Is Nian beast a plague?

It is an evil beast in ancient Han myths and legends. According to legend, in ancient times, at the end of the year and midnight, Nian beast would attack villages, and all the villages occupied by Nian beast were brutally slaughtered, and the horns on their heads were weapons.

People take advantage of the three weaknesses of Nian beast, set off firecrackers (which will scare Nian beast), put up Spring Festival couplets and drive Nian beast away. In order to prevent the Nian beast from harassing again, setting off firecrackers and posting Spring Festival couplets have gradually become holiday customs, and the Spring Festival has therefore become one of the symbols of the Chinese nation.

Legend:

A long time ago, there was a monster named "Xi", which came out to hurt people every year. Even the Kitchen God, who protected the people, could do nothing, so the Kitchen God invited a child prodigy named Nian to heaven. The prodigy is very powerful. He wiped out the evening beast with the crackling red silk bamboo pole in the fire.

This day happens to be the last day of the twelfth lunar month. In order to thank and commemorate the New Year, people get rid of dusk on this day, so they call the last day of the lunar calendar "New Year's Eve" and the first day of the New Year's Eve. People hope that every household has red silk and firecrackers, so the red silk and bamboo poles burned in the fire gradually evolved into red couplets and firecrackers that every household has in the New Year.

However, villagers in some places don't know that Nian beast is afraid of red and is often eaten by Nian beast. This story was later spread to the sky of Wei Zi Xing Jun. 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.

Since then, "Nian" has been surrendered by people and has become a beneficial animal for the safety of towns and houses. Every New Year, people always burn incense, thanking Ziwei Xingjun for his peace.