On the eighteenth day of the first lunar month, all the affairs during the Spring Festival have basically come to an end, and people have returned to their busy lives to work and study for the new year. However, according to the old custom, this year is the year of the Jiachen Dragon, and the eighteenth day of the first lunar month happens to be the day when the "dangerous god" is on duty in the folk belief, so the folk also call it the "dangerous day".
How did the saying that the eighteenth day of the first lunar month come about? In the eyes of the ancients, what are some things that should not be done on this day? Below, let's return to the perspective of the ancients, to understand the origin of these old customs, as well as the specific statements behind them, and then explain them from a realistic perspective to see if they are reasonable.
The eighteenth day of the first lunar month: the "dangerous day" in the eyes of the ancients
"Eliminate the twelve gods" is a very important part of China's folk beliefs, and it is related to the chronology of the heavenly and earthly branches. In folklore, it is said that there are 12 immortals who take turns on duty to protect the people of the mortal world, and their names are built, removed, full, leveled, fixed, persistent, broken, dangerous, successful, harvested, opened, and closed.
In this regard, it is recorded in the ancient book "Huainanzi" of the Western Han Dynasty, "In the first month of the first month, Yin is the ,...... of Jian."unitary is in danger". In the ancient large-scale historical series "Siku Quanshu", there are also entries related to "building and eliminating the twelve gods", and explanations are made, "to open, exclude, determine, hold, danger, and become six days as auspicious, and the remaining six characters are built, full, flat, broken, closed, or evil."
From these historical records, we can understand that "the establishment of the twelve gods" is an important basis for the ancients to choose a day to do things, even now, many older generations are still used to flipping through the calendar before doing some big things. The eighteenth day of the first month of this year is Xinyou Day, and "酉 is dangerous", which is called a dangerous day.
What is the saying of the eighteenth "dangerous day" of the first lunar month in the old customs?
There is a folk proverb that mentions, "Build a full level to collect black, except for the danger and the yellow", in which "in addition to the danger and the yellow of the yellow", which means that the four days of except, danger, determination and execution are all "auspicious days of the zodiac" in the eyes of the ancients. In the old customs, it is believed that a dangerous day is an auspicious and good day, but there will also be some small turmoil, and it is not advisable to do some risky things, mainly including the following 3 things:
1. Don't climb dangerous mountains:In ancient times, people were full of awe of mountains, because in the eyes of the ancients, mountains and rivers gathered the qi of heaven and earth, and people living between heaven and earth should be grateful for the protection of mountains and rivers. The ancients climbed dangerous mountains, mostly to collect medicine or food, so before going out, they would look at the next day, if it coincided with a "dangerous day", they would try to avoid it, because the old custom believed that the "dangerous day" should avoid doing some dangerous things. From a realistic point of view, this is a positive hint in people's hearts, and with positive expectations in their hearts, things will be done more smoothly, according to psychology, which is completely understandable.
2. Don't sail at night:In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient, and people had fewer options for travel, and in some areas where there were waterways, boats became the main means of transportation. According to the old saying, if it coincides with a "dangerous day", try not to sail at night, so as not to commit the taboo in the "construction and elimination of the twelve gods". Therefore, the ancients would take this into account when choosing a day to sail. From a realistic point of view, if you sail at night, the vision is not good, the visibility is low, if you sail to some unfamiliar sea areas, plus encounter windy weather, there will be certain dangers, from a safety point of view, it is also reasonable.
3. Don't migrate long distances:The "migration" of the ancients is similar to what we now call moving, which generally refers to moving from one place to another. Migration is a major event in life, which means a big change, so before migration, the ancients would look at the calendar in advance and want to pick a good day to carry out, just like we want to pick a good day when we move. In the old custom, it is believed that if it is a "dangerous day", try not to migrate far away, which is related to the idea of "seeking stability on a dangerous day" in people's hearts. From a practical point of view, this is also people's expectations for a better life, and it is an expression of goodwill and affection, which deserves our respect.
The eighteenth day of the first lunar month mentioned above is a "dangerous day", and the three things that should not be done in the old customs, which are related to the "construction and elimination of the twelve gods" in the folk belief, remind everyone to do an understanding, even if you don't pay attention to yourself, on the basis of understanding, you can also avoid committing other people's taboos. Behind these old rules, there is a yearning and prayer in the hearts of the ancients in the face of an uncertain future, and the original intention is beautiful and understandable.