Tomb-Sweeping Day is a unique traditional festival in China? Is there Tomb-Sweeping Day abroad?

Tomb-Sweeping Day is a festival for Chinese people all over the world.

Brief introduction of Tomb-Sweeping Day

Tomb-Sweeping Day is one of the 24 solar terms in China. 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. Huainanzi? Astronomical training said: "At the fifteenth day after the vernal equinox, the bucket refers to B, and the wind comes to Tomb-Sweeping Day." According to the centenarian question, "everything grows clean and bright at this time." So it is called Tomb-Sweeping Day. " With the arrival of Tomb-Sweeping Day, the temperature rises and the rainfall increases, which is a good season for spring ploughing and sowing. Therefore, there is an agricultural proverb that "before and after Tomb-Sweeping Day, point melons and plant beans" 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.

However, as a festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day is different from the pure solar terms. Solar terms are symbols of phenological changes and seasonal order in China, while festivals contain certain customs and activities, which have certain commemorative significance.

Tomb-Sweeping Day is a traditional festival in China, and it is also the most important festival to worship ancestors and sweep graves. Grave-sweeping is commonly known as going to the grave and offering sacrifices to the dead. Most Han people and some ethnic minorities visit graves in Tomb-Sweeping Day.

According to the old custom, when sweeping graves, people should bring food, wine, fruit, paper money and other items to the cemetery, offer food to the graves of their loved ones, then burn the paper money, cultivate new soil for the graves, break some green branches and insert them in front of the graves, then kowtow and worship, and finally go home after eating and drinking. The poem "Tomb-Sweeping Day" by Du Mu, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, said: "It rains in succession during the Qingming Festival, and pedestrians on the road want to die. Ask local people where to buy wine? The shepherd boy pointed to Xinghua Village. " Write about the special atmosphere in Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Tomb-Sweeping Day is also called an outing festival. According to the solar calendar, between April 4th and 6th every year, it is the season of beautiful spring and lush vegetation, and it is also a good time for people to go for a spring outing (called an outing in ancient times). Therefore, the ancients had the custom of Tomb-Sweeping Day going for an outing and carrying out a series of sports activities.

To this day, the custom of worshipping ancestors and mourning the dead relatives in Tomb-Sweeping Day is still very popular.

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. Tomb-Sweeping Day was originally a very important solar term. As soon as Tomb-Sweeping Day arrives, the temperature rises, which is a good season for spring ploughing and sowing. So there is a saying that "before and after Tomb-Sweeping Day, we planted melons and beans". Agricultural proverb "Planting trees is not as good as Tomb-Sweeping Day". Later, as the days of Tomb-Sweeping Day and cold food approached, cold food was the day when people banned fire to sweep graves. Gradually, cold food and Tomb-Sweeping Day became one, and cold food became another name for Tomb-Sweeping Day and a custom in Tomb-Sweeping Day. On that day in Tomb-Sweeping Day, there were no fireworks and only cold food.

There is a legend about cold food:

According to legend, in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Jin Xiangong's concubine killed the prince in order to let her son inherit the throne, and Shen Sheng was forced to commit suicide. Shen Sheng's younger brother, Zhong Er, went into exile to escape the scourge. During his exile, Zhong Er suffered humiliation. Most of the courtiers who went out with him went out one after another. Only a few loyal people have been following him. One of them is called meson push. On one occasion, Zhong Er fainted from hunger. In order to save Zhong Er, Jiezitui cut a piece of meat from his leg, cooked it with fire and gave it to Zhong Er. Nineteen years later, Zhong Er returned to China and became the monarch, that is, Jin Wengong, one of the famous five tyrants in the Spring and Autumn Period.

After Jin Wengong came to power, in addition to meson push, he offered many rewards to courtiers who shared his joys and sorrows. Someone defended meson in front of Jin Wengong. Jin Wengong suddenly remembered the past and felt guilty. He immediately sent someone to ask meson to take the imperial court to be rewarded as an official. However, after several trips, the meson could not be pushed. Jin Wengong had to please. However, when Jin Wengong came to the meson pusher's house, he saw that the door was closed. Jiezitui didn't want to see him, and had already been hiding in Mianshan (now southeast of Jiexiu County, Shanxi Province) behind his mother's back. Jin Wengong asked his body guard to search Mianshan, but he couldn't find it. So, someone had an idea, saying, it is better to let Yamakaji go, set fire on three sides, leave one side, burn it and the meson will come out. Jin Wengong ordered the promotion of Yamakaji. Unexpectedly, the fire burned for three days and nights. After the fire was put out, the meson was not pushed out after all. Looking up the mountain, the mother and son were holding a charred willow tree and were dead. Jin Wengong looked at meson push's body and cried for a while. Then I buried the body and found that the back of meson push was blocked by a willow hole, as if there was something. Take out a look, turned out to be a skirt, with a blood poem:

I hope your master will always be in Tomb-Sweeping Day.

