Many books have introduced firecrackers in detail. They were originally used by people to ward off evil spirits and eliminate disasters. "The Records of the Years of Jingchu" contains: "The first day of the first lunar month is the day of the Three Yuan Dynasties. It is called the Dragon Boat Festival in the Spring and Autumn Period. When the cock crows, firecrackers are fired in front of the court to ward off the evil mandrills." According to Zong Mao, It seems to be based on what Dongfang Shuo of the Western Han Dynasty said in "The Classic of Divine Miracles and the Western Wilderness Classic": There is a person in the deep mountains of the West. He is more than a foot long, naked, fishing for shrimps and crabs, and is not afraid of people. When you see people staying overnight, rely on their fire at dusk to burn shrimps and crabs. When the servant is away, he steals salt to eat shrimps and crabs. It's called Mountain Smell, and its sound is self-proclaimed. When people try to put bamboo on fire, it explodes and smells, and they are all frightened. It causes chills and heat. Although these figures change in human form, they are also like ghosts and ghosts, which can be found in the mountains where they are now. What Dongfang Shuo mentioned, even if there is such a thing, is probably just an animal. Later generations will spread rumors, so firecrackers have the function of avoiding evil and fearing disasters. However, with the gradual weakening of backward consciousness, the custom of setting off firecrackers rarely contains the element of exorcising ghosts, but only adds a happy atmosphere to the festival. With the advent of modern civilization, many large, medium and small cities have begun to ban the burning of firecrackers during festivals.
Firecrackers originated from ancient firecrackers. Firecrackers are also called "firecrackers" and "firecrackers". In the Tang Dynasty, they were written as "explosive poles". They are also called "paper cannons" and "ring cannons" in various parts of the south. If many individual firecrackers are connected into a string, they are called "firecrackers", "whips" and "whips". Firecrackers originated very early and have a history of more than 2,000 years. The Records of the Years of Jingchu written by Zongmao of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty recorded: "On the first day of the first lunar month, the rooster rises. Firecrackers are fired in front of the court to avoid the evil spirits from the mountains." This means that when people get up together at the beginning of the first lunar month, the first The first thing is to burn bamboo in the fire. The sound of bamboo bursting in the fire can drive away monsters and evil spirits. In the early Tang Dynasty, some people put saltpeter into bamboo tubes and set them off. This was the earliest prototype of saltpeter firecrackers. Later, when gunpowder appeared, people filled bamboo tubes with saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal and burned them, creating "firecrackers." In the Tang Dynasty, firecrackers were called "explosive poles". There is a line in Lai Hu's "Early Spring Poems" that "Half the paper has just been opened during the New Year, and the ashes of the firecrackers are still gathering in the small courtyard." The "firecrackers" in the sentence refer to "firecrackers." By the Song Dynasty, people began to commonly use paper tubes and hemp stems wrapped with gunpowder and braided into strings to make "wei pao" (i.e. firecrackers). Regarding the evolution of firecrackers, "Popular Choreography" records: "Firecrackers in ancient times were all fired with real bamboo, so the poems of the Tang Dynasty were also called firecrackers. Later generations rolled paper for them. They were called "firecrackers." During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, In this era, there are more types of firecrackers. The time for setting off firecrackers is no longer limited to the early morning of the New Year. It starts on New Year's Eve and reaches its climax at midnight. It is commonly known as "Welcoming the Gods". At this time, everyone, rich or poor, must set off firecrackers. Li Jiarui's " "Beiping Customs and Symbols" quoted "Hutian Lu" as saying: "The capital is densely populated and is the best in the world. Rich families buy thousands of firecrackers and set them on fire. Even if a poor family is struggling to find food and asks for help from Kong Cheng, they will still make several explosions and burn a pillar of incense to remove the trivial matters of the early years and predict the coming years. This habit is similar to the one in the past. "Xie Wenqiao of the Qing Dynasty's "Jiaomen New Year's Words": "Firecrackers went off all night, fireworks came from Shengdi Capital, torches and silver flowers were noisy in the middle of the night, and singing and wind music in Six Streets were in full swing. "Reflects the scene of setting off firecrackers in Beijing at that time. There are quite a lot of varieties of firecrackers, the most common ones are "single blast", "double blast" and "whip". Large single blast firecrackers are also called "Marezi", Double-shot firecrackers are also called "two-kicks." The paper tube of double-shot firecrackers is divided into two layers. The lower layer of gunpowder is used to send the firecrackers into the sky, and the upper layer of gunpowder explodes in the air. Based on the double-shot firecrackers, multi-shot firecrackers are developed. Fucha Dunchong of the Qing Dynasty said in "The Years of Yanjing": "The