spring couplet | retireediary

Strangely enough, I don’t have many photos with Alphabets; maybe only some with ancient alphabets taken in Egypt and Turkey.

Here are two more Spring Couplets which hopefully would send some good omen around.

The one on the left is for wishing good health – the first two characters on the top is Body and the lower two characters is Healthy. This is one of the most common couplet posted up during Lunar New Year wishing people Good Health in the coming year.

The one on the right is less commonly seen. The top character is luck and fortune. The second is Cup, the third Full and the fourth Overflowing . So, when taken together, they mean the cup of good luck is overflowing to the brink.

This week’s theme for DP challenge is Alphabet.

I am digressing somewhat to talk about Fai Chun which are sort of Spring Couplets or Red Banners for the Lunar New Year.

Fai Chun is a traditional decoration that frequently used during Chinese New Year. People put Fai Chun in the doorways to create jubilant festive atmosphere since the phrases written on it means good luck and prosperity. Customarily, Fai Chun is written by hand but owe to convenience, printed versions are mass-produced nowadays. Fai Chun is in either square or rectangular shape. It can be hung vertically or horizontally. Not only does it exist in China, but also in Korea, Japan and Vietnam.

I have prepared the following two pieces of Fai Chun as part of my homework, they are written in the cursive style.

These are four letter words which express people’s good wishes for the New Year and are posted near to the doors.

On the left couplet, the first letter is Dragon ( see the head and the tail), the second is Horse (see the neck, the mare and the four legs underneath), the third and fourth characters mean Spirit. This couplet wishes everybody has the vigor of the dragon and the horse.

The one on the right is more conceptual. The first two words mean “accord with wishes”, the next two words mean ” good fortune”. Together they mean everything good fortune as desired.

Hope they don’t sound too complicated.