Detailed information of the week of catching a week

Grabbing the week, a traditional Chinese custom, is now a custom in East Asian countries to foretell the future of a baby when the child turns one year old. When a newborn baby turns one year old, various items are placed in front of the child for him or her to grab, and traditionally the common items include pens, ink, paper, inkstones, abacuses, coins, books, and so on.

Wei Jin and North and South Dynasties have existed, "Jiangnan custom, children born in a period of time for the production of new clothes, bath decorations, male with a bow and arrow paper and pen, female with a knife and ruler needle wisps, and add food and drink and treasures of clothing and toys, placed in front of the child to see what they take to test the greed and integrity of the intelligence and stupidity of the child, known as the test." Now there are also some will put the mouse, toothbrush and other modern items, there are also some will replace the physical image card to let the baby grasp.

Basic Introduction Chinese Name: Zhou Catch Foreign Name: One-Year-Old Catch Custom Scope: China, North Korea and other countries Applicable Age: Week-old children Main Objects: Seals, books, abacus, coins, toys, etc. Origin of the Custom: Legend has it that the Three Kingdoms Dongwu "test child" developed Introduction, Source Search, History Current situation, Customs of different ethnic groups, Korean, Hui, Bajun, Ritual process, Objects used, Instructions for use, Precautions, Significance, Influence, Introduction Draw lots, also known as "Chaw-er" (拭儿), "Trial first birthday" (试晬), "Finger week" (拈周), "Trial week" (試周), is a ceremony to predict the future and the temperament of a child when he turns one year old, and is a way of celebrating the anniversary of his first birthday. It is a way to celebrate the anniversary of the first birthday. It is the same with the birth of a child to announce the good news, three dynasties to wash children, full moon ceremony, 100 days ceremony, etc., the same belongs to the traditional rites of birth, the core of which is the continuation of life, smooth and prosperous wishes, reflecting the parents of the children of the licking of the calf love, with the nature of the family game, is a taste of the human family, the pursuit of faith in the pursuit of parenting customs, but also in the objective test of the mother is how to lead, how to carry out the initiation of the education. With the improvement of living standards, the custom of catching the week, more and more by many families, many places are also organized to hold collective activities to celebrate the baby's birthday. The ceremony of "catching the week child" is usually carried out before eating the noon meal of "longevity noodles". Some sophisticated rich families have to be in front of the bed (kang) set up a large case, on the seal, Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism scriptures, pens, ink, paper, ink stone, abacus, coins, ledgers, jewelry, flowers, rouge, food, toys, such as girls "to catch the week of the child" but also additional shovels, spoons (cooking utensils), scissors, rulers (sewing equipment), embroidery threads, flowers like (embroidery equipment) The family is usually limited by economic conditions, and most of them have a small amount of money to spend. General family, limited to economic conditions, more simplified, only a copper tea tray, inside the private school textbook "Three Character Classic" or "Thousand Character Classic" a book, a brush, an abacus, a set of baked fruits. Girls plus pendulum: shovel, scissors, ruler each one. Adults will carry the child to make it sit down, without any inducement, and let it choose, depending on what it grabs first, and what it grabs later. In this way to measure their interests, future and will be engaged in the occupation. If the child first grabbed the seal, it is said that when they grow up, will ride on the heavenly grace of ancestry, official luck; if the first grabbed stationery, it is said to grow up after learning, there will be a beautiful article, and ultimately the three yuan and the first; such as the child first grabbed the abacus, it is said that the future will grow up to be good at financial management, will be the cause of the Tao Zhu. If the girl first grasp the shears, rulers and other sewing utensils or shovels, spoons and other cooking utensils, it is said to grow up to be good at housekeeping. On the other hand, the child first grabbed food, toys, can not be on the spot to repudiate as "delicious", "playful", but also to be said that "the child grows up, there will be a mouth Road Fuer, good at 'timely fun'". In time, he will be good at having fun". In short, the elders have high hopes for the child's future and wish the child well on the occasion of his/her first birthday. Through the child to catch the week child, in the objective test of the birth mother, see mother, nurse to the child is how to lead, is how to carry on the enlightenment education. Therefore, some parents are not superstitious, but still advocate the child to catch the child, is also one of the reasons why this custom can be lasting in the folklore. Source to explore a custom from the occurrence of the formation of the trend, there should be a time process. Catch the week in the southern dynasty has been generally popular in the south, the time when the occurrence of some earlier. Therefore, some people according to the folk of the "Three Kingdoms Outreach", the origin of the scratch week time to the Three Kingdoms era. According to legend, during the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Quan, the owner of