Today is March 6th, the second day of the second lunar month, which is the traditional Chinese folk festival "Spring Dragon Festival." There is a saying among the people: "On the second day of the second month, the dragon lifts its head," symbolizing the arrival of spring, renewal of all things, and the beginning of annual farming activities. Today also marks one of the 24 solar terms, "Awakening of Insects (Jingzhe)." In Nanjing's local customs, there are many sayings related to Jingzhe. “If thunder is heard on Jingzhe, rice will be as soft as mud; if thunder occurs on the Spring Equinox, there will be fewer sick people” — this describes how thunder during Jingzhe means abundant rainfall that year, beneficial for agricultural production. "When soil is plowed on Jingzhe, the spring breeze connects the earth's energy" and "After the Jingzhe Festival, farming must not stop" signify that after Jingzhe, farming begins, and farmers become busier. "Thunder on Jingzhe brings flooding at Xiaoman, and rice piles up in heaps," indicates that thunder on Jingzhe is a good omen, suggesting a bountiful harvest that year with "rice piling up," meaning an abundance of grain beyond consumption.
In books such as "The Record of Seasons in Jinling" and "Memories of Festivals," which document the old customs and local conditions of Nanjing, it is mentioned that on the second day of the second lunar month, rural areas around Nanjing would hold a "Soil God Competition." There is also a Nanjing proverb: "On the second day of the second month, every household welcomes their daughters back," meaning married daughters should return to their parents' home on this day. "The Record of Seasons in Jinling" writes: "During these visits, sedan chairs travel back and forth like weaving threads, carrying red-lacquered gift boxes filled with offerings," vividly depicting the grandeur of welcoming daughters back home. Meanwhile, "Memories of Festivals" records a popular saying from those days: "On the second day of the second month, the dragon lifts its head, and every household welcomes their daughters to recount grievances," somewhat exaggeratedly pointing out that married daughters would return home to诉say the injustices they endured at their in-laws' house, seeking emotional comfort from family ties.
In the past lives of Nanjing residents, there were many folk customs associated with "the second day of the second month, the dragon lifts its head." The so-called "dragon lifting its head" actually refers to insects awakening after hibernation. It is said that this custom originated from the time of Fu Xi, the first of the Three Sovereigns. Fu Xi emphasized agriculture and farming, and every year on the second day of the second month, the empress would serve food while the emperor personally tilled the land. Later, emperors such as the Yellow Emperor, Emperor Yao, and Emperor Yu followed the example of their predecessors. By the time of King Wu of Zhou, this custom was further promoted, and a grand ceremony was held every second day of the second month where civil and military officials would personally cultivate one-third of an acre of land. Subsequently, "the second day of the second month" became known as the "Dragon Head Festival." After the Tang Dynasty, the second day of the second month was regarded as a day to welcome wealth. The formal establishment of the custom occurred during the Yuan Dynasty, called "the second day of the second month, the dragon lifts its head." Later, people even referred to "the second day of the second month" as "Work Start Day," "Harmony Festival," "Dragon Head Festival," "Green Dragon Festival," "Outing Festival," "Vegetable Picking Festival," and "Wealth Welcoming Festival," among others.