Put one of these under your pillow now
Place these 3 items under your pillow, and your family will thrive, with wealth for three generations.
Books, Family of Knowledge The ancients had a saying: "Everything else is inferior, only reading books is exalted," meaning "everything else is less important, only reading books is honored." Reading holds a significant place in the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius, symbolizing knowledge and wisdom in Chinese culture.
Placing a book under the pillow symbolizes the aspiration for learning and knowledge. For ordinary children, reading books is the only way to change their lives. In the past, many students trained arduously for ten years just to have the chance to pass the Longmen exam. The ancients often said, "Books have golden houses," emphasizing the connection between reading and wealth.
The verse "In books, there are golden houses; books have their own beauty like jade" is quoted from "Encouraging Learning" by Zhao Heng, the third emperor of the Song dynasty. This verse emphasizes that if you study hard, you can live in a magnificent mansion without complaining about not having a good matchmaker. Diligent learning will help you find a beautiful partner.
Money, Prosperous Family In ancient traditions, people often hid money under the pillow hoping to attract wealth. Children usually place red envelopes under their pillows during the Lunar New Year, wishing for a prosperous and safe year ahead. This custom of hiding money originated for safety reasons, as the bed is a private space, and keeping money under the pillow is both discreet and secure.
We can also place some pocket money under the pillow. This act symbolizes the meaning of "pillow with money," implying that the family’s finances will always be abundant.
Gourd, Lucky Family Finally, let's talk about the gourd. Some might find this theme strange or hard to understand. In ancient culture, the gourd was considered a homophone for "Fortune and Luck" and is a symbol of good luck that many intellectuals favored. Placing a gourd under the pillow expresses the desire for happiness and prosperity.
In ancient times, pillows were often made from hard materials and had space to store personal items, while today we typically use soft pillows. Therefore, the ancients could easily place a gourd in hard pillows.
The gourd was also believed to have the ability to ward off evil spirits. Nowadays, many people prefer using gourds as decorations in their homes, such as hanging small gourd accessories in their cars.
In classical literary works, some deities often used gourds as tools to capture demons. This belief came from the idea that gourds brought good luck and kept away bad things. For instance, in Journey to the West, Sun Wukong used a gourd to trap the two demon kings, Golden and Silver Horned. Of course, the gourd doesn't necessarily have to be placed under the pillow; it can also be hung on the bed. Having "Fortune and Luck" above one’s head is a good sign, indicating a peaceful life without worries about food or sustenance.
