Entering the New Year, many people will choose to cut their hair at this time. However, there is a saying that circulates among people: ".New Year's Day does not shave the head, shaved his head and died uncle". fromScienceFrom the point of view, this is a superstition, because if there is such a thingModus operandiIf it exists, it's easy to find. Although there are some "rumors" claiming that the original text of this proverb in the Qing Dynasty is not "dead uncle", but "thinking about the old", it stems from the rebellion of the Qing people against the shaving order. However, although these claims are supported by evidence, there is actually only very limited evidence, such as the Yexian Chronicles, which was revised in 1935.
In this case, many ** copy this statement and almost enshrine it as a kind of "common sense of Chinese culture". However, if we think about it carefully, we find this statement very strange. If "dead uncle" is reduced to "nostalgic", then the "original" version of this sentence should be ".New Year's Day does not shave the head, shaving the head and thinking about the old". This statement seems too "cute", and more importantly, it completely reverses the original meaning. According to this argument, following orders to cut hair is instead interpreted as "thinking about the old", and the conclusion is not to cut hair. Such a statement seems to be somewhatParadoxical
Actually,ParadoxicalIt is not the ancients, but the blind followers. As long as we consult the "Ye County Chronicles" of the Qing Dynasty, we will find that in the early and middle Qing Dynasty, there was no record of this custom in Ye County, Shandong. In the "** period" of the Qing Dynasty, the record of "shaving his head and hurting his uncle" did exist, but not in the first month. Instead, it's this time of May.
Therefore, it is clear that this colloquial phrase is not so much implied as "anti-Qing and Mingming", but rather that it is associated with the Dragon Boat Festival in May. In the eyes of the ancients, May was a dangerous date of "yang and yin", and the original intention of the ancients to set up the Dragon Boat Festival was not to commemorate Qu Yuan, but to ward off evil spirits and eliminate disasters, and to fight against the "threat" of "yang and yin". In ancient times, there were many taboos and taboos on this day of May, some of which were related toRhymeRelate.
In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Ying Shao compiled the book "Customs and Customs", in which there is a sentence that says: "Building a house in May makes people bald." "Based on this wording, we can speculate about the Qing dynasty".New Year's Day does not shave the head, shaved dead uncle" may be related to this kindRhymeThe contraindications of the type are similar. This folk custom is prone to migration and change, so it is not surprising that the taboo time for shaving the head has been adjusted to the New Year. Next we will ** more about the origin and relevance of this proverbLiteratureRecords.
The fifth of May is the Dragon Boat Festival, and in the concept of the ancients, it was a dangerous date with a yang pole and a yin birth. To combat this threat, a series of taboos and taboos have been developed. In the late Qing Dynasty, the taboo of shaving the head in the first month of the first month was extended to May. Kong ShangrenHe was a relatively active literary scholar during the Kangxi period of the Qing DynastyPeach Blossom Fanmentioned the "Dragon Boat Festival on May 5th:" If you don't shave your head, I'm afraid it will disturb your uncle." The word "nuisance" here refers to harming someone by violating a taboo. However, such a taboo is limited to the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. But decades later, it cameQianlongtimes, the situation has changed. Pan Rongma, a famous writer of the time, gave a detailed account of Beijing's folklore in his book Ji Sheng in the Age of the Emperor. In the book, he mentions that throughout the month of May he should "put an end to shaving his head and protect his uncle." It can be seen that the idea that violating the taboo of shaving the head may harm the uncle gradually developed and expanded in the Qing Dynasty. But what exactly did this taboo originate and develop? Why was New Year's Moon added to it? We'll dive deeper into the next section.
The origin and development of the taboo of head shaving is not entirely clear, and there are some complex things involvedCultureBackground andConventional wisdom。First of all, the roots of the taboo of shaving the head can be traced back to the special emphasis placed on hair in ancient times. In ancient China, hair was seen as an important part of the human body, is:InnateA symbol of temperament. Therefore, shaving the head is seen as a symbol of loss of dignity and grace. Secondly, the fifth of May, as a dangerous date of yang and yin, is considered to be the peak of the activity of evil spirits and evil spirits. It is feared that shaving one's head at this time may lead to disaster, as hair is also seen as a talisman against the invasion of calamity. In the ancient people's concept, in the middle of summer in May, the yang energy is vigorous, and the yin energy is gradually generated, which is easy to invade by evil energy. So the Fifth of May is seen as a dangerous day and some precautions need to be taken to protect yourself. One of the taboos is shaving one's head, as shaving one's head may cause the loss of yang energy in one's body, which can affect one's health and ability to resist evil spirits. In addition, there are many taboos related to body protection and exorcism in the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival on May 5, and the taboo of shaving the head may also be a similar expression to these taboos.
ForNew Year's Day does not shave the headIt is likely that it was the result of a later merger with the taboo of shaving the head in May. Because in many places, there is already a custom of "not moving a knife or cutting on the New Year", probably because everyone is busy preparing for the celebration during the festival and does not have time to cut hair. So, when the taboo of May is introduced to the first month, it is easy for people to merge them together.
Although there are limited records of the origins and related accounts of the taboo of head shaving, it is possible to learn fromLiteratureIt can be seen in some of the taboos of antiquityCultureAnd the idea is there. Despite the modernScienceIt has been possible to explain the principle behind this taboo, but folk traditions have been passed down. The observance of this taboo is more due to respect and reverence for tradition than to pursuitScienceRationality.
Overall, the origin and meaning of the taboo on head shaving is still an area that needs to be studied in depth. Different regions and different time periodsLiteratureThere are also discrepancies in the accounts, so there is still controversy about the specificity of this taboo. However, whether in May or New Year, shaving the head is considered to have certain taboos and taboos. AlthoughScienceIt has been possible to explain the principles behind these taboos, but people still maintain respect and reverence for traditions, observing the customs of these taboos. We should respect everyone's beliefs and customs, and at the same time, pay attention to this phenomenonSciencePopularize knowledge and avoid excessive blind obedience to superstition.