According to legend, there was a monster called "Nian" in ancient China, with long tentacles and unusually fierce heads. "Nian" lived deep under the sea for many years, and only climbed ashore every New Year's Eve, eating livestock and harming human lives. Therefore, on New Year's Eve, people in villages and villages helped the old and young to flee to the mountains to avoid the harm of the "Nian" beast.
On New Year's Eve this year, the people of Peach Blossom Village were helping the old and young to take refuge in the mountains. An old man who was begging came from outside the village. I saw him with crutches in his hands, bags in his arms, and his silver beard flowing elegantly, looking like a long star. Some of the villagers sealed the windows and locked the door, some packed their bags, some led cows and goats, and everyone shouted horses and hissed, and there was a scene of haste and panic. At this time, who still had the heart to take care of the begging old man. Only an old woman at the east end of the village gave the old man some food and advised him to go up the mountain to avoid the "Nian" beast. The old man smiled and said, "If my mother-in-law lets me stay at home for one night, I will definitely drive the" Nian "beast away. The old woman looked at him carefully in shock, and saw that he was childlike, energetic, and extraordinary. But The mother-in-law had no choice but to leave her home and take refuge in the mountains.
In the middle of the night, the "Nian" beast broke into the village. It found that the atmosphere in the village was different from previous years: the old woman's house in the east of the village, the door was pasted with big red paper, and the house was brightly lit. The "Nian" beast trembled all over and screamed strangely. "Nian" glared at the mother-in-law's house for a moment, and then rushed over screaming wildly. When approaching the door, there was a sudden "bang bang bang bang" sound in the courtyard, and "Nian" shuddered all over and dared not move forward. It turned out that "Nian" was most afraid of red, fire and explosions. At this time, the door of the mother-in-law's house opened wide, and only an old man in a red robe in the courtyard was laughing. "Nian" was shocked and fled in embarrassment.
The next day was the first day of the first lunar month, and the people who came back from refuge were very surprised to see that the village was safe and sound. At this time, the old woman suddenly realized and hurriedly told the villagers about the promise of begging the old man. The villagers rushed to the old man's house together, and they saw red paper pasted on the door of the old man's house. A pile of unburned bamboo in the yard was still "crackling", and a few red candles in the house were still glowing... To celebrate the auspicious arrival, the overjoyed villagers changed into new clothes and new hats, and went to the houses of relatives and friends to say hello. This matter soon spread in the surrounding villages, and people knew how to drive away the "Nian" beast.
From then on, every New Year's Eve, every family posted red couplets and set off firecrackers; every household was brightly lit with candles and kept waiting for the New Year. Early in the morning on the first day of the new year, I also had to visit relatives and friends to say hello. This custom has spread more and more widely, and it has become the most solemn traditional festival in Chinese folk.