The 27th day of the first lunar month In traditional Chinese culture, the first month of the lunar calendar has a wealth of cultural celebrations, among which it cannot be ignored is the specific day to celebrate the elderlyThe twenty-seventh day of the first lunar month is also known as the "Old Man's Day".。On this day, the whole family will carry out a series of activities around the theme of honoring and celebrating the elderly, in order to express their love and blessings to the elders. The Old Man's Day is not only a celebration of the elders, but also an important day to inherit filial piety.
Legend has it that each of the seven days of the first lunar month has its own unique meaning, representing people of different ages. Among them, the seventh day of the first month is Children's Day, the seventeenth day of the first month is the Adult Day, and the twenty-seventh day of the first month is dedicated to celebrating the elderly. This arrangement reflects the Chinese culture of respecting and celebrating all stages of life.
The celebration of the Old Man's Day is rich and diverse, and the following are some representative activities and customs:
### 1.Climb high and look far away
In ancient times, people would choose to climb high and look far on this day, not only as a way to seek good luck in the new year, but also to pray for health and longevity for the elderly by breathing in the breath of nature and looking to the future. This custom originated in the Han Dynasty and became a grand event in the Tang Dynasty, when the emperor would give his courtiers colorful silk and poems to celebrate together.
### 2.Visit the elders
Seniors' Day is also a day for family members to visit their elders, especially their children to visit their parents. On this day, everyone gathers together to enjoy the joy of reunion, and expresses their love and respect for their elders through eating together and chatting. This custom emphasizes family harmony and filial piety.
### 3.Specific foods
On Old Man's Day, people prepare specific foods to celebrate, including longevity noodles, peaches and lettuce pork knuckles. Longevity noodles symbolize health and longevity, and peaches are homophonic with "peach" and "escape", meaning escape from disease; Lettuce pork knuckle symbolizes wealth and good luck. In addition, some places also prepare "shibo soup", which uses seven different ingredients to symbolize a good harvest and happiness in the new year.
### 4.Taboos and taboos
On the day of Seniors' Day, there are several behaviors to avoid, such as avoiding making the elderly angry or upset, to ensure that they have a happy and safe holiday. In addition, some places believe that avoiding contact with bloody food will bring good luck, so they will avoid eating ingredients such as pig blood and duck blood during the festival.
### 5.Featured celebrations
In some coastal areas, there is also a tradition of holding special celebrations on the 27th day of the first lunar month, such as the Qiqi congee in the Shiyi region of Fuzhou, a sweet porridge made from glutinous rice and other ingredients, both as food for ancestors and as a gift to share among friends and family. In addition, some places will hold filial piety banquets, inviting the elderly to gather together to enjoy food and performances, reflecting respect and filial piety for the elderly.
The 27th day of the first lunar month is not only a festival to celebrate the elderly, but also carries the important values of filial piety and family harmony in traditional Chinese culture. Through the celebration of this day, the emotional connection between family members is deepened, and at the same time, the inheritance and respect for traditional culture is also deepened.