firecracker shed produces fireworks of various colors, competing for cleverness and wonder. There are box flower pots that fly into the sky ten times." "The Ten Flying Rings have now evolved into "flash thunder" - a long paper tube containing a number of ammunition. After being ignited, the ammunition is shot out one after another, and explodes in the air, accompanied by a silvery white flash, hence the name flash thunder. Because of its strong firepower, It is easy to hurt people. Therefore, since the Spring Festival in 1987, the setting off of flash firecrackers has been banned in major and medium-sized cities across the country. There are also many types of firecrackers - gunpowder is tightly wrapped in kraft paper, and the sound is as clear and loud as steel whips. One ring is one head, and the number of "overlord whips" can be as many as ten thousand. Special firecrackers are added to a hanging whip at a fixed point, which is called a "section whip". Usually, when ten firecrackers are set off, the sound rhythm will appear. "Flower whips" with medicine wrapped in colored paper are popular. When fired, the colored paper that is broken by the gunpowder falls down one after another, which is very beautiful. For example, if the medicine is wrapped in pink paper, it is called "Peach Blossoms Everywhere", and if it is wrapped in light yellow paper, it is called "Colorful Falling Flowers". If it is golden yellow, it is called "Sprinkling Golden Whip".
The art of setting off firecrackers in old Beijing
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January 26, 2006 09:55 Beijing Times
The Qing Dynasty's Baiyi layman wrote in "Hu Tian Lu": "The capital is densely populated and the best in the world. Rich families bid for thousands of firecrackers and burned them. Even if a poor family is struggling to find food and groceries are in urgent need, they will make several explosions and burn a stick of incense to eliminate the trivial matters of the old year and foresee the steaming of the coming year. This is the same custom." An old Beijing saying goes: "It's Chinese New Year, girls wear flowers, boys set off cannons." It can be seen that old Beijingers have regarded setting off firecrackers during the New Year as a very important event during the New Year. Yesterday, the reporter interviewed Gao Wei, a director of the Beijing Folk Literature and Artists Association and deputy director of the Folklore Working Committee, and asked him to talk about the old Beijing people's particularity in setting off firecrackers during the New Year.
The origin of firecrackers
Firecrackers and fireworks are collectively called fireworks. Firecrackers, also called firecrackers, were used to ward off evil spirits and worship gods in the old days. Later, together with fireworks, they were transformed into festive items and New Year toys. The ancients burned bamboo to make a sound, which was called "firecracker". "Popular Chapter Haiyuu" records: "In ancient times, firecrackers were all made of real bamboo, so they were also called firecrackers in Tang Dynasty poetry. Later generations rolled paper for them and called them firecrackers." Due to the invention of gunpowder, people used tubes made of paper. Instead of bamboo, hemp stems were used to weave firecrackers into strings, which became "weaving firecrackers". Because the sound is as crisp as a whip, it is also called "firecracker". With the evolution of folk crafts, improvements were made on the basis of firecrackers, and fireworks appeared. Listen to the sound of firecrackers and see the colors of fireworks, which are vivid and colorful. Scientific research shows that the birth of fireworks and firecrackers are closely related to alchemy. There are detailed records of firecrackers and fireworks in "Huainanzi", and they have been subdivided into two types: "containing thunder" and "breathing fire". Containing thunder means that The energy inside the explosion. Breathing fire is an extension, describing the instantaneous spraying of flames. By the Song Dynasty, fireworks and firecracker workshops and craftsmen appeared among the people. Fireworks displays are also enriched. There are names such as "Wheel", "Line", "Meteor", "Water Explosion", and "Ground Mouse".
How do old Beijingers set off firecrackers?
Old Beijingers set off firecrackers during the Chinese New Year, mainly in ceremonies such as offering sacrifices to stoves, receiving gods, offering sacrifices to the God of Wealth, following the stars, and seeing off the gods at the opening of the market. It means sending away the old cloth and bringing in the new, expelling evil spirits and welcoming good fortune, and it also symbolizes the arrival of the New Year. The volume of "Hu Tian Lu" written by a layman named Baiyi of the Qing Dynasty said: "The capital is densely populated and is the best in the world. Rich families bid for thousands of firecrackers and burn them down, while poor families are struggling to make ends meet. There are many holes in the capital, and there will be countless explosions." The sound of a stick of incense is used to eliminate the trivial matters of the old year and predict the coming year. This custom is similar. "Set off firecrackers and fireworks are entertainment activities during the Spring Festival, especially for boys, who receive "lucky money" during the New Year. "Except for a small number of people who buy some flavored food or toys at the temple fair, most of them are spent on buying fireworks. It is commonly known as: "Girls wear flowers, boys set off firecrackers."
