Every Spring Festival, whether in the city or in the countryside, the lintel of every household will be pasted with red Spring Festival couplets to add a strong festive atmosphere to the festival. On top of these couplets, there is often a short and concise line of text, spanning two couplets, which is what we often call "horizontal criticism". What role does the horizontal batch play in the Spring Festival couplets? Is it the finishing touch, or is it a tool for criticism and correction? The answer is obviously the former.
Spring Festival couplets, also known as door pairs and couplets, are a unique literary form in traditional Chinese culture. It consists of two neat couplets of meaning-related verses, which are affixed to the left and right sides of the door. The horizontal batch is a banner pasted on the lintel, which is usually a summary or point of the content of the Spring Festival couplets. The origins of spring couplets and horizontal batches can be traced back to the ancient peach charms. The ancients believed that peach wood could ward off evil spirits and ghosts, so auspicious words or the names of the two gods of Shen Tu and Yu Lei were written on the peach wood board, and hung at the head of the door to pray for blessings and avoid disasters. Later, this custom gradually evolved into writing couplets and horizontal batches on paper, which became one of the important customs during the Spring Festival.
As an important part of the Spring Festival couplets, its role is mainly to summarize, refine and sublimate the theme and artistic conception of the Spring Festival couplets. A good Spring Festival couplet often has far-reaching meanings and rich connotations, while horizontal criticism uses concise words to point out these meanings and connotations, so that readers can understand the essence of Spring Festival couplets faster. Therefore, the horizontal batch plays the role of the finishing touch in the Spring Festival couplets, making the artistic conception of the whole Spring Festival couplets more distinct and prominent.
From an artistic point of view, horizontal batches are also an important part of the aesthetics of Spring Festival couplets. It not only requires concise words and clear meanings, but also requires echoing and coordinating with the content of the Spring Festival couplets. A good Spring Festival couplets and horizontal batches can often form a harmonious and unified overall beauty, allowing people to feel the charm of traditional Chinese culture while appreciating it.
In addition, the horizontal batch also has a certain cultural connotation and historical value. It not only reflects the customs and aesthetic concepts of the society at that time, but also inherits the artistic essence of ancient Chinese literature. Through the study of the Spring Festival couplets and horizontal batches in different historical periods, we can understand the cultural outlook of the society and people's thoughts and emotions at that time.
In practical application, the writing of horizontal batches also has certain skills and exquisiteness. First of all, the number of words in the horizontal batch should be moderate, generally four words is appropriate. This ensures that the meaning is fully expressed without being too verbose. Secondly, the content of the horizontal batch should be closely connected with the theme of the Spring Festival couplets, which plays a role in clarifying the theme and sublimating the artistic conception. Finally, the font and writing of the horizontal batch should also be beautiful and generous, and the style of the Spring Festival couplets should be coordinated.
Of course, there are some things to keep in mind when writing a horizontal batch. First of all, it is necessary to avoid duplication or contradiction with the content of the Spring Festival couplets. The horizontal batch should be a supplement and refinement of the content of the Spring Festival couplets, rather than a simple repetition or irrelevant addition. The second is to pay attention to the conciseness and accuracy of the language. The number of words in the horizontal batch is limited, so each word is required to be used appropriately and concisely. Finally, we need to focus on innovation and personalization. Although the traditional Spring Festival couplets and horizontal batches have a fixed format and standard, they can also be appropriately integrated into personal emotions and thoughts in the actual writing, making the whole work more individual and contemporary.
To sum up, we can conclude that the "horizontal batch" of the Spring Festival couplets mainly plays the role of the finishing touch. It summarizes and refines the theme and artistic conception of the Spring Festival couplets through concise words, making the artistic conception of the whole Spring Festival couplets more distinct and prominent. At the same time, the horizontal batch also has a certain artistic value and cultural connotation, and is an indispensable and important part of traditional Chinese culture. During the Spring Festival, pasting auspicious and beautifully written Spring Festival couplets and horizontal batches can not only add to the festive atmosphere of the festival, but also make people feel the profound and unique charm of traditional Chinese culture.
2024 Chinese New Year outlook