In China, Shou culture and Shou customs have a long history and profound heritage.
Since ancient times, people have attached great importance to the birthday of the elderly, believing that it is a happy event, and it is also a respect and filial piety for the elderly.
Therefore, whenever the birthday of the elderly comes, family members and relatives and friends will carefully prepare various birthday gifts and birthday banquets to bless and celebrate the elderly, hoping that the elderly can live a long and healthy life.
However, you may not know that old people actually have some particularities and taboos about longevity.
It is better not to celebrate birthdays at some ages, otherwise it will attract unlucky things and even affect the blessings of future generations.
So, what exactly are these ages? Why shouldn't you live a long life? What is the cultural connotation and wisdom behind this?
Some children feel that celebrating their birthday is a happy thing, and they do it every year, which is a blessing and respect for the elderly.
However, sometimes it can be thankless. So, let's make it clear first: the whole life of people under the age of 60, such as 50 years old, 40 years old, etc., is not suitable for longevity.
This has to do with the ancient chronology. In ancient times, people used the ten heavenly stems and the twelve earthly branches to form sixty combinations, called one jiazi. A Jiazi is sixty years, that is, a person's life cycle.
Only after completing a nail can a complete life cycle be completed, and a new round can be started again. This is the origin of what we often call the "Year of the Sixtieth Birthday".
Therefore, according to this chronological method, the whole life under the age of 60 is incomplete, uncomplete, and not worth celebrating.
If you pass these years, you will end your life early, and it will lead to bad results. This is what the old people often say about "folding longevity".
In addition to this reason, there is another reason that the whole life of the age of 60 has the meaning of disrespecting parents.
In ancient times, it was believed that parents were the benefactors of their children, the foundation of their children, and the heaven of their children. Everything a child has given to them by their parents, so children should respect and be filial to their parents, and not surpass them.
When children are 60 years old, often their parents are still alive, and at this time, the children will celebrate their birthdays, which is equivalent to stealing the limelight from their parents, which is equivalent to not being filial to their parents, and they will offend God. This is what the old people often say, "The father does not leave a beard, and the mother does not celebrate her birthday".
Therefore, the whole life expectancy under the age of 60 is the first age that the old people are unwilling to live.
So, how to deal with this? There are two ways:
One is to live a year early, which is the so-called "doing nine heads". For example, when you are fifty years old, you will celebrate your forty-ninth birthday, so that you can avoid the taboo of the whole life.
The other is to postpone one-year life, which is the so-called "doing eleven heads". For example, when you are fifty-one years old, you will only be fifty years old, so you avoid your parents' birthday.
These two methods are a kind of wisdom of the old people, and they are also a kind of compromise.
Is it that the elderly over sixty years old can live as they wish: after all, they have completed a jiazi and completed a cycle of life.
Not really. For birthdays of some ages, it is still necessary to be cautious, to be low-key and forbearing, and to avoid attracting attention. For example, 66, 73 and 84 years old.
This has something to do with two thinkers in the history of our country, who have had a profound impact on Chinese culture and thought, and they areConfucius and Mencius
Confucius was born in 551 BC and died in 479 BC at the age of 73. Mencius was born in 372 BC and died in 289 BC at the age of 84.
Due to the status and influence of the two of them, their birthdays and causes of death have been widely praised by people, and they have also been endowed with some mysterious colors.
Some people say that the reason why Confucius died at the age of 73 was because his ** Yan Hui died before him, and he did not want to live anymore because of excessive grief.
The reason why Mencius died at the age of 84 was because his ** Wanzhang died before him, and he did not want to live anymore because he had lost his soulmate.
These statements are an expression of people's admiration and regret for Confucius and Mencius, and they are also a kind of inheritance of people's thoughts.
Since giants of thought like Confucius and Mencius died at the age of 73 and 84, people began to feel that these two ages were the limit of life, and they were very dangerous and difficult passes. It's like a high mountain that needs to be climbed and surpassed.
Therefore, people call these two ages "the year of the year", which means that these two ages are the hurdles of life, and they need to be carefully passed in order to be safe and sound.
