过年:逾越节的“孪生兄弟”

Spring Festival: “Twin Brother” of Passover

华人过年与以色列人逾越节,在整个过程和很多细节上都有相通之处,且古人过年和逾越节更是雷同,比如:与家人团聚、节前大扫除、在门框和门楣上涂红、节日的食俗、守夜礼、节日期间"百业休作"等。此外,中国民间世代相传的年兽故事与古以色列人"出埃及事件"也有几分神似。另据一些国外学者考证,逾越节起源于驱鬼逐疫的宗教仪式,并且与农业生活有关,而这正与华人过年是一致的。面对如此多的相通之处,我们只能说"若非同根,实难如此!"

Between Chinese Spring Festival and Jewish Passover,there are many obvious similarities in the whole process and a lot of details. And they are more similar in ancient time. For examples,the family reunion,the pre-holiday clean-up,painting red on the two side posts and the upper door,food customs in the holiday,the vigil ritual,not manner of work shall be done,etc. Furthermore,we can also find some similarities between the household story of Nian( 年兽,nián shòu) from generation to generation and the Israel Exodus from Egypt. According to some scholars' research,the Passover actually originated as an apotropaic ritualized slaughter and related to the agricultural life. And this is just the same with Chinese Spring Festival. Facing so many similarities,we can only say: what else if they do not have a common origin!