What are the traditional customs in Tomb-Sweeping Day?

Traditional festivals and customs in Tomb-Sweeping Day: ancestor worship, grave sweeping, outing, swinging, cuju and flying kites.

First, worship ancestors and sweep graves.

Sacrificing ancestors and sweeping graves are the main customs in Tomb-Sweeping Day. There are many forms to commemorate ancestors in Tomb-Sweeping Day. Grave-sweeping is the earliest custom, which continues to this day. With the progress of society, the form is gradually simplified. Because cremation of remains is becoming more and more common, people do not sweep graves, but go to places where ashes are placed to worship their ancestors.

Second, go for an outing.

Going for an outing, also called a spring outing, is a Qingming custom maintained by the people for a long time. During the Qingming Festival, spring returns to the earth, full of greenery, and nature presents a vibrant scene, which is a good time to go out for an outing.

Third, swing

Swing is also one of the customs of ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day in China. It has a very old history and was very popular in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. At first, it was called Qian Qiu, not a swing, but later it was changed to a swing to avoid taboos. In ancient times, swings were usually made of branches and tied with ribbons. Later, it gradually developed into two ropes, a pedal swing.

Fourth, cuju

Cuju is a ball made of leather and stuffed with wool. Cuju is actually an ancient football sport in China, but it is different from the current rules of football. This is a game that people liked to play very much in ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Flying kites

This is also one of the favorite activities of people in Tomb-Sweeping Day. Both children and adults like to play, and they can play all day and night. In the past, someone put a kite in the sky, cut the string and let it fly to the ends of the earth. It is said that this can eliminate diseases and bring good luck to people.