Biting the spring In many parts of China, people observe the custom of "biting the
spring" on the first day of Start of Spring. They eat spring pancakes,
spring rolls, or a few mouthfuls of carrots. Making a Spring Ox This custom in Shaanxi is practiced right before the Start of Spring.
The local government hires some skilled artisans and gathers them to
build the frame of an ox out of bamboo strips and the legs with wood.
Then they paste some paper and paint onto it—and, voila! The image of an
ox is complete. It is said that if more red and yellow paper is used,
then there will be a good harvest that year; if black paper is pasted,
then the year will be poor. When the paper ox is ready, there is a
ritual to paint the eyes. After that, people will set up an altar for it
and worship it. Posting spring calligraphy and paintings The custom of posting calligraphy and paintings on one's door in the
spring first appeared during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). People would do
so to welcome spring and pray for good luck on the first day of Start
of Spring. Appreciating plum blossoms Plums blossom from the 12th lunar month to the second month of the next
year. The plum blossom, as it fights against the cold, is the most
highly regarded. In China, the plum blossom, orchid, bamboo and
chrysanthemum are praised as the four gentlemen of Chinese flowers. Welcoming spring People in China began holding a special ceremony on the first day of
Start of Spring about 3,000 years ago. They made sacrifices to Gou Mang,
the god of Spring, who is in charge of agriculture. By the Qing Dynasty
(1644-1911), greeting spring had become an important folk activity. In
Beijing, government officials welcomed spring in the wild field near
Dongzhimen (the east gate of Beijing).
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