Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Traditional stories - Why wear red in the animal year? What is its historical origin?

Why wear red in the animal year? What is its historical origin?

China is a country with a history of five thousand years. Since ancient times, our ancestors have left us countless important traditions and customs, which often confuse us. However, out of respect for our ancestors, respect for history and longing for a better life, we have always followed the traditions and customs left by our ancestors, among which wearing red clothes this year is an old tradition that almost everyone will do.

I think many people don't know what this tradition originated from and who initiated it, and no one has ever investigated these origins too much. However, as children of the Chinese nation, we still need to properly understand the origin of our customs and traditions, which is not only the recognition of the past, but also the sustenance of the future. There is also an old legend about wearing red clothes and red decorations in the animal year.

It is said that a long time ago, the patron saint of each zodiac went to the Heavenly Palace to report to the Jade Emperor in his own animal year. Because the patron saint of that year was far away from heaven and the people he guarded, his ability to protect the people was correspondingly weakened. At this time, many evil spirits and monsters will take the opportunity to come out and find people who belong to this animal year to kill, which will make people panic. Later, wise ancients discovered that red can ward off evil spirits. These monsters and evil spirits are very afraid of red things Therefore, whenever someone reaches the animal year, they will wear red clothes and wear a red belt to avoid the intrusion of demons and ghosts, so that they dare not hurt themselves. When the animal year passed, the patron saint of his zodiac came back from the sky. With the protection of the patron saint, everyone no longer needed these red clothes and belts, so whenever the animal year passed, everyone would take off their red clothes and belts and put on their usual clothes and dresses again.

With the development of history and the continuation of mankind, the custom of wearing red clothes and wearing a red belt in this animal year has also been passed down. Generations of people strictly follow the traditions of their ancestors, more for the sake of happiness and smoothness for themselves and their families in the coming year, and don't want bad things to happen.

Later, with the improvement of people's living standards and the gradual enrichment of material conditions, people's animal year costumes gradually expanded from clothes and belts to all aspects. For example, people in this animal year will wear red socks, red shoes, red underwear and so on. , not limited to red clothes, red belts.

Wearing red clothes in the Year of the Animal has long been people's yearning and sustenance for a better life in the future, and it is also people's respect for China's ancient historical traditions.