Winter Olympics Coincides with Lichun

Chinese Culture to Shine on World Stage

冬奥“邂逅”立春

——中华文化闪耀世界舞台

 

Lichun (Chinese: 立春, beginning of spring) is the first of the 24 solar terms on the Chinese lunar calendar. Literally, "li" means "start" and "chun" means "warmth/growth". After that everything turns green and full of vigor gradually. In traditional Chinese culture, Lichun is an auspicious day.

今日立春。作为二十四节气之首，立春，又名正月节，是农历岁始。“立”有开始之意；“春”代表温暖、生长。立春代表万物起始、一切更生之义。在中华传统文化中，立春有吉祥的涵义。

 

Apart from Lichun, the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics also falls on February 4. On this special day, the custom of whipping "spring ox" (Chinese: 春牛, usually made of paper or clay) is on in Neixiang county of Nanyang city, Central China's Henan province.

2月4日，冬奥“邂逅”立春，中华文化闪耀世界舞台。在这个特殊的日子里，河南内乡 “打春牛”习俗也如期而至。

Whipping "spring ox" in Neixiang. [Photo/Henan Daily]

The custom of whipping "spring ox" is prevailed in Neixiang. Holding colorful flags, organizers launch a parade of the "spring ox" through the streets accompanied by music of beating gongs and drums on this day. Local residents sprinkle beans on the "spring ox" for good luck. Then comes the phase of whipping "spring ox", signaling the beginning of farm work. After that lucky chicken ornaments and papercutting of "fu" (Chinese: 福) or "spring ox" are given to children and friends as New Year wishes. Besides, local residents also observe the custom of "biting the spring" (Chinese: 咬春) on the day. They entertain guests at home and eat spring rolls or pancakes made of carrots and other vegetables in the hope of getting rid of dizziness in spring. After the cold winter, crop production will gradually resume.

内乡“打春牛”是流行于当地的习俗。这一日，民众手执彩旗、敲锣打鼓，抬纸糊 “春牛”游街，群众往牛身上撒豆祈福，以避水痘之灾。游街完毕，进行“打春牛”活动，预示农耕活动的开始。“打春牛”有规劝农事、鼓励春耕的含义。之后，群众游街闹春，家家户户长辈给孩子戴上“春鸡”，亲朋互送“春牛”或“福”字剪纸以示祝福。群众家里这天要摆宴待客，并用萝卜、青菜等制作春饼等食物“咬春”，以去春困。蛰伏一冬后，农业生产将从立春这天起逐步恢复。

 

Neixiang's custom of whipping "spring ox", highlight of the colorful local rituals praying for good health and harvests, has become a significant part of China's 24 solar terms to be registered on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and has been ranked as one of the national-level intangible cultural heritage items.

围绕时令节点，人们自发组织庆祝仪式和农事生产，有序安排衣食住行，内乡“打春牛”习俗是人类文化多样性的生动见证，并由此成为中国二十四节气申请联合国人类非物质文化遗产的重要组成部分，也被列为国家级非物质文化遗产。（中文来源/大河网 编译/赵汉青 海报/王君艺 审校/丁岚）