The origin of Tomb-Sweeping Day

Tomb-Sweeping Day has arrived, so it's time to worship the ancestors and plant melons and beans. At this time, everyone will go to the grave and go for an outing. Tomb-Sweeping Day has it every year, but do you know the origin of Tomb-Sweeping Day and the purpose of sweeping graves? Let me tell you something today!

Tomb-Sweeping Day is one of the eight important folk festivals in China, and it is also one of the twenty-four solar terms in the lunar calendar, and the time is about April 5th and 6th every year. As early as after Dayu succeeded in controlling water, people used the word "Qingming" to celebrate the peace of the world. This time is the early spring season when spring is blooming, and it is the time to go for an outing in spring. Going for an outing began in the Tang Dynasty more than 1000 years ago and has been a habit since ancient times. Besides enjoying the beautiful spring scenery of nature, we should also carry out various recreational activities to increase the interest of life.

Tomb-Sweeping Day is also called Cold Food Festival. On this day, people will go to the grave to pay homage to their loved ones. The custom of sweeping graves is said to come from such a legend:

According to legend, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Li Ji, the concubine of Jin Xiangong, set a deadly trap to kill Prince Zhong Er and let her son inherit the throne. In order to escape the scourge, Zhong Er fled with several courtiers. One of the courtiers was called Jiezitui, who saved Zhong Er many times. Later, Zhong Er returned to China and became a monarch, which greatly promoted the courtiers who shared joys and sorrows with him, except for mesons. Zhong Er suddenly remembered the past, and immediately sent someone to ask meson to go to court and be rewarded. However, after several trips, the meson could not be pushed. Zhong Er invited him personally, and meson pushed him out of the mountain. In order to force him to go down the mountain, Zhong Er set fire on three sides, leaving only one mountain road, but the meson refused to come down and was finally burned to death on the mountain. In memory of him, I decided not to use fire this day, but to eat cold food to commemorate mesons. But they are afraid of the old, the weak and the cold, and organize outdoor activities such as spring outing to add some joy to this sad festival.

Since 2008, China has recognized Tomb-Sweeping Day as a legal holiday with one day off. It was changed to three days in 2009. Everyone calls it Qingming small holiday.