Traditional Dietary Taboos: Why Should Pregnant Women Be Quarantined? There Is Also Something Special About Shaving Your Hair.
You must have heard the elders in your family talking about many things that have "not to be eaten" rules. You can't eat salt during the confinement period, otherwise the child will have blisters in the mouth. You can't eat "fat food" when you are sick, otherwise the illness will not be cured. You can't put chopsticks in the bowl when eating, because it is used to pay homage to the dead. These things have been spread for unknown reasons. After many years of dietary taboos, almost everyone has encountered them. How did they come about? Is it superstitious behavior with no basis at all, or does it contain the wisdom of ancient people in life? Today we will have an in-depth discussion on this topic and sort out the causes and consequences of these taboos.
From fear of ghosts to fear of "unlucky things"
In fact, the earliest dietary taboos are directly related to the worship of ghosts. After primitive people saw someone passing away, they believed that the soul was still there, and they must take care of it properly, otherwise it would return and cause trouble again. Therefore, the habit of placing sacrificial objects for the dead was born. If the living people mess with these sacrificial objects at will, or Doing something that makes ghosts unhappy while eating is considered a taboo, such as inserting chopsticks into a bowl while eating. This action is very similar to offering incense and is considered to attract ghosts. In ancient times, it was believed that the blood shed by pregnant women was unclean and might offend the gods, so there were many restrictions on maternal diet. In the future, social development has progressed, and the public's direct fear of ghosts has decreased. However, the vague concept of "unlucky" has remained and has become a "universal explanation" for various taboos.
The hidden survival experience behind "Fawu"
The "fat foods" we often call them, such as fish, shrimp, mutton, and leeks, are regarded by many people as things that must not be touched when they are sick. This is actually an empirical taboo summarized by the ancients over a long period of life. In the past, medical conditions were poor, and a single episode of food poisoning could be life-threatening. People found that if some people ate certain foods when they were sick, their condition would be aggravated, so they classified these foods as "fat foods". However, there are great individual differences and misunderstandings. For example, if someone is allergic to seafood and develops a rash on his body after eating it, this was regarded as a "hair attack" in ancient times. As far as modern science is concerned, if you are not allergic, moderate consumption of high-quality protein is beneficial to the recovery of physical strength. The above content is the valuable part of empirical taboos that remains after removing the superstitious appearance. It reminds us that we should pay attention to the differences between individuals and the safety of food.
Strict boundaries between ritual food and daily life
After the ancestor worship rituals matured, food taboos were greatly strengthened. This is detailed in the "Book of Rites". What to eat on different occasions and how to eat are all very detailed. The meat used for ancestor worship must be distributed among family members in accordance with established rules, and must not be taken and eaten at will, otherwise it will be a serious disrespect to the ancestors. In the traditional concept of the Han people, sacrifices are sacred and inviolable before the sacrifice, and it is strictly forbidden to touch them. Sharing them after the sacrifice has the meaning of "blessing". These rules are not only out of fear of ghosts and gods, but also aimed at establishing a family order and social norms. Who is responsible for dividing the meat, and who is qualified to eat meat? This reflects power and status. Food taboos changed from mere fear to a means of maintaining the patriarchal system.
Totem taboos and the formation of clan cohesion
In more ancient clan societies, totem taboos are the core food rules. If a clan regards a certain animal or plant as a totem and considers it as its ancestor or protector, then people in this clan must not eat it. For example, clans with wolves as their totems will not eat wolf meat. This taboo There must have been worship of supernatural powers at first, but the actual effect is quite large. It uses food bans to tightly bind people of the same clan together and strengthen the sense of identity of "we are a family." When outsiders see your totem, they will know which group you belong to, whether you can intermarry, and whether you are an ally. The taboo against intermarriage between clans of the same totem is also derived from this, ensuring the purity and cohesion of clan bloodlines.
Etiquette education turns taboos into "civilization"
From then on, many dietary taboos were formalized and became rules that "civilized people" must follow. For example, you should not make squeaking sounds when eating, do not turn dishes, and do not use chopsticks to knock the dishes. These rules may have originally been associated with ghosts. For example, tapping a bowl with chopsticks is said to attract hungry ghosts. But until now, we teach our children to observe these simply because they symbolize upbringing and respect for others. The way a person looks when eating can often reveal his family upbringing. Dietary taboos have transformed from "fear of ghosts" to "observance of etiquette" and evolved into a social civilization norm.
Uncover the mystery and view dietary taboos correctly
Looking back at the development of these taboos, we can clearly see a line, from the primitive period when there was absolute awe for ghosts and totems, to later the incorporation of mandatory norms of etiquette and morality, and now, some taboos have naturally died out due to the popularization of science, while others have lost their superstitious coats and turned into experiential reminders about healthy eating. The real situation behind those old sayings that "salt should not be eaten during confinement" is the simple experience of the ancients in order to prevent mothers from edema due to excessive salt intake. However, their method is too absolute. Today we know the cause and effect of things, so there is no need to be bound by those rules and regulations. It is with respect that we understand the painstaking efforts of our ancestors, but in the end, we still need to believe in science and make appropriate decisions based on the actual physical conditions of ourselves and our family members.
