What are the traditional folk taboos?

There are many taboos about eating. In the old society, it was forbidden for Han people to drop rice grains or leave leftovers at the bottom of the bowl after eating, otherwise they would be struck by lightning. If children can't finish their meals, they will marry pockmarked wives or pockmarked husbands in the future. Don't say "holding rice" when eating, because "holding rice" will only be said when the "Seven Sacrifices" invite the deceased to eat after death. It is forbidden to put rice with a chopstick. Only when you leave the coffin in mourning, put five or seven bowls of rice on the coffin with a chopstick in the middle. It is said that ghosts eat only chopsticks, so they are taboo. Avoid looking in the mirror when eating, thinking that you will stutter. When eating in other people's homes, don't turn the bowl around, because "turning" and "earning" are homophonic, so the host family doesn't "earn other people's jobs". When eating, don't put chopsticks on the bowl, turn the dishes, and add water and rice to your backhand. Guests are forbidden to turn over the fish. Young people should avoid drinking wine at the bottom of a bottle. These dietary taboos are widely circulated among the people. When family members eat at the same table, adults will spread these taboos to children and urge them to implement them. Although these taboos are superstitious on the surface, they are usually based on health, economy and etiquette.

Food taboos are due to the love of animals. For example, some areas of the Han nationality have the custom of fasting beef. For farming people, cattle are an indispensable labor tool, because it helps people, works hard all the year round and understands human nature, so it is hard to kill food. Han people also have the custom of not eating horse meat, thinking that horses are as meritorious as cattle and can't bear to kill them. People in Nanchang and Oujiang don't eat soft-shelled turtle and nail fish. They think the tortoise is a valuable thing. It helped the Tang Priest and his disciples cross the eight hundred-mile Tongtian River when they learned the scriptures, and then transported them back to learn the scriptures. Therefore, people respect it as a god, and it is forbidden to kill food.

There are also many taboos in the use of tableware: for example, it is forbidden to hold the bottom of the bowl with your hands and the edge of the bowl with your hands. This is the stage of "Beggars". Don't put the bowl upside down on the table, because it's unlucky. Because the sick person will buckle the bowl on the table after eating the soup medicine, indicating that he is no longer sick and taking medicine. It is unlucky to put chopsticks of different lengths on the table before or during eating. Generally we call it "three long and two short", which means death. Because people in China used to think that people should be put into coffins after death, coffins are composed of two short boards, and there are three long boards at the bottom of both sides. The coffins made of five boards together are just three long and two short, so this is extremely ominous.

The way to hold chopsticks is to hold chopsticks with thumb, middle finger, ring finger and little finger, and the index finger is extended, which is called "curse street" in the eyes of Beijingers. Generally, Beijingers point their forefinger at each other, mostly blaming them. Therefore, pointing chopsticks at people while eating is tantamount to accusing others, and it is not allowed, just like swearing. There is also a situation that means this, that is, pointing at people with chopsticks when talking to others while eating.

It is considered impolite to put chopsticks in your mouth and hiss from time to time when eating. Because it is impolite to hold chopsticks with your mouth while eating, and it is even more annoying with the sound, this practice is generally regarded as a sign of lack of education and cannot be allowed.

Be careful not to drop chopsticks when eating. The so-called "landing shock" refers to dropping chopsticks on the ground by mistake, which is a serious rude performance. Because all ancestors are buried underground and should not be disturbed, it is disrespectful for chopsticks to fall on the ground and disturb the ancestors underground, so this behavior is not allowed. But there is a way to break it. Once the chopsticks fall on the ground, you should quickly draw a cross on the ground with the chopsticks that have fallen on the ground according to the direction in which you sit. Its direction is east and west first, then north and south. I'm not a thing, so I shouldn't disturb my ancestors, then pick up chopsticks and say I deserve to die.

When eating, you put chopsticks in the dish and keep pulling them out. You want to eat this and that, chopsticks are stirred around, just like robbing a grave. This uncivilized behavior is boring.

Don't use chopsticks upside down when eating, which is very despised. As the saying goes, I was so hungry that I ignored my face and knocked over my chopsticks. This is absolutely not allowed.

