下元节，中国民间传统节日
时间为每年农历十月十五
今年11月8日便是下元节
这个古老的中国节日
如今却慢慢淡出了人们的视野
Xiayuan Festival is a traditional Chinese festival which falls on the 15th day of the 10th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which this year is November 8th. Although this traditional festival has a long history, it is gradually fading from people’s consciousness.
道家有三官：
天官、地官、水官
谓天官赐福，地官赦罪，水官解厄
三官的诞生日分别为
农历的正月十五、
七月十五、十月十五
San Guan, in Chinese Daoism, the Three Officials: Tianguan, official of heaven who bestows happiness; Diguan, official of earth who grants remission of sins; and Shuiguan, official of water who averts misfortune. The birthdays of each official are set according to the Chinese Lunar calendar.
正月十五上元节
也是我们熟悉的元宵节
七月十五中元节
民间俗称七月半
十月十五则是下元节
是水官解厄旸谷帝君解厄之辰
The Shangyuan Festival, also know as the Lantern Festival, falls on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The Zhongyuan Festival, also know as Ghost Festival, falls on the 15th day of the 7th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Now it is time for the Xiayuan Festival, which celebrates the birthday of Shui guan, official of water who averts disaster and misfortune, and which falls on the 15th day of the 10th month of the Chinese lunar calendar.
这一天，水官下凡到民间考察
校戒罪福，录奏天廷，为人消灾
道观做道场，民间则祭祀亡灵
并祈求下元水官排忧解难
Legend has it that on the Xiayuan Festival, the Water Official Shuiguan comes down from Heaven, he observes the people, he rewards virtue, he punishes vice, he dispels disasters and reports to Heaven. Some people will perform ceremonies in Daoist Temples, and some will worship their ancestors and pray that the Water God will come down from Heaven to dispel their misfortune.
根据中国的历法
农历在十月十五
也是一年中最后一个月亮节
在这个月圆的时候
人们要进行最重大的祭祖活动
According to the Chinese lunar calendar, the 15th day of the 10th month is also the last moon festival of the year. At this full-moon night, some people perform a grand ceremony to worship their ancestors.
享祭祖先是对祖先信仰的反映
人类对祖先的信仰
也是人类对自身的崇拜
更是对现实美好生活的追求
The offering of sacrifices to ancestors is a reflection of ancestral beliefs and a symbol of the ceremonial worship of mankind’s pursuit of a better life.
神龛馆
Deity Shrines Gallery
下元节是基于解除生命困苦、
崇敬祖先，祈求保佑的传统节日
虽然如今没有被世人所复兴
但相信这份民俗情感
和对美好生活的追求会永远留存
People express their pursuit of dispelling misfortune, their worship of their ancestors and their prayer for blessings on this special festival. Although it is not as popular as many other traditional festivals, it is believed that the traditional folklore and people’s pursuit of a good life will last forever.