Is "Birthday" handed down from ancient times in China?

There is no definite spread of birthdays, and there are generally three kinds of sayings.

As early as the pre-Qin Dynasty, it was recorded in the Book of Rites Internal Rules: "Zi Sheng: Men set the door arc on the left and women set the door arc on the right." The "arc" here refers to the bow, and the "Xun" refers to the handkerchief worn on the body, which means that when a child is born, a bow is hung on the left side of the door if it is a boy, and a handkerchief is hung on the right side of the door if it is a girl.

Since then, every year on this day, people have to hold a banquet to celebrate, usually called "birthday". So why do people celebrate birthdays?

The first statement: Celebrate the continuation and prosperity of life.

In Wan Zhuan, there is such a passage: "I fell in love with Gaozu (Liu Bang) and Wanzhuang, studying and falling in love. Li Zhongjia's two families love each other, have children on the same day, and care for each other to celebrate mutton wine. "

Later generations analyzed that Lu Wan's father and Liu Bang's father lived in the same room, which was regarded as the difference between life and death. Their wives gave birth to a baby boy on the same day. After learning the news, the villagers specially prepared gifts to congratulate them, and the date of "congratulations" is probably the first birthday anniversary of the two children, which is what we call birthdays. It can be seen that the custom of birthday was very popular in the late Qin Dynasty.

The second statement: thank your mother for giving life.

As the saying goes, "the child's birthday is a hard day for the mother." No matter how pregnant in October, every life comes into this world, and as a child's mother, she has to endure great physical and psychological pain. Therefore, there is a folk saying that the original meaning of birthday is "mourning for my parents who gave birth to me" and "toil" means toil and hardship. I hope to remember my mother's pain in labor and childbirth through her birthday and experience the hardships of her parents' feeding.

In "The Emperor Gaozu of Sui Shu", Emperor Wendi of Sui once wrote a letter: "June 13th is my birthday, so it is advisable to make Emperor Wu Yuan, Empress Yuan and Ming beheaded in the sea." The "Emperor Wu Yuan" and "Empress Yuan Ming" here are the biological parents Lu of Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty. On his birthday, Emperor Wendi of Sui asked the whole country to be vegetarian in memory of his parents.

Coincidentally, it is also recorded in Yan Jiaxun and Feng Cao that the birthday of Emperor Liang Yuan of the Southern Dynasties was on the sixth day of the eighth lunar month, and a "fasting lecture" was held in the palace every day. It is worth noting that in the same article, it was also mentioned that in some areas of the south of the Yangtze River, birthdays were celebrated by wine. This move was denounced by the author as: "Those uneducated people, although lonely, all their days are for eating, and their mouths are full of vocal music."

It can be seen that in northern China during the Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties, birthdays were mostly due to the Confucian concept of filial piety, mostly serious and formal ceremonies, full of sadness. According to historical records, after the Five Dynasties, Emperor Taizong and Emperor Gaozu couldn't hold on to their birthdays. Birthdays were more like a commemorative ceremony. However, the custom of celebrating birthdays every year has quietly become popular in some places in southern China.

The third statement: eliminate disasters and exorcise evil spirits.

This statement originated from a folklore: there was a teenager with a poor family and only an old mother in her seventies. Once, the teenager suddenly got an unknown serious illness, and the family had no money to treat him. When he was dying, someone told him a way that the Eight Immortals would pass by one day and they could prepare drinks for their help.

The boy followed the plan, so he saw the Eight Immortals and cured the strange disease. When he left, the Eight Immortals told him, "Today is the day of your rebirth. Celebrate it every year and you will live a long life. " After the news spread, local people bought wine on their birthdays and spread it, which gradually became a custom. Although this is a legend, it can also be seen that birthdays have the meaning of eliminating disasters and diseases in many people's hearts and praying for peace in the coming year.

Birthday origin

In Greek culture, Greeks believe that everyone is protected by elves. Elves have been serving people since they were born, taking care of them all their lives. This elf has a mysterious relationship with a god, and the person the elf cares for was born on the birthday of this god. The Romans felt the same way. This concept has been handed down and can still be seen in the beliefs about the patron saint, fairy mother and patron saint.

