Customs and Culture of Respecting the Elderly

Respecting and honoring the elderly is one of the main customs of the Chung Yeung Festival, a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation that has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years.

Confucius believes that "the filial piety of today, is said to be able to raise, to the dogs and horses, all have to be raised, do not respect, how to be different?" (The Analects of Confucius). The meaning is that if a child is only able to support his parents, but does not respect them, let alone treating them in a pleasant manner, this is not really filial piety and respect for the elderly. Mencius went further, "As we honor our elders, so do we honor the elders of others; as we honor our children, so do we honor the children of others."

Successive dynasties have made many specific provisions for old age and respect for the elderly: the Zhou Dynasty held an annual "township drinking ceremony" to "correct the tooth position, order of human relationships, respect for the elderly and respect for the wise, resting on the matter of the township"; Spring and Autumn period of the Warring States period provided that more than 70 years of age, the elderly During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, it was stipulated that the elderly over 70 years old would be exempted from the service of one son, the elderly over 80 years old would be exempted from the service of two sons, and the whole family of the elderly over 90 years old would be exempted from the service of the whole family; during the time of the Qin and Han Dynasties, the state held the ceremony of old age pension twice a year in the middle of the spring and autumn. The month of mid-autumn, local officials, to "by household than the people, the beginning of seventy awarded to the jade staff ...... eighty, ninety rites have added"; Han emperor stipulated that the old man over 80 years of age, the monthly supply of rice a stone, twenty pounds of meat, wine, five buckets, and provided that "All filial piety in the relatives of people silk five pi"; Tang Dynasty regulations, "men seventy, women seventy-five or more, are given 'son service'"; Ming Dynasty on the elderly have three preferences: first, the The Ming Dynasty had three advantages for the elderly: one was "honoring seniority", the second was "setting up a li Zheng", and the third was "giving preferential treatment". Zhu Yuanzhang came from a poor background, the old woman, especially compassionate. His "edict of the world pension policy", where 80 years old or older, poor and no industry, as long as the person is decent, the township said good, the month to give rice five buckets, five pounds of meat. He also ordered the prefectures and counties, choose the respected elderly, "all see the official has people patients", you can go to the public hall direct advice. "Three admonitions do not reform", but also can directly report to the court.

This social custom of honoring the elderly is still being vigorously inherited and carried forward today. In order to respect and comply with the nine nine sun festival this "nine nine, long time, prolong life" folklore and auspicious concepts, the state will be designated as "respect for the elderly day", "respect for the elderly festival" or "old people's day". "Elderly Day", "Elderly Day", and actively carry out activities to honor the elderly, for the elderly to do practical things, good things.