Knowledge of Chinese studies: What are the ancient people's concerns about birthdays and birthdays?

People often hold birthday celebrations on birthdays. In ancient times, birthdays were also called birthdays, birthdays, birthday celebrations or birthday celebrations. Young people's birthdays can only be called "birthdays" and "birthdays", not "birthdays", because "longevity" is the name of the elderly: birthdays over 60 can only be called "birthdays" and "birthdays".

For a long time in ancient China, people didn't celebrate their birthdays. For a long time, people didn't celebrate their birthdays. It was not until the Yin and Shang Dynasties that people had the concept of birthday. But birthdays are just out of worship of the sun god. Parents named their children with branches on the day of their birth, and there was no birthday celebration.

The custom of China people's birthdays began in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. According to Yan Zhitui's "Yan Family Instructions", the custom of celebrating children's first birthday prevailed in Jiangnan at that time.

Adults' birthdays were recorded in the Tang Dynasty, when birthday pancakes were made as a celebration. In the Song Dynasty, there was a custom of celebrating birthdays. At that time, officials' birthdays were corrupt, and family members had to give birthday presents. In the book "Water Margin", there is a story of "seeing off the birthday party".

In addition to birthdays, people also have the custom of borrowing birthdays. People used to think that people's life span was determined by heaven, but it can also be borrowed like things. Generally speaking, people are terminally ill and want to prolong their life, so some relatives and friends voluntarily borrow their lives for one year. Those who volunteered to borrow their lives chose auspicious days, fasted and bathed, went to the ancestral temple to worship, and told Yan to voluntarily lend their lives to patients. This custom is very popular in Huai 'an, Jiangsu.