Amazing knowledge

Chapter 16 Aspects of customs: There are always some customs that make people dumbfounded

*Why can't you shave your head in the first month?
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Every time when the Spring Festival is approaching, the elders will remind the younger generation to trim their hair first, because it is not allowed to shave their heads in the first month. This custom has a long history, but what is the origin?

The reason why you can't shave your head in the first month is because there is a saying that "uncle shaves his head and dies in the first month". There was once a pair of uncles and nephews who had a falling out because the nephew had his hair cut in the first month, so some people really care about this matter and taboo.

In fact, "uncle shaves his head and dies in the first month" is just a rumor spread by everyone, and has nothing to do with uncle.

In the 17th century, after the Qing Dynasty entered the customs, the imperial court asked all men to shave the hair on the top of their heads and keep the Manchurian hairstyle, that is, "sand pot head, long braid".

But the traditional Chinese thought is: the body, the skin, and the parents.Who would want to cut their hair casually?So at that time, many people resisted the order of the court and vowed to die unwilling to cut their hair.

Dorgon became furious after knowing this, and immediately announced: "Keep your hair but not your head." This tyranny aroused the resistance of the Han people, and some people who had surrendered to the Qing Dynasty also began to oppose the rule of the Qing Dynasty.

The insane Qing government adopted the method of massacring the city to implement the hair-shaving order. Tens of millions of Han people were killed in a short while, and the Han people in Sichuan were almost extinct. Finally, the Qing government had to move the people from Huguang to Sichuan. .

Although the final hair-shaving order was implemented under the cold-blooded rule of the Qing government, the Han people who cherish their homeland agreed not to shave their hair in the first month of each year, so as to "reminisce about the past" and remember the past history.

Later, the habit of "reminiscing about the past" was passed down from generation to generation. Although the Qing government has long since ceased to exist, the traditional custom of not shaving hair in the first month has been passed down to this day.

Moreover, the original "nostalgia" has also been misrepresented as "dead uncle" by people, which has become the current custom.

The final word: not shaving hair in the first month is an action of "nostalgia" spontaneously agreed by the Han people after the subjugation of the country. It is not the "dead uncle" we are now rumored.

*Why do we have to watch the year during the Chinese New Year?

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Every year on New Year's Eve, the whole family will sit together, have a New Year's Eve dinner, watch the Spring Festival Gala, and stay up late to wait for the arrival of the New Year. This habit is called "Shou Sui".Although many people keep the old age as promised every year, do you know why they keep the old age?
In fact, "keeping the year old" represents a good wish. The elderly keep the year old so that the younger generations can cherish the precious time in the new year and not waste their time; while the young people keep the year old to pray that the elders in the family can prolong their lives and live a long life. .

China has had the habit of keeping the year old since ancient times, and this habit has been followed since the Han Dynasty until today.We can find from historical data that in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, keeping the year old has become one of the most important customs of the Spring Festival.

On New Year's Eve, the whole family sits together, and the table is filled with snacks such as melons and fruit snacks for tooth-making festivals.Northerners will also prepare a large bowl of rice in advance before the new year, and eat this bowl of rice during the Chinese New Year, which means that there will be food all year round, and there will be leftovers every year, so that the family will have no worries about food and clothing.

Beijingers generally use rice and millet to cook together. The common name is "two rice", because there are white and yellow in the rice, which means gold and silver. It is also called "gold and silver rice".

On New Year’s Eve, the whole family will eat slowly around the New Year’s Eve dinner, chatting and having fun while eating, from nightfall, when every household lights up the lights, to eat until the arrival of the New Year.

Every year, the entertainment items on New Year's Eve are different for each household. Some families gather together to push Pai Gow, play mahjong, and throw dice, and some eat snacks and talk about mountains.Another wish of people watching the year is to hope that the coming year will be safe and happy, and that all diseases and plagues will not be settled.

Keeping the year old is just a kind of good sustenance for everyone in the coming year, hoping that through keeping the year old, the coming year will be safe and smooth, and everything will go smoothly.

The final word: keeping the year old is a tradition inherited from ancient times to the present, and it is a custom left by the Chinese for thousands of years.Keeping the old age not only has our nostalgia for the past years, but also our vision for the future years.

*Why do you give lucky money during the Chinese New Year?

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For children, the happiest thing in Chinese New Year is to collect lucky money. This custom is the same no matter in the south or north, but why do the elders give lucky money?
New Year's money is also called New Year's money. The elders believe that children are most likely to be targeted by evil spirits. In order to suppress these evil spirits, parents will give children some money to help them suppress the evil spirits and not be disturbed.