It is better to be a ghost than to accompany you as an exhorter.

If your master has me in his heart, remember that I often reflect.

I have a clear conscience in Jiuquan, and Tomb-Sweeping Day Tomb-Sweeping Day is diligent.

Jin Wengong hid the bloody book in his sleeve. Then meson tui and his mother were buried under the charred willow tree. To commemorate Jiexiu, Jin Wengong ordered Mianshan to be changed to Jiexiu Mountain, and an ancestral temple was built on the mountain, and the day when Yamakaji was released was designated as the Cold Food Festival, telling the whole country that it is forbidden to set off fireworks and firecrackers on this day every year and only eat cold food.

When he left, he cut a charred willow and made a pair of clogs in the palace. He looked at it every day and sighed, "What a pity." The "first step" is the name of ancient people's subordinates respecting each other between superiors or peers, which is said to come from it.

The following year, Jin Wengong led his ministers to go hiking in plain clothes to show their respect and condolences. Walking to the grave, I saw the dead old willow tree resurrected, with thousands of green branches dancing in the wind. Jin Wengong looked at the resurrected old willow tree and seemed to see the meson push. He walked up to him respectfully, lovingly squeezed a branch, braided it into a circle and put it on his head. After the sacrifice, Jin Wengong named the resurrected old willow "Tomb-Sweeping Day Willow" and named this day Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Later, Jin Wengong often took a bloody book with him as a souvenir, urging himself to take power. He worked hard in Tomb-Sweeping Day and managed the country well.

Since then, the people of Jin have been able to live and work in peace and contentment, and they are very nostalgic for Jietui, who has made outstanding contributions and is not looking for wealth. On the day of his death, it is forbidden to set off fireworks in memory of him. It is also made of flour and jujube paste into the shape of a swallow, strung with willows and inserted in the door to summon his soul. This thing is called "pushing swallows" (also called intermediary pushing). Since then, the Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day have become grand festivals for people all over the country. Whenever there is cold food, people don't make a fire to cook, but only eat cold food. In the north, people only eat cold food prepared in advance, such as jujube cakes and wheat cakes. In the south, there are mostly green balls and glutinous rice and sugar lotus roots. In every Tomb-Sweeping Day, people put wicker in a circle and put wicker branches in front and back of the house as a souvenir.

Tomb-Sweeping Day's customs are rich and interesting. In addition to paying attention to the prohibition of fire to sweep graves, there are a series of customs and sports activities such as jogging, swinging, cuju, playing polo and inserting willows. According to legend, this is because Tomb-Sweeping Day wants to ban cold food and fire. In order to prevent the harm of cold food and cold meal to people, we all take part in some sports activities to exercise. Therefore, this festival is a distinctive festival, with both sad tears to sweep graves and laughter for an outing.

play on the swing

This is the custom of ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day in China. Swing, that is, lift the rope, move. It has a very long history. It was originally called Qian Qiu, but later it was changed into a swing to avoid taboos. In ancient times, swings were made of branches and tied with ribbons. Later, it gradually developed into two ropes, a pedal swing. Playing swing can not only improve health, but also cultivate courage, which is deeply loved by people, especially children.

play football

Bow is a rubber ball, the skin of which is made of leather, and the ball is stuffed with wool. Cuju is kicking the ball with your feet. This is a popular game in ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day. According to legend, it was invented by the Yellow Emperor with the original purpose of training warriors.

spring outing

Also called spring outing. It was called Tanchun and Xunchun in ancient times. In March, Tomb-Sweeping Day, spring returns to the earth, and nature is full of vitality everywhere, which is a good time to go for an outing. People in our country have been keeping the habit of traveling in Tomb-Sweeping Day for a long time.

