Food as the Root of Ritual

Ritual was a central element of ancient Chinese culture.By the time of the Zhou Dynasty（1046-256BC），ritual had developed into an institutionalized system of protocol known as the rites.The ritesgoverned every aspect of China’s hierarchal society，both personal and political.The rites were the core of Confucianism and the symbol of ancient Chinese civilization.Ancient Chinese commentators went so far as to state，”When the rites are enforced，the state and the people enjoy stability；when the rites are lost，the state and the people are imperiled.”

Confucius Temple，Qufu，Shandong Province

Food and ritual are intimately connected.According to ancient Chinese writings，”The rites originated with food and drink.”How did this occur？

Dining protocol for children and elders

An analysis of the Chinese character”de”li（rites or ritual）sheds light on this question.On the left side of the character is the pictographic component“shi”,which generally appears in words having to do with ritual.It consists of two horizontal lines on the top that represent Heaven，and three vertical lines on the bottom that represent the sun，moon，and stars.This component therefore depicts Heaven communicating with Humanity through the changing configurations of the stars.On the right side of the character is the component“，”which depicts containers filled with meat and grain.Together，the character“huang”li（rites）portrays Humanity communicating with Heaven by making sacrificial offerings of food.It can be seen from this character that the ancient Chinese people made offerings offood to express their respect of Heaven.Later，the recipients of such offerings came to include revered figures such as rulers，parents，and seniors.Ritual offerings of food represent the earliest manifestation of the rites.

qingquang

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