Three years after the death of a loved one, why can’t we post red couplets?

Because of the longing for relatives after the death of relatives, generally rural areas do not post red couplets, because red couplets represent happiness. Red is used for happy events, and white is usually used for funerals. In addition, in the ancient Western Zhou Dynasty, there were funeral ceremonies passed down. If a parent passed away, the descendants of the family must observe filial piety for the deceased for three years. These three years are the mourning period and are also out of respect for the deceased, so generally they do not Red couplets will be posted.

In ancient times and even today, there were many taboos about funerals, and in many rural areas, funeral customs were handled by local elders because they knew better the taboos and specific matters of funeral customs. Therefore, after the death of a loved one, white elegiac couplets will be used to express the longing for the loved one and express the sadness in one's heart. Therefore, red is definitely not used for decoration during this period, because red represents happiness. Generally, when someone in the family is getting married or has other happy events, such as giving birth to a child, the main color on such occasions is red.

For a long time in ancient times, funeral customs were very strict. Five rituals were invented during the Western Zhou Dynasty, and among the five rituals was the ritual of keeping filial piety, which means that if an elderly person in the family dies, then Children and grandchildren must observe mourning for the elderly for three years. During this period, they are not allowed to post red couplets. Not only cannot they use red as the theme, but also if there are descendants in the family who are officials, they must resign and go home to observe mourning. This shows that the society at that time had a strong sense of mourning. Funerals are so important. In addition, during the funeral period, filial sons are not allowed to visit neighbors or wear bright clothes. This is disrespectful to the deceased and will be reprimanded by villagers or elders.

This kind of custom has been passed down from ancient times to the present. Even today, many rural areas still follow this etiquette. Although there may not be a three-year filial piety tradition now, if someone in the family dies, then it will definitely not be done. Couplets in red color will be pasted. This is also the inheritance of Chinese culture. After all, we often hear a saying from family members that "the dead are the most important", so everything must be done according to customs.