Outing, also known as spring outing and spring outing, refers to visiting the countryside in spring. The custom of outing has a long history in China. Li Nao once recorded in the chronicle of the middle of Qin Dynasty: "on the third day of March of the lunar calendar, people give a banquet in Qujiang River, drink at the head of the river and trample on green grass, which is called outing shoes." In his poem, Du Fu also recorded the scene of the Royal spring outing, "the weather is new on March 3, and there are many beautiful people by the water in Chang'an". Beijing folk custom has always paid attention to outing. Whenever there is green grass and clear water, people take off their long cloth shirts, go out of the courtyard, and go in groups to the countryside and mountains to enjoy the scenery and relax. The boredom of winter will disappear all at once.

Outing also has a long history in Jinan. Old Jinan people can tell the origin of outing. Wang Xiangchun of the Ming Dynasty wrote the poem "outing" in Qiyin: "when you come to the lower court for outing in March, your spring shirt and wide sleeves should be carried in time. The broken flowers all rain in front of the mountain until dusk“ There is a note in the poem saying: "in March, scholars and women went out of the lower house in the south of the city for an outing. The flowers in the south of the mountain are the most beautiful, and it is still a peaceful scene."

Spring flowers bloom at Qingming. In this season, you can travel in groups and feel the breath of spring while paying tribute to your ancestors. Playing on swings, flying kites, tug of war, cockfighting, Dai Liu, fighting grass and playing ball in the countryside, my mood was released so that I didn't want to turn around, and happiness gradually filled my heart from my face. The tomb sweeping is in the bright spring, the vegetation is green, and the fields are bright and fragrant. Grave sweepers often "cry, don't go back, go to aromatic trees, choose nurseries and sit drunk", which evolved from a simple sacrificial activity to an outing in spring at the same time. Wu Weixin, a poet in the Song Dynasty, said: "the pear blossom wind rises, the Tomb Sweeping Day is coming, and the Wanderers go out of the city in the spring. The sun tomb is singing and cleaning up. Ten thousand willows belong to the migratory warbler. " At that time, the grand occasion of spring outing from day to night, such as singing, can be described incisively and vividly.

origin

Outing, a seasonal folk activity, has a long history in China. Its source is the spring greeting custom of ancient farming and sacrifice《 The book of history · biography says, "spring comes out, and all things come out." In the Western Zhou Dynasty, when everything sprouted, spring outing in the wild became a ritual. According to the book of rites · monthly order: "on the day of spring, the son of heaven is close to Shuai Sangong, Jiuqing, princes, doctors and even the eastern suburbs of spring." In the pre Qin period, Qi had the custom of "letting spring March view in the wild"; Lu and Chu also have the habit of traveling in spring. This custom of farming and sacrifice has a far-reaching impact on future generations.

The origin of outing is also related to the emergence of Shangsi Festival. Shangsi Festival is named after the first day of March. Its source can be traced back to ancient times, that is, before the Xia Dynasty, the male and female mate selection system still in the matriarchal clan. At that time, there was no marriage, and the seasonal group marriage system of one clan and another clan was implemented. Later, it developed into dual marriage, entered the patriarchal society, had the ceremony of marriage, and there was the patriarchal family. After a long winter, the young men and women imprisoned in the house by the cold wind ushered in spring, ushered in busy farming and production, and also had the demand for mate selection and fertility. In this way, after sacrificing the earth God (Social God) and the spring God for agricultural harvest, people also sacrifice the female fertility god and media God to pray for the reproduction of children. At the same time, men and women choose their spouses, sing and dance, and then match. At that time, the ancient custom of outing was carried out around these themes: ushering in spring, welcoming the fertility god, bathing in order to have more children; Young men and women are courting each other. They want spring fun, parties, singing and dancing, and indulgence. In addition, there are activities such as dancing Nuo to drive away epidemic diseases and praying for rain.

formation

During the spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, a relatively fixed Shangsi festival was formed, and spring outing became a folk activity. According to "Han Shi": "when the peach blossom water in March, the custom of the state of Zheng has been in March, holding the orchid to summon the soul and continue the soul on the two waters of Qin and Xi, and brushing away the ominous According to the etiquette records of the Han Dynasty, the officials and people were clean on the East flowing water in March, saying that "washing the water and removing the sleeping dirt is great cleanliness". At this time, the theme of the outing highlighted the "bath" of "summoning the soul and continuing the soul, brushing away the ominous". According to the Analects of Confucius advanced records: "Mo (dusk) spring, spring clothes are completed, five or six crowns, six or seven children, bathing in Yi, wind dancing rain, singing and returning." Wang Chong's Lun Heng · Ming Yu chapter explains that this is a line dance performed by many people like dragons when crossing the Yi water (another explanation: it describes the scene of several adults and children swimming in the Yi water and then blowing on the dance Yu stage). Yu dance is a kind of sacrifice held in late spring, which contains many connotations, such as dragon worship and praying for rain. It not only records the sacrificial "rain dance", but also describes the spring outing activities at that time.