plant trees

Before and after Tomb-Sweeping Day, the spring is bright and the spring rain is falling. The planted seedlings have high survival rate and fast growth. Therefore, China has the habit of planting trees in Tomb-Sweeping Day since ancient times. Some people even call Tomb-Sweeping Day Arbor Day. The custom of planting trees has been passed down to this day. 1979, the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) stipulated March 12 every year as China's Arbor Day. This is of great significance to mobilize people of all ethnic groups in China to actively carry out activities to green the motherland.

fly a kite

This is also the most popular activity in Tomb-Sweeping Day. During Tomb-Sweeping Day, people not only played during the day, but also at night. At night, a string of colored lanterns is hung under the kite or on the wind-stabilizing stay, like twinkling stars, which is called "magic lamp". Someone used to put kites in the blue sky, then cut the strings and let the breeze send them to the ends of the earth. It is said that this can eliminate diseases and disasters and bring good luck to yourself.

The Origin and Legend 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. Tomb-Sweeping Day is first of all a very important solar term. As soon as Tomb-Sweeping Day arrives, the temperature rises, which is a good season for spring ploughing and planting. Therefore, there is a saying that "melons and beans are planted before and after Qingming". Agricultural proverb "Planting trees is not as clear as Qingming". Later, as the days of Qingming and cold food approached, cold food was the day when people banned fire to sweep graves. Gradually, cold food and Qingming became one, and cold food became another name of Qingming and became a custom of Qingming. On Qingming Day, there are no fireworks, only cold food.

There is a legend about cold food:

According to legend, in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Jin Xiangong's concubine killed the prince in order to let her son inherit the throne, and Shen Sheng was forced to commit suicide. Shen Sheng's younger brother, Zhong Er, went into exile to escape the scourge. During his exile, Zhong Er suffered humiliation. Most of the courtiers who went out with him went out one after another. Only a few loyal people have been following him. One of them is called meson push. On one occasion, Zhong Er fainted from hunger. In order to save Zhong Er, Jiezitui cut a piece of meat from his leg, cooked it with fire and gave it to Zhong Er. Nineteen years later, Zhong Er returned to China and became the monarch, that is, Jin Wengong, one of the famous five tyrants in the Spring and Autumn Period.

After Jin Wengong came to power, in addition to meson push, he offered many rewards to courtiers who shared his joys and sorrows. Someone defended meson in front of Jin Wengong. Jin Wengong suddenly remembered the past and felt guilty. He immediately sent someone to ask meson to take the imperial court to be rewarded as an official. However, after several trips, the meson could not be pushed. Jin Wengong had to please. However, when Jin Wengong came to the meson pusher's house, he saw that the door was closed. Jiezitui didn't want to see him, and had already been hiding in Mianshan (now southeast of Jiexiu County, Shanxi Province) behind his mother's back. Jin Wengong asked his body guard to search Mianshan, but he couldn't find it. So, someone had an idea, saying, it is better to let Yamakaji go, set fire on three sides, leave one side, burn it and the meson will come out. Jin Wengong ordered the promotion of Yamakaji. Unexpectedly, the fire burned for three days and nights. After the fire was put out, the meson was not pushed out after all. Looking up the mountain, the mother and son were holding a charred willow tree and were dead. Jin Wengong looked at meson push's body and cried for a while. Then I buried the body and found that the back of meson push was blocked by a willow hole, as if there was something. Take out a look, turned out to be a skirt, with a blood poem:

I hope your master is always clear.

It is better to be a ghost than to accompany you as an exhorter.

If your master has me in his heart, remember that I often reflect.

I have a clear conscience in Jiuquan, diligent and honest.

Jin Wengong hid the bloody book in his sleeve. Then meson tui and his mother were buried under the charred willow tree. To commemorate Jiexiu, Jin Wengong ordered Mianshan to be changed to Jiexiu Mountain, and an ancestral temple was built on the mountain, and the day when Yamakaji was released was designated as the Cold Food Festival, telling the whole country that it is forbidden to set off fireworks and firecrackers on this day every year and only eat cold food.

When he left, he cut a charred willow and made a pair of clogs in the palace. He looked at it every day and sighed, "What a pity." The "first step" is the name of ancient people's subordinates respecting each other between superiors or peers, which is said to come from it.

