What is the etiquette of kowtowing

The kowtowing and kneeling etiquette mainly includes six different scenarios such as regular kowtowing, New Year's blessing, wedding ceremony, funeral and white ceremony, sacrifice and praying for blessings and peach garden, etc. The rules are slightly different due to the different objects and scenarios. For all kowtows, the right knee kneels first, then the left knee goes down.

I. Conventional kowtowing.

1. Simply kowtowing is a regular ritual for children to see their elders. Generally, when children go with their parents to relatives to meet elders, the parents say: "Come and meet XX, kowtow". The child says: "kowtow to XX", and then kneels down, hands on the ground, head touching the ground, kowtow and stand up.

The elders who accept the kowtow have to do two things, one is to let the child get up in time, and the other is to give the child some gifts. If you have not prepared a gift, you usually have to stop before you kowtow, so as not to be embarrassed by not being able to get something.

2. One bow and one kowtow is a common courtesy for adults to pay respect to elders. When visiting or elders visit, they will take the initiative to go forward and say, "I am XX, kowtow to you". After that, they will bow to the elders with their hands in front of them, and then kneel down and kowtow to them with their knees bent. If the elder accepts the kowtow, he or she will show something. Otherwise, the elder will say "no need to kowtow" in time after the younger generation has bowed, and reach out to hold the other side to stop the kowtow from continuing.

3. One bow and three kowtows is the etiquette for grand occasions. It is the first time to meet the elders, to meet the elders of the ancestors, to pay respect to the people with high prestige or status, to pay respect to the teacher, to pay respect to the birthday, to pay respect to the thank you and other occasions.