Speaking of birthdays, we modern people are no strangers. Twenty or thirty years ago, the material standard of living was relatively scarce. When the elderly or children celebrated their birthdays, they mostly cooked several dishes and ate longevity noodles, which may be a quite good way to celebrate their birthdays. Rich dishes and pasta, which are rarely eaten several times a year, are expected to leave unforgettable childhood memories for many children. For middle-aged people who are the backbone of their families, it may take some time to calculate and prepare. If the family's economic conditions are a little worse, after hosting a rich birthday party, it may be followed by the family's austerity for a period of time.

Since the reform and opening up, with the strengthening of national economic strength and the improvement of people's living standards, the ways of birthday celebration have become more and more diversified: there are traditional poached eggs and longevity noodles in China, as well as cakes and candles from western culture; The melody of Happy Birthday to You is also sung in more and more families. More and richer delicacies appear on the table. Compared with our modern birthday methods, the Qing people are very different in birthday methods and birthday motives. Next, let's take a look at how the Qing people celebrated their birthdays. What are the reasons for people's birthdays in Qing Dynasty? I. Courtesy of Birthday Celebration in the Qing Dynasty

Among the birthday ceremonies of the Qing people, the most solemn and highest-standard etiquette is naturally the birthday of the son of heaven, who was honored in the Ninth Five-Year Plan.

Picture of Wanshou Festival in Qing Dynasty

In Qing Dynasty, it followed the etiquette of taking the birthday of the emperor as a national holiday since Tang and Song Dynasties. Set the birthday of the emperor as Wanshou Festival, the birthday of the empress dowager as Shengshou Festival, and the birthday of the empress as Qianqiu Festival. Among them, the emperor's "Wanshou Festival" etiquette is the most grand, and it ranks as the "three major festivals" of the Qing court along with New Year's Day and Winter Solstice. Especially the tenth birthday of the emperor will be celebrated all over the country.

in the hall of supreme harmony

the general etiquette of Wanshou Festival is: on this day, a big court meeting will be held. The emperor first went to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which is usually used as a place to hold important ceremonies, and received greetings from kings, Baylor, Beizi, officials of civil and military affairs and foreign envoys. Then he moved to the Qing Palace (the place where the emperor summoned his ministers when there was something important or important) and received gifts from the prince, the emperor's grandson, the empress and the princess.

birthday greetings are required to contribute birthday gifts to the emperor. Birthday gifts generally include wishful thinking, longevity Buddha, calligraphy and painting, pearl room and gold and silver products. Birthday gifts are generally grouped into nine pieces, which are called "September 19". Up to "99" (81 pieces). In addition, a few days before and after the Wanshou Festival, it is forbidden to slaughter livestock in the court, and the yamen can't hear cases of criminal names. The ministers of civil and military affairs should wear embroidered robes to make up their clothes according to the etiquette, which is called the "flower dressing period".

Portraits of Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong

In history of qing dynasty, there are two largest birthday ceremonies on Wanshou Festival: one is March 18th, the 52nd year of Kangxi (1713), the 6th birthday of Emperor Kangxi; Once was August 13th, the 55th year of Qianlong (179), the 8th birthday of Emperor Qianlong.

on March 17th, the fifty-second year of Kangxi, Emperor Kangxi returned to the Forbidden City from Changchun Garden under the escort of civil and military officials, set up a halogen book, and 25 people, the prince and the grandson, helped him walk. From Changchun Garden to Shenwumen, on both sides of dozens of roads along the way, the government organized the people to decorate lanterns, kneel down to meet the drivers and build more than 2 dragon sheds and stages. Kangxi issued a letter to his subjects, giving them thousands of seats for wine and fruit. On the day of the Longevity Day, a grand meeting was held, and the common people from all over the country came to salute the emperor, and they all lined up outside Tiananmen Square from the noon gate.