In the twelfth lunar month, a "Firecrackers Market" was opened. In the old Beijing city, as soon as the twelfth lunar month entered, a temporary "Firecrackers Market" opened in the downtown area. Firecrackers have always been a popular item in the New Year. Sometimes, tea shops in the city also sell various fireworks on a consignment basis. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, there were many types of firecrackers sold in Beijing, and the common ones are as follows:
1 Firecrackers are usually made of large straw paper, manually rolled or machine-rolled, and the outside is wrapped in red paper . The mechanism is small and tight, and the sound is crisp and clear. It is called a machine whip. There are also large firecrackers rolled out of kraft paper (no red paper on the outside), with violent explosions. There are fifty, one hundred, five hundred, and one thousand firecrackers per hanging.
2 Marlezi, a large firecracker usually 2 inches long and 4 or 5 minutes in diameter, wrapped in straw paper, with hemp wrapper wrapped between each layer of straw paper, and the top is tied tightly to the outside. On red paper. After being ignited, it exploded like thunder.
3. Two kicks, commonly known as: "two kicks" and "double kicks". The firecrackers are usually made of straw paper, about 4 inches high and 7 to 8 minutes in diameter. The top is tied tightly with straw skin and the outside is wrapped in red paper. When set off, it will bounce up on the ground and make another sound in the sky. The other type is made of kraft paper rolled into a 4-inch high and 5-inch diameter firecracker, without red paper on the outside.
4. Flag fire, also written as "fire" and "flower". There are two common types: big and small. The big flag is shaped like a big firecracker. It is 3 or 4 inches long and 5 minutes in diameter. It is tied to a 4 or 5 foot long reed pole. After being lit, it can fly into the sky. , bursting with light in the sky.
The small flag fire itself is shaped like a small firecracker, tied to a piece of straw. After being lit, it jumps over ten feet.
5. Cannon-shaped lanterns are usually cylindrical, about 3 inches high and 5 minutes in diameter. The outer skin is wrapped with red and green paper and woodcut tickets. When lit, the sound is like a cannon. With the sound, a ball of light bursts out, which is called a cannon shot. Two balls of light burst out, which is called cannon hitting double lanterns.
6. Taiping flower, the large one is half a foot high and about the diameter of a bowl. When ignited, it will emit sparks, usually in the shape of a fire tree.
7 Flower Boxes are high-end fireworks, shaped like a large flat round box with a shell made of colored paper. The small ones are more than one foot in diameter, and the large ones are more than five feet, with 3 to 15 layers. , before burning the large flower box, you must first set up the shelf. Hang the box on it, and when it is set off, the colors will fall layer by layer. Starting from Laba Festival
In the old days of Beijing, setting off fireworks and firecrackers usually started from Laba Festival. Whether it was wealthy families or families from poor families, they usually bought some firecrackers. The children at home are the happiest, and they can play a few every day to enjoy themselves. Wait until the night of New Year's Eve, and have a good time under the leadership of the adults at home. Firecrackers will be set off in subsequent ceremonies such as receiving the gods, worshiping the God of Wealth, aligning the stars, opening the market and sending off the gods.
Businessmen held fireworks displays during the Lantern Festival
In addition to setting off firecrackers as a family unit, there was also a big firecracker show during the Spring Festival in old Beijing. During the Lantern Festival, merchants held fireworks display. In order to attract business and attract customers, major shops in the city, such as Nanhuo stores, silk and satin shops, and pastry shops, held street fireworks displays one after another. Generally, one street is used as a unit. The shops on a street each choose a location in the open space near their door, set up a high shelf, hang various flower boxes, Taiping flowers, etc. on the shelf, and write on the shelf " To thank our patrons, we will set off flower box fireworks tonight to celebrate the Lantern Festival and enjoy the Spring Festival together. We welcome all walks of life to come and give us guidance." Some merchants also take advantage of this great opportunity to post discounts. In ordinary fireworks displays, each merchant is secretly competing to see whose one is the most beautiful and grandest. In order to enhance the atmosphere, some businesses even invite lion dances, stilts and other flower performances. On this day, ordinary people in Beijing like to go out on the streets and watch fireworks shows. Why is there the custom of setting off firecrackers during the Spring Festival? In ancient times, there was a ferocious monster called "Nian". Every year on the 30th of the twelfth lunar month, it would go from village to house, looking for human flesh and killing living creatures. One night on the 30th of the twelfth lunar month, "Nian" arrived in a village and happened to see two shepherd boys competing in a cattle whip competition. "Nian" suddenly heard the sound of cracking whips in the air, and was so frightened that he ran away. It ran to another village and saw a red dress hanging in front of a house. It didn't know what it was, so it was so frightened that it turned around and ran away. Later, it came to a village and looked into the door of a house. It saw bright lights inside, which made it dizzy, so it had to sneak away with its tail between its legs. From this, people figured out that "Nian" was afraid of the sound, red and light, so they thought of many ways to resist it, which gradually evolved into today's New Year customs.
