About
The character 祭, signifying ritual sacrifice or festival, derives from an archaic conceptualization of a hand presenting meat upon an altar, evident in its structural composition of the component 示, representing matters of worship or display, and elements historically denoting hand and flesh. Its core meaning initially pertained specifically to the act of making offerings to ancestral spirits or divinities, a practice central to early religious life. Over time, the term's application expanded beyond the literal sacrificial rite to encompass a wider range of commemorative ceremonies and public observances, often secularized into cultural festivals, while still carrying echoes of its original ceremonial purpose. This semantic broadening occurred alongside a notable stability in the character's graphical form, which has preserved its integral components throughout its documented history.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我们在清明节祭祖。
他每年都祭祀先人。
学校举行了祭孔仪式。
村民们聚集在祠堂祭神。
在纪念日，人们祭奠逝去的英雄。
古代帝王经常举行盛大的祭天典礼。
祭祀活动体现了人们对自然的敬畏。
考古学家发现了远古时期的祭祀遗址。