Folk custom of honoring the elderly during the Spring Festival

China is an ancient civilization with a long history, and respecting the elderly is the traditional virtue of the Chinese nation.

As early as more than 2,000 years ago, Mencius said, "We should respect the teaching of order, use it in the sense of filial piety, and give courtesy to those who do not bear the burden." This means that schools should attach importance to educating students by showing respect to their parents and loving their brothers. When you meet an old man with gray hair on the road, whether you know him or not, you should help him put things on his head. He also said: "I am old, and people are old." This means that we should not only respect the elderly in our own family, but also respect the elderly in other people's families.

In order to form an atmosphere of respecting and supporting the elderly, the feudal dynasty made some specific provisions on respecting and supporting the elderly.

According to historical records, once or twice a year, there was a large-scale "village drinking ceremony" in the Zhou Dynasty, the purpose of which was to "be upright, orderly and ethical, respect the elderly and the virtuous, calm down the troubles and stabilize the countryside".

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the people were in poverty, but it was still stipulated that the elderly over 70 years old were exempted from one son, the elderly over 80 years old were exempted from two sons, and the families over 90 years old were exempted from taxes.

Respect for the elderly became a common practice in Han Dynasty. Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty clearly stipulated that the elderly over 80 years old should supply rice 1 stone, 20 Jin of meat and 5 buckets of wine every month. At the same time, it is stipulated that "every relative of a dutiful son must have five silks". Because the rulers of the Han dynasty strongly advocated respecting the elderly, the custom of respecting the elderly can often be seen in history books. Hanshu? "Food Record" said: "People have to pay firewood, and there are points in the light and heavy, and the ashes are exhausted." Hanshu? Geographically speaking, Xintai and Taian in Shandong are close to Zhushui River and Sishui River. When crossing the river, young people often help the old people cross the river and carry things for them. Over time, "the elders are uneasy and accommodate the young."

There is a rule in the Tang Dynasty: "Men are seventy, women are over seventy-five, and one servant is given."

There are three kinds of preferential treatment for the elderly in Ming Dynasty, one is "respecting the elderly", the other is "being honest" and the third is "being an excellent official".

The "Thousand Banquets" in the Qing Dynasty were even talked about by later generations. 1772, Kangxi celebrated his 69th birthday and invited people over 70 to Beijing for a banquet, with 24 participants17.

After the founding of New China, the Party and the government paid more attention to respecting the elderly, and made clear provisions and strong guarantees for the elderly in terms of laws and policies.

In Zhengning, giving up one's seat, sitting down and giving way to the elderly is regarded as a civilized behavior, and it is also a concrete embodiment of one's family education and personal accomplishment. Especially, it is people's unshirkable responsibility to honor their parents and support the elderly, so there are many folk songs about respecting the elderly and advising filial piety. Here is an old song:

There are unfilial sons in the world

Regardless of the kindness of parents, why not plant dead trees?

A hundred skeletons are not adults, and they live in their mother's abdomen in October.

Longing for mother's blood, longing for mother's meat.

Children will be born and mothers will be killed.

Father is sad for mother, and mother cries for father. .

I'm afraid I'll become a ghost after giving birth.

Have a baby, and your life will be happy again.

Born a loving mother, she cares day and night.

The child was sleeping soundly, but the mother was afraid to stretch.

The mother sleeps on the wet kang mat and the child sleeps on the dry bedding.

I stink all over and have no time to take a shower.

Neither the horizontal hairpin nor the inverted crown can be said to be the lower method.

After breastfeeding for three years, thousands of people sweat like rain.

Walking is worried about pits and wells, walking is afraid of subversion.

I am in a hurry to seek medical treatment because of my illness and acne.

If you are in danger, you will cry more sadly.

Worship Buddha is more about praying for God, and making a wish is also a blessing.

As long as children are safe, they will not hesitate to spend money.

Once I am born again, I am happy to be an eye.

It is a painstaking thing to invite the teacher into the school auditorium.

Thousands of efforts, from 1996 to 1997.

Bloody is getting stronger and stronger, which is hard to suppress.

Ethics is always unknown, and poetry books are too lazy to read.

Eat three meals with your bare hands and be greedy for meat.

Friends are with you outside, and wine is free.

It is not enough to wander around without making a living.

Do dirty things, regardless of personal humiliation.

Don't go home at dusk, watch the speed by the door mother.

Children travel ten miles, and mothers travel a thousand miles.

Married to go home, fish and water are harmonious.

Look at your mother's face, and look at your wife Yan Ruyu.

If a mother is responsible for a word, there will be angry eyes.

If you scold your wife, there is no shame in apologizing.

My mother wore a worn skirt and my wife wore a new dress.

Parents or widowed, lonely at night.

Health and a meal, illness and a bowl of porridge.

Abandoning in an empty room is like boarding a guest.

There must be ghosts in spring, and life is like a candle in the wind.

Fast to impermanence, buried in a lonely grave.

Brothers share property only when their parents die.

This is too much, that is not enough.

I don't find it difficult to start a business, but I am blessed.

Such an unfilial person is not as good as birds and beasts.

A kind bird eats grass back, but a lamb kneels down and suckles.

Advise you to be a son, you must read the classics frequently.

Huang Xiang used to fan pillows, while Meng Zong used to cry bamboo.

Lutz once planted rice, and Ding Lan once carved wood.

Lao Lai danced in a striped suit, and his joy was full of sadness.

How can people in this world not learn ancient customs?

Don't neglect your head and waste your house.

Don't eat other people's food for nothing with unfilial mouth.

Don't waste other people's clothes because of unfilial.

Although the world is big, it can't be ignored.

If you are anxious to repent, you will be slaughtered within a week.