Because in rural areas, "three dishes" means to respect ghosts and gods, which is very unlucky. If you look closely, people who pay homage to the dead at home usually put three dishes or three bowls of fruit, and burn incense three times when they burn incense.

After a long time, in the concept of rural people, as long as it is related to "three", it is related to the dead. Rural people are superstitious, so they think "three" is unlucky.

If there are guests at home and three dishes are placed on the table, it is either intentional or unlucky. So even the poorest families, as long as they have guests, are either three dishes and one soup, or simply one dish and one soup, instead of two dishes and one soup or three dishes.

Later, the meaning of "three dishes" gradually extended and developed. Everyone thinks that if there are three dishes on the table, it will not only be unlucky, but also appear that the host family is poor and stingy.

Rural people have great face, and everyone lives in the neighborhood. You can't lose face by throwing anything, or you will be pointed at and gossiped. Therefore, in order to make yourself more face-saving, even if you are strong, you will cook three dishes and one soup for yourself, which is also a sign of respecting guests.

If they were richer, they would cook a table of dishes to show their sincerity. But the number of dishes on this table must be even. Because the countryside pays attention to yes-men, just like relatives and friends giving red envelopes when they get married, they are generally even. This is a sign of good luck.

Of course, there is no such thing now, and everyone knows that this is superstition. It is very casual to put a few dishes, and it is also common to give a gift of 300.500 yuan.