In traditional Chinese culture, Chinese New Year's Eve is one of the most important days of the year. The origin of Chinese New Year's Eve has a long history and rich cultural connotations. This article will introduce the origin and Xi of Chinese New Year's Eve to help readers better understand this traditional holiday.
First, the origin of Chinese New Year's Eve.
Chinese New Year's Eve can be traced back to the ancient legend of the Year Beast. Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a monster named Nian that attacked the village every late winter and devoured people's food and lives. Later, people found that "Nian" was afraid of red, fire and explosion, so in the late winter of each year, red, fire and explosion were used as a means to deal with "Nian", which gradually evolved into traditional Xi such as firecrackers, lanterns and red packets.
Another theory is that Chinese New Year's Eve originated from ancient sacrificial ceremonies. In ancient times, it was believed that the end of the year was the time when the gods descended on the earth, so a ritual was held to pray for a good harvest and peace in the coming year. This sacrificial ritual gradually evolved into the current Xi customs such as the New Year's Reunion Dinner and New Year's Eve Celebration on Chinese New Year's Eve Night.
Second, the Xi customs of Chinese New Year's Eve.
1.Paste the Spring Festival couplets and stick the door god.
On Chinese New Year's Eve, people will put Spring Festival and door gods on their homes to pray for peace and good luck in the coming year. Spring Festival couplets are generally neat couplets, expressing expectations for a happy life;The door god is a statue used to ward off evil spirits and avoid evil, which is pasted on the door panel to guard the safety of the house.
2.Worship ancestors and gods.
Chinese New Year's Eve is an important time to worship ancestors. People will put up a shrine to worship their ancestors at home, burn incense and burn paper, worship their ancestors, and express their nostalgia and respect for their ancestors. In addition, they will go to temples and ancestral halls to worship the gods and pray to the gods for peace and good luck in the coming year.
3.Eat Chinese New Year's Eve and keep the New Year.
Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is one of the most important dietary Xi customs on Chinese New Year's Eve. The whole family will sit around and enjoy the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, and the dishes are mostly auspicious and auspicious, such as fish to symbolize surplus every year, and dumplings to symbolize wealth. After the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, people will observe the New Year, that is, wait until the bell rings in the middle of the night before falling asleep to pray for peace and good health in the coming year.
4.Money given to children as a gift during lunar New Year.
On Chinese New Year's Eve, the elders will give the juniors money, which means sending new wealth and good luck. New Year's money is the care and blessing of the elders to the younger generations, and it is also a way to inherit the traditional culture of the Chinese nation.
5.Dragon and lion dances.
On Chinese New Year's Eve, dragon and lion dances are performed to ward off evil spirits and welcome good luck. Both the dragon and the lion are auspicious animals in traditional Chinese culture, symbolizing good luck and good harvest. Performers dance dragons or lions to the sound of gongs and drums to celebrate the arrival of the New Year.
6.Step on the year.
New Year's Eve is an ancient Xi custom whereby people set off fireworks at home and step on them outside the home to welcome the New Year as a sign of good luck for the New Year. Although this Xi is somewhat dangerous, it is one of the traditional ways for Chinese to celebrate the New Year.
In short, Chinese New Year's Eve is one of the most important traditional Chinese festivals, with a long history and cultural connotations. Xi Xi customs are rich and colorful, including sticking the Spring Festival, sticking to the door god, worshipping ancestors, worshipping gods, eating Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, keeping the New Year, pressing the New Year's money, dragon and lion dances, and stepping on the New Year. These traditional Xi customs embody the cultural heritage and emotional identity of the Chinese nation, and are an important way for Chinese people to celebrate the New Year.
Chinese New Year's Eve