Is Tomb-Sweeping Day based on the lunar calendar or the solar calendar? What day? Ah, its origin

As a traditional solar term in China, Tomb-Sweeping Day is calculated according to the annual vernal equinox, which has a solar term every15th day, so Qingming is between April 4th and 6th in the solar calendar, mostly on the 5th. It is not fixed on April 5 of the solar calendar, nor is it determined by the lunar calendar.

The vernal equinox changes with the rotation of the earth. The rotation of the earth every day is not 24 hours, but 23 hours and 56 minutes, which will decrease by one day every four years, thus affecting the time of solar terms. According to this rule, next year's Tomb-Sweeping Day falls on April 4th, so the calendars on the market are not misprinted.

On April 4th, Tomb-Sweeping Day appeared in 2004 and 2000, and on April 6th, Tomb-Sweeping Day appeared in earlier years such as 1939 and 1935.

The origin of Tomb-Sweeping Day

The traditional Tomb-Sweeping Day in China began in the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 years. In ancient times, it was not as important as the Cold Food Festival the day before, because the dates of Tomb-Sweeping Day and the Cold Food Festival were close, and the people gradually merged their customs. In the Sui and Tang Dynasties (58 1 to 907), Tomb-Sweeping Day and Cold Food Festival gradually merged into the same festival, which became the day to visit graves and worship ancestors, that is, today's Tomb-Sweeping Day. Therefore, Tomb-Sweeping Day has become a fixed custom of the Chinese nation. Cold food festival-cold food means not getting angry, and you can only eat cold or pre-cooked food. According to legend, this custom originated in the Spring and Autumn Period. At that time, someone in the State of Jin wanted to kill his eldest son, Zhong Er, and the loyal minister Jiezhitui (also known as Jiezhitui) escorted Zhong Er to escape. Even when he was hungry and cold, he would cut off his own meat for Zhong Er to eat, hoping that he would return home safely, become a monarch, and be diligent and love the people. After more than ten years, Zhong Er finally returned to China to become a monarch, that is, Jin Wengong, one of the five tyrants in the Spring and Autumn Period, rewarded those who helped him during his exile, but forgot to introduce him. After being reminded by others, he quickly sent someone to invite Jiezhi to come and receive the reward. But Jiezhitui and his mother went to Mianshan (now Jiexiu Mianshan) to live in seclusion. Jin Wengong and his courtiers found nothing in the mountains. It is suggested that Yamakaji be released. Jie Zhitui is a dutiful son and will definitely save his mother. However, the fire burned for three days and nights, and there was still no referral. After the fire went out, people found Zhizhi carrying his mother's body under a willow tree. Jin Wengong was so sad and regretful that he buried them under the willow tree. Jin Wengong designated the day when Yamakaji was released as the Cold Food Festival, and stipulated that people were forbidden to use fire and eat cold food for one day to commemorate Jie Zhitui's loyalty. The following year, Jin Wengong and his ministers climbed to the top of the mountain in plain clothes to pay homage to Jiexiu. They found that the old willow tree buried by Jiexiu came back from the dead. Jin Wengong stepped forward and folded the willow branches into a circle, put them on his head and hung them outside the door as a souvenir, which gradually evolved into today's Tomb-Sweeping Day custom. In March and April, when spring is bright, pink and green, one of the most important festivals in China's traditional customs is Tomb-Sweeping Day. Tomb-Sweeping Day is now a national grave-sweeping festival. According to Sunday, it is around April 5, and according to the lunar calendar, it is the first half of March. The ancients divided a year into 24 solar terms and used this calendar to sow and harvest. Qingming is one of the twenty-four solar terms, fifteen days after the vernal equinox. According to the saying of "always asking questions": "Everything is long, clean and bright at this time. So it is called Qingming. " Therefore, "Tomb-Sweeping Day" was originally a solar term. Later, the custom of forbidding cold food and fire and beating graves was added, and Tomb-Sweeping Day was formed. Originally, the Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day were two different festivals. In the Tang Dynasty, the day of sweeping graves was designated as the Cold Food Festival. The correct date of the Cold Food Festival is from winter to the future 105, around Qingming, so Qingming and cold food are combined into one! The custom of offering sacrifices to ancestors and sweeping graves in front of graves originated very early in China. As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, people attached great importance to tombs. Mencius and Qi People in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the Warring States Period also mentioned a person who was laughed at by Qi people. He often went to the tomb of Dongguo to beg for offerings from the tomb, which showed that sweeping graves was very popular during the Warring States period. When I arrived in Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, I designated cold food sweeping the grave as one of the "five rituals". Therefore, whenever Tomb-Sweeping Day comes, "the fields and roads are crowded with scholars and women, and the servants and beggars of soap merchants get their parents' graves." (Liu Zongyuan's Book with Xu Jingzhao) Grave sweeping has become an important social custom. In spring, when it is still cold, it is forbidden to make a fire to eat cold food, for fear that some old, weak women and children can't stand the cold. In order to prevent cold food from harming their health, outdoor activities such as hiking, outing, swinging, playing football, playing polo, inserting willows, tug of war, fighting cocks, etc. It has been decided that everyone should come out to bask in the sun, exercise their bones and muscles and increase their resistance. Therefore, in addition to ancestor worship and grave-sweeping, there are various outdoor fitness activities in Tomb-Sweeping Day, which make this festival not only have emotional appeal, but also have a joyful atmosphere of spring outing. There are both sad and sour tears in Where Are You Going, and vivid and bright scenes everywhere. This is really a very special festival. Grave-sweeping in Tomb-Sweeping Day is a festival custom related to funeral customs. According to records, in ancient times, "tombs were not graves", that is to say, only graves were dug and graves were not built, so sacrifices were not recorded. Later, graves and graves, the custom of offering sacrifices to sweep graves, were supported. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, tomb sacrifice has become an indispensable ritual activity. According to the biography of Yan Yannian in the Han Dynasty, although Yan is thousands of miles away from Beijing, her family will still return to the East China Sea Tomb in Qingming. Yan Yannian's behavior is reasonable in terms of the development and strengthening of ancestor worship and consanguinity consciousness of China people. Therefore, the tomb sacrifices that were not included in the norms in ancient times were also included in the Five Rites: "It is desirable for a scholar to go to the grave and be included in the Five Rites, and it will always be a routine. "With the official affirmation, the wind of tomb sacrifice is bound to prevail. Tomb-Sweeping Day is a festival in memory of ancestors. The main memorial ceremony is to sweep the grave, which is a concrete embodiment of being cautious in pursuing the future, caring for the family and filial piety. Based on the above significance, Tomb-Sweeping Day has become an important festival for China people. Tomb-Sweeping Day is at the turn of mid-spring and late spring, that is, after the winter solstice 106 days. Grave-sweeping activities are usually held 10 days before or 10 days after Tomb-Sweeping Day. Some people in their hometown have been sweeping graves for a month.