For more than a thousand years, every family has been around for New Year's Eve, and both adults and children have been working all night long. This wind has not gradually declined in recent decades. Many people now don’t understand: Why did our ancestors stay up to date? What is the point of staying up all night on New Year’s Eve?
月1月 was originally intended to drive away the beast
5th update, and the four qi were pushed back and forth.
The flames are gone before the residual lights in the tent are removed, and the fragrance in the furnace is completely turned into ashes.
gradually see the spring pillow of the lotus pillow, and suddenly feel the cold and the bamboo leaf cup is broken.
Every family should not lie down when they are young, and the dream come true.
- "Words in the New Year's Eve" by Meng Haoran of Tang Dynasty
On New Year's Eve, the spring was chilly. The Tang Dynasty poet Meng Haoran traveled to another place and sat alone until the fifth day of the year. Seeing the flames gone and the incense burned out, I imagined the reunion of my family in my hometown and stayed up all year round, and sighed that even if I missed my lovesickness, it would be difficult to dream at this night.
This poem mentions that "every family should not lie down when they are in the New Year's Eve", which shows that the New Year's Eve was already very popular in the Tang Dynasty. The first record of staying at the end of the year was found in the "Fengtu Ji" by Zhou Chu of the Western Jin Dynasty: "The customs of Shu, when asked about the later years, they were called giving away the year; when drinking and food were invited to each other, they were called staying at the end of the year; when they were not asleep on New Year's Eve, they were called staying at the end of the year." According to this, some people believe that the custom of staying at the end of the year may have originated from Shu.
The first question is actually not complicated. The ancients called the last night of the lunar year "New Year's Eve", which has revealed the root cause of staying up to the New Year. New Year's Eve is also known as New Year's Eve, and the year is eliminated, which means expelling and removal. What to drive away this night? Eliminate all the ominous things. The so-called "New Year" in ancient times meant to drive away a "New Year beast" called "Xi".
In order to drive away the "New Year beast", people burned bamboo on New Year's Eve, making crackling sounds (later firecrackers), danced Nuo dances, beat drums to drive out the epidemic, and all houses were burned with lights and candles, which were never extinguished all night. Therefore, in ancient times, it was also known as "Shouqing Fire" and "Shuqing Sui".
In some places, people even light the lights under the bed, which is called "lighting waste". It is said that after illuminating this way, the wealth in the family will be enriched in the coming year.
New meaning of staying up to date: Encourage people to cherish time
Later, as time goes by, the meaning of expelling "year beast" was gradually faded. However, the custom of staying at New Year's Eve remains unchanged and is constantly given new meanings.
Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty Li Shimin wrote a poem about "Stay the New Year":
"The evening scenery is slanting in the fragrant palace, and the years are gorgeous and beautiful palace.
cold leaves the winter snow, and the warmth brings the spring breeze.
level of fragrance is refreshing and plum blossoms are red, and the flowers are rolled in the candle.
loves the new year together, and welcoming the night to the night."
The year ends, the winter snow melts, and the magnificent palace of the Tang Dynasty seems to blow in the warm spring breeze. The fragrance of plum blossoms is refreshing, and the red candles on the pepper plate are like flowers. Li Shimin and his ministers had a banquet and a drink and spent a good night together. The meaning of this poem "Keep the New Year" is to welcome the new year and bid farewell to the old year, reflecting the author's confidence and joy.
As the saying goes, "A one night will last for two years, five hours will be divided into two days." The New Year's Eve is not only nostalgic for the old year that is about to pass away, but also full of hope for the new year that is about to come. While welcoming the old and welcome the new, family and relatives sit around the fire, looking back on the past and looking forward to the future. It is indeed meaningful to stay up to the New Year in this way.
Du Fu's poem "Du Wei stays at home and stays at the New Year" says: "Forty-year-olds pass by, the scenery is soaring and slanting in the evening." Time flies, time flies. After New Year's Eve, everyone is one year older. At this moment, you must cherish time even more. Xi Zhenqi, a native of the Song Dynasty, wrote a poem "Keep the New Year":
"I invite each other to stay up to the New Year's Eve, and the candles are red and green veils.
Waiting for thirty-six years, but from now on, I cherish my youth at night."
Keep up to the New Year's Eve, reminding myself to cherish my youth, making it more positive for me to stay up to the New Year.
A poem "Keeping the New Year" by Su Shi also expresses his cherishment of time:
If you want to know that the years have passed, it is like a snake going to the valley.
has half of the scales, who can cover up the intention of leaving?
, if you want to be at the end, you know what to do if you are diligent.
Children are forced to sleep and stay together and have fun at night.
. Don’t sing the morning chicken, as the drums are even more afraid of adding more.
Sit down for a long time, and the lights fall, and you can see the Beidou slant.
Is there no new year next year, and my worries are probably wasted.
Work hard to do your best tonight, and the young man can still praise him.
Su Shi's poem compares the passing years to a long snake swimming towards a secluded valley. He believes that the purpose of staying up to the year is not to grasp its tail, but to "work hard to do our best tonight", cherish time, and make a difference.This meaning was also mentioned by Shen Bang, a native of the Song Dynasty, in "Miscellaneous Notes of Wanshu": "Wanwen, gathering together to the dantian day, which means cherishing the yin in ancient times."
Young people staying at the New Year is to add a longevity to the elders
In addition, the ancients also believed that the elderly and young people staying at the New Year have different meanings. The elderly keep their New Year to bid farewell to the old year, while the young keep their New Year is to add to their old year.
Su Shi’s poem says, “Children are forced to sleep and stay together and have fun at night.” Why do children stay up to the New Year? Children "do not sleep" are certainly because of the playfulness, and there was also a custom in ancient times called "selling dementia". Before dawn on New Year's Eve, children ran to the streets to call "selling dementia", which on the surface meant to transfer dementia to others, but in fact, adults prayed that their children could be smart.
Fan Chengda, a native of the Song Dynasty, wrote this custom: "The poems for selling dementia are not sleeping at the end of New Year's Eve, and he is tired of being stagnant. He welcomes the new year. The child calls to walk on the long street, and there is dementia in the clouds. He can't sell it in the south and north of the alleys. When he meets, he laughs and teases him. He sits under the heavy curtain, but only wants to buy it for extra orders. He doesn't need money to buy it, and he has been on credit for dementia for thousands of years!" The words are humorous and it makes people feel angry when reading it.
above picture: Qi Baishi's "Sui Dynasty Picture" (Data Picture)
Zhong Kui (excerpted from Guangzhou Daily)
Source: Tonight News
