The forehead of the birthday girl is also closely related to the image of longevity shaped by ancient health preservation. For example, the red-crowned crane's head bulges very high. Another example is longevity peach, which was specially offered at the flat peach meeting of the Queen Mother. Legend has it that it blooms for 3,000 years, but bears fruit for 3,000 years, and becomes immortal immediately after eating it. Perhaps it is precisely because of the fusion and superposition of these longevity images that the forehead of the birthday girl is finally created. The change of the crutch of the birthday girl shows the weakening of its political education function. The king's scepter carved with turtledove, which originally symbolized privilege, was replaced by a mahogany cane. It is said that peach wood can get rid of diseases, strengthen the body and prolong life. The folklore in the northeast of the earth is where evil spirits live. There is a gate called the Gate of All Ghosts to keep evil spirits out. It is said that this door was made of peach wood by the Emperor of Heaven. For safety reasons, two peach trees were planted in front of the door to ward off evil spirits. Interestingly, modern scientific research has found that the juice of peach trees does contain some special ingredients that inhibit the growth of bacteria. In the past, Chinese medicine also blindly used peach branches, thinking that the peach branches were facing the northeast, that is, towards the gate of hell, and the drug effect was the best. The scepter, once a symbol of privilege, has now become a longevity mascot in the hands of the birthday girl. Shouxing Street in Changsha, Hunan Province is named after a large-scale Shouxing Temple. According to local records, Shouxing Temple was built here as early as the Tang Dynasty and lasted until the Republic of China. It is said that incense is very popular, and many people come here to burn incense and pray for the blessing of the birthday girl. Walking more than 100 miles south, you can reach the real blessed land of longevity-Mount Hengshan in Nanyue, which is often mentioned in couplets. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, there were no fewer than ten manjuji, and the existing Wanshou Pavilion was a relic of the Song Dynasty. However, the god worshipped by Mount Hengshan in ancient Nanyue was not the immortal star, but the immortal emperor in Antarctica. This Nanyue Temple, built in the Tang Dynasty, was specially built for him. The gods of the five mountains in the southeast and northwest all evolved from the worship of natural mountain gods. The so-called longevity of Antarctic longevity may also come from the ancient people's imagination of the southern climate. The location of the birthday star in the sky is in the south. People think it is the closest to the birthday girl, so it is easy for the birthday girl to hear her burning incense to show her piety. In the folklore of later generations, the immortal emperor of Antarctica and the old star of Antarctica are often confused, perhaps because both of them have the concept of South Pole, which is close to longevity. In the genealogy of Taoist immortals, the status of these two immortals is much higher than that of Peng Zu. Although Peng Zu has a long life, he is a historical figure, not as noble as the Antarctic emperor and the Antarctic old man. Therefore, when it comes to longevity, Antarctic old age or Antarctic fairy Weng is the most famous. Since the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, the ranks of Taoist immortals have been growing, and it is necessary for immortals to bless immortality. For example, the Great Antarctic, the Southern Beidou, the Zodiac Salvation King, the 36-day plough, and the 60-life core tablet Jiazi God. , all have the function of blessing longevity. Uncontrolled creation of gods leads to decentralization of power, which greatly weakens the divinity of the birthday girl. The Ming government ordered the cancellation of the national system of offering sacrifices to the birthday girl since Qin and Han Dynasties. The birthday girl completely removed the political color and strode into the folk, becoming the most secular fairy in ancient China. In the past, people in pengshan county always hung up the portrait of the birthday girl when celebrating the old people's birthdays. Although asking God to come down to earth is often a mere formality, it is real that the birthday party can win the happiness of the elderly. Family reunion, children and grandchildren, but also enjoy wine and food, enjoy family happiness. Such a scene is a family ceremony to express filial piety and affection, and the portrait of the birthday girl is an indispensable auspicious symbol. The custom of celebrating birthdays was not popular at first, which may stem from a simple concept: because people think their birthdays are actually Mother's Good Friday. Remember the kindness of parents, which is out of harmony with the festive atmosphere of birthday. It was not until the Ming and Qing Dynasties that the custom of celebrating the birthday of the elderly gradually rose. Several unprecedented events in the prosperous period of Kanggan made the folk birthday custom flourish. The most luxurious birthday party in history is a thousand banquets hosted by Emperor Qianlong. This year, Qianlong was 74 years old, and he had five generations of great-grandchildren, claiming to be the ancient emperor and a perfect old man. He sent a letter, on behalf of more than 6,000 people, inviting people over 60 to the Forbidden City for their birthdays. This painting called "Wanshou Festival" depicts the grand occasion at that time. Old people were invited to dinner with the help of their families, all over the streets of Beijing. Since the Qing Dynasty, it has become a routine to celebrate the birthday of the elderly. And gradually formed a complex etiquette ostentation and extravagance, some old rules have been inherited to this day. For example, the principle of birthday age is generally an integer life, that is, 40, 50, 60. But after 70, many arguments were added. 77 is also called Happy Birthday, because the abbreviation of Happy Birthday is 77 when Lian Bi opened it, and 88 is also called Mi Shou, which is also a word opening statement. This is because there are very few people over 70 years old, and one more sentence gives the old people another chance to have a family reunion and make them happy. After you 100 years old, do it every year, and do it with great fanfare. This is a sign of filial piety for children, hoping to bring more happiness to the elderly. Attaching importance to family ties and respecting and loving the elderly are important components of China's traditional morality. Birthday ceremony is the externalized form of this virtue. Although the birthday girl no longer has majestic divinity, it has been passed down from generation to generation due to the needs of folk ethical life. References:

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