The Origin and Meaning of Tomb-Sweeping Day

The origin and meaning of Tomb-Sweeping Day are as follows:

I. Origin

Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as outing festival, outing festival, March festival, ancestor worship festival, etc. It was celebrated at the turn of mid-spring and late spring. Tomb-Sweeping Day is the biggest ancestor worship festival of the Chinese nation, which originated from ancestors' beliefs and customs of worshipping spring. Tomb-Sweeping Day has two connotations of nature and humanity, which are both natural solar terms and traditional festivals. Grave-sweeping and ancestor-worship outing are two major themes of Tomb-Sweeping Day, which have been passed down since ancient times in China.

Second, the significance

At least in the pre-Qin period, China had formed the idea of gratitude, which was passed down from generation to generation and became the basic moral standard of China people. One of the external manifestations of this thought is the prevalence of sacrifice. During festivals, it is quite common for people to sacrifice to nature and make contributions to the country in China. If the solstice in winter and the solstice in summer are mainly gratitude to the nature of heaven and earth, then Tomb-Sweeping Day's grave-sweeping sacrifice is mainly gratitude to those who have made contributions.

Customs in Tomb-Sweeping Day:

1. Go for an outing: At the turn of mid-spring and late spring, Tomb-Sweeping Day is full of spring and everything is full of vitality. It is a traditional custom handed down from ancient times to pay homage to ancestors and go hiking at this time. This seasonal folk activity has a long history in China, and its source is the ancient custom of welcoming the Spring Festival, which has a far-reaching influence on later generations.

2. Flying kites: Kites are also called "paper kites" and "kites". Flying kites is the most popular activity in Tomb-Sweeping Day. Kite is an aircraft that sticks paper or silk with bamboo strips and other skeletons, pulls a long line on it, and drops it into the sky under the action of wind. It belongs to an aircraft that only uses aerodynamic force. During their stay in Tomb-Sweeping Day, people not only wore it during the day, but also at night.