Sekiden (English spelling)

Japanese: 藉田(籍田) - せきでん（英語表記）jí tián

In China, this is an agricultural ritual to encourage farming and pray for fertility, as well as to encourage farming. It was already mentioned in the Zhou Literature and the Book of Rites, but it was not until the reign of Emperor Wen of the former Han Dynasty. In accordance with the social idea of "husband and wife's work for the farming" that has been accepted since the Neolithic period, the emperor was responsible for the farming of the fields, and the empress was responsible for the farming of the mulberry trees (also called the raising of silkworms) ceremony. As a married couple, the emperor and empress demonstrated the division of labor according to gender, and taught all men and women in the world to work hard at farming. Both the farming of the fields and the raising of the mulberry trees were carried out during the third spring (January, February, March).

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

中国において親桑とともに勧農と豊饒を祈願するための農耕儀礼。《周礼（しゆらい）》や《礼記（らいき）》などにすでにその記事が認められるが，前漢文帝の治世以後実施されるに至った。新石器時代以来の社会通念である〈夫耕婦績〉にのっとって，皇帝が藉田を，皇后が親桑(親蚕とも言う)の儀礼を分担する。皇帝と皇后とは夫婦として性別による分業を示し，天下の匹夫匹婦に農桑に努むべきことを教導した。藉田親桑とも三春(1月，2月，3月)のうちに執行された。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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