二月二

LunarFebruary,the2nd,isthetraditionalfestivalofthehannationality.Butit’sverypopularamongtheothernationalitiesofourcountry.ItcanalsobecalledasTaqingFestival,TiaocaiFestival,QinglongFestival,ChunlongFestival,LongTaitouFestivalortheDragon-raising-headFestival.ThetraditionalEastAsiancalendarsdivideayearinto24solarterms.Jīngzhéisthe3rdsolarterm.Itissaidthatthehibernateddragonwouldbeawakenbythespringthunder,andthenhewouldraisehishead.InancientChina,thereisasayingthat“ifadragondoesn’traisehishead,therewouldbenorain”,soDragon-raising-headmeansthespringrainiscoming.Andrainisthebasisforfarmerstohaveaharvest.Longtimeago,therewasadroughtinGuanzhong,Shaanxianditdidn’trainforyears.AmannamedShuishenglivedhereandhetriedtosolvethisproblem.Oneday,hemetanoldmanwhotoldhimthatYudihadalreadyknownthedroughtinHanzhong,soYudisentthegrandsonoftheeastDragonKingtosolveit.Butthelittledragonjumpeddowntotheriverandforgottosowrain.WhyitwascalledLongtaitou?AndthentheoldmantoldShuishengtofindaXianglongmutocontrolthelittledragon.Shuishengwentthroughthickandthin,foundtheXianglongmu,andthencontrolledthelittledragon.Thelittledragonraisedhisheadandfliedintothecloud.Inaninstant,therewasaloudcrashofthunderandlargedropsofrainstartedfalling.ItissaidthathearingWuzetianbecomingtheking,Yudiwasveryangry.Hedidn’tallowtoraintoman’sworldfor3years.TheJadeDragon(Yulong)whowasinchargeoftheMilkyWay(Tianhe)hatedtoseemensuffering,sohesowedrainsecretlytotheman’sworld.Afterawhile,Yudiknewthis.HeexpelledtheJadeDragonoutofthepalaceofHeavenandputhimunderabigmountain.AndYudi(theLordofHeaven)saidthattheJadeDragonviolatedtherulesofHeaven,sohemustendurehardshipsintheman’sworld.Unlessthegoldbeansblooms,otherwise,hewon’tgobacktothepalaceofHeaven.Whyweeatfriedbeans?TosavetheJadeDragon,themensearchedforthebloomingbeanseverywhere,butallfailed.ThenonthelunarFebruary,2ndofthe2ndyear,someonesuddenlythoughtanidea.Ifwecanfrythebeans,thenthebeanswillbloom.Soineveryhousehold,peopleburnedincenseandofferedthefriedbeanstoYudi.YudisawthisandhadtoreleasetheJadeDragon.Forchildren,itmeansgrowinguphealthilyandalsostandingout“剃喜头”，Forman,itmeansushergoodbyetotheoldandwelcomethenew,withthehopeofgoodluck.“剃龙头”，Haircut/hairdressing抢豆腐丸迎“二月二”InsomevillagesofFujian,thedaybeforethelunarFebruary,2nd,allthepeoplewillgettogethertomaketofuballwithtofuandvegetables.Afterbeingdriedinthesunforawhile,allthetofuballswillbeputintheplasticbowls.Thenyoungmeninthevillagewillcarrythosebowlsontrays,andtheothervillagerswillscramble.Thenthevillagerswillbringthescrambledtofuballsbackhome,andatethemonthelunarFebruary,2nd.Itmeansunion,safety,andprosperity.