秦漢六朝的生日記憶與生日稱慶

Birthday Memory and Birthday Celebrations during the Early and Early Medieval China

本文探討秦漢六朝以來生日記憶與生日稱慶習俗産生的背景與過程。从秦代到1911年,官府戶籍登記制度只要求記錄百姓的生年或年齡,未具體到生月與日。生日記憶與稱慶主要流行於家庭、家族乃至親友的範圍內,與國家制度無關。各種資料顯示,對死者的生日記憶宋元以後纔開始普遍化,此前僅見零星記載,多見於皇家,應與存在嚴密的檔案制度有關。反而是"卒日",自先秦以來一向受到重視。不過,算命術的流行表明,生日記憶實際早就存在,且根植於本土的傳統,只是目的主要在於了解子女或自己的命運,尚未見到慶生的事例。由單純的記憶轉變爲年度性的慶祝,最早見於南朝末年江南地區,應是受到佛教佛誕(多爲四月八日)活動的啓發,同時,在成佛信念的引導下出現的。到唐代,生日稱慶則自下而上,由民俗而發展成國家慶典。

Birthday memory and celebrations had been popular within one's family,clan or friends,and had no connections with imperial institutions,because official household registrations recorded the subject's birth year or age only,birthday not included from the Qin dynasty to 1911.Various sources show the memory on the birthday of the death has only became prevailing since the Song dynasty,the date of death,however,have always been memorized since the pre-Qin period on.The first record of birthday celebration as a calendrical rite was kept in the south China close to the end of the Southern dynasties by Yan Zhitui,and this custom should had been inspired by the widespread celebrations of Buddha's birth (mainly on April 8) each year,while with the push of the faith of Chengfo(成佛,reaching the state of Buddha)widely held in common Buddhists.During the Tang,this popular custom was transformed into a national festival by the court and ministers from bottom up finally.