Is the Cold Food Festival the same day as Tomb-Sweeping Day?

In ancient China, there was a traditional festival connected with Tomb-Sweeping Day in front of Tomb-Sweeping Day: Cold Food Festival. Cold food is on 105 days from winter to the future, and it lasts for three days, and then it is Qingming, so Tomb-Sweeping Day is on 108 days from winter to the future. Modern Cold Food Festival has basically been incorporated into Tomb-Sweeping Day, but there are still some differences between them. Now let's follow me and have a look.

Is the Cold Food Festival the same day as Tomb-Sweeping Day?

Is the Cold Food Festival the same day as Tomb-Sweeping Day?

The Cold Food Festival, also known as "Smoke-free Festival", "Cold Food Festival" and "Hundred Days Festival", is the first 105 day in the summer calendar and one or two days before Tomb-Sweeping Day. When the first day of the day is a holiday, smoking is forbidden and only cold food is eaten. In the development of later generations, the customs of sweeping, climbing, swinging, cuju, crochet and cockfighting were gradually increased. The Cold Food Festival lasted for more than 2,000 years and was once called the largest folk festival.

Tomb-Sweeping Day is one of the twenty-four solar terms in China, which is at the turn of mid-spring and late spring, that is, from winter to the day after 108. Because the 24 solar terms objectively reflect the changes of temperature, rainfall and phenology throughout the year, ancient working people used them to arrange agricultural activities. "Almanac": "Fifteen days after the vernal equinox, fighting refers to Ding, for the purpose of Qingming. At this time, everything becomes clean and bright. So it is called Qingming. " As soon as Qingming arrives, the temperature rises and the rainfall increases, which is a good time for spring ploughing and planting. Therefore, there are agricultural proverbs such as "planting melons and beans before and after Qingming Festival" and "planting trees is not as good as Tomb-Sweeping Day". It can be seen that this solar term is closely related to agricultural production.

One is agricultural solar terms, and the other is traditional festivals, which are two different things. However, because these two festivals are separated by one or two days, or even coincide on the same day, there is a saying that Qingming and cold food are also called.

So "Tomb-Sweeping Day" and "Cold Food Festival" are not the same day. Only April 5, 20 14, the Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day just happened to be the same day.

The Difference and Evolution between Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day

Before the Tang Dynasty, Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day were two consecutive festivals with different themes. The former mourns the past and the latter seeks new life. One yin and one yang, one breath for life, are closely related. Fire is forbidden to make a fire, and sacrifice to the dead is to save lives. This is the internal cultural connection between cold food and Qingming. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the imperial court fixed the custom of sweeping graves at the Cold Food Festival in front of Tomb-Sweeping Day by decree.

After the Song Dynasty, the custom of cold food sweeping graves moved to Qingming. Customs such as spring outing and swinging are only held in Tomb-Sweeping Day. Tomb-Sweeping Day rose from a simple agricultural solar term to an important festival, and the influence of the Cold Food Festival disappeared. However, the custom of cold food has been handed down in several ways and has been preserved in Tomb-Sweeping Day. Therefore, the Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day are the same day.