What is the connotative meaning of Fu, in traditional Chinese culture?

Fu (福), is from the symbol for "blessing". The Chinese character for "Fu" is mostly associated with rituals, gods, prayers, and expectations. This is evidenced by the oracle bone character "福".

The character "福" in the oracle bone script is a synonym for "pouring wine on the altar with two hands", which is an image of ancient sacrifices. From this we can see that the original meaning of "Fu" is "praying to the heavens". Later on, "Fu" became a special reference to the wine and meat used in sacrifices. In "Guoyu-Jin Yues II", it is written: "This evening, the king dreamed of Qi Jiang, and he must return to the ancestral shrine and return to the blessing. ...... Lixi Ji received the blessing, and he placed hemlock in the wine and cordials in the meat." Later note: "Fu, sacrificial offerings with sacrificial meat also."

With the development of society, the meaning of Fu was gradually extended and expanded. For example, "Zuozhuan - Zhuang Gong ten years" contained: "small letter not Fu, God Fufu also." Here Fu is the meaning of protection and blessing.

China's earliest word book "Shuowen Jiezi" on the interpretation of the blessing is basically used in the "Zuo Zhuan" on the statement: "Fu, blessing." It means that the gods bless and turn misfortune into good fortune as a blessing.

The modern interpretation of Fu is happiness, fortune. Someone wrote in the newspaper that the right side of the character "福", "一" on behalf of the beam of the house; "口" on behalf of the prosperity of people; "田" on behalf of the land. "represents the land. Taken together, this means that a person who has a house to live in, a field to grow, and a prosperous family is blessed. This is also considered a modern interpretation of the word "blessing".

All in all, whether it is the interpretation of Fu in Shangshu and Shuo Wen, or the understanding of Fu by modern people, Fu is a realm that Chinese people have been diligently pursuing for thousands of years, and have been longing for at all times.