In 2024, it has become an important traditional custom to post Spring Festival couplets on the eve of the Spring Festival. Sticking Spring Festival couplets can not only increase the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival, but also express the yearning and expectation for a better life. However, there are some rules that need to be followed, such as the order in which the couplets are pasted and the distinction between the upper and lower couplets.
Some people say that the Spring Festival couplets in 2024 should be pasted from right to left, this is because in ancient times, the right side was regarded as the most honorable position, and the ancient writing habit also started from the right. In ancient times, many couplets were pasted on the right side and the bottom on the left. This order of writing and reading makes it possible for us to start from the right side and then read the left side when pasting the couplets. When it comes to pasting couplets, we stand outside the door, facing the door, on the right-hand side is the upper link, and on the left-hand side is the lower link. From this point of view, when pasting Spring Festival couplets, it is in line with traditional customs to paste Spring Festival couplets from right to left. However, this is not an absolute criterion, and it depends on the content of the upper and lower couplets of the Spring Festival couplets.
By observing the last word of each couplet, you can distinguish the upper and lower couplets of the spring couplet. The last word of a correct Spring Festival couplet is a voice, that is, three or four tones. And the last word of the lower link is flat sound, that is, one or two tones. Such a provision makes the upper and lower couplets of the Spring Festival couplets visually echo and fight. For example, taking "Spring returns to the earth and a hundred flowers compete for beauty, and the sun warms all things in Shenzhou" as an example, the last word "Yan" in the upper link is four tones, and the last word "Hui" in the lower link is Pingsheng. When pasting Spring Festival couplets, you must be careful not to paste the upper and lower couplets upside down, otherwise it will make people look awkward.
In addition to the order of pasting the Spring Festival couplets and the distinction between the upper and lower couplets, there are some other particularities. The first is the posting time, which does not mean that the Spring Festival can only be posted on the 29th day of the lunar month or Chinese New Year's Eve. In fact, earlier, you can also start pasting Spring Festival couplets on the 25th day of the lunar month. Moreover, when choosing the size of the couplet, it should be determined according to your own portal to maintain a coordinated and generous effect. Generally speaking, the door of residents' homes is suitable for sticking Spring Festival couplets with a width of 15 to 20 cm, while the shop surface of the business can be pasted with Spring Festival couplets of about 20 to 30 cm.
Sticking Spring Festival couplets is one of the important traditional customs during the Spring Festival. When pasting Spring Festival couplets, we should pay attention to the order of pasting and the distinction between upper and lower couplets. According to the ancient custom, the spring couplets were pasted from right to left, the upper couplets were pasted on the right, and the lower couplets were pasted on the left. However, the specific Spring Festival couplets should also be determined according to the last word of each couplet, the last word of the upper couplet is the voice, and the last word of the lower couplet is the flat sound. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to choosing the right time and size when pasting Spring Festival couplets to show a coordinated and generous effect. Sticking Spring Festival couplets is an activity full of traditional cultural connotations, through this simple and ceremonial way, we express our beautiful vision and expectations to the new year.
The skills and precautions for pasting Spring Festival couplets can be said to be the traditional wisdom that has been passed down for many years, and the accumulation of this wisdom is also part of the broad and profound cultural inheritance of the Chinese nation. By sticking Spring Festival couplets, we can not only experience the charm of traditional culture, but also add to the festive atmosphere of the New Year. I hope that in the new year, everyone can smoothly paste the Spring Festival couplets and welcome a happy and beautiful future!