What is the legend of killing ducks on the Mid-Yuan Festival?

The legend of killing ducks on the Mid-Yuan Festival:

1, Legend 1

Legend has it that the ancestors who died would go home to visit their relatives on the Mid-Yuan Festival, and they would have to cross the Naihe Bridge, but they couldn't cross it without a boat. So, the living people have to send some ducks down so that the ducks can swim to carry them back, and over time, a tradition has been formed to eat ducks on the Ghost Festival.

2, legend two

Legend to the "netherworld" to cross the river, there is only a bridge over the river, the "messenger" is too much, the bridge is crowded, and the ducks can swim to the other side of the river with offerings to the ancestors, so in the day of the festival of the Chinese New Year sacrifices are mainly ducks. Therefore, ducks are the main sacrifice on the day of the Mid-Yuan Festival. After the rituals were completed, the remaining ducks were "scattered blessings", so the custom of eating ducks on the Day of the Mid-Yuan has been passed down.

3, legend three

Midwinter Festival is also the Festival of Ancestors, the folk said that at this time the ancestral offerings can not be used chicken, because the chicken's claws back planing, will be sent to the ancestors of the money and goods to the planing out of the descendants of the heart can not be passed on to the ancestors, so that our descendants have no protection, so we can not allow chickens to carry out the task, then sent the ducks to go.

Folklore experts, on the other hand, believe that: before planting rice in rural Guangxi, each family will buy about ten ducks back to raise. After the rice is cut, the ducks can eat the grain and earthworms in the field, thus reducing costs. When it was time to plant the second season of rice, farmers began to kill ducks for the festival as a treat. Over time, people became accustomed to eating ducks on this day.

Expanded:

Besides eating ducks, other customs of the Mid-Yuan Festival:

1, put the river lanterns

River lanterns, also known as the "Lotus Lanterns", the river lanterns are usually put on the base of the lanterns or candles, the Mid-Yuan night placed in the rivers, lakes and the sea, and allowed to float in the flood. The purpose of the river lanterns is to ferry ghosts and other ghosts in the water. River lanterns, especially in the Yellow River lanterns spectacular.

2. Burning of street clothes

This is a folk custom that has been preserved since the opening of Hong Kong. In the seventh month of the lunar calendar, people will bring joss sticks, gold and silver clothes and paper, and some offerings such as tofu and rice to pay homage at the roadside after dark. The purpose of "burning clothes on the street" is to let those lonely souls have clothes to protect them from the cold and food to wrap their stomachs.

3, make eggplant cake

The folk belief is that eggplant cake can be the dried food for the deceased ancestors to go to the Bon. On the day of the Mid-Yuan Festival, every household in old Nanjing made eggplant cakes, which means that fresh eggplant was shredded, floured, and fried in oil. In fact, the eggplant cake is now a very common home cooking, you can always make a plate of it if you want to eat it to satisfy your cravings.

4, burned paper

Sichuan Province, commonly used in the Yuan ancestral burned paper. To be a stack of paper money, sealed into a small seal, written above the recipient's name and name, the number of seals received, the name of the person and the time. Popular legend has it that on July 15, the ghost gate is closed, the families have to "send children to the orphans".