It is also not allowed to hold the dishes on the plate with chopsticks while eating, and it is considered to be a shame to the diners at the same table.

It is considered disrespectful to put a pair of chopsticks in the rice for convenience and convenience when helping others to fill the rice, because it is only done when offering incense to the dead. If you put a pair of chopsticks in your rice, it is undoubtedly equivalent to offering incense to the dead. Therefore, it is absolutely unacceptable to put chopsticks in a bowl.

Contraindications for pregnant women

In the old society, people couldn't give a complete scientific explanation for pregnant women's abortion, dystocia, giving birth to disabled children and deformed people, so they made up various superstitions to warn ordinary women that they should not only fast and ban their eyes, but also have a lot of rules and regulations in their actions and manners.

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Everyone wants their children to be healthy, beautiful, smart and lively. If you want to have a good baby, mother must follow these dietary taboos, refuse to eat anything and eat as much as possible. Although these taboos have no scientific basis, they are mostly based on sensory association.

Avoid eating rabbit. A rabbit has three mouths, and a fetus will have three mouths after eating rabbit meat. The theory of eating rabbit meat to break lips has been circulated at least in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the famous scholar Wang Chong at that time also recorded it in his Lun Heng. This popular letter has a great influence. In some places, pregnant women can't even see rabbits, otherwise the consequences will be just as terrible.

Avoid dog meat. The saying that eating dog meat is bad for the fetus originated in the Tang Dynasty. In addition to the alarmist story that eating dog meat will lead to the death of the fetus, there are more intuitive associations: dogs love to bite, pregnant women eat dog meat will infect the fetus, and the fetus will also love to bite after birth, at least when nursing.

Avoid eating donkey meat. Eating donkey meat will make children "donkey-like" and will not be obedient in the future.

Avoid eating cocks. Eat a rooster, so that the baby will cry at night.

Avoid eating crabs. After eating crabs, the child drooled and said that eating crabs made the fetus dystocia. According to folklore in Taiwan Province Province, children born after eating crabs will scratch others' hands and feet like crabs.

Avoid eating ginger. The shape of ginger is "multi-fingered", which naturally reminds people of having children and multi-fingered. This folk belief was popular at least in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Avoid eating old turtles. The neck of the old turtle is short, and the neck of the fetus is short after eating the old turtle.

In addition to the appearance, people also associate it with the pungent and irritating characteristics of ginger, which makes children prone to sores. In any case, ginger has been deleted from the diet list of pregnant women.

Action taboo

If strange dietary taboos limit pregnant women's mouths, then various action taboos limit pregnant women's legs.

For example, building a beam on a house is very particular. There should be a relative ceremony and pay attention to auspicious days. This means that pregnant women are strictly forbidden to be present, because it is sacred in rural areas and is related to the prosperity of a family. No one dares to look down on it. Being hit by a pregnant woman is unlucky and can't be cracked. Therefore, in many places, Liang's auspicious time is early morning.

Digging a well should not be touched by pregnant women, otherwise it will break the Long Mai, and the water will not come out, or the water will be bitter and astringent.

When making wine, if you are hit by a pregnant woman, you can't make wine.

Collecting herbs, beating pregnant women, the efficacy is gone.

Tofu will go bad if you run into a pregnant woman when you make tofu.

Silkworms will die if they meet pregnant women. At the peak of development, whoever goes out early in the morning and meets pregnant women will have a hard time and can't do anything. Sitting at home behind closed doors will prevent disasters from falling from the sky.

No viewing

The principle of implementing these taboos is the same, which is based on the primitive thinking of mutual sympathy between people and the outside world.

Pregnant women can't watch the delivery, otherwise it will be difficult to give birth later. This taboo has a scientific basis, because pregnant women are prone to mental stress when they see the painful expression of their mothers and hear their cries, and may be nervous during childbirth, leading to dystocia.

Avoid seeing snakes, or the baby will stick out its tongue. As for avoiding seeing people who belong to tigers, it is naturally a deduction of the saying that tigers hurt people.

