Chapter 26 Chapter VII Celebration Etiquette and Customs

The Spring Festival is the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar. In ancient times, it was also called New Year's Day, Yuanri, Yuanhui, Yuanshuo, Zhengdan, Xinzheng, New Spring, etc., and it was called New Year among the people.The Spring Festival originated from the "wax [zha] sacrifice" in primitive society.Wax Festival is a ceremony held by the ancients at the end of the year to celebrate the harvest of agriculture. Later, it gradually developed into the grandest traditional festival in my country. Although the Spring Festival refers to the first day of the lunar year, it is customary that people's New Year activities often begin in the twelfth lunar month and continue until the Lantern Festival.On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, we should eat Laba porridge and give it to relatives and friends. Volume 10 of "Tokyo Menghualu" clearly records: "On the eighth day of the lunar new year... all the big temples hold a Buddha bathing meeting, and send porridge with seven treasures and five flavors to disciples, which is called Laba porridge. People in the city also cook porridge with fruits and miscellaneous ingredients on this day. Food too." On the 23rd (or 24th) of the twelfth lunar month, the Stove King will be sacrificed, and the Stove King will be sent to heaven, and the new Stove King will be brought back on New Year's Eve.There is also a "sweeping year" before the year, that is, a general cleaning.It originated from a religious ceremony for ancient people to drive away diseases and epidemics, and later gradually evolved into an important activity for cleaning up bad luck, bad luck and poverty at the end of the year.According to Wu Zimu's "Meng Liang Lu" in the Song Dynasty, at that time, "regardless of whether the family is rich or poor, they all sprinkled and swept the door to remove the dust and clean the house... to pray for the safety of the new year."

To the New Year's Eve, it is the climax of preparing for the New Year.All tasks such as changing door gods, pasting Spring Festival couplets, and hanging New Year pictures must be complete.Door gods and Spring Festival couplets are also different due to differences in family status.It is said that the gate god originally painted the two gods, Shentu and Yulei, because the two gods are fierce in appearance and can eliminate harm, but they are actually just the images of two generals.After the Tang Dynasty, Qin Shubao and Yuchi Jingde, two famous generals in the early Tang Dynasty, were mostly regarded as the door gods.According to "The Encyclopedia of Three Religions and Searching Gods", once Tang Taizong fell ill and heard ghosts shouting outside the door, he ordered Qin Shubao and Yuchi Jingde to wear military uniforms and stand outside the door as guards. Sure enough, nothing happened that night.So, he ordered the painter to draw a portrait of the two men in full armor and hang it on the palace gate.Later generations followed, and the second general became the door god to ward off evil spirits.Most people only put door gods on the door, but the residence of the eldest son and grandson of Confucius, "Yanshenggong Mansion", has a wide variety of door gods, which are quite particular.The gates of the Confucian mansion, the second gate, the gate of the inner house and the gate of the outer courtyard are all Wumen gods. Two generals are wearing armor, red tasseled helmets on their heads, and standing upright holding long poles of gourds (weapons).There are Wenmen gods on the inside and outside doors of each room in the mansion, such as "adding officials to enter the court", "bringing up the court", "Fu Lu Shou Xi", "full of children and grandchildren", "the first rank of the dynasty" and so on.Later, some people also pasted the word "Fu" on the door in order to obtain blessings, but the word "Fu" should be pasted upside down.The word "Fu" is pasted upside down. It is said that it originated from Prince Gong's Mansion in the Qing Dynasty.One year before the Spring Festival, in order to please the master, the housekeeper wrote several big "Fu" characters and asked people to paste them on the warehouse and the gate of the palace.Because of illiteracy, a servant posted the blessing character on the gate upside down.After Prince Gong's Fujin (the Prince's wife) found out, he wanted to whip the servants.Fortunately, the big housekeeper is an eloquent person. He was afraid that his master would blame him and implicate himself, so he hurriedly knelt down and explained: "I often hear people say that the blessing of Prince Gong's mansion has arrived. Now that the big "blessing" has really fallen, it is a sign of auspiciousness." .” The housekeeper used the homonym of the word “急” to argue sophistry, showing his ability to adapt to changing circumstances, and it just catered to Fujin’s desire for good luck during the festive season.In addition, Fujin heard passers-by chanting "Prince Gong's mansion has arrived (down)", and thought it was very auspicious. Not only did he not punish the housekeeper and servants, but he also rewarded each of them with 50 taels of silver.Later, it became fashionable to paste the word "Fu" upside down, but it became taboo to paste it upright.

The Spring Festival couplets originated from the ancient peach charms, but the clear naming began with Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang.In the early Qing Dynasty, Chen Shanggu's "Miscellaneous Comments on Hairpin Cloud Tower" contained: "Jinling, the capital of the emperor, suddenly issued a decree before New Year's Eve: a pair of Spring Festival couplets must be added to the door of the family of the public, officials and common people." project.The general Spring Festival couplets mainly express celebration and wish auspiciousness, but the Confucian government never forgets "don't be respectful" and "obey the law of etiquette".For example, the Spring Festival couplet posted on the house in front of the Confucian mansion is: "When you live at home, you should think clearly, don't be respectful inside and outside, pay attention to diligence and thrift, choose friends, which is beneficial to yourself; you should be cautious in dealing with things, abide by etiquette in words, stay away from villains, be close to gentlemen, and have no shame." in the heart."

