In traditional culture, it is an important etiquette to celebrate the birthday of the elderly. However, in modern society, more and more families pay more attention to celebrating children's birthdays and neglect to celebrate the birthdays of the elderly. This has sparked people's thinking and discussion about filial piety and traditional culture. What exactly causes this phenomenon to occur? Does this mean that children are not filial or overly pampered? This article will take a look at this issue from different angles and revisit the birthday of the elderly and the birthday of children.
In traditional Chinese culture, the longevity of the elderly has a profound meaning and cultural connotation. Celebrating a birthday is not just a simple birthday celebration, but a sign of filial piety and respect for the elderly. In the ritual of longevity, there are a series of exquisiteness and regulations to follow, which takes time, energy, and money. However, an overly grand celebration is not necessarily the best option, as there are some limitations in traditional culture. For example, there are six sayings that do not live too long:
1.73 and 84 years old do not live long: "Seventy-three, eighty-four, Hades does not call himself to go".
Under the age of one is not considered longevity, and cannot be lived.
3. Parents do not live until they are alive.
The elderly do not live long.
5. Don't celebrate birthdays at the age of nine.
These taboos and restrictions are related to the deeds and teachings of ancient sages such as Confucius and Mencius. Among them, Confucius and Mencius died at 73 and 84 years old, so these two ages are considered to be the age of inappropriate longevity. In addition, people under the age of 60 have not yet reached the standard of longevity, so birthdays are not considered longevity. When parents are alive, children should not celebrate birthdays luxuriously, which is a requirement of the traditional "filial piety" culture. Longevity over the age of 90 rarely celebrates a big birthday, as it is not easy to reach this age, and continuing to celebrate can be counterproductive. At the age of nine, because nine represents the ultimate and the ultimate in Chinese culture, it is not suitable for too grand celebrations.
However, the folklore and attention vary from place to place, and even diametrically opposed versions of the same issue may exist. Some of them belong to the category of superstition, which is contrary to the modern idea of equality between men and women. Nevertheless, the tradition of the elderly living and the six years of life is still in line with the Chinese tradition of being restrained, low-key, and holding a profit and Baotai, and is also in line with the modern spirit of pursuing reality. In any case, the most important thing for the elderly to celebrate their lives is to be able to reunite with their children and grandchildren and enjoy a happy and harmonious time.
1.Longer human lifespan: Compared with the past, modern people generally have a much longer lifespan. According to the World Health Organization's definition, people aged 60-74 are classified as young and elderly, those between the ages of 75 and 90 are called elderly, and those over 90 years old are considered to be long-lived. If the birthday is celebrated every year, it will be a great burden for the elderly themselves and their families.
2.Once the birthday celebration begins, it is difficult to stop: once you start to celebrate the birthday of the elderly, it will become a ritual that the elderly look forward to and value in their hearts, and if they stop, the elderly may feel that their life span is gradually passing away, which will bring them a psychological burden.
3.Nowadays, living conditions are generally improving, the elderly are not short of food and clothing, and there are relatively many festivals, so they may not care as much about birthday celebrations as they did in the past.
4.Lack of motivation from children: With their busy schedules and some of them not being around or even going home once for the Chinese New Year, they may not have the time and energy to prepare for the celebration. Moreover, if you have a celebration yourself, and you have to face the problem of gifts from relatives, friends and colleagues, it may be better not to hold a celebration.
Contrary to the situation of celebrating the birthday of the elderly, families generally pay more attention to the birthday of their children. Kids love birthdays because it means they're one year older and have time to eat and play. Parents are also happy to celebrate their children's birthdays, which signifies their growth and is full of hope and future.
However, children's birthdays are not celebrated for extravagance or vanity, but to bring them joy. When children are young, birthdays are more about making children happy, but as children grow, the meaning of education becomes more and more important. Especially on important birthdays, such as 14, 16 and 18, parents should help their children to be aware of their responsibilities and legal obligations, and to be aware of the consequences of their actions.
To sum up, whether it is the birthday of the elderly or the birthday of the child, it should be based on the health, happiness, affection and harmony of the individual and the family, rather than the form for the sake of the form. Birthdays in Western countries are very welcome and more casual, and traditional Chinese culture attaches more importance to the birthday of the elderly, but it should also be appropriately integrated with modern society. When celebrating birthdays and birthdays, we should pay more attention to emotional exchanges, family expressions and heart transmission, rather than pursuing material luxury and waste. What's more, the birthday of the elderly and the birthday of the child are both important moments for the family, and they should be reunited and spend happy time together.