Avoid watching puppet shows, or you will have a boneless child. Up to now, pregnant women in Lishui, Zhejiang Province have the custom of avoiding watching movies, TV and fancy operas.

Avoid blushing in the theater, because children born in the future will not blush.

You can't go into the new house to see the bride, because she is a "two-person" and a "four-eyed person". After seeing the new house, the bride is either widowed or childless. This means that "four-eyed people" are unclean and will attack people. However, in northwest Hubei, it is popular that "four-eyed people" can cure some diseases with their eyes and hands. Whether it works or not, neighbors should invite them to their homes. Especially those men or young men of the same age, who have fallen into some dust in their eyes, please ask four-eyed people to blow it with their mouths; If you twist your arm, please shake it with four eyes; If you have a headache or a cold, please feel it with four eyes. This custom is really strange.

No contact

In addition to the above taboos based on similarity, there are also some taboos based on contact induction, such as sitting under a grape trellis, which is considered to cause evil spirits and give birth to moles. Touching the scale will prolong pregnancy because the scale used to be hexadecimal. When a pregnant woman touches the scale, it means that she will be pregnant 16 months, which is very painful for adults and children and will cause dystocia. The same taboo is that you can't cross the rope, thinking that the rope is like the fetal umbilical cord, and it is difficult to cross it; You can't sit on the bench with a full ass, otherwise the fetal position will easily become dystocia; You can't hold other children, saying that the children you hold will get sick, commonly known as "replacement"; You can't go to the temple. People think that gods are supreme, white and selfless, bless people, and should be pious and respected. And conception is the product of blasphemy. If it involves gods, it is disrespectful. Can't cross the pole, saying that it will cause trouble and dystocia; Can't wrap the rope and thread, which will cause the fetal umbilical cord to wrap around the neck; You can't shrink your head at the door, which will lead to the fetus not giving birth smoothly. The most puzzling thing is that you can't lift your arms. It is believed that the fetus survives by biting the mother's milk tendon and absorbing nutrition. Pregnant women raise their arms and don't bite the milk tendon, which will starve the fetus. Don't put the knife on the stove, because when the child is reborn, it must be approved by the kitchen god Bodhisattva. If you are dissatisfied with the kitchen god after pregnancy, the kitchen god will cancel the promise of giving birth at the beginning, so many children will die young or lead to miscarriage; Pregnant women are not allowed to enter the neighboring village. If they have to, they must first prepare sacrifices to sweep the land gods in the village, otherwise the ghosts and demons in the village will possess themselves and cause dystocia.

Digital taboo

Among the figures, six and eight are the most auspicious. The so-called "six and six shun" and "if you want to be rich, you will never leave eight" explain the reasons. In today's society, it is nothing new to spend hundreds of thousands on a telephone number or license plate number with at most six or eight digits. There are many taboo numbers. Generally speaking, singular is avoided because of yes-men; "Two" is an even number, but funerals are not allowed on such days, because people don't want bad things to be paired. "Three" homophonic "San". Birthdays and weddings are taboo, so are birthdays and congratulations. "Four" is homophonic with "death", so this number does not apply to house numbers, car numbers, telephone numbers, mobile phone numbers, etc. The homonym of "five" is "nothing", so it is not appropriate to use this number when negotiating and collecting accounts, so as to avoid nothing; Avoid "seven" when traveling, and there is a saying that "seven don't go out, eight don't return, and fly home on the ninth day"; Old people tend to avoid nine because the rate of accidents or deaths is higher than that of people of average age; It is a western custom to avoid "Thirteen", because Judas, who betrayed Jesus, ranks thirteenth. However, after the opening up of China, some high-end hotels also avoided this number in order to cater to westerners. In terms of age, avoid "seventy-three" and "eighty-four" because Confucius died at the age of seventy-three and Mencius died at the age of eighty-four. The villagers said, "Seventy-three, eighty-four, the ghost king invited himself." Taboo the number "250" and habitually regard "250" as a synonym for fools and idiots; There are also numbers such as "7086" and "5354" that are taboo, because they are homophonic with "falling apart" and "I am scattered and I am dead".

