On the third day of the Lunar New Year, there are some unique customs and taboos in traditional Chinese culture, the most prominent of which is that it is not advisable to go out to pay New Year's greetings. So, why is there such a custom, and what is the meaning behind the advice of our ancestors? Next, let's explore this question.
First of all, let's take a look at the reasons why it is not advisable to go out to pay New Year's greetings on the third day of the Lunar New Year In traditional Chinese culture, the third day of the first lunar month is the "Red Dog Day", also known as the "Fierce Day". According to historical records, the tengu will descend on this day, bringing misfortune and disaster to the people. Therefore, it is generally believed that it is unlucky to go out on this day to pay New Year's greetings and easily invite bad luck. In order to ward off evil spirits, people choose to stay at home and pray for peace and prosperity through sacrifices, burning incense and praying for blessings.
However, this is only the superficial reason. In fact, the custom of not going out to pay New Year's greetings on the third day of the Lunar New Year also contains a deeper traditional cultural connotation. In traditional Chinese culture, the third day of the first lunar month is the day of Nuwa's creation, also known as the "Creation Niangniang Day". Nuwa is revered as the ancient Chinese goddess of creation, who created man out of loess and created the human world. On this day, people give thanks for her kindness by offering sacrifices to Nuwa and pray for family safety and career success in the new year.
At the same time, the third day of the Lunar New Year is also a day to pay tribute to the ancestors. On this day, people will return to the cemetery of their ancestors to burn incense, make offerings, and pray for their ancestors, expressing their admiration and gratitude to their ancestors. Going out on this day to pay New Year's greetings is not only easy to attract bad luck, but also may disturb the peace of the ancestors, so it is regarded as an unlucky day.
In addition, the custom of not going out to pay New Year's greetings on the third day of the Lunar New Year is also related to the traditional social structure of China. In traditional agrarian societies, the pace of life is slower and family and kinship relationships are valued. On this day, people stay at home to reunite with their families and enjoy the warmth and happiness of their families. Going out to pay New Year's greetings means leaving the family, and the interaction and contact with relatives and friends will also be affected to a certain extent. Therefore, in order to maintain the stability and harmony of family and kinship relationships, people choose to stay at home on this day and pray for family safety and career success in the new year through sacrifices, burning incense and praying for blessings.
To sum up, the custom of not going out to pay New Year's greetings on the third day of the Lunar New Year contains rich traditional cultural connotations. This custom not only reflects people's gratitude for Nuwa's kindness in the creation of the world, admiration and gratitude to ancestors, but also reflects people's emphasis on and maintenance of family and kinship relationships. In today's society, although the way of life and values have changed greatly, this traditional custom is still preserved and has become an important cultural symbol during the Spring Festival.
For our generation, although we have moved away from the traditional agrarian society, we should still respect and understand the cultural significance of this traditional practice. During the Spring Festival, we can experience and inherit this traditional culture by greeting relatives and friends, participating in temple fairs, etc. At the same time, we should also actively advocate a civilized, harmonious and healthy way to celebrate the New Year, so that the Spring Festival, the most important traditional festival in China, will shine with more brilliant brilliance.
In short, the custom of not going out to pay New Year's greetings on the third day of the Lunar New Year is an important part of traditional Chinese culture. Although this custom has the limitations of its historical and cultural background, the traditional cultural connotations and values it contains are worthy of our respect and inheritance. Let's experience and inherit this traditional culture in a modern way, so that our Spring Festival will be more meaningful, warm and connotative!