What are the five stories about Chinese New Year?

1, stay up for the New Year

Legend has it that in the ancient times, there is a kind of monster called "Nian" Nian will come out to eat after dark every year, after the rooster crows at dawn, they will return to the forest, the people will be "Nian" rampage of the night as a gate to the The people then regarded the night of the "Nian" rampage as a gateway, and called it the "Nian Guan" (New Year's Pass). In order to get through the year safely, the people every night this day, will be done in advance of dinner, close the doors and windows, hiding in the house with the whole family to eat "New Year's Eve dinner", because this dinner has the meaning of the uncertainty of the fate of the meal, so organized very sumptuous, but also in the meal before the sacrifice to the ancestors, praying for the blessing of the ancestors of the gods, and peacefully through the night, after eating dinner, the people will be the "New Year's Eve", the people will be the "New Year's Eve". After dinner, no one dares to sleep, sitting together and chatting.

Afterwards, we realized that the year is afraid of red color, fire and explosions. Therefore, every year, New Year's Eve, home red couplets, firecrackers; household candles brightly, to wait for the year early in the morning, but also to go to friends and relatives to say goodbye. This custom is spreading more and more widely, and has become the grandest traditional festival of Chinese folklore.

2, posting spring scrolls and door gods

In the ancient world of a ghost, there is a mountain, a 3,000-mile-long peach tree, the top of the tree there is a golden chicken. Whenever the golden rooster crowed in the morning, the ghosts that wandered in the night would return to the ghost world. The Gate of the Ghost Realm is located in the northeast part of the peach tree. At the door stood two godmen named Shen Cha and Yu Lei. If a ghost did something harmful to nature and reason at night, Shen Cha and Yu Lei would immediately find and capture it, tie it up with a rope made of mango reeds, and send it to be fed to tigers.

Therefore, all the ghosts in the world were afraid of Shen Cha and Yu Lei. So the people carved their own appearances out of peach wood and placed them at their doorways to prevent evil. Later, people simply carved the names of Shen Cha and Yu Lei on peach boards, believing that this could also suppress evil and destroy it. These peach blossom boards came to be known as "peach blossom talismans".

3, the legend of the beast of the year

In ancient China, there was a monster called "year", the head of the tentacles, ferocious and unusual. "Year" long years of living deep under the sea, every New Year's Eve only climbed ashore, devouring livestock and harming human life. Therefore, every New Year's Eve, the people of villages and hamlets, old and young, fled to the mountains to avoid the harm of the "year" beast. New Year's Eve this year, the people of Peach Blossom Village is helping the old and young to take refuge in the mountains, from outside the village came to a begging old man, see his hand on crutches, arm with a bag, silver beard flowing, as if the star of the eye. Folks have sealed the windows and locked the door, some packing, some cattle and sheep, everywhere people shouting and horse neighing, a scene of panic in a hurry. At this time, who has the heart to take care of the old man begging.　

4, Laha congee story

Chinese people have the custom of eating Laha congee. It is said that Lapa congee comes from India. Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was the son of the king of pure food in the kingdom of Kapilavi in northern India. Seeing that all life suffered from birth, old age, sickness and death, but not satisfied with the Brahmin theocracy of the time, he renounced his throne and became a monk. At first unproductive, after six years of hard work, the Buddha was realized on December 8 under the Bodhisattva tree. During these six years of asceticism, he ate only one joint and one meter a day. The descendants did not forget his suffering and ate porridge on December 8 every year as a memorial.

5, the legend of the mouse marriage

In ancient times people believed that rats are harmful and unfortunate, so they should be married on the night of the 30th of the old calendar year to ensure the safety and good luck in the coming year. Some places in the suburbs of Shanghai say that rats marry their daughters on the 16th of the first month of the lunar calendar. That night, families fry sesame candies, a sweet treat for the rats' parents.