What are the rules for kowtowing three and four?

1. Three kowtows in one bow is the etiquette for grand occasions. First-time elders, see the ancestors of the elders, pay respect to the high moral prestige or status, pay respect to the teacher, birthday, thank you and other occasions.

2, a worship four kowtow, usually to the dead people kowtow, "gods three ghosts four people one", that is, the gods three heads, ghosts four heads, people a head.

3, God three ghosts four also applies to the time of burning paper, to God to burn paper to three three burn, to the ghosts, then we have to four four burn, people say three is the number of Yang, four is the number of Yin, Yang higher than the Yin, so there is this difference. Burning incense is also the same, three for gods and four for ghosts. To worship the gods to burn three incense, to pay tribute to the deceased is to burn four incense.

Expanded information:

Kneeling ceremony as the highest ritual in China, in ancient times is very common, the descendants of the ancestors bowed to worship, the courtiers to meet the king and so on have to perform the kneeling ceremony, which the highest specification is the three kowtow and nine worship, kneeling is divided into three kinds of rituals, respectively, are The three types of prostrations are: kowtow, dun head and empty head, of which kowtow is the most important.

The so-called bowing refers to the salute is to kneel on both knees, hand on the knee in front of the right hand on the left hand, and then slowly kowtow, pay attention to the salute head to the ground, stay a little while, to show respect.