BLCU Online Education College
Chinese Language Education Platform
It's the traditional Chinese Longtaitou Festival today, or Dragon-Head-Raising Festival. It falls on the second day of the second lunar month every year.
Ancient people believed that after this day, rainfall increases because Loong or the Dragon has awakened from his winter sleep and brings the rain. We have a Chinese saying, "二月(èryuè)二(èr),龙(lóng)抬头(táitóu)" which means, "On the second day of the second month, the dragon lifts his head." This festival celebrates the start of spring and farming traditionally. But some of traditional ways to celebrate it are no longer practiced now.
The most famous tradition for Longtaitou festival now is getting a haircut. This is related to another traditional Chinese custom. Chinese people believe getting a haircut during the first month of the lunar calendar does harm to your mother's brothers. The Chinese saying is正月(zhēngyuè)里(lǐ)剃头(tìtóu)死(sǐ)舅舅(jiùjiù).
正月(zhēngyuè) is the first lunar month
剃头(tìtóu) is to get hair cut
死(sǐ) to die
舅舅(jiùjiù) mother's brothers
Because of that tradition, we believe getting a haircut on the day of Longtaitou today helps you get rid of bad luck. And also have the meaning of starting the new year from the head. 从头开始(cóngtóukāishǐ)
In some northern part of China, there is a tradition to eat pig head meat today. It also has the same meaning of 从头开始(cóngtóukāishǐ), starting the new year from the head. Chinese from different place of the country eat different food with names have a Loong. Noodles 面(miàn) are called 龙须(lóngxū) dragon's beard, dumpling 饺子(jiǎozi) are 龙耳(lóng'ěr) dragon's ears, pancakes 饼(bǐng) are 龙鳞(lónglín) dragon's scales.
Aright, that's all for today. If you are interested in learning Chinese and Chinese culture with our BLCU Chinese teachers. You can check our website www.eblcu.com . We have online General Chinese courses, business Chinese course and also Chinese for kids. You can study either in a group or 1 on 1. Contact us to start a plan of learning Chinese in the day of Dragon-Head-Raising! 龙抬头(lóngtáitóu),从头开始(cóngtóukāishǐ)吧(ba)!