1. Shaving your head in the first month-"homesickness"

2. Shave your head in the first month-Thinking of Uncle

The first explanation

In the old society, there were many taboos in folk customs, such as "No shaving in the first month". In the first month of the summer calendar, although the boy's hair is crazy long, it can't be violated at all, otherwise it will be bad for my uncle. "I shaved my head in the first month and died." What a terrible responsibility. My uncle's safety depends on his nephew's head. It was not until the second day of February in the summer calendar that the boy was free to shave his head.

Why is my nephew's hair related to my uncle's life? This requires a lot of thinking. Sociologists have verified that human beings are moving from matrilineal society to paternal society step by step. In the matriarchal clan society where women have the final say, uncle is an important representative of this family.

The second volume of Ye Xianzhi published in the 24th edition of the Republic of China, Customs, reveals the answer to the custom: "I heard that the imperial edict of shaving hair before the Qing Dynasty was implemented in the first month of the fourth year of Shunzhi, and the system of the Ming Dynasty changed, so the people thought of the old gentleman because of shaving hair, so they said' thinking about the old'. After a long time, I mistook it for a' dead uncle'. " It is a kind of "nostalgia" not to shave your head in the first month. The first month is the beginning of a year, just like a morning. Don't shave your head for a month in the first month to remember the tradition. The time of the "haircut order" of the old villagers was wrong, not the first month of the fourth year of Shunzhi, but June of the second year of Shunzhi. At that time, Regent Dourgen ordered to set up sentry boxes at the main intersections in Beijing, such as Qianmen, Di 'anmen and Dongxi Archway, to shave pedestrians' heads for free. The "haircut order" stipulates that all officials, soldiers and civilians should shave their heads, and those who hesitate should be beheaded according to the theory of rebellion! The court threatened the Han people with death to submit to Manchu, which frightened them. But this panic instantly turned into anger. They would rather die than shave their heads, and even shouted, "I'd rather be a ghost with my hair tied than shave my head." However, after all, the neck is not as hard as a steel knife, and the Han people are forced to shave their hair for the sake of their necks. But the resistance didn't stop. Not shaving for the first month was a kind of resistance. 1644 to 1650 (from the first year of Shunzhi to the seventh year of Shunzhi), Italian Martino Martini wrote "The Battle of Tatar", which recorded the situation that the soldiers and civilians in southern China fought to defend their hair: soldiers and ordinary people took up arms and swore to defend their hair to the death, which was more heroic than fighting for the emperor and the country. Not only Tatars, in fact, if they catch up with the past, they may recover the provincial capital and other towns, but instead of continuing to develop and win, they are only content to keep their hair. It's hard for Italians to understand that they don't hesitate to turn around to shave their heads.

Han men have been storing hair since ancient times, "wearing leather clothes and influenced by their parents", and dare not hurt or move. Shaving your head is like killing someone. The punishment of "delivering" is not within the five punishments, but it is also a punishment. Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms cut his hair and changed his head as proof. This habit has been abolished since the Sui and Tang Dynasties: immature children wear their hair around their necks and shawls; When I am an adult, my hair is always tied in a bun. At that time, in order to unify the national costumes, the Qing Dynasty forced Han people to imitate Manchu, shave their heads and wear braids. Manchu used to be a hunting tribe. For practical convenience, they drew a straight line from both ends of the frontal angle, and all the hair outside the straight line was shaved off, leaving only the hair on the top of the head braided. Customs have a strong inheritance and will change with time and place. After the Manchu entered the Central Plains, a large number of Han scholars were accepted to participate in the political power, and senior officials such as cabinet university students and six ministers were equally divided. Under the situation of "Manchu, * * * the world", the contradiction between Manchu and Han nationalities gradually weakened. Over time, Han people also regarded "Manchu" as orthodoxy, and shaving their heads gradually became a habit. In this way, if you don't shave your head in the first month to "miss the old", you will lose the cultural and psychological foundation on which you live, and you will be misinformed as "dead uncle" by homophones. In order to resist the Manchu rule, the Han people invented the saying that they shaved their heads and died in the first month. If you don't shave your head for a month in the first month, you don't shave your head for a year, in order to remember your ancestors and traditions. In the tradition of China people, uncle is a symbol of justice. It is usually my uncle who presides over the justice of family separation.

According to the folklore of Huaiyin, Jiangsu Province, this legend began with the political victory of Qin Shihuang. In order to avoid taboo, the people changed the name of the first month of each year to the first month, and also formed the custom of not shaving their heads, otherwise there would be mass annihilation. People in Jianshi County, Sichuan Province say that they don't shave their heads in the first month, otherwise it is called "no hair (law)".

