After spending the lively New Year’s Eve, the first day of the Chinese new year, the seventh day of the Chinese new year, and the ninth day of the Chinese new year. Do you know the traditions of the eleventh day of the Chinese New Year?
According to folklore experts, the 11th day of the first lunar month was also called “the son-in-law’s day” in ancient times! To put it simply, it is the day when the father-in-law invites the son-in-law to dinner! Because the birthday of “Tiangong” was celebrated on the ninth day of the first lunar month, and the rest of the food had not been eaten, the food that had been sacrificed to the gods was used to entertain the daughter and son-in-law, as a thank you gift form the daughter’s family to the son-in-law.
And on the eleventh day of the first lunar month, the elder brother or younger brother of the daughter’s family must go out to greet their sister’s husband, to show their respect to him! In addition to eating leftovers, what else do you have to eat on the “Son-in-law Day”? To “eat 3 foods and do 3 things” by following the tradition, and the days will go smoothly!
To eat sugar cubes, there is a custom in southern China called “He Tianding” (to get more children). If a child is born in the first month, the family will send sugar cubes door-to-door to show that they are having a new family member! In some places, there is also a “feast with lanterns raised”. Although the way of celebration is different, the meaning that they want to express is to celebrate the addition of children and pray for the children!
In addition to eating sugar cubes, we also eat dumplings on the eleventh day of the first lunar month! Why do they eat the dumplings again on the dumplings? These dumplings have a very beautiful meaning! As it sounds the same as “contract” and “harmony” in Chinese, which bring the meaning of harmony and prosperity!
3 things you must do on the eleventh day of the first lunar month, which means happiness!
1: Feng Zigu, the legendary Zigu is the “toilet god”! There is such a story circulating among the people. It is said that Zigu is the concubine of a big family, because of her sweet appearance, she was bullied often by the wife, and she was killed in the toilet. God has the virtue of good life, the Jade Emperor sees her as pitiful, so he named her the “Toilet God”! Because Zigu is a representative of the oppressed, and later gradually became the protector of vulnerable women, every year on the eleventh day of the first lunar month, Zigu is worshipped!
2: Shangcai Day, in some parts of southern China, “the son-in-law’s day” is also called the Shangcai day, and there is a clear record in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty! According to the tradition of the harvesting day, on the eve of the Lantern Festival, grandparents will give lanterns to their granddaughters, which means welcoming the spring and blessings, and a year of peace and prosperity!
3: Xingcai Bridge, this is the custom in Guangdong, China, also called “Xingtouqiao”. On the night of the eleventh day of the first lunar month, the bridge is decorated with colorful lanterns, and people go to the bridge with their family members to pray for blessings! And they have to pick off the leaves above the branches, take them home and put them on the lintel, wishing that this will bring good luck to the family!
Among the traditional Chinese customs, there are containing “superstition” elements. These reflect the charm of traditional culture!
