Is there any saying about going back to my parents’ home on the second day of the first lunar month? Analysis of Spring Festival Customs

Is there any saying about going back to my parents’ home on the second day of the first lunar month? Analysis of Spring Festival Customs
Introduction: The Spring Festival is a very important day in our traditional festivals. In addition to visiting relatives and friends, another important custom during the Spring Festival is that married daughters return to their parents' home on the second day of the first lunar month for reunion. This is really an exciting thing for a daughter who is getting married. But why is it the second day of the Chinese New Year? Any comment? Now, let’s follow the editor to learn about it. There is no end to the topics about the Spring Festival, so do you want to know more about it? Just continue to wander in Mr. Shui Mo’s Spring Festival special ocean!

Why do we have to go back to our parents’ home on the second day of the Lunar New Year?

The second day of the first lunar month is called the "beginning of the year". From this day on, people visit relatives and friends, bringing gifts such as three kinds of animals, glutinous rice cakes, and fried dumplings. In the Shatian area of ​​Shaoguan, people kill chickens to start the new year, which means full of vitality.
The second day of the first lunar month is the day when daughters and sons-in-law return to their parents’ home, that is, the sons-in-law pay New Year’s greetings to their parents-in-law, commonly known as “Welcoming the Son-in-law Day”. It is believed among the people that a married daughter cannot return to her parents’ home on the first day of the New Year, as doing so will bankrupt her family. She can only return to her parents’ home after the second day of the New Year. There is a folk saying in Taiwan: "A daughter with both parents will be picked up by her parents' family after the second day of the Chinese New Year for a reunion. A daughter without both parents will have no relatives to miss her, so her parents' family will not send anyone to pick her up.
The closest relationship among Chinese people is blood relationship. A son-in-law is "half a son". As the saying goes, "a son-in-law is half a son". On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the son-in-law visits his father-in-law and mother-in-law with expensive gifts. This is the once-a-year opportunity for the "half son" to see his "real mother" and to express his condolences to the "two elders". In some places, the new son-in-law is called a "jiaoke". The parents-in-law always give warm hospitality to the "distinguished guests" who come to pay New Year's greetings.

"Returning to my parents' home on the second day of the Chinese New Year" implies the concept of gender equality

On the second day of the first lunar month, there is a custom of returning to one's parents' home in many places in China. Married daughters have to bring gifts back to their parents' home. This reflects the concept of gender equality.
In ancient China, there was a tradition of male superiority and female inferiority. Women had a very low status and were required to obey their husbands after marriage. There was also a folk saying that "a married girl is like spilled water", which means that a married woman is not allowed to return to her parents' home without reason and should spend more time serving her parents-in-law and husband.
It is a rule that the woman must spend the New Year at her husband's home. If a daughter wants to celebrate the New Year with her parents, she can only wait until after the sixth day of the New Year. But with the progress of society and the emergence of the concept of gender equality, women stay at their husband's home on the first day of the New Year and go back to their parents' home on the second day to pay New Year's greetings, which reflects the improvement of women's status.
There are many things to pay attention to when going back to your parents' home. For example, you must bring an even number of gifts, not an odd number. Generally, there are four gifts. Your parents cannot accept all of them, and you have to bring some back when you go back to your husband's home. When returning to her parents' home, she can only have lunch, and the daughter must rush back to her husband's home before dinner. When a daughter returns to her parents' home, if there is a nephew at home, the aunt must give the nephew a red envelope.
Going back to one's parents' home does not only happen on the second day of the Lunar New Year. In some places, it is also done on the third day of the first lunar month. In some places in China, such as Shaanxi and Henan, there is even a custom of returning to one's mother's home on June 6th. This is related to the season of wheat harvest and threshing. A folk saying goes: "After the wheat is harvested and threshing is over, every girl will visit her mother."

Superstitious beliefs about returning to one's parents' home on the second day of the Chinese New Year

According to superstitious beliefs, deceased ancestors will return home from heaven at the end of the year (some say the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, others say the 29th or 30th) to enjoy offerings. If the ancestors see an "outsider" in the house, they will not want to enter. Married women are considered "outsiders", so married women cannot spend New Year's Eve or the first day of the new year at home. After enjoying the offerings, the ancestors will return to heaven on the night of the first (or second) day of the new year, and the daughter can return home. This rule was very strict in the old society, especially in rural areas, and violating it was considered disrespectful. Although people in the new society no longer believe in ghosts and gods, they still abide by them strictly.
If for some special reason a married daughter spends the New Year at home, her parents and family may be very unhappy. This is also a cultural phenomenon that has been around for a long time and may continue to be implemented for a long time.
"Returning to the mother's home" is also called "returning home". In the past, there were many taboos for a bride to return to her parents' home, which simply refers to the taboos for a bride to return to her parents' home. After the bride returns home, her status has changed. She has become someone else's family member, so her parents are always "on guard against her."
Finally, folk experts believe that "Wedding Son-in-law Day" is a kind of "glue" that promotes family harmony and social harmony and has certain positive significance.
Summary: Through the above article, we know the origin and significance of returning to the mother’s home on the second day of the first lunar month. Of course, in today's society, you should go home more often if you have time. I wish you all good health, peace and good luck in the new year!

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