大白话带你了解China

Let's get to know China in plain language.

“五一”国际劳动节是劳动者自己的节日。但是，你知道吗？在中国古代，一年要过五个“劳动节”，就连皇帝，都得亲自下地干活……

International Labor Day is a holiday for workers. But, do you know? In ancient China, there were five "Labor Day" festivals in a year. Even the emperor had to work in the fields himself...

时间轴：二月二

Timeline: The second day of the second lunar month

相传，在上古时期，在每年的农历二月二，“三皇”之一的伏羲会和各部落首领一起，下田耕种，以示对农耕和劳动的重视。

It is said that in ancient times, on the second day of the second lunar month every year, Fuxi, one of the "Three Sovereigns", would go to the fields with the leaders of various tribes to cultivate, showing his emphasis on farming and labor.

《史记》也有记载，在这一天，周武王不但举行隆重的开耕仪式，还亲自率领文武百官“御驾亲耕”，并将这一天定为“春龙节”。

"Records of the Grand Historian" also recorded that on this day, King Wu of Zhou not only held a grand ceremony to open the fields, but also personally led all civil and military officials to "plow the fields in person" and designated this day as the "Spring Dragon Festival."

春耕的大幕从此拉开。

Spring ploughing has been going on ever since.

到了唐代，二月二被官方正式确定为“耕事节”或“劳农节”，由此，成为我国最早的“劳动节 ” 。

In the Tang Dynasty, the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar was officially recognized as the "Farming Festival" or Labor and Farmers' Festival”by the authorities, thus becoming the earliest "Labor Day" in China.

在清朝，雍正皇帝在圆明园专门开辟了“一亩园”，每年二月二，都会带人去扶犁耕种。

During the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Yongzheng specially established a "One-mu Garden" in the Old Summer Palace. Every year on the second day of the second lunar month, he would take people there to plow and cultivate seeds.

时间轴：清明 谷雨

Timeline: Qingming   and Guyu

作为上古农耕文明产物的“二十四节气”，古人还把其中的“清明”、“谷雨”作为“劳动节”的象征。有句谚语叫“清明谷雨两相连，浸种耕田莫迟延”，意思就是清明和谷雨之间，这时候的土地松软程度和降雨的次数刚刚好，正是耕种的好时机。

Among the "24 Solar Terms", a product of ancient agricultural civilization, the ancients also regarded "Qingming" and "Guyu " as symbols of Labor Day. There is a saying that goes, "The Qingming Festival and the Guyu  Festival follow each other. Do not delay soaking seeds and ploughing fields", and it means that between the Qingming Festival and the Guyu  Festival, the softness of the soil and the frequency of rainfall are just right, making it an ideal time for farming.

谷雨节，百鱼上岸。在胶东沿海地区自古就有谷雨祭海的习俗，也称渔民节或开洋、谢洋节。可见不管是农民，还是渔民，只要是劳动人民，都非常重视“清明”和“谷雨”。

During the Guyu Festival, all kinds of fish come ashore. In the coastal areas of Jiaodong, there has been a custom of offering sacrifices to the sea during the Guyu  Festival since ancient times, also known as the Fishermen's Festival or the Opening and Closing of the Ocean Festival. It can be seen that whether they are farmers or fishermen, as long as they are working people, they all attach great importance to the Qingming Festival and the Guyu Festival.

时间轴：七月初七

Timeline: The seventh day of the seventh lunar month

在男耕女织的古代家庭分工模式下，男人们有专属的“耕事节”，女人们当然更不例外，也有自己的劳动节：“乞巧节”，又称“七夕节”“女儿节”。这一天，女孩们会拿出特色的七孔针，并尝试用丝线逐一穿过，以此来祈求自己能够在接下来的一年中有更好的纺织手艺，归根结底，还是那句话“我爱劳动”！

In the ancient family division of labor model where men plowed and women wowed, men had their own "Plowing Festival", and women were no exception. They also had their own Labor Day: "Qiqiao Festival", also known as "Qixi Festival" or "Daughters' Festival". On this day, girls will take out their distinctive seven-hole needles and try to thread them one by one with silk thread, hoping that they will have better textile skills in the coming year. Ultimately, it still comes down to that saying: "I love labor."

在一年中最热的农历七月，劳动人民虽然晚上过乞巧节，但白天仍然要下地劳作。“七月流火，九月授衣”，《诗经·豳风·七月》就描述了一幅古代农耕图，反映了西周先民，一年四季以耕织为主线的劳动生活。

In the hottest month of the year, the seventh lunar month, although the working people celebrate the Qiqiao Festival at night, they still have to work in the fields during the day. 《The Book of Songs ·Binfeng· July 》 depicts an ancient farming scene, reflecting the labor life of the Western Zhou people with plowing and weaving as the main lines throughout the four seasons.

时间轴：九月初九

Timeline: The ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar

上面提到的“劳动节”，大多与春耕、夏耘有关，而到了收获的秋季，古人仍有自己的“劳动节”——农历九月初九，朝廷会在这天举行盛大的丰收祭天仪式，民间则有晒秋、登高饮茶庆丰收等风俗。

The above-mentioned “Labor Day” is related to spring plowing and summer cultivation. In the autumn harvest, the ancients still had their own"Labor Day" - the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar. The imperial court would hold a grand harvest ceremony on this day to offer thanks to Heaven. And in folklore, they celebrated with customs like sun-drying autumn crops, climbing mountains, and drinking tea to mark the harvest.

千百年来，在灿烂农耕文明的滋养下，土地教会我们最朴素的道理：劳动才能创造幸福生活。不论是春种秋收的劳作，还是祈福丰收的仪式，皆可视为古人最盛大的“劳动节”。

For thousands of years, nourished by the splendid agricultural civilization, the land has taught us the most simple truth: only through labor can a happy life be created. Whether it is the spring sowing and autumn harvest work or the ceremony to pray for a bumper harvest, all can be regarded as the grandest "Labor Day" of the ancients.

劳动最光荣

劳动者最美

Labor is the most glorious and the laborer is the most beautiful.