Offering sacrifice to the Deity of Waterwheel

Offering sacrifice to the Deity of Waterwheel“抢水”仪式

The waterwheel is an important tool for irrigation. A saying goes, “Three things start in Grain buds, filature, tanker and waterwheel.” Before the start of waterwheels, villagers perform a ceremony for “capturing water.” Senior citizens usually arrange the date and make preparations for the waterwheel ceremony. On the day of the ceremony, every household gets up at dawn and lights a torch. They eat semolina cakes, semolina pies and semolina rolls on waterwheels. When the leader sounds the drum and the gong (signaling the start of the ceremony), all echo by beating instruments. Then they go to the river and start several scores of waterwheels filled with water. Thus water is led to farmlands, to achieve the purpose of irrigation. Offering a sacrifice to the deity of waterwheel is an old rural tradition. According to legends, the deity of waterwheel is a white dragon. People place fish and meat and scented candles in front of the waterwheel. One special thing among the offerings is a glass of water. They spill it on farmlands during the ritual. This represents their wish of having enough water for farming. This tradition demonstrates the importance attached to irrigation and drainage.
旧时水车车水排灌为农村大事，谚云：“小满动三车（三车指的是丝车、油车、水车）。”水车例于小满时启动。此前，农户以村圩为单位举行“抢水”仪式，行于海宁一带，有演习之意。多由年长执事者约集各户，确定日期，安排准备，至是日黎明即群行出动，燃起火把于水车基上吃麦糕、麦饼、麦团，待执事者以鼓锣为号，群以击器相和，踏上小河汉上事先装好的水车，数十辆一齐踏动，把河水引灌入田，至河浜水光方止。祭车神亦为农村古俗，传说“车神”为白龙，农家在车水前于车基上置鱼肉、香烛等祭拜之，特殊之处为祭品中有白水一杯，祭时泼入田中，有祝水源涌旺之意。以上旧俗表明了农民对水利排灌的重视。

Herb of common sow thistle for Grain Buds吃苦菜

Herb of common sow thistle for Grain Buds吃苦菜

The time around Grain Buds is a season for eating the herb of the common sow thistle, which is one of the earliest edible potherbs in China. A sentence in Zhoushu says, “It is in Grain buds that herb of common sow thistle put forth flowers.” And from Book of Songs, “Picking herb of common sow thistle in Shouyang mountain.” Herb of common sow thistle grows across China, and it has several nicknames, such as patrinia.
春风吹，苦菜长，荒滩野地是粮仓。小满前后也是吃苦菜的时节，苦菜是中国人最早食用的野菜之一。《周书》：小满之日苦菜秀。《诗经》：采苦采苦，首阳之下。苦苦菜遍布全国，医学上叫它败酱草，宁夏人叫它"苦苦菜"，陕西人叫它"苦麻菜"，李时珍称它为"天香草"。

It tastes a little bitter and tart, but also sweet. It is nutritious, containing many kinds of vitamins, minerals, choline and carbohydrates. It has the function of clearing away heat, cooling the blood and detoxification. Here is a quotation from Compendium of Mteria Medica: Eating herb of common sow thistle for a long time can help people feel at ease, tone vital energy, reduce body weight and prolong life.” It can be made into different types of dishes. People in Ningxia like to eat the herb blended with salt, vinegar, peppers or garlic. It tastes savory and helps people feel refreshed. Some people boil the herb with water and then squeeze out the juice, which can be used to make soup or noodle stew.
苦菜，苦中带涩，涩中带甜，新鲜爽口，清凉嫩香，营养丰富，含有人体所需要的多种维生素、矿物质、胆碱、糖类、核黄素和甘露醇等，具有清热、凉血和解毒的功能。《本草纲目》：（苦苦菜）久服，安心益气，轻身、耐老。医学上多用苦苦菜来治疗热症，古人还用它醒酒。宁夏人喜欢把苦菜烫熟，冷淘凉拌，调以盐、醋、辣油或蒜泥，清凉辣香，吃馒头、米饭，使人食欲大增。也有用黄米汤将苦苦菜腌成黄色，吃起来酸中带甜，脆嫩爽口。有的人还将苦苦菜用开水烫熟，挤出苦汁，用以做汤、做馅、热炒、煮面，各具风味。

Celebrating the birthday of the silkworm deity蚕神庆生

Celebrating the birthday of the silkworm deity蚕神庆生

Silkworm rearing is a traditional byproduct for people in regions south of the Yangtze River. During Grain Buds, silkworms have cocooned. People begin to cook cocoons and prepare the spinning wheel for reeling silk.People in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces regard Grain Buds as the birthday of the silkworm deity. Those who engage in the silk industry thank the silkworm deity by offering sacrifices and arranging performances. They pray to the deity for blessings and a boom season for the silk business.
养蚕是江南农家的传统副业，到小满时，家蚕已结茧，人们开始煮茧，拾掇纺车缫丝。在江浙一带，人们把小满日当作蚕神的生日，丝绸业的商人会以丝业会馆或丝业公所的名义摆供祭神、演戏酬神，以此祈佑新丝上市、生丝交易旺季的到来。

 

Grain Buds performance in Shengze

Grain Buds performance in Shengze盛泽小满戏

There is an ancestral temple dedicated to Leizu (the innovator of silkworm rearing in China) in Shengze, a town in Wujiang city of Jiangsu Province. During Grain Buds, this place becomes livelier than any other time and it is bustling with excitement. According to tradition, the first-day performance for Gain Buds is Kunqu Opera, and on the second day (the formal day of sacrifice) and third day is Beijing Opera. Many famous actors and actresses are invited.
苏省吴江市盛泽镇有先蚕祠，供奉嫘祖，作为祭祀蚕丝行业祖师的公祠。二十四节气中的“小满”，是先蚕祠最热闹的时候，小满戏照例第一天是昆剧，第二于（正日）及第三天是京剧，均邀请江南名班名伶登台。

A list of operas is decided by prominent figures in the silkworm business. Episodes related to love child or death are absolutely forbidden, because the word “silk” in English sounds similar to “Si” in Chinese, which is also similar to the sound of “death” in Chinese. This shows that people always want to pursue good fortune and avoid disaster.
剧目都是丝业公所头面人物点定，上演的都是祥瑞戏，讨个吉利。凡剧情中有私生子或死人情节的戏目绝对禁演，因“死”、“私”与“丝”谐音，避讳，这与今人不喜欢有“四”字一样，趋吉避凶的心理状态确有一定的相似之处。