"There are too many banquets in the countryside." "If my uncle is not here, I can't sit down." "How did this custom come from?"

We have an old saying here, which I think can be explained: uncle is like father. It means that among male relatives, except dad, he is an uncle. My uncle is in a high position, and my nephew needs to visit with gifts on holidays. Otherwise, my uncle will be unhappy, and it will be ugly to visit by himself. For example, we go to my uncle's house on the second day of the Lunar New Year. If you don't go on the second day of the Lunar New Year, some uncles will visit my nephew's house. It used to be an embarrassing thing in the countryside. However, these years are not bad, because most young people are working hard outside, and sometimes they are not at home during the Spring Festival. Slowly, this custom has changed, and there is no need to criticize my uncle's family on the second day of the Lunar New Year.

I remember going to dinner with adults when I was a child (probably in the 1990s), but I forgot exactly what happened. It was because the host's uncle came late that the party was held late. Someone had a problem, but said nothing. After the banquet, a man drank some wine, which was estimated to be more than the amount of alcohol, so he complained to his uncle and waited for him to be useful. The host heard it, and the two wrestled together, and the person next to them couldn't pull it. Make a mess of the whole party. It can be seen that I respected my uncle at that time.

My uncle's seat at the party is also unique. When I was a child, the banquet table was square, unlike the hotel that is round now, and the location is also very exquisite. For example, my uncle is sitting at the door, and the accompanying guests arranged by both parties are often the main figures of my nephew's family, such as uncle and big brother, to show their attention. The end of the escort is the running water mouth, which is the place where the food is served. Because there are many dishes, the banquet needs to be served constantly, and this position needs a discerning guest. In the banquet, if the uncle's position is not in place, if the position is wrong, some grumpy uncles will lift the table and make trouble.

Why is uncle in such a high position? Actually, it's not hard to understand. One of the reasons is that women's status was not high before, and the water poured out by married girls later lived in her husband's house. Communication was not as convenient at that time as it is now. It's easy for married people to say that they are near, but they often don't hear from each other for a long time. It's hard to know whether the sisters are married or not. When my nephew visits my uncle during the Spring Festival, he can ask about the situation at home and check how the sisters are doing. No one went to the Chinese New Year holiday, indicating that something happened to my sister's family, and my uncle would naturally find out, so as not to be wronged at home. If the sisters are wronged, they should rely on their uncles to find justice, reason and reason. As a young man, my uncle also has the energy and ability to manage these things. In addition, in the past, conflicts between extended families were often due to economic interests. Compared with elders and relatives such as uncles and aunts, uncles and nephews have no conflicts of interest and often safeguard the interests of nephews. Uncle nature is valued and respected in his nephew's house.

Times have changed, and people nowadays are generally more pragmatic. Because many people work and live outside, communication is more developed now, and many people don't go for the New Year. Just make a phone call to express your feelings Now the tables are all round, and it is difficult to find the theme, so it is often difficult to tell the position at the banquet. As for waiting for my uncle to open the table, it almost doesn't exist now, not because this etiquette is gone, but because this generation often has only one nephew (female), and my uncle has come to help for a long time regardless of major events and small feelings.