Wu Dynasty, had not yet claimed to be the emperor for a long time, and Sun Deng, the crown prince, died of illness, and Sun Quan could only choose the crown prince among his other sons. A man named Jing Yang, a clothier from Xihu, met with Sun Quan and told him that the succession of the throne was a great cause for thousands of generations, and that it was not only necessary to see whether the emperor's son was virtuous or not, but also the talent of the emperor's grandchildren, and said that he had a way to test whether the emperor's grandchildren were virtuous or not, and Sun Quan then ordered Jing Yang to choose an auspicious day. Is the day of the Prince each son to carry into the palace, see Jing Yang out of a full of beads and shells, ivory, rhinoceros horn and other things on the plate, so that the young grandsons to grab at will. The children or grab jade, or take rhinoceros horn. But Sun and the son of Sun Hao, one hand grasped the simple book, one hand grasped the ribbon. Sun Quan was overjoyed, so he named Sun He as the crown prince. However, the other sons were not convinced and each of them made friends with their ministers and fought in secret, forcing Sun Quan to depose Sun He and establish Sun Liang as the heir. After the death of Sun Quan, Sun Liang reigned for only seven years before he was overthrown in a coup and replaced by Sun Xiu. After the death of Sun Huo, the ministers wished to choose an older son as the emperor, and it so happened that Sun Hao, who was over 20 years old, was chosen. At this time, some veteran ministers recalled the way of choosing the heir adopted by the first prospect of raising the emperor, and could not help but be amazed. Later, many people also used similar methods to test the future of their children and grandchildren, thus forming the custom of "testing children" in Jiangnan. It is also believed that the origin of the custom of "test child" can be traced back to the pre-Qin Dynasty, in fact, is the product of the Chu people worship God and believe in the culture of witchcraft. Zuozhuan" - Zhaogong thirteen years recorded that the king of Chu **** no first son, want to choose the heir in the five favorite son of the common people, and was sacrificed to the famous mountains and rivers, praying: "Please God choose in the five people, so that the master of the gods." And with a piece of jade biscuit all over the famous mountains and rivers, said: "When the biscuit and worship, the God established also, who dares to violate it?" Then buried the jade bib secretly in the courtyard of the ancestral temple, and let the five sons of the common people according to the eldest and youngest in order to enter the temple to worship the ancestor, who just pressed on the position of the buried jade bib, he was the king's heir established by the gods. The youngest King Ping of Chu was carried into the ancestral temple, and after two times of worship, both pressed on the jade jade button. However, the king of Chu*** eventually made his eldest son (i.e. King Kang of Chu), who had his feet on one side of the jade jade jade when he knelt down, the crown prince. The minister Wei Gui was very emotional and thought that this move was against the destiny of heaven, so he instructed his son to ask King Ping, who really took the throne in the Chu domestic disputes. This story in the history of the legend, and Sun Quan selection of the legend is very similar, can also be regarded as the "test child" of the custom of the goblet. Like this kind of superstition with lots to predict the child life witchcraft, of course, for the reverence for simplicity, the importance of education in the Central Plains of Confucian culture is not to be taken, which is precisely the "test child" technique for a long time can only be inherited in the southern region and can not flow to the north of the important reason. This is also the reason why Yan Zhiwei criticized this custom. Scholars have different views on what concepts led to the creation of the custom of catching and testing children. Some people believe that this custom originated from the primitive concept of signs, that is, think all kinds of phenomena in the natural world, the world of good and bad luck, before it happens are signs. It is a psychological concept that primitive man was unable to explain and grasp the powerful natural forces and man's own destiny. Therefore, to catch the week to predict the future, not only is foolish and absurd, but also shows a regression in the way of thinking. It is also believed that, in fact, is the first birthday anniversary of the celebration of the way, it and the birth of a child, three wash children, full moon ceremony, 100 days of the ceremony, the same belongs to the traditional rites of passage, the core of the continuation of life, the smooth and prosperous wish Ji. It has also been pointed out that the week is a kind of popular belief activities within the family, is not a social custom, but it is the root of the belief is really the witchcraft concept of the object and people touch each other, its ceremony and the date of the day is to create this mysterious atmosphere of choice. As a divination folklore event, it is naturally absurd and irrational to make inevitable judgments about the future based on accidental contact in childhood. However, it reflects the deep love of parents for their children, and at the same time has a certain nature of family games, so it is also different from superstitious activities, but is only a kind of quite human flavor, to the pursuit of child-rearing beliefs and customs. Historical status of the literature on the week of the record, the folk this "week of the