The early New Year's money was not real money, but a product specially made to ward off evil spirits in the shape of coins. Because "Sui" and "Sui" have the same pronunciation, the lucky money has the meaning of "suppressing evil spirits". The elders made money to ward off evil spirits. Let the children carry it with them, and use it as a talisman to ward off evil spirits.

Later in the Song Dynasty, people no longer made special coins to ward off evil spirits, but directly used coins circulating in the market as lucky money.

In the Ming Dynasty, the custom of lucky money became more and more popular, and this custom was also widely loved by the people in the Qing Dynasty.The elders string the money with a red thread, and then give these directly to the younger generation after the New Year's Eve dinner, or put the New Year's money at the foot of the child's bed or under the pillow while the child is asleep. Christmas presents are somewhat similar.

Not only that, when the elders give their children New Year's money, they also prefer to use new banknotes with joint numbers, because "Lian" and "Lian" are homophonic, implying continuous wealth.

In fact, there is no requirement for the amount of lucky money. It is just a blessing from the elders and a way of caring.

The final word: New Year's money is a New Year's gift, and it is the elders' blessing for children to be safe, healthy and free from evil spirits in the coming year.

*Why do you drink a cup of wine when you get married?

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When a couple gets married, whether it is a Western-style wedding or a Chinese-style wedding, the most important thing is to drink a glass of wine. It seems that all couples have to go through this experience, but why do they have to drink a glass of wine when they get married?
Toasting wine is one of the wedding customs of the Han people. This custom has a long history and has existed as early as the pre-Qin period.The couples drink half a glass of wine first after entering the bridal chamber, and then they exchange glasses to finish the remaining half glass of wine.

In ancient times, Jiaobeijiu had a more elegant name called "Hebei".卺 actually means that one gourd is divided into two gourds. The gourd is used as a wine vessel, and one gourd can be made into two wine vessels. The two gourds are connected with a thread and are called "he 卺". "He 卺" also means "combining two into one", which symbolizes that two people "divide one gourd into two gourds", which is extended to marriage.

It is said that when newlyweds in the Song Dynasty got married, they not only had to drink a cup of wine, but also put the wine cup under the bed after drinking it.

Up to now, the custom of drinking the wine in the cup has not changed, but the way has changed. People often choose to cross their arms and drink up the wine in their cups as the way of drinking in the cup.

In fact, there is also the habit of drinking jiujiu in Japan, but the Japanese only drink jiujiu when they are brothers. In Japan, jiujiu is an etiquette between men, and newcomers do not have this custom.

The final word: Making a cup of wine is one of the long-standing wedding customs in China. The newlyweds drink a cup of wine to symbolize "healing together".

*Why do you have to make trouble in the bridal chamber when you get married?
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Marriage is of course not without a bridal chamber. Relatives and friends block the new couple in the new house, and make a lively scene, making the couple dumbfounded. How did such a custom come about?

There are many theories about the origin of the bridal chamber. One of them is that Ziwei Xing went down to earth and met a man in black in the world, following a pair of bridesmaids.Ziweixing could tell at a glance that this was a demon waiting for an opportunity to make trouble, so in a hurry, Ziweixing followed the team to the bridegroom's house.But Ziweixing came a step too late, the demon had already sneaked into the bride's room, in order to prevent the demon's trick from succeeding, Ziweixing asked the groom to bring all the guests to the door of the bride's room, where they played and played noisily.The demon is most afraid of crowds, and was scared away by this battle.Later, people followed Ziweixing's example and frolicked in front of the bridal chamber for a while, implying exorcism and evil.

There is also a more down-to-earth saying that most marriages in ancient my country paid attention to the orders of parents and the words of matchmakers.Many couples may not have even met each other before they get married. Having trouble in the bridal chamber on the wedding night can force the bride and groom to work hand in hand, enhance their relationship, and make them less awkward on the wedding night.

The final word: making a bridal chamber is to let the new people enhance their relationship, and it is a good thing to wish them a harmonious and happy married life. However, the bridal chamber should be moderate and civilized.

*Why do you blow out candles on your birthday?
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The habits of eating cakes and blowing out candles on birthdays were originally introduced from the West, but now cake candles have become an essential thing for birthdays. Although people blow out candles every birthday, who knows why they blow out candles? Woolen cloth?

The habit of eating cake on birthdays was originally a custom in ancient Greece, who worshiped the moon goddess Artemis very much.Every year on the birthday of the Moon Goddess, the ancient Greeks would make cakes specially for the Moon Goddess.They make delicious cakes with honey and flour, and put candles on the cakes to symbolize the brilliance of the moon.