In addition to door gods and Spring Festival couplets, New Year pictures are also hung indoors.New Year pictures evolved from door god paintings, but at least in the Song Dynasty the two had diverged, and New Year pictures entered halls and living rooms.The earliest surviving woodcut New Year picture is the Song version of "Sui Chao Slim and Beautiful Face", on which there are four beauties Wang Zhaojun, Zhao Feiyan, Ban Ji and Luzhu, so it is also called "Four Beauties".At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the "Three Folk Woodcut New Year Picture Centers" appeared in Tianjin Yangliuqing, Suzhou Taohuawu, and Shandong Weixian.The New Year pictures of Zhuxian Town in Henan, Wuqiang in Hebei, and Zhangzhou in Fujian also have their own characteristics in overprinting.The themes of traditional New Year pictures are mostly about harvest, spring cows, babies, scenery, flowers and birds. The colors are bright and the pictures are lively, which well enhances the festive atmosphere.Therefore, until today, hanging New Year pictures during the Spring Festival are still popular all over the country.

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are the first days of the Spring Festival, and there are the most activities showing respect and etiquette.Sacrificing gods and ancestors during the Spring Festival is the first major event, and it has been going on for thousands of years."Yanjing Years Records" written by Fucha Dunchong in the Qing Dynasty: "Every New Year's Eve, the long case is listed in the atrium, and the percentage is given. The percentage is the whole picture of the gods. Before the percentage, the display One layer of honey offering (a dessert made of crispy fried noodles coated with molasses and glued into a block), and one layer each of apples, dried fruits, steamed buns, vegetarian dishes, and rice cakes. Ingots, etc., are called Buddha flowers. When receiving the gods, 100% of them will be incinerated, and the incense will be burned until the Lantern Festival. It is called the heaven and earth table." This kind of worship activity is very common. Most of them have to offer offerings and burn incense.Ancestor worship activities are more typical in Confucian mansions.Every New Year’s Eve, the Duke of Confucian Mansion (i.e. Yan Sheng Gong) and his wife worshiped the family temple, the temple (Yuanzu Temple), the shadow hall, the mousse hall, the new ancestral hall, etc., and placed 10 large bowls of food on each table. , two plates of steamed buns, three cups of libation, kowtow to say goodbye to the old age.When the father-in-law pays homage to the temple, the Zanli students will carry a pair of stoves, gauze lamps, and cover lamps to guide them in front.When the wife worships the temple, she is served by a maid, followed by entourages.In addition, worship the Buddha Hall and Guanyin Bodhisattva.The father-in-law and wife returned to the main building after paying homage to the family temple and other places, and then the whole family and each house were assembled in order in the front hall, and then kowtowed to the father-in-law and wife respectively.

The first day of the first month is usually counted from midnight.As soon as the midnight arrives, it begins to "receive the gods", and the lights are not allowed to be turned off at night from then on.The God of Reception is usually the God of Wealth or the God of Joy.The ceremony of receiving the god is to walk more than a hundred steps in the direction of the God of Wealth or the God of Joy, burn incense and worship, and then light up the lamp to lead the way and enter the home.Accompanied by the lanterns to welcome the gods, firecrackers will be set off to send off the New Year.And when the door is opened for the first time in the early morning, firecrackers and firecrackers will be set off in front of the court immediately to ward off evil spirits, which is called "opening the door firecrackers".Firecrackers, also known as firecrackers, originated more than 2,000 years ago.At that time, the ancients burned bamboo poles with fire, and the bamboo poles were heated and exploded to make a sound. It was indeed a veritable "firecracker". It was also called "explosive pole" in the Tang Dynasty. "firecracker".The theory of using firecrackers to ward off evil spirits began in the Han Dynasty.According to the "Shen Yi Jing" by Dongfang Shuo in the Western Han Dynasty, there was a humanoid monster more than one foot high in the ancient western mountains, called the mandrill (xiaoxiao).It is not afraid of people, but if people touch it, they will get cold and fever and get sick.This kind of monster is most afraid of sound, so people put bamboo poles in the fire and burned them, making crackling noises, and the mandrill dared not disturb them.So firecrackers to ward off ghosts became a custom.Opening firecrackers on New Year's Day was quite popular during the Northern and Southern Dynasties.Liang Zongmo of the Southern Dynasty said in "Jingchu Sui Shi Ji": "On the first day of the first lunar month, it is the day of the Three Yuans. The rooster crows, and firecrackers are fired before the court to ward off evil spirits from mandrills." In the Qing Dynasty, Gu Lu's "Qing Jialu" also said: "Suichao (New Year's Day) opens the door, and firecrackers will be played three times, and the cloud will eliminate the plague [li calendar], which is called 'opening the door firecrackers'." Firecrackers are generally used. The red paper wraps the ground, which is called "the ground is red", and it is also a symbol of joy and auspiciousness.

