The eighteenth day of the first lunar month may be just an ordinary day for many people, but in our profound Chinese culture, this day has a lot of exquisiteness and taboos. In addition to the widespread custom of not eating chicken, there are four major events that must not be forgotten. If you do these four things well, the Year of the Dragon will be auspicious, and the wealth will be rolling in, but it's not just talking!
1. Explore the story behind not eating chicken.
First of all, let's talk about why we don't eat chicken on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month. According to legend, in ancient times, the eighteenth day of the first lunar month was the day when the gods in the sky descended to earth to inspect the world. These immortals are very fond of quietness, but chickens like animals love to crow at this time, which makes the gods upset. In order to be auspicious and avoid angering the gods, people conventionally do not eat chicken on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month.
Of course, now we all know that this is just a legend and has no scientific basis. However, in traditional Chinese culture, many customs and taboos stem from the reverence for the gods and the yearning for a better life. Therefore, even in modern society, many people still follow these traditional customs and seek peace of mind.
2. Four major events to help you make the Year of the Dragon auspicious.
After saying that, don't eat chicken, let's focus on the four major things. This is a major event related to your Year of the Dragon, and you must not ignore it!
Worship the God of Wealth and welcome fortune.
On the eighteenth day of the first lunar month, many places have the custom of worshiping the God of Wealth. People would prepare sumptuous offerings such as fruits, cakes, drinks, etc., and go to temples or set up a shrine in their homes to worship the god of wealth. Pray to the God of Wealth to bless you with good fortune and success in your career in the new year. This is a great opportunity to boost your financial luck!
2.Do the Lantern Festival and celebrate the reunion.
Although the Lantern Festival has passed on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the eighteenth day of the first lunar month is also a good day to make Lantern Festival. The family sits around and makes delicious Lantern Festival, which means reunion, harmony and beauty. The fillings of the Lantern Festival can be varied, sweet, salty, meaty, vegetarian, you can choose. After the Lantern Festival, the family shares the food, and how happy it is!
3.Sweep away the dust and welcome the new atmosphere.
On the eighteenth day of the first lunar month, people will also carry out a general cleaning to clean the house inside and out. This is to sweep away the bad luck of the year and welcome a new atmosphere. In the process of sweeping the dust, people will also clean up the dust and garbage in the corners, which means that bad luck and bad luck are swept out of the door. In this way, the new year will usher in good luck and blessings!
4.Set off firecrackers to drive away evil spirits and avoid disasters.
In traditional Chinese culture, firecrackers have the effect of driving away evil spirits and avoiding disasters. On the eighteenth day of the first lunar month, people will set off firecrackers and use the deafening sound of firecrackers to drive away bad luck and evil spirits. At the same time, the sound of firecrackers also means saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new beginning. However, you must pay attention to safety when setting off firecrackers!
3. Food recommendation: the table culture of the eighteenth day of the first lunar month.
In addition to the four major events mentioned above, the table culture on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month is also very particular. On this day, people prepare some auspicious delicacies to celebrate this special day. Let's recommend a few delicacies suitable for the 18th day of the first lunar month!
Fish – more than every year.
In traditional Chinese culture, "fish" and "yu" are homophonic, meaning "more than every year". Therefore, it is very auspicious to eat fish on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month. You can choose from steamed, braised or stewed soups to create delicious fish dishes according to your personal taste.
2.Dumplings - Fortune and treasure.
The shape of the dumpling is like an ingot, which means that the treasure is rich and the source of wealth is extensive. It is also very appropriate to eat dumplings on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month. You can choose your favorite fillings to make dumplings, such as leek pork filling, cabbage pork filling, etc. The family sits around making dumplings and eating dumplings, which is happy and warm!
3.Rice cakes - step by step.
Rice cakes symbolize "rising every year" and "rising step by step". Eating rice cakes on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month is also very appropriate. There are various ways to prepare rice cakes, which can be steamed, boiled, stir-fried, etc. If you have a sweet tooth, you can also choose to eat sweet rice cakes!
4.Tangyuan - reunion and reunion.
Although it has been mentioned earlier that making Lantern Festival, I still want to recommend the rice balls again. Tangyuan means reunion, harmony and beauty. It is also very appropriate to eat rice balls on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month. You can choose your favorite fillings to make glutinous rice balls, such as black sesame filling, peanut filling, etc. The whole family sits around and eats delicious dumplings and shares the joy of family!
Alright, alright! I have said so much about the customs and food recommendations of the 18th day of the first lunar month, I hope this information can be helpful to you! On this day, not only remember not to eat chicken, but also to keep those four important things in mind! In this way, you can have good luck and wealth in the Year of the Dragon! Finally, I wish you all a smooth and successful new year! See you next time!