The following year, Jin Wengong led his ministers to go hiking in plain clothes to show their respect and condolences. Walking to the grave, I saw the dead old willow tree resurrected, with thousands of green branches dancing in the wind. Jin Wengong looked at the resurrected old willow tree and seemed to see the meson push. He walked up to him respectfully, lovingly squeezed a branch, braided it into a circle and put it on his head. After the sacrifice, Jin Wengong named the revived old willow "Qingming Willow" and named it Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Later, Jin Wengong often took a bloody book with him as a souvenir, urging himself to take power. He is diligent and honest, and strives to govern the country well.

Since then, the people of Jin have been able to live and work in peace and contentment, and they are very nostalgic for Jietui, who has made outstanding contributions and is not looking for wealth. On the day of his death, it is forbidden to set off fireworks in memory of him. It is also made of flour and jujube paste into the shape of a swallow, strung with willows and inserted in the door to summon his soul. This thing is called "pushing swallows" (also called intermediary pushing). Since then, cold food and Qingming have become grand festivals for the people of the whole country. Whenever there is cold food, people don't make a fire to cook, but only eat cold food. In the north, people only eat cold food prepared in advance, such as jujube cakes and wheat cakes. In the south, there are mostly green balls and glutinous rice and sugar lotus roots. Every time I go to Tomb-Sweeping Day, people put wicker in a circle and put wicker branches in front of the house to show their memory.

It rains in the Qingming Festival —— Appreciation of Tomb-Sweeping Day's customs and poems

A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day; The mourner's heart is going to break on his way.

Ask local people where to buy wine? The shepherd boy just laughed and didn't answer Xingshan Village.

Qingming always gives people the impression of rainy days.

Or stormy, or rainy, from morning till dusk,

In foggy and rainy Shan Ye, on muddy roads,

There are always grave-sweepers facing the wind and rain, embellishing loneliness and going again;

Or in groups of three or five, helping the elderly and carrying the young, or one or two lonely shadows, one person limping.

The distant mountains are hidden in the clouds, and the trees are caged in front of the lonely smoke.

Bridges flow, crows cry sadly, rain washes clear autumn, and wind blows sadness.

I only saw misty rain, but I didn't see people and kitchen smoke.

What a sad and lonely journey, what a sad and wandering picture.

Looking up, I saw the graveyard dark:

Hundreds of graves arched and thousands of stone tablets stood in the forest; Misty rain, fragrant grass leaves.

A desolate, a sad, a dead silence!

The mountains are lonely and sparsely populated, and the trees are raining!

The wind is blowing, the rain is falling, the sorrow is long and the sorrow is misty.

Don't be ecstatic, where is the incense?

Pull up a pile of messy grass, put down a few glasses of iced wine, burn a handful of paper money,

The wind and rain are coming, the cups are full of sorrow, the weeds are full of smoke, and there is nothing to say.

It's just that my heart is full of faint sadness, faint sadness!

The dead are gone, and the living are always sad! The voice and face are vivid,

When I inculcate, my words are still in my ears, but my customers are rushing into the water.

Go to the end of the world with fate, where do you miss the lonely grave?

A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day; The mourner's heart is going to break on his way.

Ask local people where to buy wine? The shepherd boy just laughed and didn't answer Xingshan Village.

-(Tang) Du Mu

Winter has passed and the spring breeze in the south of the Yangtze River has turned green.

During Tomb-Sweeping Day, willows sprouted and peach blossoms bloomed.

The grass is green. The atmosphere is clean, "clean and clear".

Qingming Qingming is precisely the image and image characteristics of winter and spring climate.

"There are many rains during the Qingming period, and pedestrians on the road want to break their souls."

Why is it "broken soul"?

Because "the ancient tomb is full of poplars, which is the place where life and death leave."

The growth of life after winter reminds people of their dead ancestors and relatives.

This poem was written by Du Mu, a poet in the Tang Dynasty.

Today, it is still so sad and kind to read.

It can be seen that throughout the ages,

Some of the same and beautiful feelings in human nature,

The four seas are connected, and the ancient and modern are connected. ?

When things change, time is often the time to form ancient and modern times.

The living will always become the dead.

The next generation keeps growing, while the previous generation keeps aging.

Constant death is the law of biology and nature.

This is how human society continues from generation to generation. ?

Here, we express our thoughts to our loved ones to the fullest.

All the tears are shed, and memories are no longer the burden of life.