Later, because the ancient Greeks loved their children, they also made cakes for their children on their birthdays. Just like celebrating the birthday of the goddess of the moon, parents would also put candles on the cakes and added the program of blowing out candles. .

The ancient Greeks believed that candles had mysterious powers. After blowing out the candles, the smoke from the candles could spread to heaven. Send your wish to heaven and the wish will come true.And the wishes made must not be spoken out, because once said, the wishes will no longer come true.

At first, this custom was only held on children’s birthday parties. Later, men, women and children in ancient Greece would blow out candles and make wishes on their birthdays. This custom has spread to many countries and is widely accepted by everyone.

The final word: Eating birthday cake and blowing out candles was originally meant to commemorate the birthday of the goddess of the moon, but later people turned it into a way to celebrate children's birthdays, and blowing out candles to make a wish.

*Why are most wedding dresses white?
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It is the dream of countless women to wear a pure and beautiful white wedding dress at the wedding and walk into the wedding hall hand in hand with the beloved. However, traditional Chinese dresses are festive bright red, so why is the wedding dress white? What about?
Wearing a wedding dress was originally introduced to China from the West, and the earliest wedding dress in the West was not a white wedding dress. Until the 19th century, when Queen Victoria of England got married, she wore a white wedding dress, which shocked the whole world. .Since then, the white wedding dress has become popular all over the world, and the white wedding dress has also become a formal dress for marriage.

The prototype of this kind of wedding dress with a hem that drags the floor is actually the ceremony dress of Catholics. In ancient times, many countries in Europe were political and religious. Before getting married, the bride must wear a white ceremony dress to go to the church to receive the blessing of the priest. , white symbolizes the sincerity and purity of the bride.Only after the priest or pastor acknowledges and blesses the couple can it be considered a true legal marriage.

Although early brides had to wear ceremonial clothes before getting married, there were no uniform specifications and requirements for real wedding dresses.

The white wedding dress also has a special meaning, that is, white represents purity and loyalty.In some places, only first-time brides can wear white wedding dresses, and remarried people can only wear pink or other colors.

The final word: The bride wears a white wedding dress at the wedding, which symbolizes the purity and loyalty of the bride.This kind of wedding dress originated from European ceremonial clothes and became popular in the world through Queen Victoria.

*Why do westerners hate "13"?
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Chinese people hate 4, and think that the sound of 4 is the same as "death", which is unlucky.And Westerners hate 13, why don't they like this number?
There are various versions of 13 in the West, but none of them are good.

The widely circulated saying is that the 13th is the day when Jesus was martyred. On this day, Jesus had dinner with 13 disciples.The 13th disciple was Judas who later betrayed Jesus. Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 silver dollars, and Jesus was caught by the Jewish authorities, and finally suffered a lot of torture.The suffering of Jesus is inseparable from "13", so people think that 13 is not only a representative of betrayal and betrayal, but also a symbol of misfortune and disaster.

There is also a saying that it is said that there were 12 gods living on Mount Olympus in ancient Greece. When the gods were holding a banquet, the fierce god Loki broke in and killed Bert, the god's favorite, so the ancient Greeks I hate 13 because I think 13 represents dangerous accidents.

Moreover, in ancient Greece, the most beautiful number was 12. The Greeks used twelve binary numbers, and there were 12 months in a year, etc. The extra 13 completely destroyed this beauty.

Because of these reasons, 13 is particularly unpopular in the West. There is not even an elevator for the 13th floor. After the 12th floor, there is the 14th floor.

However, not all Westerners hate 13, and not only Western countries hate 13. Japan and some parts of Africa also taboo 13.

The final word: numbers themselves are meaningless, and the various symbols and meanings behind them are all added to numbers by people.The reason why the West hates 13 has a lot to do with their religious culture.

*Where did "male left female right" come from?
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The saying "men left and women right" has a long history in China, and most people only know one but not the other.Do you know why there is a saying "men left and women right"?

The saying that men are left and women are right has a long history, and it has some similarities with the thousands of years of tradition that men are superior to women.

In ancient China, the emperor was supreme, and the emperor's throne faced south and his back faced north. This also reflected to a certain extent that the south was considered more noble, while the north was relatively weak.

And when the emperor is sitting on the throne, the left hand side is the east. When the ancients admired the east, the left side became noble like a rising tide.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Soochow Wu was located in Jiangdong, but everyone respectfully called it Jiangzuo.Even the officialdom system respects the left.Traditionally, it has always been from left to right, from male to female.

