What is the meaning of firecrackers

Firecrackers are a traditional Chinese custom. Nowadays, it is mostly applied to some major festivals to set the atmosphere, especially the Spring Festival, when people will set off firecrackers to celebrate the Spring Festival.

We generally think that setting off firecrackers can create a festive atmosphere and is a kind of entertainment for festivals, which can bring joy and good fortune to people. However, if we trace the origin of firecrackers, we will understand the original intention of the ancient people to light firecrackers and the history of its derivation.

According to legend, in ancient times there was a kind of monster called the New Year's beast, people in order to drive away the New Year's beast, they remembered to burn firecrackers in the fire, with the cracking sound of the bamboo to make it far away from the way. The animal mentioned here is called "Mountain Shame". The ancients said it can make people hot and cold, is to make people get hot and cold disease ghosts, scared away the mountain shame, that is, to expel the plague, can be lucky and safe. People get up very early to set off firecrackers, which is said to expel the "mandrill". The mandrill is said to be a kind of vicious one-horned ghosts and monsters in the mountains in ancient times, but it is most afraid of sound, so people used the blasting sound of burning bamboo to scare it away. With gunpowder, people use gunpowder into bamboo tubes, made of firecrackers, after the paper tube, also known as firecrackers or cannonballs. In modern times, people no longer believe in what "mandrill", but still used to firecrackers in the Spring Festival, in order to celebrate the holiday, and cheer up the spirit. Therefore, from the night of the New Year's Eve to the early morning of the first day of the New Year, the sound of firecrackers is always continuous.