By Ryan Gandolfo
The Explainer is where we explain an aspect of Chinese life. Simple. So now you know.
While Chinas Dragon Boat Festival gets plenty of attention, with exciting boat racing competitions and tasty zongzi, theres another dragon-themed festival thats also been around since ancient times.
The traditional Chinese Longtaitou Festival, meaning Dragon-Head-Raising Festival, takes place on the second day of the second lunar month, and celebrates the beginning of spring and farming. This year, the festival falls on February 24.
The story goes that after this day, the Dragon King would wake from his winter sleep and bring rainfall for the crops. The Chinese saying Er yue er, long tai tou, which translates to On the second day of the second month, the dragon lifts its head, celebrates the ancient agrarian culture in China. Although some of the traditions to celebrate the day are no longer practiced, some do remain.
The most notable tradition on the day is getting a haircut, which is said to get rid of bad luck. According to Xiao Fang, deputy director of China Folklore Society, the concept of cutting hair on the day of the festival started around the Ming and Qing dynasties, as cited by Global Times. In contrast, getting a trim during the first lunar month is said to bring bad luck with one saying even warning that your uncle will die if you get a haircut during the first month (, Zhengyue titou si jiujiu).
However, some argue the Chinese phrase has been misinterpreted, and actually calls for people to remember the past (, sijiu). Xiao notes that men of Han ethnicity were required to shave the front of their head and braid their back portion of hair during the Manchu rule of the Qing dynasty. The similar pronunciation of remember the past (sijiu) and death of the uncle on your mothers side (sijiu) probably led to the later saying.
It was a tradition in the past for folks to lineup outside barbershops on Longtaitou Festival, waiting for their first haircut of the New Year. Nowadays, youre less likely to see salons jam-packed on the day of the festival, especially given the current epidemic situation this year.
How to give a haircut amid the coronavirus outbreak. Image via @/Weibo
As for culinary treats, different eats are popular in different provinces tofu balls in Fujian, fried beans in Shandong and chengyao cakes in Suzhou, Jiangsu. Popular foods are given names of dragon body parts, such as dumplings (dragons ears, long er), noodles (dragons beard, long xu) and spring rolls (dragons scales, long lin). Other common foods to celebrate the festival include popcorn, pancakes and pigs head.
So, if youre looking for a bit of good luck, grab a friend with good hand-eye coordination or daringly head to the barbershop to get a fresh cut today!
[Cover image via @/Weibo]
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