How to kowtow to the New Year in the North What are the rules?

The old ritual, kneeling on the ground with two hands on the ground, head to the ground.

Generally from home. On the morning of the first day of the first day of the year, the younger generation to get up, should first to their own father dao mother kneeling kowtow two, blessing the elders a long and healthy life, all the best. After the parents are worshipped, they have to distribute the pre-prepared New Year's money to our juniors. Then we go to our own grandparents' house to kowtow to pay respect to the New Year, the same blessing, the same will get the New Year's money.

Then we will also go to our own neighbors, as long as it is often meet the uncle and aunt we have to go to their hall, back to the front door kneeling kowtow. The road is not very familiar with some but know, when we meet also to smile and congratulate the new year, each other congratulations, happy new year and other auspicious words. Neighbors or friends and family also visit each other to pay tribute to the New Year or invited to drink entertainment.

Between the first and fifteenth day of the first month of the year, young people and adults go to neighbors and relatives in groups to kowtow. During this time, scrolls of genealogical plaques are hung in the main room of the house, and mats for kowtowing are placed in front of the door. When guests come, they first stand in front of the genealogy tablets, bow their hands three times, and then kneel down and kowtow three times. Then they kowtow three times to those who are older and of greater seniority.

If there are children involved and they are very close relatives to the person being kowtowed to, they are given money. The kowtow is divided into two waves, the first wave is in the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, and mainly goes to the neighbor's house. The second wave takes place a few days after the first day, when visiting other relatives.

The origin of kowtow on New Year's Day

According to legend, there was a monster called Nian in ancient times, which had a long and fierce head with sharp horns. It lived at the bottom of the sea, and on New Year's Eve, it would climb up to the shore to eat livestock and hurt people. Therefore, on New Year's Eve, everyone fled to the mountains to avoid the harm of the year.

Until one New Year's Eve, when everyone fled the village as usual, a gray-haired old man stayed behind. When the year was ready to break into the village and wreak havoc, there was a sudden burst of firecrackers, and the year trembled and never dared to enter the village again. Then the white-haired old man appeared in front of the year in his robe, and the year fled in fear.

It turns out that the year is afraid of red, fire and explosions. From then on, every New Year's Eve, every family puts up red couplets, sets off firecrackers, and keeps the lights on, waiting for the New Year. Eventually, it transformed into the grandest traditional festival in China: the New Year. The kowtow salute is a thank you to our elders for protecting us, and over time the New Year's Eve will be a salute to the older elders and to our ancestors.