Manchu people living in the northeast don't shave their heads in the first month, and most of them wait until February 2, which is called the "head-shaving faucet". Scrape the tap every year, grow up and make great strides, be the first and make great achievements. They also think that shaving your head in the first month will hurt your uncle. It can be seen that this is the legacy of ancient human customs, but it has been given new content when ethnic contradictions intensify, using ancient customs to disguise the thoughts of the old country.

The second explanation

"You must know the saying that you shaved your head in the first month, right?" The proprietress asked.

In Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, the custom of not having a haircut in the first month has a great influence. People usually get their hair cut in the twelfth lunar month, and then wait until the second day of February to enter the barber shop. I replied, "It's just a superstition."

"But this statement not only affects the operation of our hairdressing industry, but also increases the obstacles for people to pursue beauty." The proprietress went on to say, "I made a survey. Most young people don't care about superstition, but they are afraid that their elders will accuse them of unfilial disrespect." "Do you have any good ideas?" I asked.

"As long as you know the ins and outs of this statement, everything will be solved," continued the proprietress. "When I was an apprentice, I asked the master this question. The master told such a story. It is said that a long time ago, there was a poor barber who loved his uncle very much. However, in the first month, the barber worried that he had no money to buy a decent gift for his uncle. When it was time to visit relatives, the barber had a brainwave and came to my uncle's house with a razor pole, carefully shaving my uncle. When my uncle appeared in front of the party, all relatives and friends praised the barber's exquisite craftsmanship and said that my uncle looked much younger and more energetic. My uncle was very happy, saying that it was the best New Year gift for him, and promised to give him a haircut in the first month of every year to see if there was any new progress in his craft. A few years later, my uncle passed away. Every January, the barber tears at the shaved head, and he feels sad that he can no longer be filial to his uncle ... "

When I heard this, I suddenly understood the boss's meaning: "You mean, the story is to shave your head and miss your uncle in the first month."

"Yes," said the proprietress. "I don't know when to start spreading rumors, and' thinking' has become' death'. How many people have suffered because of the word difference! " Occasionally, there is a taboo of "haircut in the first month, death of uncle". However, since the opening of Taicheng Barbershop years later, the business has been generally good, and most of the customers are young people. Folklore experts say that "my uncle died in the first month of haircut" is a misinformation of "thinking about the old" and "thinking about my uncle", which has no scientific basis.

On the eighth day of the first month, most barbershops in Taicheng opened their doors, and many people came to have their hair cut, and most of them had to queue up. In a barber shop on Wenhua Road, two ladies are having a perm, and three or four ladies are waiting for a haircut. The barber said that it would open on the sixth day, and most of the people who came for haircuts were young people, and almost no old people and children came.

In a barber shop on Longtan Road, Mr. Lin, 28, said that his hair had to be cut when he went to work on the ninth day of the first month. "I started to work in the new year and met my colleagues very neatly. I never believe that my uncle died of shaving his head in the first month. Young people don't pay that much attention. "

"There were seven barbers in the barbershop, but now there are only two on duty. Many people have haircuts and perms. Many customers have to wait for half an hour from morning till night. " Barber Mr. Wang said.

Li Jian, a folklore expert at the School of Chinese Language and Literature, Taishan University, said that there are many folk sayings that you can't get a haircut in the first month. Some people say that after the Qing army entered the customs, the Han people expressed their yearning for the Ming Dynasty by "not shaving their heads in the first month", which means "homesickness"; Some people say that hairdressers are poor and can't afford gifts. He shaves off his uncle's hair in the first month of every year. After his uncle died, he missed him very much. There is a saying among the people that "shaving your head means missing your uncle".

Li Jian said that one of the main characteristics of folk culture is word of mouth, which will be different in the process of spreading and learning, and will be far from the original intention. "My uncle died in the first month of haircut" is a variation of folk culture. "My uncle died" is actually a misinformation of "thinking about the past and thinking about my uncle", which has no scientific basis.

"In the first month, don't shave your head; I shaved my head and died in the first month. " This folk song has been sung for more than 360 years, and its original meaning has long been blurred. Give the barber on Kyushu a month's "annual leave" every year. Today, most people still observe the custom of not going to the barber shop in the first month. In fact, this folk song does not predict that people will definitely die if they shave their heads in the first month, but is using the helplessness of "not shaving their heads in the first month-thinking about the old" to curse the "haircut order" imposed by the Manchu government with a steel knife and a hard crossbow.