Chunshe

Chunshe (Spring Community Day) is a traditional folk festival originating from China. In Shang Dynasty and the Western Zhou，it was a carnival where lovers could date. Gradually, it became a sacrifice ritual to appease/in honour of Tudishen (God of the Soil and the Ground). People usually celebrate this festival on the fifth Wu Day (according to Sexagenary cycle) after Lichun, which is near Chunfen[note 1]. According to folklore, the date could be February 2, February 8, February 12, February 15 based on the lunar calendar.

Returning from drinking

Li Tang, painter Southern Song Dynasty (1066－1150）

The record of Chunshe can be traced as far back as on oracle bones. With a history of more than 2000 years, it is one of China's oldest festivals. Chunshe remained a significant traditional festival in China before the Yuan Dynasty. Nowadays, though part of China (including mainland and Taiwan) still keeps the custom of worshiping Tudigong[1] on February 2 (lunar calendar),[note 2] the new celebration, now called Tudidan (the birthday of Tudigong), is not exactly the same as the traditional one. The Longtaitou Festival (meaning dragon raising its head), which is celebrated by the northern region of China, also retains some customs of Chunshe. A scholar once summarized the whole trajectory of Chunshe as "originating in the period of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, springing up in the Qin and Han dynasties, continuing in Wei, Jin, and the Northern and Southern dynasties, flourishing in Tang and Song dynasties and declining in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.".[2] Like many other traditional festivals relevant to sacrifice, Chunshe can be divided into two types according to different hosts, namely the official Chunshe and the folk Chunshe.[2] Official celebrations were grand and solemn with complex ceremonials, while the folk ones were full of life. People would hold parties in their communities and attend various leisure activities at that day. The customs included beating drums, feasting, drinking and watching drama in the community. Such merry occasions were rare. The Chinese word “Shehui" (society) actually has its root in community activities in Chunshe.[3]

Every year, the festival of Sheri (Community Day) is held two times, one in spring and one in autumn. It was because ancient Chinese believed that "the prayer in spring can be rewarded in autumn"[4]:540. Shang Binghe, a famous scholar of I Ching at the turn of the Republic of China, described Sheri as "the oldest and the most prevailing festival in Chinese history". One of its legacies is the temples housing the Tudishen[5]: 422  which are still common across China.[6]

History

Originates in the period of the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties

In ancient China, "She", according to Shuowen Jiezi, refers to the deity of the land [4]: 540 . In ancient times, the main way of food acquisition in China changed from fishing, hunting and animal husbandry to agriculture.[7] Therefore, people came to realize the importance of the land and began to worship it. The land was personalized and then the idea of "deity of the land" came into existence. The rulers, as well as the people at that period, began to offer sacrifices to the deity.[8] The descriptions of the ceremony could be found in oracle bone scripts.[9] Gradually, these customs of sacrifice developed into what people later called Chunshe. [7]: 90  It is fair to say that Chunshe can be dated back to the time when the "deity of the land" was created, namely the late patriarchal clan society。[4]: 540 .

In general, the purposes of Chunshe include:
[4]: 544-551 ：

  • pray for a good harvest
  • pray for good weather
  • pray for good luck
  • entertain the deity and the people
  • pray for a good marriage and for having children
  • pray for victory

A considerable amount of scholars reckon that In addition to the deity of the land, people also offer sacrifice to the deity of five grains.[8][3]

In the early Qin Dynasty, celebrations of Chunshe could last for a relatively long time as all sacrifices made to the land in spring can be called Chunshe.[6] At that time, the celebrations included two major types. One type was the sacrifices to the land and ancestors [8][7]: 89  [10]:42 while the other one called Chunxi (spring carnival) was more entertaining in which people can have orgies[10]: 63 .

Before the Warring States period, "Shela" was the only festival[5]:414. Once, after the recovery of a disease, King Zhaoxiang of Qin ordered to kill the cow and offer it as a sacrifice. However, he was dissuaded by Gongsun Yan as the time for Shela was yet to come.[11]

Types of Chunshe

Chunshe can be divided into different types according to its hosts. There are Da’ she (the one hosted by the King for the nation) [note 3], Guoshe ( hosted by feudatories for the people [note 4]), Hou’ she (the feudatories’ own celebration [note 5]) and Zhi'she (hosted by officials in groups).[12] The sacrifices presided over by the rulers are often referred to as official Chunshe with all resources funded by the government. Since the early period of Qin, the official Chunshe did not see many changes in terms of ritual, process and function. However, in different dynasties where there are different political systems and various names for the administrative unit, the name of Chunshe also changed accordingly.[13]