Earlier, Emperor Kangxi told the world that all officials and people over 65 can go to the capital to attend the banquet in Changchun Garden. On March 25th, Emperor Kangxi held a "Thousand Feasts" in front of the main gate of Changchun Garden, where 33 ministers, officials and scholars of the Han nationality over 9 years old, 538 over 8 years old, 1,823 over 7 years old and 1,846 over 65 years old were entertained. Princes, grandsons, and descendants of imperial families who are over 1 and under 2 are all ordered to toast and distribute food for the old people. Old people over the age of 8 were also helped to the front of Emperor Kangxi, and they were given a drink to show their favor. On March 27th and 28th, Kangxi hosted banquets for ministers, officers and soldiers of the Eight Banners over 65 years old and idlers of the Eight Banners over 7 years old in front of the main entrance of Changchun Garden and the Queen Mother Palace respectively.

chengde mountain resort

As early as July of the fifty-fifth year of Qianlong, the ceremonial activities to congratulate Emperor Qianlong on his 8th birthday began. Qianlong first gathered Mongolian and other tribal leaders and foreign envoys in chengde mountain resort to hold a celebration. Then, Emperor Qianlong returned to Beijing and went to Yuanmingyuan. He imitated his grandfather Kangxi, and ordered people to hang red and green along the way from Yuanmingyuan to Xihuamen, and set up colorful sheds for scenic spots.

Restoration map of Yuanmingyuan (partial)

On August 12th, Emperor Qianlong drove back to the palace, and the government organized people to kneel down to meet him and compete for songs and dances. On August 13th, a dazzling array of jewels, jade ruyi, golden Buddha and coral trees about 3 feet high were displayed on both sides of the steps of the main hall. After the courtiers congratulated him, the imperial concubines celebrated his birthday in the imperial palace, and held a birthday banquet in Ganqing Palace. During the banquet, the prince and grandson danced according to their seniority, age and colorful clothes.

In case of the emperor's 1th birthday, or local officials who are unable to go to Beijing to celebrate his birthday in person because of their low rank or heavy responsibilities, various birthday ceremonies should be held in the local area: CCB Palace, temple repair, singing opera on stage, and chanting scriptures on altar. To show the admiration of all the people and celebrate the whole world.

The "Saint's Day" to celebrate the birthday of the Empress Dowager, although there are some rituals and customs such as people kneeling to greet the Empress Dowager, decorating lanterns, singing operas and presenting birthday gifts by civil and military officials, is obviously slightly inferior to the "Longevity Day" of the emperor.

In history of qing dynasty, there were about two occasions when the empress dowager gave a grand birthday, and the etiquette was as good as the emperor's "Longevity Day". Once in November of the 18th year of Qianlong (1752), Emperor Qianlong celebrated the 6th birthday of his mother, Empress Dowager Chongqing, with great momentum. Today's Palace Museum's collection of Ci Ning Yan Xi Tu and Wan Shou Dian Jing Tu truly depicts the birthday celebration at that time.

the stills of empress dowager cixi

were once celebrated in the late Qing dynasty when empress dowager cixi was preparing for her 6th birthday (November 7th, 1894, the 1th day of October in the lunar calendar). For this reason, the court raised more than 1 million taels of silver to prepare for the birthday celebration. In July, the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 broke out, the Qing army was completely defeated, and the Beiyang Navy was wiped out. The Qing court was forced to sign the treaty of shimonoseki, which humiliated the country. Empress Dowager Cixi also had to cancel all kinds of extravagant celebrations on September 25th, and spent her 6th birthday celebration in Ningshou Palace.

In p>194, when the Qing court lavished money on the 7th birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi, Zhang Taiyan, who was arrested and imprisoned for "reporting the case to the Soviet Union", was filled with grief and indignation, and wrote a satirical "Shoulian" in the "West Prison" in Shanghai:

Today I will go to Nanyuan, tomorrow I will go to Beihai, and when will I go to Gu Chang 'an? Sighing that Li Min's ointment and blood are all dried up, just for one person to sing and celebrate.

fifty to Ryukyu, sixty to Taiwan Province, and now three northeastern provinces! The state of Tongchi county is in a state of anxiety, and every time there is a long life, there is no wish for Xinjiang.

The etiquette of the Qing Empress's Qianqiu Festival is relatively simple. On the birthday, the queen first saluted the emperor and empress dowager. Then he went back to the palace to receive the imperial palace gifts from the prince and his concubines. Although the birthday party was held, the etiquette specifications were much lower than those of the emperor and empress dowager.

