What is the reason for staying old? Why keep the year?

It is the custom of the older generation to observe the age. Many young people don't understand this custom. Many young people will have a question, why do you want to stay old, and for what?

1. What is the specific meaning of observing age?

There is a legend: in ancient times, there was a fierce monster named Xi who came out at the end of the year to hurt people. Later, people knew that Xi was most afraid of red and sound, so on the night of New Year's Eve, every household posted red couplets on New Year's Eve and set off firecrackers to drive away animals, so as to realize the peace of the New Year. This custom has been passed down to this day, and New Year's Eve is called New Year's Eve.

In ancient times, observing the age has two meanings: the old man's observing the age means resigning from the old and cherishing time; Young people keep their age in order to prolong the life of their parents. Since the Han Dynasty, the time for the alternation of the old and new years is generally at midnight. The whole world is looking forward to the arrival of the zero new year.

The custom of observing the old age not only includes the feeling of farewell and nostalgia for the fleeting time, but also expresses the good hope for the coming New Year. The ancients wrote in a poem "Shousui": Invite Shousui Arong's family, sprinkle green yarn with candlelight; Thirty-six years have passed, and I cherish the years since this night. It is human nature to cherish the years, so Su Shi, a great poet, wrote a famous sentence, "Shousui": There will be no years next year, and I am worried about waste; Try your best today, young people can still boast! This shows the positive significance of keeping old on New Year's Eve.

Second, why is it called the Year of the Month?

Keeping old at the age of 30, commonly known as endure the year. Why is it called endure the year? According to legend, in ancient times, there was a fierce monster, which people called Nian.

Every New Year's Eve, Nian beast will climb out of the sea to kill people and animals, destroy the countryside and bring disaster to people who have worked hard for a year. In order to avoid the Nian beast, people close their doors early on the thirtieth night of the twelfth lunar month, dare not sleep, wait for dawn, and drink to kill time and courage. On the first morning of the new year, you dare not go out until the Nian beast comes out. When people saw it, they bowed to each other, congratulated each other, and were glad that they had not been eaten by Nian beast. After many years, nothing happened, and people relaxed their vigilance against Nian beast.

On the evening of 30th one year, Nian beast suddenly fled to a village in the south of the Yangtze River. A village was almost eaten up by Nian beast, and only a pair of newly-married couples in red curtains were safe and sound. There are also some childish people who lit a pile of bamboo and played in the yard. The flame was red, and the bamboo exploded after burning. Nian Beast turned around here and ran away in fear when he saw the flame.

From then on, people know that Nian beast is afraid of red, light and noise. At the end of each year, every household sticks red paper, wears red robes, hangs red lights, beats gongs and drums, and sets off firecrackers, so that Nian Beasts dare not come again. In the Book of Songs, there are records about the light of the court. The so-called pavilion is a torch made of bamboo poles and the like. After the bamboo pole burns, the air in the bamboo joint expands, and the bamboo cavity bursts and crackles, which is the origin of firecrackers.

However, villagers in some places don't know that Nian beast is afraid of red and is often eaten by Nian beast. This story later spread to Zixing in the sky. In order to save people, he is determined to destroy Nian beast. One year the beast came out, knocked it down with a fireball and chained it to a stone pillar with a thick chain. From then on, every New Year, people always burn incense and ask Zixing to come down to keep safe.