秤(cheng)是測定物體(ti)重量的(de)衡(heng)器(qi)，由木制的(de)帶有秤(cheng)星的(de)秤(cheng)桿、金屬秤(cheng)砣（錘）、提(ti)繩(sheng)等組成。常見的(de)有桿秤(cheng)、臺秤(cheng)、案秤(cheng)等。古代的(de)官員們也喜(xi)歡在自(zi)己的(de)府衙及宅(zhai)院中(zhong)，裝飾上一(yi)桿大(da)秤(cheng)，來(lai)表明(ming)他們的(de)公正無私清廉的(de)形(xing)象。
　　秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)不(bu)僅是(shi)(shi)一種(zhong)計量器具，人們把(ba)它作為一種(zhong)吉(ji)祥之物。有種(zhong)“百眼篩”的小(xiao)(xiao)兒掛飾，是(shi)(shi)以銀箔細篾(mie)條編制而成。篩中(zhong)(zhong)鑲有算盤、剪(jian)刀、桿秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)、鏡子、皇(huang)歷本、筆、墨、硯等小(xiao)(xiao)吉(ji)祥物，桿秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)象征“稱心如意”。在(zai)民間也流(liu)傳著一些以桿秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)為比喻(yu)的諺語，如“上下三處是(shi)(shi)根秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)，鄰居八(ba)家是(shi)(shi)面鏡”、“心平勿(wu)用秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)”、“家中(zhong)(zhong)有黃金，路上有平秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)”、“ 秤頭(tou)讓人(ren)，算(suan)盤贏人(ren)”等。
　　人(ren)們(men)(men)還給桿(gan)秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)披(pi)上神秘的(de)(de)(de)(de)色彩，靈化(hua)為(wei)龍的(de)(de)(de)(de)化(hua)身。秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)鉤(gou)是龍嘴，秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)紐(niu)是龍眼(yan)，秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)桿(gan)是龍身，秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)星即(ji)是龍鱗。每逢(feng)下雨之(zhi)(zhi)時(shi)(shi)，長(chang)輩們(men)(men)就要(yao)將大秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)懸掛于堂(tang)前(qian)，以求神龍護佑，鎮邪(xie)避災(zai)。新屋落成喬遷之(zhi)(zhi)時(shi)(shi)，首先(xian)要(yao)搬入桿(gan)秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)，接(jie)著(zhu)是掃(sao)帚畚斗(dou)，然(ran)后再是家具被褥。在(zai)我國江南一(yi)帶，民(min)間都有(you)(you)置(zhi)辦桿(gan)秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)的(de)(de)(de)(de)習(xi)俗(su)，稱(cheng)之(zhi)(zhi)為(wei)“當(dang)(dang)家財神”，寓意(yi)(yi)“有(you)(you)秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)當(dang)(dang)家，家財興發”。一(yi)般(ban)人(ren)家置(zhi)辦小秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)，富(fu)有(you)(you)人(ren)家或(huo)商(shang)賈之(zhi)(zhi)家則同時(shi)(shi)置(zhi)辦大小秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)。過去的(de)(de)(de)(de)掌柜，一(yi)把算盤(pan)不(bu)(bu)離手(shou)，有(you)(you)的(de)(de)(de)(de)行業還需要(yao)配備一(yi)桿(gan)秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)。這兩個賺錢的(de)(de)(de)(de)必備工具很有(you)(you)講究。秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)，按行業分類，有(you)(you)鉤(gou)秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)，有(you)(you)盤(pan)秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)。鉤(gou)秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)都是順(shun)著(zhu)墻壁(bi)掛起，秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)砣與(yu)秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)桿(gan)不(bu)(bu)能(neng)分離，盤(pan)秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)要(yao)把秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)盤(pan)平放(fang)在(zai)柜臺(tai)上，秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)砣放(fang)入盤(pan)中（意(yi)(yi)思是不(bu)(bu)能(neng)空盤(pan)），秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)桿(gan)要(yao)順(shun)著(zhu)柜臺(tai)邊緣下垂。切忌(ji)把秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)桿(gan)橫放(fang)在(zai)秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)盤(pan)上，那是意(yi)(yi)味著(zhu)無(wu)生意(yi)(yi)可(ke)做(zuo)了。建屋上梁時(shi)(shi)，要(yao)將秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)砣懸掛在(zai)梁上，取“稱(cheng)心如意(yi)(yi)”之(zhi)(zhi)謂(wei)。每逢(feng)過年，人(ren)們(men)(men)都要(yao)用紅紙卷貼(tie)于桿(gan)秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)的(de)(de)(de)(de)頭上，祈禱財氣興旺(wang)。古詩云(yun)：“立夏秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)人(ren)輕重(zhong)數，秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)懸梁上笑喧(xuan)閨。”立夏之(zhi)(zhi)日的(de)(de)(de)(de)“稱(cheng)人(ren)”習(xi)俗(su)主要(yao)流行于我國南方，起源于一(yi)個和阿斗(dou)有(you)(you)關三國時(shi)(shi)代(dai)的(de)(de)(de)(de)傳說。據(ju)說這一(yi)天稱(cheng)了體重(zhong)之(zhi)(zhi)后，就不(bu)(bu)怕(pa)夏季炎熱，不(bu)(bu)會消瘦。孩子在(zai)過周歲生日的(de)(de)(de)(de)時(shi)(shi)候有(you)(you)“抓周”習(xi)俗(su)，如果小孩先(xian)抓秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)，則會說長(chang)大后當(dang)(dang)商(shang)人(ren)，做(zuo)生意(yi)(yi)。民(min)間有(you)(you)“小孩子莫吃魚子”的(de)(de)(de)(de)忌(ji)諱，說是吃了魚子，長(chang)大會不(bu)(bu)識(shi)秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)花(星)。長輩(bei)們還要教(jiao)兒孫(sun)從(cong)小認(ren)識秤花(星)，認為“不識秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)花，難以(yi)當(dang)家”。桿秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)的(de)(de)應用還(huan)(huan)滲(shen)入到婚(hun)俗當(dang)中(zhong)。有些地方，接(jie)送(song)新(xin)(xin)娘(niang)(niang)時(shi)(shi)還(huan)(huan)會用上算盤、尺子、秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)等物。滿族新(xin)(xin)人(ren)結婚(hun)時(shi)(shi)，新(xin)(xin)郎要用秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)桿將新(xin)(xin)娘(niang)(niang)的(de)(de)紅蓋頭輕輕挑開，然(ran)后撫摸一下新(xin)(xin)娘(niang)(niang)的(de)(de)頭發，再(zai)摸摸自己的(de)(de)頭，寓意(yi)婚(hun)姻(yin)稱心如(ru)(ru)意(yi)，二(er)人(ren)白頭到老。如(ru)(ru)意(yi)秤(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)還(huan)(huan)是父母送(song)給出嫁女兒(er)的(de)(de)婚(hun)慶九(jiu)寶(bao)之一。
　　一桿秤竟有如此多的(de)(de)習(xi)俗，體現出中華民(min)間文化的(de)(de)博大。現在人們常見(jian)的(de)(de)是(shi)電子秤，電子秤中再也看不到這些民(min)間習(xi)俗了，這不能不說是(shi)一種遺憾。