In the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, "keeping filial piety for three years", as a traditional filial piety custom, has always occupied an important position. What kind of custom is this?Why do we rarely hear this in today's society?With these questions, let's travel through time and space together to explore the profound connotation behind "three years of filial piety". 、
First of all, let's understand the origin of "three years of filial piety". This custom can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, when Confucius mentioned in the Analects: "Parents are only worried about their illnesses." This means that children should do their best to pay attention to the health of their parents and keep filial piety for them for three years after the death of their parents. With the spread of Confucianism, this custom has gradually become an important part of filial piety in traditional Chinese culture.
So, how did the ancients spend these three years?In fact, the "three years" here is not exactly three years, but rather a relatively long period of time. During this time, filial piety keepers are subject to a series of strict taboos, such as no marriage, no entertainment, no drinking and eating meat, etc. They usually choose places away from the hustle and bustle of the world, such as mountains, forests, temples, etc., to spend this period of mourning.
Of course, with the changes of the times, the custom of "keeping filial piety for three years" is also constantly evolving. For example, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the period of filial piety was extended from a simple three years to a more complex and demanding twenty-seven months. In this process, the filial piety keeper needs to go through various hardships to express his love and thoughts for his deceased loved ones.
So, why in today's society, the custom of "keeping filial piety for three years" seems to be forgotten?There are many reasons for this. On the one hand, with the acceleration of modernization, many traditional values and cultural practices are facing shocks and challengesOn the other hand, with the change of family structure and lifestyle, many young people leave home to work or study, making it difficult to realize the custom of "keeping filial piety for three years", which needs to be adhered to for a long time.
Despite this, the spirit of filial piety contained in the "three years of filial piety" is still worth learning and inheriting. In modern society, there are other ways we can show our love and gratitude to our parents. For example, we can choose to go home to spend time with our parents on holidays, keep in touch with our parents often, care about their physical health, etc. These seemingly trivial things are actually the spiritual core pursued by "three years of filial piety".
To sum up, as an important custom in traditional Chinese culture, although it has gradually been forgotten in modern society, the spirit of filial piety contained in it still has far-reaching significance. We should not forget to care for and accompany our loved ones in our fast-paced life, so that this traditional virtue can shine with new brilliance in the context of the new era.