介绍:
"……a long time ago in a mountain far, far away, there was a monster named Nian, which means "year" in Chinese. Long-horned and fierce-natured, the creature was extremely frightening. On the first day of each year, Nian would go downhill to prey on humans and livestock. So whenever the time came, everyone abandoned their homes and fled in fear. Until one day, an old man came by. Despite warnings from villagers, he stayed put for the night. By midnight as a routine, the monster Nian came strolling into the village. Suddenly, the old man rushed out! Dressed in a red gown he set off firecrackers, and scared the monster away! It turned out that the monster was afraid of the colour red and loud explosive sounds! From there on, on every New Year's Eve, every household would paste red couplets on their doors, set off firecrackers and light candles as well as stay up the whole night to avoid being attacked by the monster. As time went by, the ritual took off to become a custom. Thus ends the story of the Chinese New Year."
Well, what you have just heard is a household story in China. Yet in the eyes of Cui Daiyuan , a columnist specialized in the study of Chinese folklore, there is no truth to this old wives' tale.
"What is Nian? Lots of people will say that Nian is a cannibal monster. But they fail to understand the rich connotation of this Chinese character. If you check out its evolution, the original shape of the word looks like a man holding up a bundle of millet. So Nian means harvest. So the Chinese New Year, as we call it "Guo Nian" in Chinese, was originally a celebration for good harvest. Chinese society is rooted in agricultural civilization. In ancient times, we sowed in spring; then reaped in autumn and stored for winter. When we celebrate the Spring Festival, it means that it's time for us to eat up last year's storage and get prepared for the coming year. "
A Beijing native, Cui Daiyuan is a fanatic of traditional Chinese culture. From the essay collection "Beijing Style", or "Jing Fan'er" in Chinese, to the thesaurus-like book "Food for Thought", or known in Chinese as "Chi Huo Ci Dian", the writer has a knack of embedding Chinese customs in light-hearted, witty, and personal proses. For someone who is curious about the Chinese way of life yet fed up with skin-deep travel guides, Cui's works fit the bill.
"If you want to introduce traditional Chinese culture properly, your stories have to be fact-based, which I think it's primary. You need to keep them real. Then your storytelling must be universal. No one will accept these concepts unless you could make them approachable and understandable. "
Just like Egyptians, Chinese invented their own calendar system in ancient times, on which the Chinese New Year is based. Commonly known as Nong Li, literally meaning "rural calendar" in English, or Yin Li, which means "lunar calendar" in English, the history of the traditional Chinese calendar could be dated back to the 14th century BC. Its parameters are in accordance with lunar phrases as well as the solar solstices and equinoxes. In order to better reflect the shift of season, climate and phenology, our ancestors also inserted 24 solar terms into the calendar. Better known as "jie qi" in China, in 2016, "the 24 solar terms" was recognized by UNESCO as one of the world intangible cultural heritages.
Here is a song whose lyrics explain how different solar terms guide farming and agricultural activities.
Nowadays, people celebrate the Spring Festival on the first day of the lunar New Year and take it as an established rule. But according to Cui Daiyuan, before 1914, the beginning of the Chinese New Year actually kicked off on the day of Li Chun, or in English, the Start of Spring, which belongs to one of 24 solar terms.
Sounds quite complicated, doesn't it?
Cui voices his retort.
"What's culture? It has more than five hundred definitions. But I think the ancient Chinese divination classic I Ching gives the perfect explanation. I Ching says: 'We look at the ornamental figures of the sky, and thereby ascertain the changes of the seasons; we look at the ornamental observances of society, and understand how the processes of transformation are accomplished all under heaven. ' It's very easy to understand. For examples, when the first day of the Lunar New Year comes, we can't spot the moon on the sky, therefore we understand it is time to celebrate. When the holiday begins, everyone enjoys dumplings. Business stops and family becomes the principle focus, which represents the transformation of the society. So in that sense, I think traditional Chinese culture is highly intertwined with the basic necessities in life, such as clothing, housing, and food. "
Food is undoubtedly one of the common subjects in Cui Daiyuan's writings. In his book, The Flavour of Beijing, or "Jing Wei'er" in Chinese, this Beijing-based author documents the local cuisine with both flair and fondness. From Wan Dou Huang, the yellow sweet pea cake that could melt in your mouth every spring, to the vinegar-preserved Laba garlics that are usually made in Lunar December, some of the most representative and enduring recipes are presented. As we devour Cui's vivid words, we not only learn how people in Beijing eat seasonally, but also get a taste of the rich history and human stories beyond the dinner table.
"China is an agricultural country. So all the food it produces are embodiments of its culture. Take dumpling for example. Doesn't it look like a small granary? In ancient times, every household added various stuffing based on what they had in their granaries. "
However, as times change, some of the folk customs that Cui once depicted with emotion have already lost ground. Nian Ye Fan, the reunion dinner that is held on New Year's eve, has already shifted from the dinner table to restaurants. In addition, during the holidays, lots of people choose to travel rather than stay in their hometowns. What's more, nowadays, people prefer to send their seasonal greetings to relatives through emails and text messages, rather than knocking on their doors.
As a result, some people lament that the Spring Festival is no longer what it used to be. The holiday doesn't feel the same without certain traditional customs.
But the cultural scholar Cui Daiyuan sneers at these nostalgic sentiments.
"It is totally natural that some old customs would die out because at the moment, new things keep popping up. For example, we now have the annual travel rush that ancient China didn't have. Watching the Spring Festival gala on the New Year's Eve has also become the norm as well. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with these new practices because not every tradition is worth preserving. "
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