week" custom, can be traced back to the period of the North and South Dynasties. Yan Zhiwei of the Northern Qi Dynasty, "Yan's family training" - wind exercises clearly recorded: "Jiangnan custom, the child born a period (i.e., full one year old), for the production of new clothes, washroom decorations, the male with a bow, yards, paper, pens, the female with a knife, rulers, pins, strands, and food and treasures of clothing and toys, placed in front of the child, to see what they want to take, in order to test the greed, honesty and stupidity, known as the swabbing child. " A number of writings on the history of the custom of the week, it is said that this custom at least in the North and South Dynasties has been widely popular in the south of the Yangtze River, to the Sui and Tang dynasties gradually popularized the whole country. Catching the week By the Tang and Song dynasties, this custom had spread from Jiangnan to all over China, and was gradually popularized throughout the country, and was called "test one year old" or "week one year old". Song Dynasty Meng Yuanlao "Tokyo Dreaming Records" - child-rearing in the record said: the folk gave birth to a child, "to the next birthday, listing the plate in the ground, grand fruit and wood, food, official grants, pens and inkstones, scales and other scripture and needlework set of things, view its first flick, as a sign, known as the 'test first birthday', the child's rites of passage also. " Yuan and Ming Dynasties, this custom is more prevalent, called "period Yang", to the Qing Dynasty, there is "catch the week", "test week" of the name. The nineteenth episode of "The Legend of Heroes and Heroines" recorded an anecdote in detail: "This year is your birthday, I went to your parents to congratulate you. On that day, your parents set up a lot of needles and threads, knives and rulers, cosmetics and hairpins, pens and ink, books, arbitrators and abacuses, and even gold and silver money and so on, and bought many juggling goods on the temple, and invited me to go in and watch you catching the week together." At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, the Beijing folk still prevails in this kind of children's "catch the week child" ceremony. Although, the child's birthday and not set up a tent to do the banquet, also do not invite guests, but all the close relatives are coincidentally routinely to congratulate, party a little. Generally do not send big gifts (such as congratulatory hanging scrolls, gold and silver jewelry) only to buy some cakes and food or toys for children. In addition, in the custom, where the child first met the elders, all with a white thread, tied to the coin, to the child around the neck, called "hanging thread" (this gift usually also applies). Nowadays, many places when the child turns one year old, there are still "catch the week" custom, but there has been no superstitious content, purely a fun and funny game to help the child's anniversary of the joy of happiness. This can also be said to be a "legacy" of China's ancient folk culture. Customs of various ethnic groups Korean customs in child-rearing, there are "birth god" to pay tribute, the degree of "three sevens", "hundred days" feast congratulations, "catching the week" and other rituals, of which the "week" is the most important. "Ceremonies for the birth of a child, including the "week of birth", which is the most solemn. Catch the week items baby's birthday, means that in the life of the road peacefully through the first spring, summer, autumn and winter, in order to set up a feast to celebrate a, a congratulations on the child's healthy growth, the second to send the adults of the child's good expectations. Celebration of the first birthday, mainly including to the "three gods" (also known as "birth god") to pay tribute to the baby to wear a new birthday dress, to catch the week, share the birthday cake and other customs. The day before a child's birthday, the first step is to pay homage to the three gods. A bowl of rice, seaweed soup, and "jinshui" (well water or spring water that is pumped in the morning) are placed on each side of a small table, which is called the "table of the three gods". A bowl of steamed rice flour cake is placed next to the table, and the child's mother or grandmother will pray to the table while bowing in reverence and giving thanks. On the day of the first birthday, the child is dressed in a colorful birthday suit. Boys are usually dressed in pink pants, a colorful jacket with sleeves, an orchid shoulder, and country flower socks. The girl's clothing is colorful sleeve jacket, red dress, feet wearing country flower cloth socks. Both boys and girls wear a "1st birthday bag" that symbolizes longevity and a "1st birthday bag" with peonies, chrysanthemums, and the characters for "longevity" and "good fortune" on it. "The first birthday bag On the pocket rope of the first birthday bag, there are also silver knives, silver axes, silver pins, and other items. The first birthday celebration is the main ritual of the first birthday celebration. First, knives, scissors, bows, pens, books, threads, money, abacuses and other things, as well as several kinds of cakes and fruits, are placed on a kang table, which is called the first birthday table. The main types of cakes placed on the 1st birthday table are white snow cakes (steamed rice cakes), red sorghum cakes, rice cakes, and rice dumplings. The white snow cake means that the heart is white, the red sorghum cake means that the ghosts and evil spirits are driven away, the rice cake symbolizes the toughness of the will, the dumplings (without fillings) symbolize a full belly and an open mind, and the rainbow