今日是农历二月初二日，是龙抬头的日子。按照历法来讲，此时正是在夜间能见到东方七宿的日子，（角亢氐房心尾箕，东方七宿呈“龙”形）。而在民间传统中，则逐渐演化成为“龙抬头”的说法，因之也有了很多民俗，比如正月里不能剪头发，只有到了二月二这一天才开始剔除蓄了一整个正月的头发，预示着从今天开始可以如神龙抬头一样，开始新一年的新运程。
或许，即便违背了这些民俗后，也不一定真的会遭受什么样的惩罚。但老百姓心中始终有一份非常淳朴的信仰，那便是“宁可信其有，不可信其无”。凡是利益于家人身体健康的事情，大家都会心甘情愿地去做；凡是传承着我们祖祖辈辈美好祈愿的节日，我们所有的子子孙孙都愿意去传承。
二月二龙抬头只不过是一年众多传统民俗节日中的其中一个（并且还不是最盛大、最隆重的那一个）。随着这些年传统文化的复兴，以及百姓民众们对中华民族优秀传统文化的新认知，以及具备了日益增强的民族自信心，人们也逐渐把生活的重心开始从各种各样的洋节和购物剁手节向着中华民族的传统节日上转移。如我们一年之中最核心의节日——春节，可以游船赏灯会的一元宵节、二月二龙抬头的一好日子，此外，还有清明、中秋、寒衣等……细数这些傳統節日の每一個，都可以從不同的歷史典故發掘出不同的故事與精神價值。
更为重要的是，这些历史典故对重塑今人的道德品质和文化修养具有十分重要的地位。中国人喜欢谈“教化”，这代表的是我们的祖辈父辈们对后人的慈爱，他们不希望我忘记过去，也不愿意我们在前行の路上遇到太多挫折，所以才会借用一辈又一辈人们的人生故事和精神理念，将他们铸就成我們中华民族诸多傳統節日の靈魂。
或许还会有人质疑说，明明只是过个節，但為什麼非要把節期赋予那么多意义呢？過節本來應該是大家開心快樂的心事，而不是過度思考意味是否已經背離了過節的心境？
这一点，在笔者看来是不需要多虑。在回答这个问题之前，我们先来探讨一个前提性的问题，即：中国人为什么要过傳統節期？
中华文明有了數千年的歷史，每個年代都會有一種時代精神作為引領者。但不同於其他文明的是，它們強調忠勇孝誠等价值观念，這些觀念自古至今一直都是連續性保持著。而這些思想早已深深烙印在每個炎黄子的血脉中。而我們歷史中的某些人物因為他們在社會道德方面做出了表率性，是值得後人學習並效仿的事業，最終目的就是教化作用。這種教化并不强迫，而是在告诉後人勿忘先前的功勞恩德，因为有他人的抛頭颅洒熱血，所以後世子孫才能安享盛世太平。这樣的一份教化目標，是要讓人人皆能感恩，並將家國理想與言行道德實踐起來。
在這份教化中，以民俗角度說，是民族精神傳承；以宗教角度來看，是普度無量責任轉達。而在中國語境裡，“宗教”的定義就是宗先聖、 教後人—is to hope that everyone can make their words and deeds as saints, so that the spirit of saints can be realized in our words and deeds. This is a goal that seems very distant and difficult, but if we move forward one step at a time, we will be closer to that harmonious society.
Another point is, although this ideal society requires us to work hard for it generation after generation, and in the progress of society we still see many people violating the teachings of saints by doing things like insects crawling on dogs. But this does not prevent us from being good ourselves. As someone once said to me, "We cannot watch others commit crimes while committing crimes ourselves; instead, we should look at those who do good things and also do them." Because you today planted what kind of roots? In the future, either yourself or your descendants may benefit from your one good deed. Even though many traditional festivals have strong symbolic meanings (such as Dragon Boat Festival commemorating Qu Yuan), but human life often because they have symbolism and ritual significance become different from flying birds running beasts , let short-lived civilization have eternal legacy.
Moreover there's an extremely important point: Chinese history and culture should not be forgotten by us in this generation. We carry only a little bit of responsibility for passing on tradition—what need are there for quarrels over whether these traditional festivals are worth promoting or some sayings within them lack scientific evidence?! We should be proud of having such excellent culture and ancestors when we realize how far away we are from reaching the perfection sought after by saints.
The children of China rise up with courage! This is our nation's way; it is our own way; it is what every person born Chinese must follow throughout their lives.
(Original text created by Daoist Culture - Heavenly Dao Temple)
