The sixth day of the first lunar month is one of the well-known festivals in the land of China, commonly known as "Horse Day", and some people give it the beautiful meaning of "horse to success". Legend has it that this custom originated from the myth of the creation of the ancient Nuwa, who first cast six animals and then created humans, and the sixth day of the first month corresponds to the horse, hence the name. On this day, there is also a unique name "Sending the Poor" Day. Intended to drive away bad luck and poverty, the folk have already broken the five customs, and on the sixth day of the first lunar month, people hope to pass away misfortune and poverty through some kind of ritual, and attract auspiciousness and wealth.
In our countryside, you can always hear the elders say that on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, every household is sending poor ghosts, which shows how prevalent this habit is. So, what should we pay attention to in the days of sending the poor? As the saying goes, "the sixth day of the first month is not busy, and the stars shine in the year of the dragon", which reminds us that there are three things to avoid on this day, so as to ensure good luck in the year of the dragon, smooth sailing, and stay away from disasters.
At the beginning of the new year, the people's hearts and minds are nothing more than the hope to get rid of poverty and welcome the good fortune of the year. So, what exactly do the so-called "three don'ts" refer to?
First of all, "don't do" means that it is not appropriate to hold a banquet to entertain guests and friends. According to the traditional Yellow calendar, the sixth day of the lunar month is considered to be an unsuitable day for banquets, and if you entertain guests on this day, it is like asking for trouble, not only to work your body, but also to be detrimental to the expulsion of poverty. There are also many related activities in the people, such as cleaning and garbage removal, which are enough to occupy the day's workload, and there is no room for lively and lively greeting customers.
Secondly, the "two don'ts" is that it is not appropriate to borrow money. Tradition holds that lending money at the beginning of the new year is a sign of bad luck throughout the year. The matter of borrowing money seems to be transporting good out of the house, which may lead to financial ups and downs in the following years. Therefore, on this day of sending the poor to God, it is better to guard the wealth and welcome the God, rather than to give generously.
To sum up, on the sixth day of the first lunar month, people pay more attention to the good omen of the beginning of the year, and strive to do those things that are regarded as auspicious, in order to roll in wealth and blessings throughout the year. And these traditional customs are a reflection of our folk wisdom and philosophy of life.
Finally, the "three don'ts" are to avoid overeating. On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year to dispel the spirit of poverty, we should welcome a new beginning with the virtue of diligence and thrift. If you indulge in extravagant food, you will run counter to your original purpose of abandoning poverty and attracting wealth. After all, the habit of long-term lavish spending not only does not contribute to the accumulation of wealth, but can become a source of poverty.
In addition, after the successive feasts during the Spring Festival, there is no doubt that our body has consumed a lot of physical strength, and the repeated feasts have undoubtedly posed a lot of pressure on our health. If you continue to indulge yourself and eat and drink uncontrollably on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, you may cause physical discomfort at least and unnecessary distress at worst.
This sentence "If you don't do it on the sixth day of the first lunar month, you won't be prosperous in the Year of the Dragon" is actually a reminder to everyone, which is intended to warn people on the sixth day of the first lunar month, they should stay away from extravagance and do not do excessive consumption, such as holding grand banquets, borrowing money at will or spending extravagantly. Only in this way can we truly send away the spirit of poverty and usher in a new year full of blessings and fortune.