臺灣文化「譯」起讀

I remembered when my cousin was one-year-old, my aunt and uncles held a ritual for him. They put tools, stationery, books, weapons, daily necessities and other items in front of him. They persuaded him to choose one item. They said that he would grow up to be a teacher because he chose a book. My parents told me: This custom is called “a ritual for testing one-year-old children.”People use this ritual to predict the interest of the children and their future career. I do not know if this kind of prediction is accurate, but I think it is very interesting.

【A child is choosing his favorite items. 】 (Taken from Google Graphics.)

The ritual for testing one-year-old children originated from Dynasties of Wei and Jin . According to legend, when a child is one-year-old, he needs to take a bath and wear new clothes. Then, parents put many items in front of the child. The child needs to pick out one of his favorite items. Each item has a symbolic meaning. For example, when a baby chooses a book, he will be a scholar or a teacher. Six common items and their implicit meanings are as follows:
Choice of scales: to become a businessman
Choice of coin: to become a wealthy man
Choice of chop: to become government officials
Choice of shallots: to become a wise man
Choice of abacus: to be good at managing money
Choice of stethoscope: to become a doctor

【There are different options in the ritual. 】 (Taken from Google Graphics.)

[Cultural significance]
"A ritual for testing one-year-old children" is one of the traditional Chinese customs. In China, parents always expect their children to bring honor to their family. They try their best to make their children successful in society. This custom represents the parent's expectations for their children.

【Parents are watching the "test children" ceremony. 】 (Taken from Google Graphics.)