If you live at these two ages, it is equivalent to announcing to the world that you have reached the edge of your life, which will attract malice, suffer all kinds of unhappiness, and even affect the fate of yourself and your descendants. That's what the old people often say"Passing the Hurdle Year".meaning.
In addition to 73 and 84 years old, there is another age that is also considered to be the "Kan'er year", that is, 66 years old.
This is because 66 years old corresponds to the "Ren Yin" year in the traditional Chinese sixty jiazi. In the year of "Ren Yin", many major events occurred in Chinese history, such as Qin Shi Huang's destruction of the Six Kingdoms and the unification of China; Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the Yuan Dynasty and established the Ming Dynasty and so on.
These events were all turning points in Chinese history, and they were also turbulent times accompanied by war. Therefore, it is believed that the year of "Renyin" is a year full of uncertainties and crises, and if you live at this age, you will encounter various challenges, and you need to have enough wisdom and courage to tide over the difficulties. This is what the old people often say about "passing the year of Renyin".
Therefore, 66 years old, 73 years old and 84 years old are the second age that the old people do not want to live.
Usually these three ages, the elderly will use a way to avoid it, and that is to hold a birthday on the auspicious day of the sixth day of the first lunar month to pray for transit and peace. The sixth day of the first lunar month is the traditional Chinese "human day", that is, the birthday of human beings.
On this day, people will worship the ancestors of heaven and earth, pray for good fortune, and will also eat some auspicious foods, such as dumplings, rice balls, rice cakes, etc.
If you celebrate your birthday on this day, it is equivalent to living with heaven and earth, celebrating with human beings, you can get the blessing and blessing of heaven, earth and people, you can resolve the disadvantages of the "Kan'er year", and you can usher in good luck and auspiciousness. This is what the old people often say about "passing the day".
Is it that an old man over 90 years old is already a winner in life, a miracle in the world, and can celebrate his birthday casually?
Not really. According to tradition, a high life expectancy over 90 years old is also not suitable for over.
This has to do with the mentality and body of the elderly.
The elderly over 90 years old are already in the late stage of their lives, their physical functions have declined, and their mental state is not as good as before. They have seen through the world, no longer pursue fame and fortune, no longer care about gains and losses, they just want to enjoy their old age in peace and live a plain life.
They don't want to be too lively, too ostentatious, and too cumbersome during their birthday, because it will bring unnecessary burden and pressure to themselves and their families. They also don't want to arouse the jealousy of others, as this will cause unnecessary trouble for themselves and their families.
They don't want to touch the taboo of heaven when they celebrate their birthdays, because this will bring unnecessary disasters to themselves and their families. They only want to celebrate in a low-key and simple way, because in this way they can show their contentment and be respected by the heavens, the earth, and the people.
Therefore, the high life expectancy over 90 years old is the third age that the old people are not willing to live.
Usually the elderly over 90 years old will choose some foods that symbolize longevity as the staple food of their birthday. They will choose noodles or steamed buns to symbolize longevity, and they will also choose some foods that symbolize health as a side dish for their birthdays. They also choose some foods that symbolize peace as desserts for their birthdays.
In this way, they can use their sincerity and warmth to make their family and relatives and friends feel their companionship and support, and let their family and relatives and friends enjoy their blessings and joy.
The three ages that the old people are unwilling to live are all based on traditional Chinese chronology, stories and legends, historical events, etc., a kind of awe and cherishment of life, and also a kind of inheritance and respect for traditional Chinese culture.
Although some of these exquisiteness and taboos seem superstitious and nonsensical, they also reflect a mentality and emotion of the elderly, and are also a blessing and expectation for themselves and their descendants.
We should respect the wishes and Xi of the elderly, but we don't have to stick to the rules. According to the age and physical condition of the elderly, we should choose the appropriate way to celebrate, which should not only reflect our filial piety, but also avoid bringing unnecessary burdens to the elderly.
We should use our sincerity and warmth to let the elderly feel our companionship and support, and let the elderly enjoy our blessings and joy.