An ox in the field. [Photo/IC]

Making a Spring Ox
糊春牛

This custom in Shaanxi is practiced right before the Start of Spring. The local government hires some skilled artisans and gathers them to build the frame of an ox out of bamboo strips and the legs with wood. Then they paste some paper and paint onto it—and, voila! The image of an ox is complete. It is said that if more red and yellow paper is used, then there will be a good harvest that year; if black paper is pasted, then the year will be poor. When the paper ox is ready, there is a ritual to paint the eyes. After that, people will set up an altar for it and worship it.
糊春牛這項(xiàng)陜西的風(fēng)俗活動(dòng)是在立春前開(kāi)始進(jìn)行的，按傳統(tǒng)的作法，由縣政府(縣衙)聘請(qǐng)紙?jiān)苁趾媒?，于立春前到縣城聚會(huì)，精心制作春牛圖像。一般用竹篾綁成牛的骨架，用春木做腿，再糊上紙，涂上顏料，一個(gè)牛的形象就制作成功了。俗謂糊上紅黃色的紙多，當(dāng)年就“五谷豐收”；糊上黑色紙，當(dāng)年收成不好。春牛糊好后，舉行開(kāi)光點(diǎn)睛儀式，即設(shè)立香案，頂禮朝拜。