Why abstain from sitting 6 people/table?
As a country famous for its ceremonies and feasts, it is not difficult to understand that the ancient Chinese left many rules on the table. “Eat avoid three, avoid chopsticks five, party avoid six” is one of those sayings. What does this saying mean?
“Eat to avoid three”
“Eating to avoid three” means not ordering three dishes when entertaining guests. It can be explained that in ancient China, the offerings were three dishes, usually the “three births” or three kinds of cattle.
Therefore, treating guests with three dishes is understood as disrespecting guests. At the same time, in traditional Chinese culture, “pairing into pairs” is a matter of great importance. Therefore, a banquet table for guests with an odd number of dishes will be considered mockery.
The rules on the number of dishes on the table above are mainly used for festive occasions or entertaining guests. Meals in the family usually do not have many such rules.
Ancient Chinese banquet (photo: Internet)
“The Wand of Avoiding the Year”
The invention and use of chopsticks is said to be an important event in the history of East Asian civilization. Chopsticks are not only convenient to use, but also have the effect of training the flexibility of the brain. Chinese culture emphasizes the harmony of yin and yang, and a pair of chopsticks is also considered a pair of yin and yang, only when they work together to maximize their effects.
One end of the chopsticks is round, in the traditional East Asian cultural sense of “the sky is round and the earth is square”.
The length of the chopsticks according to the ancient Chinese unit of measurement is seven centimeters and six, symbolizing the fundamental difference between humans and animals: “seven feelings and six desires”.
The “chopsticks avoid the year” is broadly a system of Chinese rituals around chopsticks. At the heart of these rituals is the concept of yin and yang harmony, respect for the laws of nature. The proportion and completeness of the chopsticks is considered both a blessing and a reverence for the party.
Ancient Chinese banquet (photo: Internet)
“Six Avoidance Party”
Ancient Chinese banquet tables are usually round, oval or Bagua (eight-sided) tables. If the table is shaped like this with six people sitting, it will form a turtle shape with a head, tail and four legs. Meanwhile, tortoise is rarely used to compare with good connotations.
At the same time, the ancient Chinese sound of the number six is ”lu” which is homophonous with “luo”. Adding six people around the table will form the phrase for falling, falling. These concepts are supposed to avoid waste and make the most of table space and food.
Law and Readers
at Blogtuan.info – Source: cafebiz.vn – Read the original article here
