Why so much importance is given to mandarin duck

[muffin_99]

Dear cecil,
Why chinese people give so much importance to mandarin duck. Its in the wall hangings, in the poetry and also on the dinner menu. Thanks.

[Cecil Lee]

Dear Anon,
1. A symbol of a pair of Mandarin Ducks symbolises marital bliss.
It synifies harmonious marriages.
2. When a reed is included in a picture of a Mandarin Duck, this sigifies " May you do well in examinations. "
3. If we drawn a Lotus flower together with a Mandarin duck, this symbolises purity.
4. If a peony flower is drawn together with a pair of Mandarin duck this synifies wealth in a marriage.
5. Chinese peasants in the past, often sew the motif of a mandarin duck e.g. on their pillow cases.
6. In a Buddhist ritual, the duck which is called Ya is the equivalent of another phonetic sounding word Ya, which implies supressing evil.
In Taiwan, in the past, it is common to slaughter a black duck (not mandarin duck) on Chinese New Year's eve.
The blood of the duck is dripped onto a piece of paper tiger. The paper tiger is then burned at city gates to rid the town of all evil influences for the year.
Under `kindergarden' Feng Shui, (Eight Aspirations concept) some Feng Shui practitioners advise one to place a pair of mandarin ducks at the `relationship' corner.


Warmest Regards,
Cecil

Quote

On 1/2/00 1:52:25 AM, Anonymous wrote:
Dear cecil,
Why chinese people give so
much importance to mandarin
duck. Its in the wall
hangings, in the poetry and
also on the dinner menu.
Thanks.