There is also a myth and legend about men left and women right.Legend has it that after Pan Gu transformed into an immortal, Pan Gu's body became the sun, moon and stars in the sky, and the mountains, rivers and seas on the ground, and even the creatures in the world were transformed by Pan Gu's body.Pangu's eyes turned into the sun and the moon in the sky, the sun god was originally Pangu's left eye, and the moon god was originally his right eye.

In Chinese myths and legends, the god of the sun is Fuxi, and the god of the moon is Nuwa, a male and a female, and the custom of male left and female right comes from this.

The final word: Men left and women right are the product of thousands of years of male superiority and inferiority in China. In ancient China, the left was respected. In the ancient patriarchal society, the left represented dignity.

*What does the OK gesture mean?
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The OK gesture can be said to be one of the most popular gestures in the world, and "OK" has become the most widely circulated word in the United States, but where did this word come from?What is the meaning behind it?

"Economic Economics Weekly" once unraveled the meaning behind the OK gesture for us. It is said that this word was created by Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States.

Andrew was elected president of the United States at the age of 61. After becoming president, every time Andrew approves an official document, if it is confirmed that it is correct and the relevant departments are allowed to execute it, Andrew will sign his name at the end of the document and write " Oll Korrect" two words.

At the beginning, people didn't know what the two words written by the president meant. Later, some people wondered whether the president originally wanted to write "All Correct" and wrote "Oll Korrect" because of a clerical error.

But then Andrew kept writing like this, and the staff also understood that the two words "President" were misspelled, but everyone didn't correct Mr. President.

Later, in order to save trouble, Andrew abbreviated "Oll Korrect" into "OK", so a new word was born and widely used.

Gradually, people also equipped "OK" with a special gesture, put the thumb and index finger together to form a circle, and the remaining three fingers stand up, and people use this way to express "OK", which means "OK". Means "perfectly doable, yes".

This gesture has spread to all corners of the world together with "OK".

However, not all places regard this gesture as "no problem". In Japan, South Korea and other Asian countries, this gesture refers to "money"; while in France, the OK gesture means "no money". value”; in Malta, it is even more of an insulting gesture.

The final word: Different gestures can have completely different meanings in different places, which is caused by regional cultural differences, but the most common meaning of the OK gesture is "totally doable, yes."

* Why doesn't women first work in the Nordics?
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"Lady First" has always been the common norm in most countries in the world, which reflects the gentlemanly demeanor of men, but this norm is not the same in Northern Europe. Why do Nordic people not have the saying "ladies first"?

This is inseparable from the current national conditions in many Nordic countries. Nordic is the place with the highest degree of equality between men and women in the world. Here, women are not weak, and they do not need any preferential treatment from men.

Unlike other countries and regions in the world, the family division model of "men in charge of the house and women in the house" is popular in Northern Europe. As long as men are willing, they can choose to take care of their children at home.

Switzerland guarantees 80% of paid holidays for men with children at home for up to one year.Norway also has up to 450 days of parental leave. Before the child is 8 years old, the father has 450 days of parental leave.

Nordic men are very tolerant. Compared with men from other regions, Nordic men are gentler, while Nordic women are more forthright.The reason for this situation has something to do with the history and geographical location of Northern Europe.

In ancient times, Nordic men often left home to do business or go to war in distant places, and the burden of the family naturally fell on women. Nordic women are worthy of the name "can go to the hall and go to the kitchen", and they You can also enter and exit the "chaotang".

There are many women who hold important positions in the Nordic governments. These strong women in politics are honored as "political roses".

The final word: Men and women in Northern Europe are highly equal, and women's achievements in various fields are not inferior to men's. Nordic women do not need "women first".

*Why do you wear black to a funeral?
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When attending a funeral, everyone will choose black at the same time, why is this?Isn't it okay to wear other colors to a funeral?
In Chinese traditional culture, white, black and red, yellow, and blue are collectively referred to as five colors, which are positive colors.The ancients believed that white is autumn, black is winter, red symbolizes the vitality of all things, and cyan symbolizes the recovery of all things.

Funerals in ancient China are generally plain. White represents ominousness in China, and black is also a symbol of disaster.

In the West, white symbolizes innocence, which is somewhat different from China, but black is also not a positive color in the West, and funerals in the West are also dressed in black.

There is another reason why Westerners wear black clothes at funerals. Westerners believe that the souls of the dead will appear at funerals. If they wear bright colored clothes, ghosts will find these people and take them as their targets. Waiting for an opportunity to harm them one day.Therefore, wearing black at funerals in the West is also said to avoid the ghosts of the dead.