Here, we once again feel the love and warmth in the world.

Piece together a broken heart and raise the sail of life again with a smile.

Here we feel that things are impermanent and life is short.

Once you really love, there will be no regrets in life.

Help people in distress, stay optimistic in setbacks,

As long as there is love in the heart, life will always be a beautiful spring.

On Ancestor Worship in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Tomb-Sweeping Day is a traditional festival to commemorate the ancestors of the Chinese nation.

Its main forms are ancestor worship and grave sweeping.

This custom has lasted for a long time. According to historical records, during the Qin and Han Dynasties,

Tomb sacrifice has become an indispensable ritual activity.

According to the biography of Han Yan Yannian,

Yan's family will "return to the East China Sea Cemetery" in Qingming, even though they are thousands of miles away from Beijing.

With more and more developed and strong ancestor worship and consanguineous consciousness,

Tomb sacrifices that were not included in the norms in ancient times were also included in the "Five Rites":

"In ordinary people's houses, it is advisable to go to the grave and enter the five rituals. This is always a routine."

The admiration of the imperial court made the tomb sacrificial activities more popular.

The ancients had a poem describing tomb sweeping in Qingming:

"There are many tombs in the north and south hills, and the Qingming sweeps each other;

Paper ashes fly into white butterflies, and tears are dyed into red azaleas. "

There are also popular folk songs of Meng Jiangnv seeking a husband.

"In March, the weather was fine, pink, willow green and grass green;

There are white papers floating on other graves, but my grave is empty. "

Du Mu's famous sentence in Tang Dynasty:

"There are many rains during the Qingming period, and pedestrians on the road want to break their souls;

Excuse me, where is the restaurant? The shepherd boy pointed to Xinghua Village. "

These poems truly reflect the scene and atmosphere of grave sweeping at that time.

Why do you want to sweep the grave at Qingming?

This is probably because winter has gone and spring has come, and plants have sprouted.

People will think of the graves of their ancestors, whether foxes or rabbits are digging holes,

Will it collapse because of the rainy season, so I have to see for myself.

When offering sacrifices to sweep the grave, weeds are uprooted from the grave, new soil is added, and sacrifices are offered.

Burn incense and drink a libation, burn some paper money, or hang some notes on the branches.

A simple sacrificial ceremony was held in memory of the dead.

As for the date of sacrifice, customs vary from place to place.

Have a plenty of ten days after the first ten days in Tomb-Sweeping Day;

Some people call it "the first three and the last three";

Some are held in the "Singles Day" around Tomb-Sweeping Day;

In some places, grave-sweeping activities last for a month.

Tomb-Sweeping Day's grave-sweeping is the cautious pursuit of the Chinese nation for the future.

The concrete manifestation of Gu Jia's filial moral quality,

Therefore, Tomb-Sweeping Day has become an important festival for Chinese people all over the world.

Many overseas Chinese also have the habit of returning to their hometowns to sweep graves in Qingming.

To show that you don't forget your ancestors and love your country.

Since ancient times,

Tomb sweeping in Qingming is not only to commemorate ancestors,

Yes, I have made contributions to the people in history.

People will remember those who have done good deeds.

Customs in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Tomb-Sweeping Day's customs are rich and interesting, except for banning fires and sweeping graves.

There are also a series of custom sports activities such as hiking, swinging, cuju, playing polo, and inserting willows.

According to legend, this is because Tomb-Sweeping Day wants to ban cold food and fire. In order to prevent the harm of cold food and cold meal to people,

So let's take part in some sports activities to exercise.

Therefore, in this festival, there are both sad and sour tears to sweep the new grave and leave each other.

There is also laughter for an outing, which is a special festival.

play on the swing

This is the custom of ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day in China. Swing, that is, lift the rope, move.

It has a very long history. It was originally called Qian Qiu, but later it was changed into a swing to avoid taboos.

In ancient times, swings were made of branches and tied with ribbons.

Later, it gradually developed into two ropes, a pedal swing.

Swing can not only improve health, but also cultivate courage.

So far, it is loved by people, especially children.

Juju

Bow is a rubber ball, the skin of which is made of leather, and the ball is stuffed with wool.

Cuju is kicking the ball with your feet.

This is a popular game in ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day.

According to legend, it was invented by the Yellow Emperor with the original purpose of training warriors.