① Red eggs dyed red: mostly used in wedding occasions. Because scarlet is also called "fiery red", it means wishing the newlyweds "prosperity". There is also a saying that takes the extended meaning of "red and purple" and wishes the newlyweds "to make a fire (red bonfire) to cook oil every year, and flowers (also known as" Wei Zi ",a kind of peony, are full of purple when it blooms; The ancients also used purple flowers and purple fog as auspicious symbols.

(2) Red eggs stained with cinnabar: It is a tradition of ethnic minorities in southwest China. After the newborn leaves the grass, it is necessary to boil an egg, color it with cinnabar and put it in a fine porcelain bowl. No matter who comes to visit, no matter what the reason, as long as it is the first person who comes alone within 1 day after the child is born, he must eat this egg, indicating that "God has arranged for me to be the michel platini (foster mother) of the child", and the two families have since recognized the godmother. Some families are poor, so they have to make do with pumpkin juice. (3) Red eggs dyed with eosin: First, give them to the guests when the child is "full moon", wishing the child a healthy growth like the rising sun; Second, when giving the elderly a birthday, we should specially prepare good food for them and wish them a long life, good health and a happy mood. folklore

Why do you send "red eggs"? There are many legends about red eggs among the Han people, among which the most widely circulated is the story of "Liu Bei getting married".

According to legend, during the Three Kingdoms period, Zhou Yu, the commander-in-chief of Soochow, tried to seize Liu Bei and bring him back to Jingzhou by means of fake marriage and real detention. Zhuge Liang saw through the plan and ordered Zhao Yun to bring a lot of red eggs and escort Liu Bei to Wudong to marry the bride. Everyone received red eggs, saying that they married Princess Wu and ate them to celebrate their joy, which also gave them a little grandson. And said that this is the rule of the Han dynasty royal family. People in Wudong feel fresh, and people come here for happiness. As a result, every household knows the news of Sun Liulian's marriage. Wu Guotai was overjoyed when he learned that, and ordered Sun Quan to hold a wedding for Liu Bei and Sun Shangxiang immediately. Sun Quan had no choice but to pretend to be forced, so he had the ending of "losing his wife and folding his soldiers". Since then, the custom of getting married, having children and sharing eggs has become popular in Jiangnan area.

The custom of sharing red eggs embodies ancient people's awe and belief in life and fertility. According to "Selected Works", "Heaven and earth are chaotic like chickens, Pangu was born in it, and it opened up in 8,000 years. Yang Qing is the sky, and the turbidity is the ground." It is said that the epoch-making Pangu was conceived in an egg. In the history books, it is also recorded that the ancestors of Shang Dynasty agreed that "a bird lays its egg, and a butterfly swallows it, which is born of pregnancy", and the great cause of Qin ancestor also recorded that "a bird lays its egg and a woman swallows it". It can be seen that the egg is a symbol of fertility and life in ancient China culture.

In the ancient Shangsi Festival, people cooked eggs, duck eggs and bird eggs and painted them in various colors, which were called "multicolored eggs". They threw colorful eggs into the river and washed them down with the water. People waiting downstream scrambled to eat fish, skinned them and ate them. After eating, they may get pregnant. Because red is a traditional festive color in China, with the changes of history, "eggs" have become red eggs; "Giving children eggs" is no longer the only goal, but a symbol of happiness. Red eggs are sometimes replaced by wedding candy, and sending red eggs has also expanded from marriage to other fields.

folk custom

In Puxian Han nationality, eggs are usually distributed only on the auspicious day of "out of the moon", and people who receive red eggs will say a few words wishing their children health and safety. And the number of eggs is also exquisite, often depending on the relationship between relatives and friends. Ordinary people give one pair (2) or two pairs (4). In order to repay grandma, at least 5 pairs (10) should be brought home.

In some areas of Nanjing, there is also a custom that men give orders and women give pairs. Usually send more than 6-7 numbers. However, you can't send anything below 5, and 5 is also considered unlucky.