cakes and bait. The main vegetables are: bean sprouts, radishes, leeks, spinach, lettuce, beans, eggs, and shredded potatoes.

Ju Mang God

In Zhejiang Province, there is a spring welcoming ceremony on the day before the beginning of spring. The god Ju Mang is carried out of the city to the mountain, and at the same time, sacrifices are offered to Tai Sui. Ju Mang is the god of spring, that is, the god of plants and life. The weather conditions of the year were predicted based on Ju Mang's clothing: wearing a hat meant warm spring, bald head meant cold spring, wearing shoes meant more spring rain, and barefoot meant less spring rain. Other areas post New Year pictures such as "Spring Breeze" and so on. In Guangzhou, people beat drums to drive away the plague and pray for peace around the beginning of spring.

Whipping the Spring Ox

Whipping the Spring Ox, also known as whipping the Earth Ox, is one of the most important customs of the Beginning of Spring. The custom of whipping the spring ox has an early origin and was popular in the Tang and Song dynasties. The significance of whipping the spring ox is not limited to sending away the cold and promoting spring ploughing, but also has certain witchcraft significance. People in Shandong province smash clay cows into pieces and scramble to grab the spring cow soil, which is called "grabbing spring". It is considered auspicious to grab the cow's head.