The custom of lighting candles on cakes originated from the Greeks. The Greeks lit small candles on a full-moon honey cake and put them on the altar of the temple in themis to worship the moon god. According to traditional folk beliefs, candles lit on birthdays have magical power and can realize wishes. Since humans began to set up altars to worship the gods, lighting small candles or making a fire has a mysterious and special significance.

Lighting birthday candles is a tribute to the children who celebrate their birthdays and can bring good luck to them. Congratulations and blessings are both indispensable links. This custom comes from magic. Birthday wishes can bring good luck or bad luck. Because people are closer to the devil on their birthdays.

Today, various customs related to birthday celebrations have a long history, all of which originated from magic and religion. In ancient times, customs such as congratulations, gifts, celebrations and lighting candles were designed to protect people who turned one year old that day from evil spirits and ensure their well-being in the coming year.

Until the 4th century, Christians didn't celebrate their birthdays because they thought it was a pagan custom.

Birthday celebration was first put forward in the records of celebrating Buddha's birthday in secular temple fairs. At the beginning of the 3rd century, "every time I washed the Buddha, I set up more wine and rice, and set up seats on the road. The number of lines is ten miles, and people come to see food and spend billions "("The History of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 4, Lu You Biography ").

Extended data

Local custom

Different ethnic customs around the world have different ways to celebrate birthdays.

When children in China are one year old, they will keep some books, needles and coins around them. Everything has a specific meaning, and what children touch will predict their future life. Known as "grasping the week" by most family images.

Middle-aged and elderly people in China often eat long noodles on their birthdays, indicating longevity.

Brazil's birthday food is candy.

Icelanders eat pancakes with candied fruit every day.

British people celebrate their birthdays all day. At school, birthday children are often lifted by their arms and ankles once a year to show their height.

Children in Holland will not only get presents on their birthdays, but also give them to others.

In Mexico, for good luck, you should congratulate as early as possible on your birthday. Birthday people often wake up in the middle of the night by friends who celebrate their birthdays.

Birthdays of Indians are religious. We must pray and bless before dawn.

Thai people should light two long candles on the night before their birthday, one as high as the birthday party, in order to live longer. If it comes out too early, it's a bad omen.

Most western countries put candles on the cake on their birthdays, and then eat the cake with the birthday party.

celebrate

1. Eat red eggs for your birthday: Peeling the eggshell means that we peel off the past and reinvent ourselves, which means the beginning of shelling and rebirth.

2. People in China will eat longevity noodles on their birthdays: When you put noodles in a bowl, remember not to break them. The higher you pull them, the longer they mean the owner's life.

3. People care about keeping a low profile for their birthdays: In the traditional stories of China, Peng Zu is considered as the oldest person. According to legend, he lived for more than 800 years, and he died because one day he saw a man washing charcoal, and he wanted to wash the black charcoal white. Peng Zu said with a smile: I have lived for more than 800 years and I have never heard that charcoal can be washed white.

I didn't expect the charcoal washer to be a kid messenger, and I couldn't find Peng Zu. I didn't expect Peng Zu to confess himself, so because of this story, people's birthdays are relatively low-key, unless it is a specific birthday age.

4.49 years old should be called 50 years old: because for China people, 9 is the end of a number, symbolizing the end, and 0 is the beginning. When you meet nine people, you should cross 0 first. Nine is also a limit, so I think we can't go through the finish line, we have to experience a new beginning.

5. Blow out the candle once: Blowing out once means that the wish is realized once, symbolizing the owner's health and symbolizing good luck.

6. Cake can't be cut in half: usually the birthday girl won't cut the cake to the end, but the next birthday girl will continue to cut it. Is it bad to cut the wedding cake to the end? Remember not to cut the wedding cake to the end.

7.？ Ghost month doesn't celebrate birthdays: people who celebrate their birthdays in July of the lunar calendar don't disclose their birthdays, especially on July 15th of the lunar calendar. Doesn't that imply that he is like the ghost king?

8. You can't celebrate after your birthday: you can only celebrate in advance, but you can't postpone it. If you want your birthday, you must be sincere in advance. After my birthday, I feel that I have had two birthdays and I am two years older.

Baidu encyclopedia-birthday

Baidu encyclopedia-birthday