Stereotype

After the Qin Dynasty, the festival customs related to excessive indulgence in Shangsi festival were gradually prohibited. In addition to the customs of some ethnic minorities in the south, only a few activities such as Spring Festival and outing can be spread, and the original sexual color of seeking spouse and fertility gradually disappears.

The Han Dynasty basically inherited the custom of "welcoming spring" in the Pre-Qin Dynasty. In addition to the "spring ceremony" led by the emperor, all counties also have spring ceremony. For example, it is recorded in the second sacrificial annals of the later Han Dynasty: "on the day of the beginning of spring, all green flags are flying, and spring is greeting outside Dongguo. Make a boy wear green scarves and green clothes, first in the field of Dongguo. Those who greet the spring come out of the field, and those who greet them worship them and return them as a sacrifice. " In addition, in the spring and Jingming seasons, emperors and nobles often use the instrument of welcoming spring to visit spring. In the second year of Emperor Wu's Taichu (103 BC), "travel to the east of Xinghe River in March and visit the land behind the temple. Make the world big "five days". Emperor Ming, Emperor Zhang, Emperor he, Emperor an, Emperor Ling and Emperor Xian of the later Han Dynasty often travel in spring. County officials often take persuading farmers as "spring travel". In the Han Dynasty, there was also the custom of collecting wind in spring. According to the records in the annals of food and goods in the book of Han Dynasty: "in the month of mengchun, people living in groups will disperse, pedestrians will vibrate Mu duo and shine on the road, and the master who collected poetry and presented it will compare its rhythm to the son of heaven." It can be seen that this kind of spring greeting ceremony to persuade the people to farming and mulberry is far from just "worship", but on the basis of the ceremony, it has added many pleasant aftertaste programs.

As for the Folk Spring and autumn suburban sacrifice, it was recorded in the "theory of salt and iron · scattered deficiency": "today, the rich pray for famous prisons, look at mountains and rivers, vertebrate cattle beat drums, play and advocate dance images; The middle one lives on danglu road in the south, Yuntai on the water, slaughters sheep and dogs, and plays Sheng with drums and harps; The poor chicken, pig and five fragrance, Wei Bao scattered wax and poured over the social market. " It can be seen that the outing custom prevailed in the Han Dynasty.

After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the Shangsi festival was changed to the third day of March. The second book of rites in the Song dynasty recorded that "after the Wei Dynasty, it took three days, not already." Therefore, it is often called March 3, but scholars generally still call it Shangsi. However, the ancient customs of Shangsi Festival have gradually been replaced by Waterfront activities, Qushui flowing wine cups, outings and other activities, and become a grand event for spring outing entertainment《 Jin Shu: from the first day to the third day of March every year, people still go out for an outing《 The third volume of Xijing miscellany records: "on the first month, Chen goes out to wash by the pool. The bait is used to kill evil spirits. In March, I was happy in the running water. " After the Jin Dynasty, there were many entertainment, such as floating eggs near the water, floating dates, curved water flowing cups, etc., which were very popular.

"Qushui flowing Cup" is a gathering banquet beside the water stream, also known as "flowing cup Qushui". Wang Xizhi, a Kuaiji man of the Jin Dynasty, said in Linhe Xu: "there are also clear streams and turbulent currents, which reflect the left and right, leading to the flowing wine and winding water, followed by the row." Wang Xizhi, known as the "sage of calligraphy", once met Xie an, sun Chuo and others at the Lanting in the shade of Kuaiji mountain on March 3, the ninth year of Yonghe (353). He wrote a famous work "preface to the Lanting collection", which has been handed down for thousands of years: "in the ninth year of Yonghe (353), he was in Guichou. At the beginning of late spring, he would practice at the Lanting in the shade of Kuaiji mountain. When a group of wise men have finished, a few have gathered. There are high mountains, lush forests and bamboos here, as well as clear currents and turbulent currents. It is regarded as the source of flowing water and winding water, and ranks second. Although there is no prosperity of silk and bamboo strings, a cup of wine and a chant are enough to narrate the feelings of love..... " Although this gathering is a "wedge repair event", the color of religion has faded. The article actually describes the spring outing. The second volume of Wu Zimu's dream Liang Lu in the Southern Song Dynasty said: "on the third day of March, the story of Qushui flowing wine cups began in the Jin Dynasty. This is also the intention of the Tang Dynasty to give a banquet in Qujiang and pour the capital wedge to drink for an outing. " It can be seen that the custom of spring outing is common among the people.