The seventh month of the lunar calendar is a special month, but also a mysterious month, the folk have the saying of "the seventh half of July, ghosts are running around", it is believed that this month is the most active time for ghosts, and it is also the time for people to worship their ancestors and surpass the dead.
So, what's so special about the seventh month of the lunar calendar?Why are there so many Xi and taboos?
Today, let's take a look at it together, in the ghost month of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the "gate of the earth" was opened, and the 4 taboos said by the ancestors are worthy of our attention.
First of all, we need to understand why the seventh month of the lunar calendar is called the ghost month.
It is said that this is related to the legend of Taoism and Buddhism, Taoism believes that the three worlds of heaven, earth and water each have three elements, which are the blessing of the heavenly official, the forgiveness of sins by the local official, and the relief of the water official in the first month of each year.
Ten. May, July.
Ten. May and October 15 are the festivals of Sanyuan.
Among them, July 15 is the festival of the local officials, that is, the Zhongyuan Festival, which is one of the important festivals of Taoism, and it is also the day to worship ancestors and transcend the dead.
Buddhism has a story about the Bon Sutra, which tells the story of the Buddha's ** Moggallen, in order to save his mother, on July 15, he gave alms to the monks, and found that his mother was freed from the path of hungry ghosts. Therefore, Buddhism also designated July 15 as Obon, which is also a day to worship ancestors and transcend the dead.
Due to the influence of Taoism and Buddhism, some folk Xi have also formed, for example, the first day of July is the day when the ghost gate is opened, that is, King Yan releases those lonely souls and wild ghosts to the world to enjoy worship.
July 15 is the Midyear Festival, it is also the day when the ghost gate is in full bloom, and it is also the most lively day of sacrifice for people, and the twenty-ninth day of July is the day when the ghost door is closed, that is, the Lord of Yama will take those lonely souls and wild ghosts back to hell, so the seventh month of the lunar calendar is called the ghost month, the ghost gate is the gate of hell, and the earth gate is another name for the ghost gate.
Since there is a saying that the ghost gate is open and the earth gate is closed, there are many taboos in the seventh lunar month. These taboos are summarized by the ancestors based on their own experience and observations, although some seem to be a little superstitious, but there is also a certain truth, we might as well understand it, maybe it will help us.
Taboo 1: Do not worship ancestors on the fourth and fourteenth days of the first month. Ancestor worship is the traditional virtue of our Chinese nation, and it is a kind of respect and gratitude to our ancestors.
However, not all days are suitable for ancestor worship, especially in the seventh lunar month, there are two days to avoid, that is, the fourth and fourteenth days of the first lunar month.
Why?Because the fourth and fourteenth of the first month have a bad meaning, the "four" and "death" of the fourth day of the first month are homophonic, with the meaning of "to die", and the fourteenth is the ancestor worship day of the new deceased. Most people do not worship their ancestors on this day, so as not to provoke unclean things or offend their ancestorsTherefore, the fourth and fourteenth days of the seventh lunar month cannot worship ancestors.
Taboo 2: Don't worship ancestors at inappropriate times. The time to worship ancestors is also particular, not too early, not too late, we should try to choose the time when the yang energy is relatively strong, generally between 10 am and 3 pm. At this time, the weather is bright, the air is fresh, the ancestor worship is smoother, and the ancestors are more likely to accept our offerings.
If you worship your ancestors in the early morning or evening, it is not very good, because at this time, the yin qi is heavier, which is not conducive to worshipping ancestors, and it is easy to provoke some bad things, and at this time, the temperature difference is relatively large, and it is easy to catch a cold or have an accident, so we must pay attention to the seventh month of the lunar calendar, do not worship ancestors at an inappropriate time.
Taboo 3: Don't go swimming in the river. In the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the weather is hot, and many people like to go swimming in the riverBut this is very dangerous, not only because the river water may be polluted, or there may be undercurrents, but also because there may be water ghosts in the river.
Water ghosts, that is, those ghosts who die in the water, they are often very angry, and want to find someone to die in their place, or reincarnate, so they will wait in the water for an opportunity, catch those careless swimmers, let them drown, or possess them, in this way, it will cause a lot of tragedy. Therefore, the old people often warn us that in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, do not go to the river to swim, and do not stay by the river for a long time, so as not to get into trouble.
Taboo 4: Don't forget to make a table of dishes to worship your ancestors. The seventh month of the lunar calendar is the month of sacrificing ancestors and surpassing the dead, we must express our respect and gratitude to our ancestors, and also give some comfort and help to those lonely souls and wild ghosts.
Therefore, we should make a table of dishes for our ancestors and the deceased, so that they can have wine, food, food and soup, enjoy the food on earth, and pray for their peace and happiness.
Generally speaking, we will make seven dishes and one soup, chicken, duck and fish. These dishes have the meaning of auspiciousness, good harvest, and good fortune from generation to generation, and they are also very suitable for the taste of this season.
In addition, we should pour a glass of old wine for our ancestors, serve a bowl of rice, light incense and candles, worship our ancestors, bless them with rest, and pray for them to bless us.
The purpose of these taboos is to respect ancestors, avoid bad luck, inherit traditional culture, and also remind readers to pay attention to these taboos.
But in fact, through the above article, it can be seen that many Xi customs in addition to some "strange forces and chaos", more are also practical considerations, it is not just superstition.
The seventh month of the lunar calendar is a special month and a mysterious month.
Nowadays, there are still many people who follow the Xi and taboos handed down by their ancestors, in order not to easily offend their ancestors and the undead, and not to bring unnecessary trouble and danger to themselves.
The traditional Chinese culture is very exquisite, and what we need to do is to pass it on.