The origin of the word double happiness

The word "double happiness" has a clever structure, which is a unique artistic folk custom in China, symbolizing the joy of men and women, and also symbolizing the full house of children and grandchildren, family harmony and happiness. It is said that the word "double happiness" has two different versions of origin and legend!

The first version of the origin of the word double happiness

According to legend, there was once a scholar named Youxi. After studying hard for ten years, he went to Beijing to take the exam, but he failed twice. This year, he didn't give up and wanted to try again.

On this day, he passed by a small village and saw a couplet posted in front of a member's house. Youxi looked forward and saw this pair of couplets strange. Only the first couplet was made, and the second couplet was a piece of red paper without a word. The couplet reads: "Run the lantern, let the horse go, let the horse stop." Youxi stood and watched for a while, didn't think much, and soon hit the road. After taking the exam, Youxi told the examiner about the strange things he saw on the road. The examiner laughed and said, "That's a marriage proposal couplet. Anyone who knows couplets can be a door-to-door son-in-law That young lady must be very talented. Why not make up a couplet and visit relatives? "

Think about it, what the examiner said is also reasonable. I didn't pass the exam twice before, and it's probably useless this time. Just get married. On the way back, Youxi went to the door of the member's house again. Seeing that the couplets were still empty, he took out his pen and ink and wrote them on red paper. Youxi was writing when the old man came out. This member's surname is Long, and he has an only daughter named Long Xifeng. She is studious, knowledgeable and polite since childhood. Earlier, as soon as a woman turned 12 or 13, her parents set out to find her husband's family, and Xifeng had to find it herself. Long Xifeng wrote this couplet in front of her house when she was eighteen. It's been almost a year now, and no one has filled in the couplets at the bottom. Mr. Long is also in a hurry. When I came out to play today, I happened to see Youxi filling in the second couplet of the couplet. I was very happy. I saw the couplet at the bottom: "Flying Tiger Flag, Flag Tiger Flying, Flag Tiger Hiding." I once again saw Youxi, a handsome man, and I led Youxi to see Xifeng. Long Xifeng was very energetic when she saw Xi 'er. After listening to Xi 'er, she said something extraordinary. Knowing that he was a talented and learned man, he readily agreed.

They were about to marry each other when suddenly gongs and drums rang out. It turned out that Youxi had won the top prize, and the examiner personally came to Beijing to meet him. The examiner was very happy to see this marriage and said, "Two happy events have come together. It' s really a double happiness. " Hearing this, Mr. Long called his family and wrote two happy words on the door. The examiner looked at it and said, "No, two happy events are next to each other, and two happy words should also be next to each other." Hearing this, Mr. Long quickly said, "That makes sense."

Since then, it has become the word "Xi", which has been used ever since.

The second version of the origin of the word double happiness

In April 1047 BC, Wang Anshi was born in Linchuan, Jiangxi, at the age of 26. In the seventh year of Song You, the emperor posted notices all over the country. In August of that year, a national examination was held to select the top scholar. When Wang Anshi learned about it, he made all the preparations. The Wangs are a landlord-bureaucrat family with excellent economic conditions. Wang Fu confessed that two months before the exam, Wang Anshi was asked to leave early and go to his cousin Sun's house in Huai 'an, Jiangsu, to show his concern. On the morning of May, Wang Anshi bid farewell to his family and set out from his hometown Linchuan with two extremely good students. He traveled all the way and didn't come home for one night. During his stay in Huai 'an, The Journey to the West author Wu Cheng'en, Han Dynasty strategist Han Xin, Shu Mei and his son and other cultural celebrities were deeply attracted by the features of the ancient city and the characteristic culture of the water town, and he was deeply moved by the harmony, courtesy, hospitality, history and culture of Huai 'an people. Unconsciously, he has lived with his cousin for more than 20 days. At this time, in early July, he will leave for Beijing for the exam.

The next morning, his cousin prepared a horse for him, took an extremely good boy, bid farewell to his hospitable cousin, and set off on his way. He started from Huai 'an Prefecture (now Chuzhou) and passed through He Xia Guzhen, Banzha and Qingjiangpu. When he first arrived in Wang Jiaying, he was attracted by the lively scene there. The front door of Wang Jiaying Horse was crowded with people, who laughed and shouted. This is Mr. Ma's couplet for his daughter's marriage.

Miss Ma is a famous talented woman in the local area. She is proficient in reading and writing, poetry and songs, gentle and graceful, dignified and beautiful. A couplet was posted in front of her house. "Go with a lantern, go with a lantern, and stop with a lantern." Seek the next link. The young lady will recruit any son who can make the second couplet as her son-in-law. The first part has been posted for several days. Numerous childe sent it to the next couplet, but Miss Ma thought it was inappropriate. Wang Anshi looked forward, thought and thought, and tried to send two bottom lines. Miss Wang still shook her head and said no. Wang Anshi lived here for two days and wrote several bottom lines. Miss Ma was not satisfied. He has been thinking hard in his heart.

When he arrived in Bianjing, Wang Anshi successfully passed the three levels of poetry, fu and strategy. On the fourth day, it was put forward by the emperor himself. After all the candidates are seated, the examiner will issue the examination questions according to one person. When Wang Anshi looked at the examination questions, they were couplets. The first part was "Flying Tiger Flag, Flying Tiger Flag, Hidden Tiger Flag", and each candidate was required to do the second part. The topic looks simple, but it is actually difficult, requiring every word. Wang Anshi thought for half an hour. Suddenly, he had a brainwave and his eyes flashed by. I remember. Teacher Ma's husband's online is the best online exam this time. As he picked up the pen, he wrote "Walking is the best, walking is the best". After writing, he carefully deliberated and pondered a few words and sentences. "Today's exam questions can be bottom allied to Teacher Ma! Yes! Yes, it completely meets the bottom line of Miss Ma. "

I got up early the next morning and told the family to stay in Beijing. Once he is on the list, he will leave immediately. He took Jia Hua, a family member of the little boy, to the door of Mr. Ma's house with great interest. At first glance, there are still many people gathered here, and there are couplets posted in front of the door. No one stepped forward. Wang Anshi took his time and handed them over to the tall building. When the young lady saw it, she applauded. Wonderful! Wonderful! Carefully choose the words and match them neatly, and immediately order the prince to go to Gaotang. After some discussion, Mr. Ma decided to recruit him as a son-in-law, arrange for the prince to live in the house, and the whole family was ready to choose a date. In a few days, this young lady will marry the prince.

Wang Anshi lived in Ma's house for more than twenty days, looking forward to the news of Beijing every day. Later, a group of people from Beijing sang gongs and led them to Ma's house, and people announced it. "Feng Tianzai, the emperor Zhao Yue and Wang Anshi were chosen as the first scholar, and I admire this." The firecrackers in the Majia family are ringing, and the gongs and drums are loud. Congratulations to Wang Gongzi and his younger brother. On the eighth day, Wang Anshi and Miss Ma held a grand wedding. At this time, Wang Anshi has both fame and wife, which is really a double happiness. The Ma family invited paper-cutting artists to cut 88 double happiness stories with red paper, and pasted them all over the room. Wang Anshi, who was overjoyed, wrote another poem: "Clever couplets form a double happiness song, and flying horses and flying tigers knot silk." There is a gold medal in the bridal chamber, and the small one meets the big one. "

Since then, whenever there is a wedding celebration, people put the word "double happiness" on the portal, hall and bridal chamber, reflecting people's psychology of looking forward to happy events in pairs.