What do you mean, try the coffin without trying the shoes? Why can't "shoes" be tried?

What do you mean, try the coffin without trying the shoes? Why can't "shoes" be tried? Today I bring you a new interpretation ~

Folk culture is an important part of Chinese civilization, and proverbs occupy a large proportion in folk culture. In ancient times, there was a very classic collection of folk proverbs called Zengsheng, which contained countless folk proverbs and sayings. We usually call it "proverbs", and sentences such as "The road is long, but Xiu Yuan knows the horsepower, and people will see it for a long time" are included.

Some proverbs are easy to understand the first time, while others are difficult to understand at first sight. For example, today's sentence "Better try a coffin than shoes". As we all know, there are many taboos about funeral in China, but why is there a saying that "I would rather help others try on coffins than shoes"? It seems contradictory.

In fact, this is related to a very long-standing cultural consciousness. Although the shoe is only a small object, people pay more attention to it. There is a saying: borrow rice without firewood, borrow clothes without shoes. The previous sentence said that if you help others, you can lend them rice, but never lend them firewood. The stress here is very interesting.

The ancients believed that helping others should be "helping the poor but not helping the lazy". It takes time for food to mature, so it is good to save lives and avoid starvation with rice. But firewood is everywhere, and you can get it by picking it up. Lending it to others will encourage them to be lazy. In addition, "firewood" and "wealth" are homophonic and should not be lent.

As for the reason why people can't borrow shoes, it's even simpler: first of all, shoes were not rare in ancient times. As long as ordinary people learn to weave straw sandals, they will have no shoes to wear. According to the history book "The History of the Three Kingdoms", when Liu Bei was a teenager, he used to "weave mats with his mother", that is, he made a living by selling straw shoes and mats. If a person refuses to knit shoes, he is lazy.

Secondly, shoes are a kind of personal items, and the sanitary conditions in ancient times were worse than those in modern times. If the other person's feet have diseases, sharing shoes is also easy to get beriberi and other diseases. Once infected, it is difficult to cure. Finally, the pronunciation of the word "shoes" is similar to that of "children" in some areas, and homophonic culture makes people more ashamed to borrow "children".

Therefore, the ancestor's saying "never try on other people's shoes" is not completely superstitious, but he wants to warn us that in the process of interacting with others, even if the relationship is close, we should keep a proper distance, and don't make some unacceptable demands on others, let alone deliberately embarrass others. Only putting yourself in others' shoes first is the best way to live.

As for coffins, although they are funeral supplies, the ancients did not shy away from them. Otherwise, the traditional custom of making "shroud" when the old man is still alive will not be formed, which means "accumulate wealth and live a long life". In fact, "coffin" also involves homophonic culture. In the eyes of the ancients, coffins and coffins were promoted and made rich, so preparing coffins for the elderly in advance is also a "happy event" for the benefit of future generations.

There is a short story in ancient times: two scholars went to Beijing to catch the exam, and Lu Yu people went to the funeral. One scholar thinks this is very unlucky. This time, he must have failed in the imperial examination, and he suddenly became listless; Another scholar was overjoyed and thought it was a good sign of "promotion and wealth". As a result, the former failed the list, but the latter was full of confidence and wanted to be the first.

This story is based on the folk customs of some ancient places. Many Jinshi who are preparing for the exam will try on the coffin for the elderly and say hello to the color before leaving. The ancestors said that "it is better to try shoes than to try a coffin", and they talked about the wisdom of helping others. Unfortunately, this kind word has spread to the present, and many people don't know its true meaning.