Emperors' concubines, concubines, concubines and concubines often have simpler birthday etiquette. Usually, only the ladies-in-waiting and eunuchs who serve them in our palace salute and offer birthday wishes to them. Second, the folk birthday custom in the Qing Dynasty

Birthdays in the Qing Dynasty became a common practice. Whether it's dignitaries or ordinary people, they hold birthday celebrations of different specifications at home when their elders' birthdays come.

When the rich and powerful hold their birthdays, the emperors, dignitaries and relatives and friends who usually come and go give various and valuable gifts. When A Dream of Red Mansions depicts the 8th birthday of Jia Mu, the prince, Xu, and civil and military officials are all impolite, and "there will be an endless stream of birthday presents". The emperor gave Jin Yu a handle, four colored satin ends, four Jin Yu cups and five hundred and twenty pieces of silver. Yuan Chun gave a statue of the Golden Birthday Star, a turn of agarwood and a string of carnations. The Jia family set up a big console table in the hall, covered it with red carpet, and placed the fine and precious things in the gift for the grandmother to have a look.

When an elder is 6 years old or 8 years old, a large family should generally set up a birthday hall, light candles and celebrate the birthday. The birthday girl wears a shroud and sits in nave, accepting the birthday greetings from relatives, friends and younger generations. "A Dream of Red Mansions" records that Jia Mu lived for 8 days on her 8th birthday. During the period, Ning and Rong's two houses "hung lanterns, decorated with lanterns, opened their screens, and set up hibiscus;" The sound of gongs and drums, the thoroughfare goes over the lane. "

Ordinary officials and rich people also try their best to decorate their houses and give banquets to guests and friends to celebrate their elders' birthdays. During the Tongzhi period, Ye Tingqing, a magistrate of a county in Shanghai, celebrated his mother's birthday, and lanterns were hung everywhere in the county government. The day before the birthday is a wish, and the birthday is a birthday. The birthday banquet is divided into upper and lower classes, and the guests and friends who come to celebrate their birthday sit and drink according to their status. Shuttle attendants, cooks, tea makers and other handymen were also rewarded with longevity noodles.

In the family of the rich and powerful, during the birthday activities, the content of acting to create a festive atmosphere was also added. In the Qing Dynasty, people celebrated their birthdays with performances such as Eight Immortals Celebrating the Birthday in Yaochi Club, Peach Offering by Golden Mothers Celebrating the Birthday, and Immortals Celebrating the Birthday and Immortality Meeting.

ordinary people are limited by their financial strength, so it is generally easier to celebrate their birthdays. Usually, a birthday hall is set up at home, and the younger generation gives birthday gifts to the elders, such as peach, birthday couplets, birthday cakes, birthday noodles, etc., and then pays homage to the birthday star and finally eats birthday noodles. Third, Ming Shou

During the Qing Dynasty, the traditional custom of "Ming Shou" still prevailed.

Ming Shou, also called "Yin Shou" and "Ming Qing", is to celebrate the birthday of grandparents and parents who have passed away. "Popular Compilation, Ritual Festival and Yin Shou" compiled by Zhai Hao, a person in Qing Dynasty, quoted Yao Lv's "Lu Shu" as saying: "The date of death is a secret taboo, and the birthday is a taboo, which is extremely important in religion. Kissing the deceased's birthday, such as 5 or 6, is still chasing after life. The people have a gift, just like saving the day. "

When people in the Qing Dynasty celebrated their birthday, some rituals were almost the same as those of their elders when they were alive, such as setting up a birthday hall, children wearing colorful clothes, birthday peaches, birthday noodles, birthday couplets, seasonal cakes and fresh fruits. Birthday-makers hold a banquet to entertain guests and friends who come to celebrate their birthdays; Some even invite troupes to perform for entertainment. Some etiquette is unique to "ghost longevity". For example, in the birthday gifts presented by guests and friends, there are generally gold and silver ingots wrapped in paper, and birthday couplets with the words "Fairyland is not old, Buddha country is evergreen" and so on.

With the prevalence of Buddhism, some families make a "ghost birthday" for their deceased elders in monasteries, and their families pay homage to the deceased, making an amphibious Dojo for the deceased. The time varies from 1 day, 3 days and 7 days, and the day of perfection is the right day. If the family property is rich, the most grand land and water Dojo will be held, with 49 monks worshiping for 7749 days. When the matter is over, put the memorial tablet of the deceased in the temple and bear the incense.