What folk activities were there in ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day?

Tomb-Sweeping Day in 2022 is on Tuesday, April 5th, the fifth day of the third lunar month. 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. What are the folk activities in ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day that I arranged for you? I hope I can help you!

Folk activities in ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day

First, worship ancestors and sweep graves.

Tomb-Sweeping Day is one of the four traditional festivals in China, and it is a day to worship ancestors and sweep graves. Grave sweeping is commonly known as going to the grave. In Han and some ethnic minority areas, according to local customs and habits, people come to the cemetery with fruits, food, paper money and other items, put their offerings in front of the cemetery, burn the paper money, add some new soil to the grave, and then kowtow to worship at the grave, so that they can pack up their offerings and go home.

Second, fold the willow to bid farewell

Willow is a symbol of spring. Willow swaying in the spring breeze always gives people a feeling of prosperity and vitality. Since the Han Dynasty, people have gradually formed the custom of breaking willows to bid farewell, in order to wish each other peace. Because "Liu" and "Liu" are homophonic, they also take the meaning of reluctant, and try to keep them. At the same time, relatives and friends who want to leave are like willow branches in other places, which can quickly take root and sprout and survive everywhere, and all of them are pinning their good wishes on their relatives and friends.

Third, swing

The custom of swinging in Tomb-Sweeping Day has a long history. It was originally called Qian Qiu, but later it was changed to a swing to avoid some taboos. The earliest swings were usually made of branches and then tied with ribbons. Later it gradually developed into a swing made of two ropes and pedals. The custom of swinging has been passed down to this day and is deeply loved by people. It can not only exercise your body, but also exercise your courage.

Fourth, tug of war

Tug of war originated in the late Spring and Autumn Period and was first popular in the army. At that time, it was called "tug-of-war" and "strong hook", which later spread to the people and was called "tug-of-war" in the Tang Dynasty. Tug-of-war means that both sides are equal in number. Pull a thick rope and pull the other side out of the river boundary, even if you win. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, a large tug-of-war competition was held in Tomb-Sweeping Day, which gradually evolved into a folk custom in Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Verb (abbreviation of verb) Cuju

Cuju is the earliest football activity in the world, which originated in the Warring States Period. Cuju refers to an ancient rubber ball whose spherical surface is made of leather and filled with feathers. Cuju was a very popular game in ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day. By the Han Dynasty, cuju had become a very specialized sport. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, cuju technique was greatly improved and became a large-scale activity. In court, there are often hundreds of people involved. Gao Qiu in Water Margin is a master of cuju. It is because of his superb skills that he won the appreciation of Song Huizong and stepped onto the top step by step.

Sixth, go for an outing.

Going for an outing is also called a spring outing. In ancient times, it was also called exploring spring and seeking spring. During the Qingming Festival, spring returns to the earth, the sun is shining, everything is reviving, and the earth is full of vitality. It is a good time to go for an outing. The custom of outing has a long history and was formed as early as the pre-Qin period. In the Song Dynasty, the wind of hiking was the most popular and passed down from generation to generation.

Seven, eat eggs

The custom of eating eggs in Tomb-Sweeping Day has a history of thousands of years. The ancients cooked eggs, duck eggs, bird eggs and other eggs and painted them in various colors, which were called "colored eggs". They threw these colorful eggs into the river and washed them down the river. People downstream scrambled for them, thinking that they could have children after eating them.

Later, people ate eggs in Tomb-Sweeping Day, symbolizing family reunion. There is also a folklore that Tomb-Sweeping Day eats eggs, and his health will be fine all year round, just like eating zongzi on the Dragon Boat Festival and moon cakes on the Mid-Autumn Festival, which are all holiday foods.

Eight, eat hair cake

During their stay in Tomb-Sweeping Day, people like to eat steamed cakes, which are made by grinding glutinous rice into rice slurry and steaming it. A lot of steamed cakes are delicious or not, but steamed or not, which is used to pin their good wishes of "getting rich" and "rising".

Nine, eat youth league

Youth League is a snack in the south of the Yangtze River and the most festive food in Tomb-Sweeping Day. It is a kind of wormwood that only existed before and after Tomb-Sweeping Day. It is a jiaozi made of glutinous rice flour and soup. Because jiaozi is bright green, it is named Youth League.

