The significance of setting off firecrackers in Tomb-Sweeping Day

Tomb-Sweeping Day set off firecrackers, which means "awakening ancestors to go home".

Setting off firecrackers is a folk tradition, which can drive away ghosts and bad things. Setting off firecrackers after going to the grave has two folk meanings. The first is that we go to the grave to worship our ancestors, just hoping that the paper money we burn will only be given to our ancestors, not to other ghosts, so the purpose of setting off firecrackers after going to the grave is to drive away other ghosts and rob our ancestors. The second meaning is that people always think that going to those places is not clean, so setting off firecrackers after going to the grave is used to exorcise evil spirits.

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.

It is said that the origin of Tomb-Sweeping Day began with the "grave-sweeping" ceremony of ancient emperors and generals. Later, people followed suit, and it became a fixed custom of the Chinese nation to worship ancestors and sweep graves on this day. Cold Food Festival is an early festival in ancient China. Legend has it that it was set up in the Spring and Autumn Period to commemorate Jiexiu, a loyal minister of the State of Jin.