Why can't Laba Festival be celebrated at the parents' home?
Explanation One: Returning to the parents' home on Laba Day is unlucky for the mother-in-law, and the mother-in-law will die in a bent position after her passing.
This is still a superstitious belief. In the past, people in rural areas believed that if a daughter-in-law returned to her parents' home on Laba Day, it would be bad for the husband's family. Besides Laba Day, rural areas also particularly avoid returning to the parents' home during important festivals and solar terms such as the Eve of the Lunar New Year, Spring Festival, Start of Spring, and Winter Solstice. In fact, these are all constraints of the ancient "Three Obediences and Four Virtues" doctrine toward women. The ancients believed that once a woman was married, she became part of the husband's family and could not return to her parents' home casually. However, in modern society, this custom has been greatly weakened.
Explanation Two: "Don't eat the rice from the parents' home on Laba Day, or your ancestors will never repay it."
This saying means that if a married daughter returns to her parents' home on Laba Day, it will bring poverty to her own family. In the past, women were considered inferior and bound by the Three Obediences and Four Virtues. They couldn't make decisions for themselves. Especially after marriage, they were considered part of the husband's family, and longing for home and mother could only be endured. Therefore, many of these customs are no longer strictly followed today.
This is still a superstitious belief. In the past, people in rural areas believed that if a daughter-in-law returned to her parents' home on Laba Day, it would be bad for the husband's family. Besides Laba Day, rural areas also particularly avoid returning to the parents' home during important festivals and solar terms such as the Eve of the Lunar New Year, Spring Festival, Start of Spring, and Winter Solstice. In fact, these are all constraints of the ancient "Three Obediences and Four Virtues" doctrine toward women. The ancients believed that once a woman was married, she became part of the husband's family and could not return to her parents' home casually. However, in modern society, this custom has been greatly weakened.
Explanation Two: "Don't eat the rice from the parents' home on Laba Day, or your ancestors will never repay it."
This saying means that if a married daughter returns to her parents' home on Laba Day, it will bring poverty to her own family. In the past, women were considered inferior and bound by the Three Obediences and Four Virtues. They couldn't make decisions for themselves. Especially after marriage, they were considered part of the husband's family, and longing for home and mother could only be endured. Therefore, many of these customs are no longer strictly followed today.
What are the taboos of Laba Festival?
1. Don't move house in the twelfth lunar month
In terms of feng shui, the twelfth lunar month is cold. If you move into a new house, the cold atmosphere may block the prosperity of the family. This sounds like it has some scientific reasoning. The reason for the saying "don't move house in the twelfth lunar month" is mainly due to concerns that people moving in might feel cold and have adverse effects on their health. However, for people who now have heating in their homes, this is no longer an issue.
2. Don't eat Laba porridge after noon
On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, it is called Laba. There is a saying, "After Laba comes the New Year," meaning that from this day on, the "New Year flavor" becomes increasingly intense. The tradition of eating Laba porridge has been passed down for thousands of years. However, there are also some taboos regarding this tradition in certain places — that is, don't eat Laba porridge after noon.
3. Don't return to the parents' home on Laba Day
After entering the twelfth lunar month, the first taboo day is Laba. Returning to the parents' home on Laba Day is considered unlucky for the mother-in-law, and the mother-in-law will die in a bent position after her passing. Another explanation is: "Don't eat the rice from the parents' home on Laba Day, or your ancestors will never repay it," which means it will bring poverty to one's own family. Some sayings even suggest that on the eighth, eighteenth, and twenty-eighth days of the twelfth lunar month, one should not spend time at the parents' home.
In terms of feng shui, the twelfth lunar month is cold. If you move into a new house, the cold atmosphere may block the prosperity of the family. This sounds like it has some scientific reasoning. The reason for the saying "don't move house in the twelfth lunar month" is mainly due to concerns that people moving in might feel cold and have adverse effects on their health. However, for people who now have heating in their homes, this is no longer an issue.
2. Don't eat Laba porridge after noon
On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, it is called Laba. There is a saying, "After Laba comes the New Year," meaning that from this day on, the "New Year flavor" becomes increasingly intense. The tradition of eating Laba porridge has been passed down for thousands of years. However, there are also some taboos regarding this tradition in certain places — that is, don't eat Laba porridge after noon.
3. Don't return to the parents' home on Laba Day
After entering the twelfth lunar month, the first taboo day is Laba. Returning to the parents' home on Laba Day is considered unlucky for the mother-in-law, and the mother-in-law will die in a bent position after her passing. Another explanation is: "Don't eat the rice from the parents' home on Laba Day, or your ancestors will never repay it," which means it will bring poverty to one's own family. Some sayings even suggest that on the eighth, eighteenth, and twenty-eighth days of the twelfth lunar month, one should not spend time at the parents' home.
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