symbolizes a bright future. After setting up the first birthday table, put a foot of cotton noodles or fold a blanket in front of the table, and then the child's father or grandmother to carry the child to the top, so that he or she can casually grasp the things on the table, and around the table sweeping the ground to move around the place to grasp a few times, to be the first to grasp the things to judge his or her future aspirations. If the first thing to grab is a sword, bow, the omen of the future can have martial arts; if it is a book and pen, the omen of the future will have literary talent; if it is cakes and cakes and so on, then the omen of the future will not have a big success. Golden Weekly Cake Plate At the end of the Weekly Cake Festival, the cakes were given to friends and neighbors. Anyone who receives a first birthday cake has to return some gifts as a token of appreciation. In the case of a child's first birthday, there is only one part of the festival, "Chuju", which is performed by the Korean people. When a child grabs something on the first birthday table, the relatives who are watching on the sidelines, while praising the child with their different words, place some coins on the table to congratulate the child. The Hui people also call the ceremony of grasping the birthday, which is commonly known as grasping the age of the Hui people. This is a more common ritual among the Hui people, especially some Hui people give birth to the first child, or some do not have the ability to lead other people's children, it is more important to this ritual. The Hui children's ceremony is relatively simple. When a child turns one year old, the child's parents, grandparents and grandmothers are all in a joyful mood, and on the first night or the morning of the week, they are busy, laughing and preparing the birthday cake. The Hui people are very particular about the birthday cake, using ingredients such as superior flour, red dates, fragrant bean seeds powder, sesame oil and so on. The cake must be made round, about three or four inches thick, about one foot in diameter, with a steamer. Speaking of thick and generous. Patterns should be new and beautiful, generally composed of six to eight triangles. The pattern on each triangle must be made of peony, plum blossom, lotus and other flowers, avoid using cats, dogs, rabbits, sheep and other animals like patterns. A large red date is placed in the center of each flower. The cake is made white and soft, and tastes fragrant and sweet. Cake-cutting people should choose to invite elders or old people. Conditional Hui people also slaughter chicken, sheep, do cold noodles, braised five spices Lai. Because the Hui people are distributed in all parts of the country, do the custom of the year cake is not exactly the same. In some places, the Hui in the day of the age of catching, only to eat the age of cake, do not eat rice, noodles and other staple foods. On the day of catching the age, they also invite their relatives, friends and neighbors to their homes to eat rice cakes. The guests usually bring toys and other small gifts for the children to express their congratulations. When the ceremony is held, the host should put a big red table, on which he likes to put pens, brushes, notebooks and small airplanes, boats, knives, swords and female toys made of paper, etc. After that, the mother or the father carries the child to the table and lets the child grab at will. Guests and the whole family watch together around the child, hoping that the child can catch a more desirable thing. According to Hui customs, if the child grabbed the pen and book, it means that the future is a can write and draw, talented literati, scholars; if you pick up the sword, that the child must be a future swordplay, martial arts warrior; if both grabbed the pen and sword, it is believed that the child will become a general of both military and civil affairs, to catch the insignificant small toys, etc., is considered to be an eating and drinking, greedy for peace and quiet, Can not be talented "elm"; if the child does not catch anything, they say he (she) is a dull, nothing idiotic, mediocre and so on. When the child grabbed a pen, a book and other things, the child's parents joyful, happy, high up the child to celebrate and laugh, the onlookers clapped and applauded! After the ceremony, the host will bring out the age of the cake, hot chowder, and the guests will eat a meal together, congratulate the child year after year, auspicious and safe, healthy growth. Conditional Hui families, and then every year in the child's birthday, are steamed a year-old cake, within their own families to celebrate, commemorate, do not invite guests. This custom until the girl grows to 9 years old, the boy grows to 12 years old. Bajun The East African Bajun popular a similar Chinese "catch the week" method of naming, that is, the pre-selected many names written on the leaves, so that after the birth of seven days after the baby to catch their own, catch which name will be used which; Central African Rift Valley peoples because of its location in the "Crossroads of Africa ", since ancient times, frequent wars, to give the child's name is often with a sad color, such as the Lugbara often give the child's name "lazy", "obnoxious", "stingy ", "no cattle man", which is often the shortcomings of the child's parents or family dilemma, with a self-deprecating meaning; Bani Oro often give the child the name of "wretch", "homeless The Bani Oro used to name their children "Wretch" and "Homeless", which were vivid records of tribal disputes, diseases, plagues, and other unfortunate events. Ceremony Process Objects Used From