When people hold wedding celebrations at home, they always like to put red "Xi" on doors, windows, rooms and dowry, which has gradually become a symbol of wedding arrangement. However, why should the word "Xi" be posted when getting married?
"Xi", commonly known as double happiness, has a double meaning of joy. It is mostly used for weddings and other festive occasions. It is usually cut with red paper or gold foil, and some people write it on red paper and then stick it on doors and windows. This custom of posting double happiness characters for happy events is said to have originated from Wang Anshi, the prime minister and great writer of the Song Dynasty.
According to legend, Wang Anshi went to Beijing to catch the exam when he was young, and stayed at his uncle's house in Majia. One day after dinner, I was walking in the town, and I happened to see a couplet posted on Mr. Ma's door: "Run the lantern, run the lantern, stop the lantern." It turns out that this is the first couplet made by Mr. Ma's only daughter when she chooses her husband. It's been half a year, so far no one can make a second couplet. Wang Anshi ignored it because he had to catch the exam and had no time to think about the bottom line.
On the day of the exam, Wang Anshi took a calm attitude in the examination room and waved his hand to answer questions. Seeing that he is young and energetic, the examiner is impressed and appreciates him very much. Later, the examiner asked him to go for an interview. Wang Anshi can answer the examiner's questions with confidence. Finally, the examiner pointed to the flying tiger flag in front of the hall and said, "Flying tiger flag, flying tiger flag, flag rolling and hiding." Wang Anshi knew that this was a couplet for him. Suddenly, he remembered the couplet in front of Mr. Ma's house, and he replied without thinking: "As soon as the lantern lights up, the horse will leave and the light will stop." The examiner was surprised and nodded frequently.
After the exam, Wang Anshi returned to Ma's hometown and came to Ma's foreign home, taking the examiner's "Flying Tiger Flag" as the bottom line and the top line of Ma. Wang Anshi's couplets satisfied Miss Ma, so Miss Ma happily married her daughter to him.
On the wedding day, two newspapers suddenly came to report good news, which was good news for Wang Anshi. To be the top scholar, Wang Anshi was really proud of his spring breeze. He is not only the top student in high school, but also married a daughter with both talents and looks, which can be said to be a double happiness. Therefore, Wang Anshi wrote two red happy characters in a row and placed them on the gate, chanting happily: "Clever couplets are double happy songs, lanterns are tied with flying tigers."
Since then, people have to post the word "double happiness" when they get married and do happy things. They not only put the red word "Xi" on the doors and walls, but also embroidered the word "Xi" on the pillows of bedding, praying for all the best. This custom has been passed down to this day and has become a unique folk custom of China people.