Inventory of the legend of sweeping the dust, the story of New Year's Eve

In the era of our ancestors, there are many beautiful legends, many of which have been passed down to the present day into a traditional festivals origin, such as dust sweeping, New Year's Day and so on, many young people may now not know the origin of these festivals, the next step is to let us take stock of the myths and legends of these traditional festivals is what.

Sweeping the dust folk proverb says: the twenty-fourth day of the waxing moon, dust sweeping the house. In the north, it is called sweeping the house, and in the south, it is called dusting. Households have to clean up the environment, cleaning all kinds of appliances, dismantle the bedding curtains, sprinkle the six village courtyard, dusting dust cobwebs, dredging nullahs and ditches. For the north, the winter in the waxing moon sweeping room, just dusting and sweeping only, and in the south will often tables, chairs and benches, and even large frame beds are lifted to the river, wells to scrub. After sweeping the room, the whole family will begin to organize the New Year's goods, please incense and wax paper yards, offerings, write couplets, cut window, buy hanging money, New Year's paintings, firecrackers north and south of the Yangtze River, everywhere overflowing with joy to engage in sanitation, clean to welcome the new year's atmosphere.

There is an interesting story about dust sweeping. Legend has it that the ancients believed that the human body is attached to a three corpses of God, he is like a shadow, follow the person's whereabouts, inseparable. The God of Three Corpses is a guy who likes flattery and loves to make a fuss about right and wrong. He often spread rumors in front of the Jade Emperor, describing the earth as ugly and unattractive. Over time, in the Jade Emperor's impression, the earth was simply a dirty world full of sin. Once. The Three Corpses God secretly reported that the earth was cursing the Heavenly Emperor and wanted to plot against the Heavenly Court. The Jade Emperor was furious and sent down a decree to quickly find out what was going on on earth. Anyone who complained about the gods and blasphemed against them would have their crimes written under the eaves of their houses. The Jade Emperor also ordered Wang Ling Ling to cover them up with a web to mark them. The Jade Emperor also ordered Wang Lingguan to go down to the world on New Year's Eve, and wherever he met the families with marks, he would kill them all and leave no one behind.

The three corpses of the God see this plan is about to succeed, to take advantage of the opportunity to fly down to the mortal world, regardless of the green and black and white, viciously in the eaves and corners of each house to do on the mark, so that the King's spiritual Palace to a cut to the bone. Just when the three corpses of God in the evil, Zaojun found his whereabouts, alarmed, hastened to find each family Zaowang master to discuss countermeasures. So, came up with a good way, on the twenty-third day of the waxing moon to send the stove from the date, to New Year's Eve to receive the stove before, each family must clean the house clean, which household is not clean, the Zaosheng master refused to enter the house. We follow the instructions before the ascension of King Zaobao, sweeping dust, dusting off cobwebs, clean windows and doors, to clean their own homes to a new look.

By the time Wang Lingguan was ordered to come down on New Year's Eve, he found that the windows of every house were clear, the lights were bright, people were happy, and the world was beautiful. When Wang Lingguan couldn't find any marks that indicated bad behavior, he was so surprised that he rushed back to heaven and reported to the Jade Emperor about the peace and happiness on earth and the situation of praying for a happy new year. After hearing this, the Jade Emperor was greatly shocked, and sent down an order to detain the three corpses of the God, ordered to slap his mouth 300 times, and detained him in the heavenly prison forever. This time, the earthly calamity was spared thanks to the rescue of the God of Zao. In order to be grateful to Mr. Zao for people to get rid of the disaster, blessing Zhangxiang, so the folk dust always in the send stove after the start, until the busy New Year's Eve.

New Year's Eve is an important activity in the Spring Festival, is to congratulate friends and neighbors on the New Year, the old term for New Year's Eve.

In ancient times, the original meaning of the word "New Year's Eve" was to greet the elders for the New Year, including kowtowing to the elders, congratulating them on the New Year, and greeting them with a good life. The first thing you need to do is to get your hands dirty. Han Chinese New Year's style, the Han Dynasty has. After the Tang and Song Dynasty is very popular, some inconvenience to go in person, can be used in name cards to throw congratulations. The Eastern Han Dynasty, known as thorns, so the business card is also known as the name of thorns. After the Ming Dynasty, many people stick a red paper bag in front of the door, specializing in name badges, called the door book.

Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a monster, head long unicorn horn, mouth like a blood basin, people call it called the year. Every Lunar New Year's Eve, it would come out of the mountains and forests, preying on people. People had to prepare some meat outside the door, and then closed the door, hiding in the house, until the first morning, the year after a full meal to go, people only open the door to see each other, bowed to say goodbye, congratulate each other. People in order to drive away this monster, one year, the year again came to the village, people found that it is afraid of red things and loud sounds. So another year, before the year came, people in the door to paste red paper, hang red lanterns, the year came, people with hollow bamboo made of cannonballs to the ground to fall, making a loud sound, finally, the year was driven away, so, then people have to paste couplets, hang lanterns, firecrackers custom.

With the development of the times, the custom of New Year's greetings also continue to add new content and form. Folk visit each other in the form of New Year's Eve, according to each other's social relations, can be roughly divided into four categories:

First, go to relatives. The first day must go to the father-in-law's home, must bring gifts. After entering the door first to the Buddha image, ancestor images, the tablets line three kowtow salute, and then to the elders in turn salute. You can stay to eat and talk.

The second is a courtesy visit. Such as to colleagues, friends to pay tribute to the New Year, a door into the house, only three kowtow to the Buddha's image, such as with the master of the Department of the same generation is only required to arch a bow, such as older than themselves, should still take the initiative to kneel down, the master should walk down the seat to do to help the shape of the even said free to show humility. This situation is generally not appropriate to sit for a long time, pleasantries two polite words to say goodbye. After the master was worshiped, should choose a day to return to worship.

Third, thank you for the visit. Where people owe love (such as lawyers, doctors, etc.) to buy some gifts to send to the occasion of the New Year, to express gratitude.

Fourth, the string of visits. For some of the neighbors of the neighborhood, there is no great deal of interaction, but meet can talk to, to the Jubilee, just to the yard, meet each other with a fist, said: Gong Xi Fa Cai, a Shun Hundred Shun, in the house to sit down for a while only, not very much etiquette.

In ancient times, there is a New Year's Eve and New Year's Day: New Year's Eve is to the elders kowtow; New Year's Day is to congratulate each other. Nowadays, some organizations, groups, enterprises, schools, we get together to congratulate each other, called reunion.