Taboo of daily behavior

It is forbidden to wash feet before traveling. People in Taiwan Province Province think that washing feet before traveling in summer will get hotter and hotter, and it will get colder and colder in winter.

Avoid pulling out white hair. As the saying goes, "pulling one gives birth to three", it is generally believed that more and more white hair will be pulled out.

Centenarians avoid saying their actual age, but always say they are ninety-nine. When an old man dies, he should say "old" instead of "dead". Don't say forty-one when middle-aged people report their age.

It is forbidden to sweep the floor after sunset, because at this time, the god of wealth and luck at home have all gone home, and sweeping out will lead to family decline. Don't sweep from the inside out for fear of sweeping away good luck. On the contrary, if you want to drive away bad luck, you have to sweep it from the inside out. When cleaning, you can't put the chair feet up, because there is also the custom of turning the chair upside down at the funeral, which will remind people of the funeral and will naturally be avoided as much as possible.

Don't open an umbrella in the house. People believe that holding an umbrella in the house will make you bald.

Don't hang or collect clothes on the balcony in the middle of the night. If you really don't have time to hang clothes, you'd better wait until noon every other day.

Avoid visiting patients in the afternoon and evening. Borrow another medicine pot to decoct the medicine, and don't return it after use. The bodies of people who died outside should not enter the door, but should be parked outside.

Married women are forbidden to spend the Spring Festival at their parents' home, look at their genealogy, spend the Lantern Festival at their parents' home and have children at their parents' home. Pregnant women should avoid looking at corpses and visiting pregnant women.

Don't go out at night in July. As the saying goes, "ghosts wander in July", people are afraid of meeting night ghosts, and no one will venture out unless there is something urgent at night. Another example is: unfortunately, when you meet a ghost, you just cough a few times and the ghost will leave, or people who walk at night often sing while walking, so the ghost will not dare to come out. After the founding of New China, many superstitious taboos were abolished.

Marriage taboo of zodiac

In some folk almanac of "Good or Bad Marriages between Men and Women", tigers should not belong to cows, sheep and dogs, but only to monkeys and snakes. Strangely, everything that belongs to cattle, sheep and dogs should belong to tigers. It seems that the subsequent zodiac signs are no longer the continuation of the five elements, but the "synthetic facts" of various folk cultures. These songs are:

Since ancient times, white horses are not worthy of cows. Once sheep and rats are matched, golden roosters are not worth dogs, dragons meet rabbits with tears, pigs meet knives, and tigers and snakes are not. Snake with tiger, hermaphrodite; Pigs with monkeys, not until the end; A rabbit sees a snake like a knife. White horses are afraid of green cows. Black pigs are afraid of apes and snakes are afraid of tigers. Once sheep and rats meet, black dogs can't enter the sheepfold, and pheasants can communicate with dogs with tears. Chen Zi applied to avoid snakes, chickens, cows, tigers, horses, dogs, pigs, rabbits and sheep in Yin Wu, and to avoid dragons, rats and monkeys in the maritime trade.

These folk proverbs and ballads are mostly collected from the Central Plains, which are different from the marriage taboos of the zodiac in the folk calendar of Taiwan Province Province. This is an inevitable feature of customs, as the saying goes, "different winds in ten miles, different customs in a hundred miles." However, this comparison also exposes the unreliability of the marriage taboo of the Chinese zodiac. A man and a woman can't get married here, which is forbidden by the zodiac. If they change places, they may be completely unrestricted. Isn't this a very dramatic thing? It can be seen that the marriage taboo of the zodiac is not credible and has no scientific basis.

