What is meant by "host" and "hostess"? What are their specific meanings and instructions in traditional culture?

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There's a question on the Internet that asks what it means to be a "host". This is a good question. We often see the word "Dongjia" when we watch domestic movie and television works or writings, and although we often hear it, many people don't quite understand what it means to be a Dongjia.

01 What does "Dongjia" mean? What are the cultural connotations?

In fact, the connotation of the word "Dongjia" is quite rich, and it also extends to some of our ancient cultural knowledge.

The word "Dongjia" was first used in the olden days to refer to people who hired themselves or rented their land.

We can simply understand it as the name of the landowner to the landlord by the cultivator, the name of the master of the house by the underclass of the parasites, and so on.

For example, "Dream of Red Mansions" says in the forty-ninth episode, "Whose proprietor am I to hear?"

Put in the modern era, it can be interpreted as a hitman's name for his boss.

The word "east" in traditional Chinese culture not only has the meaning of orientation, but also means "orthodox". From ancient times, the Chinese people have regarded East as the greatest and the highest, and the word "Dongjia" has the meaning of being an authentic, orthodox person.

Additionally, In the ancient Chinese "Zhou Yi" astrological theory, the four great beasts of the southeast, northwest and north guard, which the East Palace for the Canglong, the West Palace for the White Tiger, the South Palace for the Zhu Bird, the North Palace for the Xuanwu, which belongs to each of the seven astrological signs, a total of 28 astrological signs. The East Palace Canglong belongs to the seven stars are: horn, hyper, on the whole, room, heart, tail and the mini.

"Historical Records? Book of Heavenly Officials" recorded: "East Palace Canglong, room, heart". "As the totem of the Chinese nation, the dragon is a symbol of good fortune and longevity, and the ancient emperors regarded themselves as the sons of dragons. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why the ancients honored the "East".

In passing, the traditional Chinese architectural design of the house, the same is to the east room for the upper room, for the family's most authoritative, the most status, the oldest elder living place.

The Book of Rites records: "The master on the east step, the guest on the west step, if the guest is inferior, then the master of the step. When the host firmly resigns, then the guest resumes the western step."

What is emphasized here is that the east is the greatest, and the east is the upper room.

02 What does host mean?

Dongjia, similar to another word, called "host", that is, the master of the east road, also refers to the meaning of the host, but here the host, more emphasis on hospitality, the host family to do the landlord's hospitality, banquets, receptions, greetings to guests and so on. This is what we mean when we talk about "being a host".

This is a very interesting call, why is the invitation to the host on the east side, rather than the west, south or north? That said, the word is also related to a story from the Spring and Autumn period, This allusion is from Zuo Zhuan - Candle Zhi Wu Retreating from the Qin Division.

03 Allusion origin

During the Spring and Autumn Period, in 630 BC, the state of Jin invited the state of Qin to attack the state of Zheng. The main reason why Jin wanted to move against Zheng was because Zheng had earlier offended Jin in two ways.

The first was that when Jin and Chu were at war, Zheng favored the side of Chu; the second was that when Chong Er, the Duke of Jin, was on the run for his life, he once passed through Zheng but was not treated with courtesy by Zheng. The state of Jin remembered this in its heart. When Duke Chong Er of Jin returned to rule, he retaliated against Zheng by joining forces with Qin to attack Zheng. Qin quickly agreed to do so because of the good relations between the two countries, and because they knew that Zheng's ambition to seize power was not small.

The latter story is familiar to all of us, as it is in our nine-year compulsory textbook, which is a key element of knowledge. The story is that Zheng, feeling vulnerable under the attack of the two great powers, sent a hobbled and aged minister, Candle Wu, to persuade Duke Mu of Qin to withdraw his troops.

The old man was already over 70 years old and had never been utilized in his life. The old man knew what was at stake when he was "entrusted" with such an important task at such a critical time of crisis.

On a dark and windy night, the old man was tied with a rope and fell down from the city wall, going to the Qin army camp to "negotiate and lobby".

But the old man's age, although a large number of people, but the brain is very clear, the mouth is even better, the name of the "three inches of bad tongue", its three words are better than a thousand horses.

The old man

pointed out the key relationship between the war. First, destroying Zheng would not be much good for Qin, but would instead increase the threat. First, geographically speaking, Qin was not close to Zheng, and even if it got Zheng, it would have to cross over to Jin to manage it.

Secondly, strengthening Jin was equivalent to greatly weakening Qin. And Jin's ambition for hegemony was so great that once it had annexed Zheng, it would keep expanding into the neighborhood, directly threatening Qin's security. No matter how you look at it, it benefits others rather than yourself.

Moreover, if Zheng was not destroyed, Qin could still reap the benefits. Qin was in the west and Zheng was in the east, and "if Zheng were to be given up as a host," if the intention of destroying Zheng were to be abandoned and Zheng were to be made the host of Qin's hospitality for its passers-by on the eastern roads, then it would be able to feed and lodge Qin's emissaries to and from the country, and why should this not be a good thing?

After hearing this, Duke Mu of Qin thought that the old man had a good point, so he immediately withdrew his army and unilaterally signed a peace treaty with Zheng. In the end, Jin had no choice but to retreat as well. In the end, this historical story coined a word that has been passed down to this day: host.

Later, gradually the word "host" evolved to refer to the host of a reception or banquet in general, or the person who invites guests.

References:

Li Xiaoyu. Stories of Chinese Culture Stories of Words

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