Legend of the year

There is a story about Nian beast. It is said that in ancient times, Nian was a monster with tentacles and was very fierce. Living in the sea for a long time, people will come to look for food, eat animals and hurt people on New Year's Eve every year. Therefore, every year on New Year's Eve, people in the village hide with their families in order to avoid the harm of Nian beast.

One year, on New Year's Eve, people from Lianhua Village took refuge in the mountains together. Suddenly, an old beggar came from outside the village, with a cane in his hand, a bag on his back and a lot of beards. When beggars saw that all the villagers had closed their windows and locked their doors, they packed up their own affairs. Some even hurried with cattle and sheep, and everyone didn't notice him.

An old woman at the head of the village saw him, gave him food, and advised him to go up the mountain to hide from Nian beast. The beggar smiled and said, "If you let me stay at your house for one night, I will definitely help you drive Nian beast away. My mother-in-law looked intently and felt that beggars were not ordinary people. But she didn't trust to continue to persuade beggars to take refuge together, and the beggars smiled and didn't talk. The mother-in-law had no choice but to leave him at home and take refuge in the mountains herself.

In the middle of the night, Nian beast came to the village. I think the village is different from previous years: my mother-in-law lives at the head of the village, with red paper at the door and lights on in the room. Nian beast shook his body and let out a cry. Staring at her mother-in-law's house, she pounced. When she was approaching the yard, there was a sudden "scratching" sound in the yard. She was afraid and dared not go any further.

Nian is afraid of red, fire and crackling. Just then, the door opened and an old man in a red robe in the yard was laughing loudly at Nian. Nian was afraid and ran away in confusion.

On the second day of the first month, the refugees came back to see that nothing had changed in the village, which was very strange. At this time, my mother-in-law remembered yesterday's beggar and asked her neighbors to beg for food for the old man.

Neighbors came to her mother-in-law's house together and saw red paper on her door. There is still the crackling sound of burning bamboo in the yard, and the red candle in the house has not been extinguished. The villagers felt that an auspicious day was coming, so they all put on new clothes and hats to congratulate their relatives and friends. The story soon spread in other villages, and everyone knew the way to get rid of Nian beast.

Since then, every year on New Year's Eve, every household has posted red couplets, set off firecrackers and greeted relatives and friends on the morning of the first day. This custom spread more and more widely and became the most solemn traditional festival in China.