March 3rd is on the third day of the third month in the lunar calendar, which is during the third lunar month. So, can March 3rd be celebrated at the parents' home? By the time the lunar calendar reaches the third month, the late spring cold has officially ended, and the weather becomes warmer. In the days of the third lunar month in March 2022, what important days are there? Let's take a look with Huayi Network.

Why can't March 3rd be celebrated at the parents' home?

The custom of not returning to the parents' home on March 3rd mainly originates from Shandong. There are some popular sayings in Shandong, such as "Returning to the parents' home on March 3rd means your husband will die and the sky will fall." or "March 3rd, crying to the heavens." This suggests that you should not return to the parents' home, otherwise it would be bad for your husband, and even family members might have problems.
However, in the northern part of the Huai River, there is a strong tradition of "returning daughters to their parents' home on March 3rd," especially in Dangshan. On March 3rd, which falls around Qingming, the north and south air masses frequently meet in the northern part of the Huai River, making the weather damp. There has been an old saying, "Rain falls continuously during the Qingming season." During this relatively inconvenient period, it is natural for a daughter to visit her parents. In the Dangshan area, there is also a folk song: "Heavenly Lord, don't rain, keep the roads dry for visiting parents. If the parents are far, ride a donkey with an umbrella; if they're near, wear country shoes and use a stick." It seems that no matter how far the journey is, one must stay at home for several days.

Which festivals cannot be celebrated at the parents' home?

1. New Year
A newlywed girl cannot celebrate the New Year at her parents' home. She can only return on the second day of the first lunar month because it is believed that celebrating the New Year at the parents' home is not beneficial to the parents. However, nowadays, many families have only one child, and the elderly hope their children can spend the New Year at home, so this custom has become less important.
2. Lantern Festival (15th day of the first lunar month)
On the 15th day of the first lunar month, which is the Lantern Festival, it is also not allowed to return to the parents' home. It is said that returning to the parents' home on this day means "the parents' lamp is gone, and the parents' lineage is lost."
3. Tomb-Sweeping Day (Qingming Festival)
In the past, rural areas considered Qingming Festival very important because it was the day for ancestor worship. However, married women were not allowed to return to their parents' home to pay respects, as the parents feared others would talk about them, thinking that their family had no one to honor the ancestors.
4. Dragon Boat Festival
This day is dedicated to commemorating Qu Yuan. It is also not allowed to return to the parents' home. Returning on this day may imply defiance against the mother-in-law, and rural areas place great emphasis on filial piety, fearing gossip.
5. Mid-Autumn Festival (15th day of the eighth lunar month)
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the reunion festival, used to have the rural custom of "a daughter who is married is like water that has been poured out," meaning that after marriage, a daughter is considered an outsider. Since this day is a time for family reunions, she cannot return to her parents' home.
6. Double Ninth Festival
The Double Ninth Festival is also known as the "Daughter's Festival." On this day, the parents fear that their daughter might be treated badly by her husband's family, so they have the custom of sending flower cakes to their daughters.