Moral symbol of gourd

Gourd has the following moral symbols:

1, indicating wealth. Because "Hulu" and "Fulu" are homonyms, it is also a symbol of wealth, representing longevity and auspiciousness. It is based on this concept that people use colored gourds as decorations.

2, indicating good luck and evil spirits. In ancient times, couples got married and went into the bridal chamber to drink "Xie Jie" wine, which meant that the souls of husband and wife could be combined after a hundred years. Therefore, the ancients regarded the gourd as a mascot for good luck, self-protection and evil spirits. Gourd has a very close relationship with Xiandao. Legendary mythological figures such as Mr. Tie Guai, Yin, An Qisheng and Fei Changfang in Fairy Tales are always associated with the gourd, making it one of the symbols of immortality.

3. It means that children and grandchildren are prosperous. In addition, because the gourd vine stretches and the fruit is flourishing, it is also regarded as a mascot to pray for future generations. The proverb: "Only when there is a grain in your pocket can your family style become rich", which means that you can become rich and rich by putting a gourd at home.

4. It is a totem worshipped by some ethnic minorities. At least 20 ethnic groups in China worship gourd, accompanied by the myth of gourd.

Gourd is a climbing vine with fruit ranging from 10 cm to one meter. In ancient times, people dried gourds, hollowed them out, and made things to hold things. The name "Hulu" can be seen from the mutual training of two words in Shuo Wen Jie Zi. The word Xuan comes from melon, which shows that the ancients regarded it as a kind of melon.

The length of vines, the size of leaves and flowers, the size and shape of fruits are different in different cultivation types of gourds. Fruits are rod-shaped, spoon-shaped, dolphin-shaped, pot-shaped, etc. The name of the species also depends on the shape of the fruit. In addition, in ancient times, people dried the gourd, hollowed it out, and made it into things to hold things.

The name "Hulu" in Shuo Wen Jie Zi can be seen from the mutual training of the two characters in Shuo Wen Jie Zi. Xuanzi comes from melon, which shows that the ancients regarded it as a kind of melon; In addition, Confucius once mentioned "papaya" in The Analects of Confucius Yang Huo, which is also a good explanation. Later, these names spread, and gradually a two-syllable gourd appeared. This name appeared in the Three Kingdoms period, and it was recorded in Shi Shuo Xin Yu that scholars at that time mentioned that there was a kind of "long-handled gourd" in Soochow.