Tomb-Sweeping Day and the Origin of Traditional Food

Tomb-Sweeping Day is the fifth of the 24 solar terms. On April 5 every year, the sun reaches 15 degrees one day earlier or one day later. During the Qingming period, the climate gradually warms up, the glacier tongue melts, and the vegetation is lush. The following is the origin and traditional food of Tomb-Sweeping Day that I compiled for you. I hope it will help you.

The origin of Tomb-Sweeping Day

Tomb-Sweeping Day is one of the twenty-four solar terms in the lunar calendar, which is between mid-spring and late spring, that is, from winter to the future 108 days. The traditional Tomb-Sweeping Day of the Han nationality in China began in the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 years. "Almanac": "On the fifteenth day after the vernal equinox, the bucket refers to Ding, which is used for Qingming, when everything is clean and bright, and when it is covered, everything is clean and bright, hence the name." As soon as Qingming comes, the temperature rises, which is a good time for spring ploughing and sowing, so there is a saying that "before and after Qingming, we plant melons and beans". Tomb-Sweeping Day is a festival to worship ancestors, and the traditional activity is to sweep graves. On May 20th, 2006, it was approved by the State Council to be included in the first list of intangible cultural heritage.

It is said that the origin of Tomb-Sweeping Day began with the supplement of "basic sacrifices" by ancient emperors. Later, people followed suit, and it became a fixed custom of the Chinese nation to worship ancestors and sweep graves on this day.

The name "Tomb-Sweeping Day" also comes from "Tomb-Sweeping Day" in the twenty-four solar terms of the China lunar calendar. 108 The day after beginning of winter is Qi's Tomb-Sweeping Day. Tomb-Sweeping Day gas * * * has 15 days. As it is Tomb-Sweeping Day, the time is after the vernal equinox. At this time, winter has gone, spring is full, the weather is sunny, the fields are bright and clean, and the vitality of nature is everywhere. It is an appropriate word to call this period "Qingming".

One revolution of the earth is 360 degrees of the yellow meridian, and when the earth reaches zero degrees of the yellow meridian, it is designated as the vernal equinox, and then there is a solar term every time it runs 15 degrees, and there are 24 solar terms in * * *. Therefore, the dates of solar terms in the solar calendar are fixed, and there will be two-day differences in leap years. The lunar calendar is a yin-yang calendar that reflects phenological changes and guides agricultural time. It also combines the lunar calendar, that is, the cycle of the lunar phase is 29.5 days (the time interval from one full moon to the next). Because calculating the specific time of solar terms in the lunar calendar requires accurate astronomical knowledge and mathematical knowledge, the occurrence time of each solar term in the previous almanac was promulgated by the state (for example, beginning of spring was accurate to year, month, day, minute and second), and the rules for calculating different times were different, so the local chronicles of the Qing Dynasty used a long space and many graphic formulas to illustrate the calculation method at that time. Generally speaking, the setting law of lunar solar terms is often only to determine that the first month is a solar term and the middle of the month is a neutral one. The interval between two solar terms is 15 days, which is the basis of people's calculation. Solar term song is also the necessary knowledge for ordinary people to master solar terms. A slightly more complicated calculation is that I am used to eating cold food 105 days and clearing it 106 days from the winter solstice of the previous year (when the sun is the least in a year). It's much simpler according to the solar calendar. April 5 or 4 (depending on February 29 of that year) will do. Astronomically speaking, on April 5 or 6, when the apparent sun (that is, the position of the sun on the ecliptic) reaches 15 degrees.

In the concept of the ancients, 108 is a large number representing perfection, auspiciousness, antiquity and profundity. It is of profound significance to put Qingming Festival on the 108 day from winter to the future. Qingming gets its name not only because everything grows cleanly at this time, but also because the sun in this period is also a fresh sun, and the sun flowing between heaven and earth in this period is also a fresh sun.

What traditional food does Qingming eat?

1, Youth League

Qing Tuan is a kind of green bread made of grass head juice. Its method is to put tender wormwood and hemp into a large pot, add lime to steam it, remove lime water, knead it into glutinous rice flour, and make it into bright green jiaozi. Eating dumplings is mainly a holiday food in Tomb-Sweeping Day, which is popular in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

There is a saying: food is the most important thing for people. However, for people today, the meaning of eating is not only "living", but also not limited to enjoying "delicious food". The reason why "eating" is upgraded to "culture" now is because it contains rich ethnic, historical and regional connotations.

2, warm mushroom bag

Warm mushroom bag is a traditional snack in Taining. The scientific name of the raw material of warm mushroom is Daqu grass, also called Fuer grass, and the local people call it warm mushroom grass. Every year on the eve of Tomb-Sweeping Day, the fields are covered with moustaches, which are hairy, fresh and tender, and it is a good season to pick and make warm mushroom packages. In Taining, the production of warm mushroom buns is somewhat different. The southern piece is made of freshly picked warm mushroom grass, which looks like a full moon, similar to steamed stuffed bun; The northern piece is made of warm mushroom powder, which is shaped like a crescent moon and more like jiaozi. Southern films are usually eaten on the eve of Tomb-Sweeping Day, and there are not many rules for the sake of fresh taste.

