The traditional custom of kowtowing to the elderly on New Year's Day is not to be done wrong.

What do you say about kowtowing to your elders on New Year's Day

The origin of kowtowing

Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a monster called Nian, which had a long and fierce head with sharp horns. "It lived deep under 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 Nian.

Until one New Year's Eve, when everyone fled the village as usual, an old man with gray hair stayed behind. When the year was about to break into the village and wreak havoc, there was a sudden burst of firecrackers, and the year shuddered 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.

The Nian was afraid of the color red, the light of fire, and the sound of 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 way of thanking our elders for protecting us, and over time the New Year's salute will be made to the older elders and to our ancestors.

The ritual form of kowtow

Simple kowtow (single kowtow) is a common form of salute that children perform on their elders. Generally, children accompany their parents to meet their elders, and the parents say, "Come and meet XX (elders) and kowtow to XX." The child should first say, "Kowtow to XX." The child then bends his/her knees, kneels down, puts his/her hands on the ground, and touches his/her head to the ground to complete the kowtow, and then rises and stands on his/her side. After accepting the child's kowtow, the elders must do two things, one is to say in time, "Good, get up." One is to give the child some "reward", such as a trinket, candy, etc., or give change, "head" is not accepted in vain! In the olden days, many people would say, "No," when the child said kowtow, before kneeling down. And stop the child kowtow to avoid the embarrassment of not being able to get a gift.

One bow and one kowtow is a common rite of passage for adults to pay their elders a visit. Generally when visiting, or elders visit, they should take the initiative to go forward and say, "I (their name or generation, status) kowtow to XX." And can say a word of blessing, and then, the front to the elders arching long bow, and then bend the knees down to kowtow. If the elders accept this "head", they must also show something, mostly give money, and say something like "Let me give you a pot of tea (or a pot of wine)," or "Let me buy a pair of shoes to wear". Otherwise (e.g., to show modesty or not wanting to do so) Otherwise (such as expressed modesty or do not want to break the bank), we must be in the younger generation after the bow, in time to say "do not have to kowtow ah", "free to kowtow it," and other words, it is best to reach out at the same time to help each other's bodies to prevent the continuation of kowtow, because as long as "head "The best thing to do is to reach out and hold the other person's body at the same time in order to stop them from kowtowing.

One bye and three kowtow, this is a grand ceremony, mostly the following occasions, the first time to meet the elders, to see the ancestors of the elders, to pay respect to the high prestige or status of high status, to pay respect to the teacher, to pay respect to the New Year, to pay respect to the birthday, to pay respect to the occasions. The ceremony is to make a long bow first, then kneel down on bended knees, after kowtowing the first head, keep the kneeling posture, straighten the upper body, and then kowtow the second head, and similarly kowtow the third head, and finally stand up. It is rude to touch your head to the ground three times in a row without straightening your upper body, as if you were "pounding garlic" (young children are allowed to do so).

Kowtowing

1, generally kowtowing to the elders, preferably grandparents, and can not be more kowtowing, will lose life.

2. Kowtowing is done with the palms of the hands touching the ground, and there is no need to be positive or negative; the head must be knocked to the ground in order to show respect. When kowtowing to the gods and Buddhas, the hands need to be turned back and forth to show innocence.

Nowadays, the rules are not so elaborate, and kowtowing is mostly a formality. After kowtowing on the go, many old people also stop children kowtowing, saying that people to the head is the head, but after all, the year is to worship, the old ancestor's things or to continue to pass on, which is both a filial piety, but also a flow of culture.