What is Spring Festival Couplets?
Spring Festival Couplets, also known as Chunlian (春联), are traditional decorations for Chinese Spring Festival. It consists of two lines of poetry, usually using parallelism and expressing good wishes. The couplets are pasted on the sides of the entrance to houses to welcome guests and also to express the family's best wishes for the new year.
The Origin of Spring Festival Couplets
The origins of Spring Festival Couplets can be traced back to over a thousand years ago during the Song Dynasty. Back then, people wrote auspicious phrases on peach wood and hung them over their doors to ward off evil spirits. During the Ming Dynasty, this tradition evolved into writing two lines of poetry on red paper and hanging them on both sides of the entrance.
The Art of Writing Spring Festival Couplets
The art of writing Spring Festival Couplets is highly respected in Chinese culture. To create a good Chunlian, the couplet must have a good rhythm and harmony, as well as use clever phrasing and appropriate poetic language. The couplets often express common meanings such as good luck, happiness, health, and prosperity.
Examples of Spring Festival Couplets
There are countless Chunlian themes to choose from, but some of the most common include:
祥瑞迎门 - Good luck and fortune are welcomed through the door.
金玉满堂 - May your life be filled with affluence and grandeur.
岁岁平安 - May you have peace year after year.
恭喜发财 - Congratulations and prosperity.
和气生财 - Harmony brings wealth.
Conclusion
Spring Festival Couplets play an important role in the celebration of Chinese New Year. They not only add to the festive atmosphere, but also express the family's good wishes for the upcoming year. The art of writing Chunlian has been passed down from generation to generation and will continue to be an essential part of the Chinese Spring Festival.