Spring Festival customs: setting off firecrackers
Many customs and habits have been formed around the Spring Festival over thousands of years. Some customs, such as receiving gods and worshiping heaven, are superstitious. With the improvement of people's scientific and cultural level, some customs have been gradually eliminated. Some customs have been given new content, such as setting off firecrackers, posting Spring Festival couplets and New Year pictures, playing dragon lanterns, lion dances, etc., which are still widely popular today. Set off firecrackers
“It’s the brilliant jewelry that overflows with color, it’s the glittering petals of fallen flowers. I can’t believe that there is such a beautiful soul in the small paper tube-fire-like enthusiasm, flowers Just as charming, it dedicates its swift life to the New Year..."
This is a poem about firecrackers. Every New Year's Eve, whether it is a bustling city or a secluded mountain village, whether it is a bustling city with neon lights or deep in an alley, the sound of "boom boom boom boom" and "beep beep (口pee) (口pee)" firecrackers, One after another they rise and fall, shouting in joy. The colorful sparks drew rainbows in the deep night, adding endless fun to people.
Setting off firecrackers to celebrate the Spring Festival has a history of more than 2,000 years in our country. The ancients burned bamboo to make a sound, which was called "firecracker". "Popular Poetry" said: "In ancient times, firecrackers were all made of real bamboo, so they were also called firecrackers in Tang Dynasty poetry. Later generations rolled paper for them and called them firecrackers." The original intention of firecrackers was to scare and drive away evil spirits. "Jingchu Sui Sui Ji" records: "On the first day of the first lunar month, which is the day of the Three Yuan Dynasty, the cock crows and firecrackers are fired in front of the court to ward off the evil mandrills.
"The Divine Sutra" says: "There is a man in the mountains in the west. He is more than a foot long and has one foot. His nature is not afraid of people. He can cause chills and heat. He is called a mandrill." When the bamboo is set on fire, there is a beeping sound, and the mandrill is frightened. Later generations imitated its shape and used gunpowder to make it. "Of course this is a superstitious statement. Today, although we set off firecrackers to get rid of the old and usher in the new, and to take auspicious omens, there is no superstitious color anymore. According to legend, in the early Tang Dynasty, some places suffered from natural disasters and plagues. A man named Li Tian filled a small bamboo tube with saltpeter and exploded it, using gunpowder smoke to dispel the miasma in the mountains and reduce the prevalence of epidemics. This was the earliest prototype of firecrackers filled with gunpowder. Later, due to the invention of gunpowder, people used paper. They made tubes instead of bamboo, and used hemp stems to weave firecrackers into strings, which was called "weaving firecrackers." Because the sound was as crisp as a whip, it was also called "firecrackers." In the Song Dynasty, there were records of firecrackers being sold on the streets of Kaifeng Prefecture on New Year's Eve ( "Tokyo Menghualu"). There are also workshops specializing in the production of firecrackers across the country. The original paper roll firecrackers were fired once, and later developed into various firecrackers, which are a specialty of China. , which is not available in foreign countries. From ancient times to the present, due to people's continuous processing and improvement, there are more and more varieties and styles of firecrackers, and the colors have also jumped out of the single fiery red. In addition to the traditional Baizi firecrackers, single-shot and double-shot fireworks. , there are many fireworks, and they are given elegant and poetic names, such as: "Golden Chrysanthemums Turning Beautiful", "Flying Snow to Welcome the Spring", "Fairy Scattered Flowers", "White Snow and Red Plums", " "Golden Monkey Soaring into the Sky" and so on, as well as giant firecrackers with hundreds, thousands, ten thousand, or even 100,000 heads. It's really all kinds of things.