What Ever Happened to Old-time Religion: New Year’s Day

COOL POEMS: Introduction > THE POEMS

Topic: What Ever Happened to Old-time Religion?

Author: Xin Qiji (1140-1207)

Comments: This poem is significant from the perspective of social history because it reflects a thoroughly secular, almost modern attitude toward traditional religious observances.  Traditionally offerings had to be carefully laid out for the kitchen god, the local tutelary deity, and many other gods in preparation for New Year’s festivities. Here Xin confesses that he forgot all about the holiday and failed to lay out the “offerings.” Clearly he anticipates no serious consequences from the authorities or the community, not to mention the “gods.”  Still more surprising is his relationship to his son. Those of us in the West are usually given a stern image of Confucian fatherhood—furrowed brow with a stick in hand, perhaps, for beating children who don’t observe the rites to the last letter. Xin’s view of Confucian fatherhood suggests that the range of acceptable behavior was wider than we imagine. His boy, no doubt anxious to start the festivities, shouts curtly “get up”—no honorifics, no apologies. Finally, to top it off, Xin records the entire event in a poem which he has printed for sale, making public the fact that he neglected his religious duties and lets his kid address him in such language. Xin may have failed to offer food to the gods, but he certainly has offered us food for thought.