Holiday taboo

The Spring Festival is the beginning of the new year, and the first day of the first month is the first day of the new year, so there are many taboos. If you don't want to break things, just say auspicious words like "Peace through the years" or "The more you fight, the more fierce you are". Avoid eating fish at New Year's Eve, and avoid eating all the fish in order to "have more (fish) every year"

Good luck. On this day, don't move knives, axes, scissors, etc., don't carry water, don't work in the fields, don't borrow kindling, don't collect debts, don't shop, don't do needlework, don't kill things, don't cry, don't pay New Year's greetings, and don't say anything unlucky. During the Spring Festival, jiaozi cooked broken skin, not "broken", but "earned"; When the steamed bread is cracked, don't say "cracked", say "laughed". In addition, avoid sweeping the floor, and you can't take out the garbage after sweeping the floor, thinking that it will sweep away wealth. Don't hit the ground with a stool, because people die on two benches, carry coffins at funerals, and kick the benches down before they start. In addition, tofu is also taboo in many places, because there is a custom of eating tofu at funerals, and the death of the old man is called "falling off the tofu mountain". In short, everything that is considered unlucky is forbidden in the first month, especially on the first day.

There are many taboos on other festivals. For example, on the second day of February, it was called "Zhonghe Festival" in ancient times, commonly known as "the dragon looks up". It is forbidden to move scissors and needles, and it is forbidden to grind water and always touch the edge of the well, all for fear of hurting the dragon. One or two days before Tomb-Sweeping Day is the "Cold Food Festival", and fireworks are prohibited. Don't go out at night on July "Ghost Festival" to avoid disturbing ghosts and gods and suffering. Don't rain during the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, or the harvest will be bad next year. In some places, married daughters are forbidden to go back to their parents' homes on the Double Ninth Festival in September. There is a saying that "I want to kill my mother-in-law when I go home on the Double Ninth Festival". In addition, some festivals also have taboos, such as beginning of autumn avoiding rain, and thunder and rain indicate a bumper harvest. As the saying goes, "cats and dogs don't eat porridge when it thunders in autumn." Beginning of winter also taboo thunder. As the saying goes, "Thunder can't move, ten cowsheds are nine empty." It probably means that livestock will die.

Marriage taboo

There are also many marriage taboos, which show people's cautious attitude towards marriage. In choosing a spouse, many places in China prohibit marriage with the same surname, which has always been the case. For example, the ancients said: "Men and women have the same surname, and it is not unusual in life." In addition, according to fortune-telling, men and women with eight characters and five elements are forbidden to get married; On the date of marriage, it is forbidden to get married in a year without beginning of spring solar terms, in May, June and July, and on Singles Day. In the choice of auspicious days, it is forbidden to get married at the time of the moon breaking, weekdays, closed days, robbery, disaster, evil month, punishment month, disaster month and sea day. On the wedding day, when the bride goes out, the aunt must avoid it and cannot send it away. Because "Gu" and "Solitude" are homophonic, while "Sister-in-law" and "Sweep" are homophonic.

Homonyms are unlucky; At the wedding, the bride is forbidden to wear a black dress, and the bride's clothes are forbidden to have pockets, so as not to take away her family's property, break utensils, avoid children crying, avoid mourning people, widows, four-eyed people (pregnant women) entering the new house, and avoid others sitting in the new bed; On the third day of marriage, the newlyweds go back to the woman's house with gifts, which is called going back to her mother's house, but remember to go back to her husband's house before sunset that day, and don't spend the night at her mother's house. In case you can't go home under special circumstances, the husband and wife should sleep in separate rooms to avoid the collision between the lotus flower and the family during the bride's honeymoon.

Taboo about sexual life, the ancients have a detailed description, excerpts are as follows:

Men and women are more taboo when having sex, so be careful. If you commit a crime, heaven and earth will take their lives, and ghosts and gods will harm you, fearing that you will have children and live forever. Taboos should be prepared in the following places: earth shaking, stormy weather, thunder and lightning striking, gloomy new moon, broken moon, severe cold and hot summer, thin eclipse of the sun and moon, birth of Buddha, the day of the core historical site of life, three yuan and eight festivals, May 5, famous mountains and rivers, temples of Shentong Society, Taoist temples, statues of saints, well furnaces. Or if you have a boy, you will be ugly and incomplete, and you will die of disaster. All taboos apply to the past, and May 18th is the year of grazing between heaven and earth. The world must avoid it and be careful not to share the same room. If it is serious, it will kill you, if it is light, it will shorten your life. If you are pregnant at this time, it will be difficult for you and your mother to protect you.