Furthermore, a funeral is a very solemn occasion, and wearing bright clothes on such an occasion would be considered disrespectful to the deceased.

The final word: wearing black at a funeral is a kind of moral subconsciousness. When attending such a heavy and solemn occasion, the dress must not be high-profile, the lower the profile, the better. This is not only out of respect for the deceased and their families, but also It is the embodiment of personal qualities.

*Why go out to eat dumplings and go home to eat noodles?
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In the north of our country, when people send their family members on a long trip, they will eat dumplings before leaving. If the traveler returns to their hometown, the family will make a bowl of noodles to welcome them. Is there any story in this?Why is there such a custom?

In northern my country, rice is not easy to come by, and pasta is the staple food of northerners, and among all pasta, the status of dumplings is unshakable.

Every year during the Chinese New Year, every household in the north will make dumplings as a family's New Year's Eve dinner.In ancient times, the money circulated in the market was called Jiaozi, which is a homonym for "dumpling".Moreover, the dumplings are shaped like small ingots, so people will eat dumplings during the New Year, implying a wealth of wealth and a lot of friendship in the coming year.

When family members are going to travel far away, cooking dumplings to see them off also has this meaning in it. I hope that when you go out, you will have a lot of good luck, make friends, and have a lot of money.

What's more, the dumplings are wrapped with stuffing. After cooking, the dough and stuffing will become one.

When wanderers from far away come home, cooking a bowl of noodles can help them get rid of bad luck and stay with their families for a long time, because the noodles are relatively long, and the roots are distinct, smooth and non-sticky.

The final word: Whether it is eating dumplings or noodles, they all express the family's full concern for the travelers.

*Why do Chinese people like to give their children ugly nicknames?
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Chinese people often give their children some very ugly nicknames, such as "Gousheng" and "Shuanzi". Why is there such a custom?Wouldn't it be nice to have a catchy name?

The custom of giving children humble names has been around for a long time. The reason why they don’t have a big name is because in the traditional Chinese concept, a person’s name, especially a baby name, is actually a symbol of a person’s soul.Our souls are all controlled by Lord Yan of the underworld. When Lord Yan wants to take our lives, he will call people according to the names on the book.

Whoever the king of hell called by his name, that person's time of death will arrive.Yan Wangye's subordinates will find this person according to the name that Yan Wangye called out, and then take away his soul.

People think that if you give the child a place name or give the child those particularly ugly names, the messenger from the underworld will be confused and don't know whose soul should be hooked, and the child will be able to save his life.

In addition, people sometimes use dog names as children's names.Because the ancients believed that dogs have seven lives and are easy to feed.Give your child such a name, and hope that the child can live longer like a dog.

Some parents will name some farm tools for their children, such as the famous "Liu Adou" in history, whose baby name is the unit of weight and measure.

The final word: The purpose of parents giving their children cheap names is nothing more than to hope that their children can live a long, safe and happy life.The ancients believed that a humble name is easy to support, and it is not easy to be seduced by the messengers of the underworld.

*Christmas is not actually a Christian holiday, is it true?

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December 12th is Christmas in the West. This day is a very grand festival for many Western countries, just like our Spring Festival.But it is said that this holiday is not actually a Christian holiday, is it true?

The prototype of Christianity is Judaism, which is a Protestantism developed by Jesus from Judaism.Anyone who believes in God and regards the Bible as a classic can be called a Christian.

Earlier, when Christianity was spreading, in order to win more congregants, they constantly combined with the local culture, so that the local people could better accept Christianity.

At that time, in order to convert the Vikings to Christianity, the Holy See set Jesus' birthday on the winter solstice.The Winter Solstice Festival was originally a very important festival for the Vikings, because in the tradition of the Vikings, every year on the Winter Solstice, Odin, the god of the gods, would drive a sleigh to send gifts from door to door.It is impossible for the Vikings to abandon this traditional festival.

The Holy See's decision to set Jesus' birthday on the winter solstice was nothing more than a compromise.

First, no one knows the real birthday of Jesus. They can only determine the year Jesus was born, and people have set the year Jesus was born as the first year of AD.

Second, it is impossible for the Vikings to abandon the winter solstice, so the Holy See simply put the two dates together, so that when the Vikings celebrate the winter solstice, they can also celebrate Christmas together.

For Christianity, Christmas itself is a pagan festival, but Catholicism gives Christmas a new meaning.Today, Christmas is more of a folk festival than a religious one.

The final word: Christmas is indeed not a Christian holiday, but the religious significance of Christmas is not so strong nowadays, as long as everyone regards Christmas as a holiday for family reunion.

(End of this chapter)