3.Ai？ {(real name)

There is an old saying in Hakka that "eat Ai before and after Qingming Festival"? {,don't get sick all year round. "Ai? {This is a traditional snack of Tomb-Sweeping Day Hakkas. First, wash the fresh and tender wormwood, put it in a pot and cook it, then take it out and drain it. The water for boiling wormwood should be reserved for later use. Then chop the cooked wormwood into grass mud, and the finer the grass mud, the worse the better. After cutting the wormwood mud, mix it with boiled wormwood water and glutinous rice flour. Then, the prepared fillings such as sesame seeds, plum beans and peanuts are wrapped in dough, sealed and kneaded into a round shape and a long shape, and then steamed in a pot for 15-20 minutes, and then taken out.

4, prickly heat (s·m \u n)

There are people who eat prickly heat in Tomb-Sweeping Day, and there are people in the north and south of China. "Zanzi" is a kind of fried food, crisp and delicate, and was called "cold ware" in ancient times. The custom of forbidding fire and cold in the Cold Food Festival is not popular in most parts of China, but the prickly heat related to this festival is deeply loved by the world. The prickly heat that is popular in Han areas is different from the north and the south: the prickly heat in the north is generous and free, with wheat flour as the main material; The southern prickly heat is exquisitely made, mainly rice and flour.

5. eggs

According to folk custom, Tomb-Sweeping Day has good health all year round after eating an egg. Tomb-Sweeping Day's eating eggs originated from the custom of forbidding fire in some areas in the pre-Qin period, and forbidding eating cold food for many days. Hard-boiled eggs are the best food reserves to survive this period. Tomb-Sweeping Day can eat eggs to play on this day, which can be roughly divided into two types, one is "painting eggs" and the other is "carving eggs". Painted eggs can be eaten; And "carving eggs" is just for enjoyment.

Step 6 push steamed bread

"Zi Tuimo", also known as Lao Momo, is similar to the helmet of ancient military commanders and weighs about 250-500 grams. Eggs or red dates are wrapped inside and have a top on them. The top is covered with flowers. Hua Mian is a dough-shaped steamed stuffed bun with the shape of swallow, worm, snake, rabbit or Four Treasures of the Study. The round "push buns" are for men to enjoy. Married women eat long "shuttle buns" and unmarried girls eat "catch buns". Children have flowers such as swallows, snakes, rabbits and tigers. "Big Tiger" is specially for boys, and it is also their favorite.

Tomb-Sweeping Day prevents diseases.

First, pay attention to keep warm and prevent wind and evil.

During the Qingming period, sudden changes in the weather lead to an increase in wind pathogens. People should pay attention to wind protection and warmth to prevent wind pathogens from invading the human body and causing damage to health. When you go out to worship your ancestors or go hiking, you can prepare a coat with you so that foreign evils can't invade your body.

In addition, pregnant women, the elderly, children and other vulnerable people can take more rest and protect their health while preventing wind and evil spirits.

Second, protect the liver from liver diseases.

Liver disease is easy to appear on the body during the Qingming period, because the dry wind at this time can easily make people angry. If the fire is not cleared in time, it is easy to induce liver disease. Therefore, in Tomb-Sweeping Day, we should pay attention to the health of the liver and prevent liver diseases.

Eat more foods that calm the liver, nourish the kidney and moisten the lungs, avoid irritating foods such as mutton and peppers, and eat more fresh fruits to effectively protect the health of the liver.

Third, prevent allergies.

There are many allergens in the air in spring, and there are many flowers before and after Tomb-Sweeping Day. Therefore, when going out for an outing, we must pay attention to skin care. Friends who are allergic to pollen should not go for an outing where flowers are in full bloom, lest the grass in the wild be too high.

Because insects are active before and after Tomb-Sweeping Day, it is easy to be bitten by insects when entering the grass at this time, thus inducing allergic phenomena, so we must pay attention to this in our life.

Fourth, don't eat unknown wild vegetables to prevent stomach trouble.

Spring is the season when many wild vegetables are on the market, but when traveling in Qingming, you should not pick wild vegetables to eat at will to prevent food poisoning or other gastrointestinal diseases. You know, although many wild vegetables seem harmless, they can easily become health killers after eating by mistake.

Fifth, pay attention to heart health.

Tomb-Sweeping Day is the time to worship ancestors, but we must be careful not to be too sad when worshipping ancestors to prevent heart health damage, especially for friends who have already suffered from heart disease and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Because violent mood swings can easily lead to these diseases, which will lead to the destruction of heart health.

Sixth, prevent spring plague.

Spring is a season of life recovery and danger. Why is it dangerous Because although everything recovers in spring, the air always contains a lot of viruses and bacteria. If we don't pay attention to these viruses and bacteria, we will be easily infected and cause diseases.

Such as influenza, meningitis, whooping cough and other diseases, are easy to appear around Tomb-Sweeping Day, so wearing a mask when you go out and washing your face frequently when you go home is of great benefit to your health.

Seven, prevention of mumps

Before and after Tomb-Sweeping Day, there was another disease that was easy to appear. It is mumps, which is highly contagious and even spread through saliva droplets. Therefore, if you want to prevent this disease when going out to play, wearing a mask, choosing a clean restaurant and using public chopsticks when eating can effectively prevent the occurrence of mumps.

Eight, prevent eye diseases

Eye diseases are also easy to appear around Tomb-Sweeping Day, such as pinkeye and trachoma. Therefore, in order to protect health, Tomb-Sweeping Day should prevent these eye diseases, try not to go to crowded places, try not to rub your eyes with your hands or share a set of toiletries with others. Washing hands and faces often can help us effectively prevent eye diseases.

IX. Prevention of Respiratory Diseases

Bacteria in the air increase and become more active. At this time, good indoor air should be maintained, and proper window ventilation can effectively prevent respiratory diseases.