In the first year after the death of an immediate family member, it is a custom in most parts of China to stick red couplets before the Spring Festival and during the New Year.
However, if a family member dies, it is forbidden to post red couplets in front of the door during the first Spring Festival.
But the customs may be different from place to place. If you post it, you can write it on blue or gray paper yourself, and you can't post red couplets.
There are three main reasons:
1. expressed condolences for the dead old man.
When old people reach a certain age, death is an inevitable law, because we have never heard of anyone who can live forever, but the elders are our closest relatives. Our younger generation will feel very sad after their death. Sticking up Spring Festival couplets is a festive event. We use this way of not posting couplets to express some mourning and nostalgia for the deceased elders.
2. Traditional culture is deeply rooted in people's hearts:
Filial piety is the traditional virtue of the Chinese nation, and Chinese children pay the most attention to "filial piety first". Therefore, there should be deceased family members, and no Spring Festival couplets, lanterns and firecrackers should be posted to show respect for their deceased relatives. Spring Festival couplets are red, representing happiness, which conflicts with filial piety and cannot be posted. To show my memory and respect for my old friends.
3. Influenced by feudal thought:
Spring Festival couplets and red lanterns do not conform to our filial piety. Confucius once said, "Is it safe for a woman to eat her husband's rice and her wife's brocade?" It means: your parents are dead, and one year later, you think you can go to music and dance. Are you at ease? In rural areas, feudal thoughts are deeply rooted, and Spring Festival couplets conflict with filial piety, desecrating the deceased relatives. In addition, on New Year's Eve three years later, there will be a memorial service for the dead. When I come back from the Spring Festival, I will be angry when I see my home is red, which will affect the wealth of future generations.
A hundred miles is different from customs, and a hundred miles is different from the sky. In many places, white couplets will be posted in the first year, and yellow and green couplets will be posted in the second and third years respectively. White and yellow show condolences and respect for the dead!