Spring couplets, also called \”spring stickers\”, \” \”Door couplets\” and \”couples\” are one of the red festive elements \”Nianhong\” posted during the Chinese New Year. It depicts beautiful images and expresses good wishes with neatly contrasted, concise and exquisite words. It is a unique literary form in China and an important custom of the Chinese people during the New Year. When people paste New Year\’s red (Spring couplets, blessing characters, etc.) on their doorsteps, it means that the Spring Festival has officially begun.

Has your family posted Spring Festival couplets? Is it posted correctly? Check out this guide and check it out for yourself!

Why do we post couplets during the Chinese New Year

If we count from the Qin and Han dynasties, China has a history of pasting Spring Festival couplets for two thousand years. Posting Spring Festival couplets symbolizes good expectations for life. As the saying goes: \”A year\’s plan begins with spring.\” The Chinese people have had an optimistic attitude since ancient times.The thinking concept is to place hope in the future and hope that the future will bring good luck to oneself. No matter what happy, proud or unsatisfactory things happened in the past year, I always hope that the next year will be better, so when the New Year is coming, posting Spring Festival couplets just achieves this purpose. best choice.

When is the best time to post Spring Festival couplets

As the saying goes: \”Twenty-eight, stick flowers\”, and there are also folk songs in some places that say \”Twenty-nine, stick upside down You (meaning to stick Spring Festival couplets) \”One said, therefore, couplets are usually posted on the 28th or 29th of the twelfth lunar month. There is also a saying that the Spring Festival couplets are posted on the morning of New Year\’s Eve. The content of the Spring Festival couplets expresses people\’s good wishes for the new year. After posting the Spring Festival couplets, firecrackers are also fired. It is said that it is to drive away the Nian beast and bring good luck in the new year. . Nowadays, most people are not very particular, and the time for posting couplets is becoming more and more random. In fact, you can post Spring Festival couplets at any time, as long as they mean good luck.

How to paste the upper and lower couplets

According to traditional customs, the upper couplet of Spring Festival couplets should be posted on the right hand side (i.e., the left side of the door), and the second couplet should be posted on the left hand side (i.e., the right side of the door). Read from right to left. The upper and lower couplets cannot be pasted backwards.

How to judge the upper and lower couplets

For example, \”The red plum blossoms are blooming against the winter snow; the green willows are sprouting catkins to welcome the new year.\” From the content, the upper line is There is a temporal progression relationship between the second line and the second line. If they are pasted backwards, it will be wrong; it can also be judged from the level of the last word. Usually the third and fourth tones (i.e. the straight tones) are the upper couplet, and the last words are the first and second tones ( flat tone), is the second line. In addition, Spring Festival couplets usually have causal, progressive or temporal relationships. Before posting, read the couplets carefully in conjunction with the horizontal comments to understand the content of the couplets.

Note: Since vertical writing was changed to horizontal writing, the original vertical reading habit from right to left has also been changed from left to right. Then the Spring Couplets can also have the top line on the left and the bottom line on the right. . However, special attention should be paid to the fact that the order of horizontal batches must also be written and posted from left to right accordingly.

The origin of the word \”福\” stuck upside down

There are many folk legends about the word \”福\” stuck upside down. For example: According to legend, during the Spring Festival at Prince Gong\’s Mansion in the Qing Dynasty On the eve of the eve, in order to please his master, the butler wrote many words \”福\” as usual and asked his servants to paste them on the doors of the warehouse and the palace. One servant did not know the writing and mistakenly pasted the word \”福\” upside down on the door. For this reason, Prince Gong Fujin was very angry. At this time, the chief steward had an idea and knelt on the ground and said servilely: \”I often hear people say that Prince Gong has a long life and great fortune. Now the great fortune has really arrived. A good omen.\” Later, the custom of blessings was passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, those who wish to be blessed in the coming year can paste the word \”福\” upside down on their doors to pray for blessings..

Correct way to paste the word \”福\”

The word \”福\” must be posted upright on the door, which means \”open the door to welcome blessings\”. Pasting it upside down will block the blessings from the door.

The radical \”礻\” of the word \”福\” means praying to gods, and \”畐\” can be divided into \”一\”, \”口\” and \”田\”, which means that everyone in the family has food. To eat, to have work to do, and to go to school is a blessing.

If the word \”福\” is pasted upside down, its original meaning will be lost.

Pasting the word \”福\” upside down does not mean that the blessing has \”arrived\”, but that the blessing has been \”emptied out\”.

Six rules for writing Spring Festival couplets

The number of words must match:Couplets have two upper and lower couplets, so the number of words and sentences must be equal. This is The most basic requirement.

The structure should be consistent: That is, the collocation and structure of the words, words, and sentences in the corresponding positions of the upper and lower couplets should be relatively consistent and there should be no mistakes.

The rhythm of the sentences should be consistent: That is, the rhythm of the sentences corresponding to the upper and lower couplets should be consistent.

The form and content should be consistent: That is, there should be some connection between the upper and lower couplets in form and content. Completely inconsistent with each otherThe two sentences mentioned above, even if every word is separated and completely consistent with the above five principles, there is no obvious connection in form and content and it does not make a good couplet.

Important note on top and bottom: That is, the second line of the couplet should exceed the first line or at least not lose to the first line in terms of weight dimensions such as image, realm, pattern, momentum, and mind. ! However, the second couplet in the following case is obviously weak – the poultry occupies a long distance and hears the sound. Although there is no problem with the above 6 principles, it can be said that there are several, but it cannot be regarded as a good couplet. (Source: Comprehensive Network)

Editor: Han Luying