Chinese traditional life four rites of passage

1Anciently, the rites of passage referred to the rites of passage of crown and maturity. When a man reaches the age of 20, he performs the ceremony of crowning, that is, adding a crown to indicate that he has become a man and is recognized by the community, after which he can marry. A woman could marry after reaching the age of 15, when she had reached the age of maturity. The modern Bar Mitzvah is a ceremony held when young boys and girls reach the age of 18 to symbolize their transition to adulthood.

The main part of the Crown Ceremony is that the guest of honor adds the Velvet Crown, the Leather Bent, and the Jade Bent to the head of the person who will be crowned. Crowning ceremony first plus black cloth crown, is to educate young people do not forget the predecessors of entrepreneurial hardship, said the privilege of ruling people. Next is the addition of the leather biben, status than the Velvet Crown respect, said from now on to serve in the military. Finally, the last addition of jewels, the status of the most honored, said the future right to participate in the sacrifice. The three times the crown is added, each increase is more and more respect, is a metaphor for the crown of virtue can increase with each passing day. Every time the crown is added, there is a toast, which is the heartfelt wish of the predecessor to the crown, and after the toast, the crown should be answered. After each crowning, the crowned person has to go into the room to change into the appropriate costume, and then go out of the room and show it to the guests.

The mother is the host of the maturity ceremony. Three days before the maturity ceremony, the guests will be given a warning, and one day before the ceremony, the guests will stay with the mother, and the mother will be the host, and the mother will be the host. The maturity ceremony is performed in the center of the hall, and the guest adds the crown and bun to the maturity of the girl, fits into the room, and serves the back of the child. The ceremony is performed in the center of the hall. The last rite of passage is the ceremony for the maturity of the girl, which is the same as that for the crowning of the girl.

2, open pen ceremony

Enlightenment, is the ancient Chinese children began to literacy and rituals of a form of initiation, also known as "open pen", is one of the four great rites of passage, and the ancient children in the age of seven years old, so it is also called seven years old enlightenment ceremony. At the age of seven, the rite of passage is an important beginning in life, and it is the initiation of the road to knowledge for schoolchildren. It is also called the "opening of the brush ceremony", that is, the first day of school, get up early and come to the school hall, by the teacher of the initiation of the most basic, the most simple principles of life, and teach reading, writing, and then pay homage to the statue of Confucius, can be enrolled in school. This ceremony is commonly known as "breaking the Meng". In ancient times, the "opening ceremony" was an extremely solemn ceremony, which has a great significance for every reader, and is known as one of the four great rites of passage in life.

Through the opening ceremony, not only can express the elders' expectations for the success of the younger generation, but also let the children accept the baptism of Chinese tradition in the traditional Chinese etiquette, which inspires the children to study hard, respect for teachers and filial piety, respect for morality and determination, benevolence and love, learn to be a man, establish a "good", "positive ", behavioral norms, to complete the life cognition and role cognition, know the smart knowledge, promote healthy growth in the student era.

The opening ceremony has four links: the correct clothing, pay homage to the ancestor, Zhu Sha Kai Zhi, beat the drum to be wise, and start the pen to write the word "human".

The ceremony of the opening of the brush is divided into four parts: paying homage to the master, beating the drum and writing the word "man". The Book of Rites has a cloud: "The beginning of propriety lies in the right appearance, the right color, and the right speech." Ancient people attached great importance to the instrument, that "first correct the clothes and crown, after the understanding of the matter"