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States period, great changes took place in the social and political structure. The types of Chunshe was no longer determined by the rank of the host but by regions.[13] Zhi'she gradually evolved into “Li'she” (the folk Chunshe)[note 6].[3] Li'she was usually presided over by the local government official and the cost was shared by the people themselves. This form of activity greatly boosted public enthusiasm to participate in social affairs, strengthened the social function of the folk Chunshe, and finally settle it as a festival.[13]

The official sacrifice has to follow a full set of etiquette including burying the sacrificial offering, dropping blood on the ground [note 7]and using a human sacrifice [7]: 91 。

During the spring and autumn period, there were mainly two ways of offering sacrifices in Li'she. One was to offer to gods the quarry hunted together by 25 families. The second was to offer sacrifices together. After the sacrifice, all participants gathered together, eating and drinking to their heart’s content [7]: 91 . This was a festival that the whole community would participate in.[14] It was a time for party and feast [4]: 546 ，.[15] There is a lively description of the scene of Chunshe in Lao Tzu “the street is dense with the merry crowd”.[16] Shang Binghe called it “an orgy in the name of sacrifice” [5]: 413 . The lively scene even attracted Duke Zhuang of Lu to the state of Qi to watch its sacrificial rites.[17]

In the early Qin period, people attached great importance to social sacrifice [5]: 206 . Zi Lu, a disciple of Confucius, was nearly sent to prison by the locals just because he tried to catch the bird in the tree for sacrifice. Luckily, the local people accepted their apology and forgave him.[18]

Notes
  1. This is a method of recording days in ancient China called "ganzhi" or the Sexagenary Cycle or Stems-and-Branches. In the 60-day cycle, the first day is called Jiazi, the second day is the Yichou day, the third day is the Bingyin day, the fourth day is the Dingmao day ... the eleventh day is the Jiayou day ... the thirteenth day is the Bingzi day. For details, see Sexagenary cycle
  2. The date various in different regions.
  3. Dashe, also called Sheji, is the ceremony where sacrifices for the deities of the land and five grains are held. According to the Book of Rites, Dashe refers to the ceremony hosted by the King for the people.
  4. As is explained by Kong Yingda, Qunxing includes feudal officials and the people.
  5. Baixing can refer to ①the entire feudal officials ②the populace
  6. As is recorded in Ten Wings (a collection of commentaries), Li is the unit of residential areas. Five houses equal one neighbourhood and five residential neighbourhoods is called one Li.
  7. 瘞(Yi)， verb, means burying.

References
  1. 台灣高雄縣政府. "2006高雄左營萬年季". Archived from the original on 2010-07-05.
  2. 萧放. "社日与中国古代乡村社会". 北京师范大学学报（社会科学版） (1998年第6期).
  3. 曹书杰 (March 2007). "稷祀与民间社日研究". 山西大学学报（哲学社会科学版）. 第30卷第2期: 89–94.
  4. 陈绍隶 (2003年). 中国风俗通史·两周卷. 上海文艺出版社. ISBN 9787532124282.
  5. 尚秉和 (2001年). 历代社会风俗事物考. 中国书店出版社. ISBN 7-80568-941-5. K·132.
  6. 杨江涛 (2008年). "中国传统节日的美学研究（博士论文）". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. 张君 (2004年). 神秘的节俗. 广西人民出版社. ISBN 9787219026366.
  8. 史仲文,胡晓林 主编 (2011年). 中国全史. 中国书籍出版社. ISBN 9787506823630.
  9. 引自《甲骨文全集·13505》，载：“己亥卜，贞王侑石在麓北东，乍邑之。” 王侑石”指商王筑邑时的祭社之举。
  10. 袁方 (1993). 中国性文化史. 哈尔滨: 黑龙江人民出版社. ISBN 9787207025364.
  11. 引自《韩非子·外储说·右下第三十五·说二》，原文为：“秦襄王病，百姓为之祷；病愈，杀牛塞祷。郎中阎遏、公孙衍出见之，曰：‘非社腊之时也，奚自杀牛而祠社？’怪而问之。”
  12. 以上引自《礼记·祭法》，原文为“王为群姓立社曰大社，诸侯为百姓立社曰国社，诸侯自立社曰侯社，大夫以下成群立社曰置设。”
  13. 孔宾 (2011年). "从礼制到节庆——先秦两汉时期社祭的变迁". 山东社会科学 (2011年第7期(总第191期)).
  14. 《礼记·郊特牲》载“唯为社事，单(通“殚”，尽)了里。唯为社国，国人毕作。”孙希旦注“唯为祭社，一里之人单出，每家一人为社田竭力。”
  15. 引自《诗经·小雅·甫田》，原文见起源部分右侧框内文字。
  16. 引自《道德经·第二十章》
  17. 引自《左传·庄公二十三年》
  18. 见Xijin·张华《博物志》，全文为：“子路与子贡过郑神社，社树有鸟，子路捕鸟，神社牵挛子路，子路子贡悦之，乃止。”
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