Renri
Encyclopedia
Renri refers specially to the 7th day of zhengyue (正月, the first month in the Chinese calendar
). According to Chinese customs, renri was the day human beings were created. It is celebrated not only in China, but also other regions influenced by Chinese culture.
By Book of Divinationan ,an earlier of publication by Dongfang Suo in Western Han Dynasty, on the eighth of zhengyue was the creation of cereal.
Hence, Chinese tradition set the first day of zhengyue as the "birthday" of chicken, the second day of zhengyue as the birthday of dog, etc. And the seventh day of zhengyue is viewed as the common "birthday
" of all human beings.
is the goddess who created the world. She created the animals on different days, and human beings on the seventh day after the creation of the world.
Chinese
According to legend, the custom dates back to the Han Dynasty
, and gained importance after The Three Kingdoms period and Jin Dynasty. Traditional Chinese wear Rensheng (人勝) on their heads, or put sliced gold on pingfeng and hair. Poems are also composed on this day. Emperors after Tang Dynasty
may grant beautiful clothing to his followers on this day.
If the weather on renri is fine, it can be forecast that God will grant good luck to all people on earth. Fireworks andHua Pao (花炮) are lit, so renri celebrates the "birthday" of fire as well.
Since the first days of zhengyue are considered "birthdays" of different animals, Chinese people avoid killing the animals on the respective birthday and punishing prisoners on renri.
Nowadays in zhengyue, renri is celebrated as part of the Chinese New Year
. Chinese people prepare lucky food in the new year, where "Seven-vegetable soup" (七菜羹), "Seven-vegetable congee" (七菜粥) are "Jidi congee" (及第粥) are specially prepared for renri. The Malaysian and Singaporean Chinese use "Seven-colour sliced fish" (七彩魚生) instead of "Seven-vegetable soup".
, renri is called . It is one of the . It is celebrated on January 7. It is also known as , "the feast of seven herbs", from the custom of eating to ensure good health for the coming year.
The celebration of the feast in Japan was moved from the 7th day of the first lunar month to the 7th day of January during the Meiji period
, when Japan adopted the solar calendar.
Chinese calendar
The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, incorporating elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar. It is not exclusive to China, but followed by many other Asian cultures as well...
). According to Chinese customs, renri was the day human beings were created. It is celebrated not only in China, but also other regions influenced by Chinese culture.
Origin
According to Questions and Answers on Rites and Customs by Dong Xun in Jin Dynasty, the days on which different animals were created are:- First of zhengyue : ChickenChickenThe chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
- Second of zhengyue : DogDogThe domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
- Third of zhengyue : BoarBoarWild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
- Fourth of zhengyue : Sheep
- Fifth of zhengyue : Cow
- Sixth of zhengyue : HorseHorseThe horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
- Seventh of zhengyue : HumanHumanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
.
By Book of Divinationan ,an earlier of publication by Dongfang Suo in Western Han Dynasty, on the eighth of zhengyue was the creation of cereal.
Hence, Chinese tradition set the first day of zhengyue as the "birthday" of chicken, the second day of zhengyue as the birthday of dog, etc. And the seventh day of zhengyue is viewed as the common "birthday
Birthday
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders , Christmas – which is celebrated widely by...
" of all human beings.
Legends
In Chinese legends, nüwaNüwa
Nüwa is a goddess in ancient Chinese mythology best known for creating mankind and repairing the wall of heaven.-Primary sources:...
is the goddess who created the world. She created the animals on different days, and human beings on the seventh day after the creation of the world.
ChineseChinese peopleThe term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
According to legend, the custom dates back to the Han DynastyHan Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
, and gained importance after The Three Kingdoms period and Jin Dynasty. Traditional Chinese wear Rensheng (人勝) on their heads, or put sliced gold on pingfeng and hair. Poems are also composed on this day. Emperors after Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
may grant beautiful clothing to his followers on this day.
If the weather on renri is fine, it can be forecast that God will grant good luck to all people on earth. Fireworks andHua Pao (花炮) are lit, so renri celebrates the "birthday" of fire as well.
Since the first days of zhengyue are considered "birthdays" of different animals, Chinese people avoid killing the animals on the respective birthday and punishing prisoners on renri.
Nowadays in zhengyue, renri is celebrated as part of the Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
. Chinese people prepare lucky food in the new year, where "Seven-vegetable soup" (七菜羹), "Seven-vegetable congee" (七菜粥) are "Jidi congee" (及第粥) are specially prepared for renri. The Malaysian and Singaporean Chinese use "Seven-colour sliced fish" (七彩魚生) instead of "Seven-vegetable soup".
Japanese
In JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, renri is called . It is one of the . It is celebrated on January 7. It is also known as , "the feast of seven herbs", from the custom of eating to ensure good health for the coming year.
The celebration of the feast in Japan was moved from the 7th day of the first lunar month to the 7th day of January during the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
, when Japan adopted the solar calendar.