Therefore, the worship of "in-laws" is said to have originated in the Song Dynasty. Besides, there are other legends, so I won't list them one by one. There is no way to prove right or wrong, but it is not difficult to understand that Chaoshan people regard Tanabata as a day for their children to worship their in-laws. By worshipping in-laws, I hope my children will be smart and lively.
In-laws' gifts are also very particular, mostly auspicious things symbolizing peace and happiness, such as pomegranate flowers, eggs and glutinous rice balls. , from which some vivid and interesting proverbs and sayings are derived. For example, children who are naughty and active are often called "in-laws worship crabs". Because crabs have "six feet and two claws", they are used to ridicule children who are disobedient, naughty and restless.
Extended data:
Chaoshan people held an adult ceremony of "going out of the garden" and "worshiping in-laws" for their children aged 15, and also chose Qixi as the day. Children grow up happily under the protection of their parents and other elders, just like living in a "garden", and begin to enter youth after leaving the garden at the age of fifteen. Families with children who leave the park will entertain their relatives and guests, and children will put on new clothes, red shoes and eat the head of a chicken on the day of leaving the park.
This custom of "leaving the garden" contains multiple meanings: first, "filial piety" lets children know how to be grateful for the upbringing and care of their elders through banquets; The second is "pleasing". Eating the cock's head means taking the lead, hoping that children will grow up to be outstanding and become pillars of talent; The third is to "declare" the end of romantic childhood through the ceremony of "worshipping in-laws"
We must gradually learn to understand the common sense of this world. It is said that the custom of children wearing red shoes and eating the head of a chicken "out of the garden" is related to Lin Daqin, the champion of Chaozhou literature in Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty. As a teenager, poor families in Lin Daqin could not afford red shoes, so they had to wear red clogs. One day, an old man in Lu Yu saw a big cock in his hand, so he spread a pair of couplets with the words "Rooster has a bun on his head" on the ground, waiting for a response, claiming that whoever made the following couplets would get a rooster. When Lin Daqin made the bottom line without thinking, "the little sheep had a beard".
The old man was surprised, so he kept his promise and gave him the rooster. After returning to China, Lin Daqin's parents were very happy when they learned about it, so they slaughtered and cooked the rooster and cut off the head of the rooster as an encouragement to Lin Daqin, hoping to get ahead in the future. As an adult, Lin Daqin was indeed a top student in high school, so neighbors followed suit and asked the children to wear red bricks and eat a chicken head when they left the garden. After the news spread, this "custom" was passed down from generation to generation ... A few years ago, the custom of "staying in the garden" in Chaoshan was included in the provincial intangible cultural heritage list.