historical documents, "Yan's Family Trainings - Wind Cultivation" recorded: "The custom in Jiangnan is to make new clothes for the first period of a child's life (i.e., one year of age), to decorate the bath and make new clothes for the child, and to use bows, vectors, paper, and brushes for the male, and knives, rulers, needles, and strands for the female, as well as food and drink, and treasures and clothing for the child to put in front of him or her. The children were put in front of the table, and they were observed to take what they wanted to take in order to test their greed, honesty and stupidity, and this was called the test child. The family table gathered, to the feast to enjoy it." Catch the week Tang and Song dynasties, this custom is more prevalent. For example, Wu Zetian once summoned the royal grandsons to the Great Hall to watch them play, "taking the Western tribute to the jade ring and bracelet cups and plates, lined up in front and behind the vertical order to fight for, in order to see its will." Song Dynasty Wu Zimu "Dream sorghum record - parenting" described: "(Children) to come to the age of weeks, the name is 'week', the family lined up brocade seats in the hall, burning incense Bing candle, ton of fruit children to eat and drink, and the father's ancestral enjoinment, gold, silver and seven treasures toys, books, books, Taoism and Buddhism scriptures, scales, rulers, knives and scissors, liters and buckets, colorful satin flowers, women's sewing, and children's play objects, and children's play things, the first time I saw the children's play. Set of objects, and children's games, but put the child in the middle seat, to see what he first flicked. On that day, all the relatives feed, open the feast to treat friends and relatives." From this, you can imagine the kind of guests full of lively scenes. To the Qing Dynasty, there is a "week" of the name. Qing dynasty palace week ceremonies are extraordinary, the furnishings and folk items are very different. Such as the "State Dynasty Palace History" records: "(Royal) weekly routine with jade Chen, jade fan pendant two, a gold spoon, silver box a round, rhinoceros bell a stick, a room, a fruit feast, the Palace Supervisor to the House of Preparation." From the record, the objects to catch the week mainly include the four treasures of the literati, scales and rulers and abacus, money and jewelry, food and toys, ringing bells and antiques and so on. Instructions for use On the day the baby turns one year old, freshen up the baby, put on new clothes, and begin to worship the ancestors, telling them the message that the baby has turned one year old and praying that the baby will grow up healthily. Then choose a more spacious house, the center of the two square tables side by side, covered with cloth or mat, will be ready to catch the weekly items, half-arc at one end of the table, hold the baby on the other end of the table to let the baby catch the table to catch the weekly music, according to the items to predict the baby's interests, hobbies, and may be engaged in the future occupation. During this process, you can record the whole process of baby's weekly catching with a camera or a video recorder, which has a commemorative meaning. Catching the Week Note 1, the selected Catching the Week music should be the same size (no interference, easy to catch). Catching objects 2, selected to catch the week music to be the same color (do not cause visual interference). 3, the selection of the week of music must be the baby's first contact. 4, the process of the family and friends do not intervene. 5, catch twice can be. 6, to be held before eating lunch to catch the week activities. Representation 1, book: will read, suitable for scholars, experts 2, pen and ink: will become a writer, painter Qian Zhongshu scratch week to catch his name 3, seal: have power, will be a big official 4, abacus / calculator: will be a businessman, accountant, suitable for business 5, coins: the future will be very rich 6, chicken legs: a blessing, said a lifetime will not worry about food 7, ruler: The future can become a designer, architect 8, green onion: on behalf of smart 9, garlic: on behalf of good at calculating grasp the week 10, celery: on behalf of hard work 11, straw: suitable for agricultural work 12, swords and knives: can be an officer, police 13, earpiece: suitable for medical work Impact The grasp of the week custom not only with the primitive beliefs of the origin of the relationship between the more important is the people of secular hierarchical concepts, official mentality, and the influence of the people of the world, and the people of the world. The custom of catching the week is not only related to primitive beliefs, but more importantly, it is the people's secular hierarchical concepts and official mentality. Throughout history, people in different times have always regarded certain classes and trades (professions) as noble, and others as lowly, expecting themselves to be rich and powerful one day, and to rise to great heights. If one's own fate is not good enough to realize the ideal, then turn to hope that future generations can be noble and honorable, the glory of the ancestors, the use of scratching the week to express such wishes and prayers. With the development of society, scientific progress, ideological and cultural level of people no longer believe that weekly prediction of the future, and now catch the weekly activities are more as a fun and interesting game to help the child's birthday joyful Xing, children's aspirations and hobbies and future career concerns, is through the scientific method of practical and detailed education and training.