Is there a custom of sweeping graves at the vernal equinox in Guangxi?

In ancient times, the solar terms of the vernal equinox were also called "Mid-spring Moon", because the vernal equinox was in the middle of spring and divided it into two halves. Although the vernal equinox is not a festival, as a solar term, it is also a day of great concern to people. In Guangxi, unlike other places, the vernal equinox has the custom of sweeping graves in the local area, and eating delicious food on this day is also unique. So does the folk custom of spring equinox in Guangxi sweep graves? What food do you eat at the vernal equinox?

Does Guangxi spring equinox sweep graves?

There is a folk custom of sweeping graves at the vernal equinox in Guangxi.

In Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and other places, there is the custom of sweeping graves at the vernal equinox.

At the vernal equinox in February, people began to sweep graves to worship their ancestors, also known as the Spring Festival. Before sweeping the grave, a grand ancestor worship ceremony should be held in the ancestral hall, pigs and sheep should be slaughtered, drummers should be invited to play, and the ritual students should read the eulogy and quote three praises. At the beginning of the spring equinox grave sweeping, the first thing is to sweep the graves of ancestors and distant ancestors. The whole family and the whole village have to be dispatched on a large scale, and the team often reaches hundreds or even thousands. After the ancestral graves of Kaiji and Yuanzu were swept, they were divided into rooms to sweep the graves of ancestors in each room, and finally each family swept the graves privately. In most Hakka areas, ancestor worship and grave sweeping in spring begin at the vernal equinox or earlier, and must end in Tomb-Sweeping Day at the latest. There is a saying everywhere that after the Qingming Festival, the tomb door is closed, and the ancestors' spirits are not needed.

What food do you eat at the vernal equinox?

In Guangxi, chicken manure and spring vegetables are eaten at the vernal equinox.

Paederia cristata

Gynostemma pentaphyllum is a kind of wild vegetable that Guangxi Beihai people like to eat. Everyone has the custom of eating Gynostemma pentaphyllum in spring. Make flour and roll it into Gynostemma pentaphyllum. It tastes sweet and delicious, and it is the favorite specialty food of local people.

Spring vegetables

Eating spring vegetables on the spring equinox is such an ancient custom, and many places still maintain the tradition of eating spring vegetables. In fact, spring vegetables, also known as lettuce and thousand yuan vegetables, are typical seasonal vegetables, especially the freshest and most delicious around the vernal equinox. The ancients thought that eating spring vegetables at the spring equinox could keep the family safe and happy for a year, so this unwritten custom was gradually handed down.