Under the influence of the feudal ideology of ancient people, determining the birth hour of children became extremely important in evaluating their fortunes. They believed that the birth hour could influence the wealth and noble status of the child, creating a belief that was not tightly bound to the predetermined nature of fate.
However, in reality, the process of pregnancy lasting for ten months is just a natural law, and giving birth cannot be directly related to the destiny of the person.
In the proverbs and customs left by the ancients, we can see a desire for a good life, but at the same time, it reflects helplessness when facing a class society where everything seems to depend on the fate decided by the higher power.
Why are women afraid of giving birth at noon, and men afraid of giving birth at midnight?
There is a well-known proverb that “women are afraid of giving birth at noon, and men are afraid of giving birth at midnight,” used by the ancients to express their viewpoint. However, modernization has debunked these beliefs, and we recognize the diversity and boundlessness of each individual.
The ancient people’s view of women’s personality and role also created a disparity in evaluating the time of a child’s birth. Women were expected to have a weak character, suitable for reproduction and taking care of the family, while men were shaped as masculine and strong. This directly affects the evaluation of the child’s development, creating a perspective that lacks flexibility, without shades of gray between black and white.

Because each child has a different birth hour, the ancients believed that the decision of their destiny was determined by the heavens through linking the birth hour with the 12 constellations in the sky. They believed that this could affect a woman’s life, determining whether they would be wealthy and prosperous.
In the agricultural economic era, there was a high demand for male labor, leading to the notion of male superiority. If a woman gave birth at noon, she might face the pressure of remaining unmarried for life, due to the perception that she is unsuitable for starting a family.
“Men are afraid of midnight” expresses the belief that men need to have masculine character, responsibility, and if they were born at midnight, they may be considered unsuitable for traditional standards. To change their destiny, families could send the boy to a positive energy house to counteract the negative, non-feminine traits.

However, the saying “women are afraid of giving birth at noon, and men are afraid of giving birth at midnight” has no scientific basis because the personal development of a child depends heavily on education and the family environment. With the progress of science and technology, intervention in the birth time has also become feasible.
Nowadays, society has diverse aesthetics and does not adhere to traditional standards of male and female beauty. Instead, people increasingly accept diversity and do not consider a single standard to evaluate the value of a person.
In conclusion, a person’s character depends a lot on the environment and education, and creating a positive environment can bring more positive results for the child’s development rather than relying on traditional beliefs about birth hour.