With the loud sound of firecrackers opening the door, various worship and New Year greeting activities began.In the Confucian Mansion, before breakfast, Yan Shenggong had to pay homage to the Confucian Temple.Sometimes the father-in-law does not go to worship the temple, so he appoints the old patriarch of the Confucian family to worship the Confucius temple.When worshiping the temple, there are four officials from "Hundred Households", "Guangou", "Shiyue" and "Classics" to accompany them.Whole pigs, whole sheep, rice wine, sandalwood, etc. are to be offered in front of the statue of Confucius. Praises are sung, three kneels and nine kowtows are performed, and the accompanying officials also kneel down to worship.After offering sacrifices to the Confucian Temple and the Family Temple, Yan Shenggong and his wife began to have breakfast.Usually there is a banquet to eat dumplings, and the maids toast and kowtow to each of the father-in-law and wife.The custom of eating dumplings on the first day of the first lunar month probably began in the Ming Dynasty.Until the Qing Dynasty, "on the first day of each new year...regardless of whether rich or poor, high or low, they all eat flour as corners...the whole country is the same, there is no difference." First, dumplings are shaped like ingots, and eating dumplings during the Spring Festival has the meaning of "attracting wealth and treasure".The second is that the dumplings have stuffing, which is convenient for people to pack all kinds of auspicious things into the stuffing to express their wishes for the new year.For example, enclosing gold Ruyi means that everything goes well in the coming year; enclosing sugar and honey means that the life in the coming year will be sweeter; enclosing longevity fruit (that is, peanut kernels), expressing wishes for health and longevity, etc.Later, eating dumplings on the first day of the first lunar month was mainly popular in the north, while the first meal of the new year in the south has changed.Some people eat noodles, implying longevity; some eat glutinous rice balls, which symbolizes reunion;

After the official start of the New Year greetings, the elders and the master are first worshiped at home. "Jingchu Sui Shi Ji" said: On the first day of the first lunar month, "the elders and the younger ones should dress up, pay homage to each other, and drink pepper and cypress wine."Pepper and cypress wine is a wine steeped with pepper and cypress leaves.The ancients believed that pepper is the elf of Yuheng star, and cypress is a kind of fairy medicine, which can prolong life if taken.Therefore, paying New Year's greetings to parents and adding pepper and cypress wine has the meaning of congratulating longevity.After breakfast in the Confucian Mansion, the father-in-law and his wife sat at the entrance of the front hall, and the whole mansion came to pay New Year's greetings to the father-in-law and wife by department.First, the three classes of guards saluted the father-in-law and wife three times each.Then the Confucian Forest, the Confucian Temple and the stewards of each house, each as a servant, pay New Year's greetings in order.Finally, the maids and maids kowtow to the father-in-law and wife.After paying homage to the parents, all households walked out of the house one after another, visiting their bosses, colleagues, relatives, friends, etc. to pay New Year's greetings.This is an important activity to show respect, connect feelings and strengthen communication.When going out to pay New Year's greetings, everyone on the road should salute and wish good luck.There are also those who "send their children to congratulate them" without going out.Since the Song Dynasty, a kind of "flying post" has been popular among dignitaries and gentry to pay New Year's greetings.That is to say, at the first month of the first month, the head of the family does not go there in person, but sends servants to send congratulatory cards to relatives and friends;Moreover, even people who do not have much contact with each other usually fly postings to congratulate them. Therefore, there is a New Year's greeting poem in "Wen Dai Zhao Ji": "If you don't ask for a meeting, you will pay a visit. Famous papers will come to fill my hut." A kind of "worship box", that is, put the New Year's card in a brocade box and give it to the other party to show solemnity.New Year's greetings are usually from the first day to the fifth day of the new year.If you come to the door from the sixth to the fifteenth day of the lunar new year, it is "worshiping the old age".

There are still many taboos during the Spring Festival.The ancients designated the first day to the eighth day of the first lunar month as the days of chickens, dogs, pigs, sheep, cattle, horses, people, and grains, and used the weather of the day to herald the rise and fall of the year.This is a wish that people prayed to the gods of heaven and earth to bless the population with peace, luxuriant crops, and the prosperity of domestic animals under the condition of underdeveloped ancient science and productive forces.Among the eight days, the most important thing people pay attention to is the man day.Every man's day, people use seven kinds of vegetables to make vegetable soup and eat them; cut human shapes with five-color silk, or carve gold and platinum human shapes, and paste them on the screen. Afterwards, the appearance and spirit have all changed from the old to become new people; some are made of flower-shaped jewelry and given to each other to pray for blessings and avoid disasters;Even the government banned the execution of prisoners on the seventh day of the lunar month.On the other seven days, chickens, dogs, pigs, sheep, etc. are also not allowed to be slaughtered.There are also some taboos that have survived to modern times.For example, if you don’t take out the garbage from the first to the third day of the first month, otherwise it will be regarded as a waste of money; at the same time, it is forbidden to use knives, needles and threads, break things, and say the word "death", etc., otherwise it is considered unlucky.These all reflect people's desire for a smooth year at the beginning of the new year.