Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a four-horned and four-legged beast called "Nian", and every winter due to the shortage of food due to heavy snow, it often went to the nearby villages to find food. Because of its large body, short temper, and ferocity, it brought great disasters to the villagers.
Therefore, on the night of the Chinese New Year's Eve, in order to avoid the beasts of the New Year, people close the gate early before it gets dark, dare not sleep, and sit vigil and wait for dawn.
Because he would come out every year on Chinese New Year's Eve to plague the people, people tried various methods in order to drive away this monster, but it still didn't work, by chance, someone lit a firecracker, the year beast was shocked when he heard it, so people found that the year beast was afraid of firecrackers.
Since then, people have set off firecrackers on Chinese New Year's Eve every year, and this custom has been passed down to this day.
There is also a widely spread legend: in ancient times, there was a white monster called "White Tiger".
It often comes out at the end of the year to harm people. One year, on the night of the thirtieth day of the lunar month, the "white tiger" came out to do evil again, and people were chased by the white tiger and had no way to escape.
At this time, an old man lit the bamboo, making a "crackling **" sound, and the white tiger fled in horror after hearing it. Since then, on the thirtieth day of the lunar month every year, people will set off firecrackers to ward off evil spirits.
There is another legend about setting off firecrackers. It is said that in ancient times, there was a man named "Manhe" who tied a lot of bamboo tubes to chairs and put firecrackers in the bamboo tubes in order to fly into the sky.
As a result, at the moment of **, his body was blown to pieces. Although his life was lost as a result, gunpowder was invented and gradually used in the military and civilian fields.
No matter which legend it is, it shows the important position of firecrackers in traditional Chinese culture.
Every Chinese New Year, the whole family gets together to eat reunion dinners, watch the Spring Festival Gala, and set off firecrackers, which has become a habit.
Although setting off firecrackers is a traditional custom, it is still necessary to pay attention to safety. When setting off firecrackers, be sure to follow the relevant regulations and precautions, and do not litter firecrackers or set off fireworks in prohibited areas. After all, safety is the most important thing!