Ten, children in-laws send numbness to each other

In some places in Zhejiang province, the custom of sending hemp chips to each other by children and relatives is still preserved. In ancient times, after men and women got married, it often took a long time to get married formally, also for the convenience of mutual inspection. After all, getting married is a great event in life. It is a kind of etiquette before marriage that children and parents-in-law send hemp chips to each other. The man usually sends hemp chips to the woman in front of Tomb-Sweeping Day, indicating that the next Tomb-Sweeping Day is coming to marry his new wife. After the daughter gets married, the parents of the woman's family will send a snack to the man's family in front of Tomb-Sweeping Day, which means wishing the young couple a happy life, My Sweetie and happiness.

The Origin of Tomb-Sweeping Day's Grave Sweeping

Qingming is both a solar term and a festival. Qingming Festival is the fifth of the 24 solar terms in the China lunar calendar. Why is it a holiday again? This goes back to the ancient "Cold Food Festival". The Cold Food Festival is the105th day from winter to the future every year, which happens to be the day before Tomb-Sweeping Day. In the past, every household did not make a fire to cook, but only ate cold food. The next day is Tomb-Sweeping Day, where people burn paper, repair tombs and add soil to show their memory of the dead. These customs were handed down in the Spring and Autumn Period.

According to legend, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Zhong Er, the son of Jin Xiangong, fled abroad in order to avoid persecution by his stepmother, accompanied by ministers such as Jietui. When they fled to Weiguo, they were poor and ill. In desperation, Xie tui reluctantly cut off the meat on his leg and lied that it was rabbit meat made for Zhong Er. Zhong Er didn't know until someone told the truth. 19 years later, Zhong Er returned to China and became the monarch of the State of Jin (that is, Jin Wengong). He rewarded meritorious service and made great contributions, but he only forgot the meson push who was loyal to him.

Treat people remind, Zhong Er think of the past, send someone to please, meson push avoided. Jin Wengong personally went to the door to ask, only to know that Jiezitui was carrying his old mother and hiding in Mianshan, so he sent someone up the mountain to look for it, but he couldn't find it. Jin Wengong knows that meson tui is very filial. If he wants to leave Yamakaji, he will definitely run down the mountain with his old mother on his back. However, the fire burned for three days and nights, and neither the mother nor the child came out. Later, they were found dead by the fire beside a dead willow. Xie tui's backbone blocked the hole in the willow tree, and a skirt left by him was hidden in the hole. A poem was written in blood on the skirt: "May the master be clear forever."

It's better for Liu Xiahui to be a ghost than to be an admonisher with you. If your master has me in his heart, he will always reflect on my death. I have a clear conscience in Jiuquan, and I am clear and diligent. "Jin Wengong was very moved after reading it, and wept bitterly. She buried her mother and son in Mianshan, changed Mianshan to Jieshan, and built a temple to commemorate it. To commemorate meson tui, Jin Wengong ordered that the day when meson tui was burned to death be designated as "Cold Food Festival". Fireworks are strictly forbidden on this day every year, and only cold food is eaten. In the third year of Cold Food Festival, Jin Wengong led ministers to Jieshan to offer sacrifices to Jiexiu. When he found that the dead willow came back from the dead, he named it "Qingming Willow", stipulating that from cold food to Qingming, people should pay homage to it.

Later, the Cold Food Festival was gradually confused with Tomb-Sweeping Day, and the tomb sweeping was confused with Qingming, which gradually replaced the Cold Food Festival.

What flowers sweep graves in Tomb-Sweeping Day?

Generally speaking, white flowers express condolences, and white chrysanthemums, Bai Baihe and calla lilies are more suitable for grave sweeping.

White roses, gardenias or plain flowers symbolize regret and nostalgia. Others like simple and tough plants, such as Pinus bungeana, gladiolus and weeds.

Yellow flowers can also express condolences. Of course, there is no need to stick to this when sweeping graves. You can choose flowers according to the age and preferences of the deceased, or you can choose flowers such as forget me, yellow roses, red roses and birds of paradise. The specific situation varies from person to person.

The flowers used to sweep graves in Tomb-Sweeping Day are mainly to express nostalgia. The color is mainly white, such as white calla lily, white or yellow rose, white and yellow. Don't forget to add purple. Such bouquets are placed in front of the graves of relatives, with deep feelings. Tomb-Sweeping Day's flowers don't have to deliberately pursue the meaning of flowers, but use color language to express sadness.

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