Why is Qingming Festival called Qingming Festival?

The Qingming Festival is one of the twenty-four solar terms in China. Since the 24 solar terms reflect the changes in temperature, rainfall and weather conditions throughout the year in a more objective way, the ancient working people used it to arrange agricultural activities. Huainanzi (淮南子). Tianwenxun" said, "Fifteen days after the vernal equinox, the bucket refers to B, then the winds of the Qingming Festival arrive." According to the "time of the year and a hundred questions": "Everything grows at this time, are clean and clear. Therefore, it is called the Qingming Festival." Once the Qingming Festival arrives, the temperature rises, the rainfall increases, it is a good time for spring plowing and planting. Therefore, there are "before and after the Qingming Festival, point melon planting beans", "planting trees and forests, not over the Qingming Festival" of the farmers' proverbs. It is clear that this festival has a close relationship with agricultural production.

But the Qingming Festival, as a festival, is different from a pure festival. The festival is a sign of changes in climate and the order of the seasons in China, while the festival contains certain customs and commemorative significance.

The Qingming Festival is a traditional festival in China and the most important festival of worship, a day of ancestor worship and tomb-sweeping. Tomb-sweeping is commonly known as visiting the graves, an activity to honor the dead. Most Han Chinese and some ethnic minorities sweep their tombs on Qingming Day.

According to the old custom, when sweeping tombs, people should bring wine, food, fruits, paper money and other items to the graveyard, offer the food in front of their loved ones' graves, then incinerate the paper money, cultivate new soil for the graves, fold a few young green branches and stick them on the graves, and then kowtow and worship, and then eat the wine and food and go home at last. Du Mu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote in his poem "Qingming Festival": "The rain falls one after another during the Qingming Festival, and the pedestrians on the road want to break their souls. Where can I find a tavern? The shepherd boy points to the apricot blossom village." It writes about the special atmosphere of the Qingming Festival.

The Qingming Festival, also known as the Treading Green Festival, according to the solar calendar, it is between April 4 and 6 every year, it is the bright and beautiful spring grass and trees spit out the green season, but also it is the people of the spring tour (ancient called trekking) a good time, so the ancients have the Qingming Festival trekking, and a series of sports activities of the custom.

To this day, the custom of paying homage to ancestors and mourning the death of loved ones on the Qingming Festival is still very popular.

The Origin of Qingming Festival

The traditional Qingming Festival in China began around the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 years. The Qingming Festival is a very important festival in the beginning, once the Qingming Festival arrives, the temperature rises, it is a good time for spring plowing and planting, so there is "before and after the Qingming Festival, planting melons and beans". "Tree planting, not over the Qingming Festival," the proverb. Later, due to the Qingming Festival and cold food days close, and cold food is the folk ban on fire sweeping days, gradually, cold food and Qingming Festival into one, and cold food has become the Qingming Festival alias, but also become a custom for the Qingming Festival season, the day of the Qingming Festival does not move the fireworks, only to eat cold food.

On the cold food, there is such a legend:

According to legend, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the consort of Duke Xian of Jin, Li Ji, in order to let her son Xi Qi succeeded to the throne, set up poisonous plots to kill the Prince Shen Sheng, who was forced to commit suicide. Shen Sheng's younger brother, Chong Er, went into exile in order to escape the disaster. While in exile, Chong Er suffered a lot of humiliation. Most of the ministers who followed him went their own way one after another. There were only a few loyal men left who followed him all the way. One of them was called Jie Zi Tui (介子推). Once, Chong Er passed out from hunger. In order to save Chong Er, Jie Zi Pui cut off a piece of meat from his own leg, cooked it over a fire and gave it to Chong Er to eat. Nineteen years later, Chong Er returned to his country and became the ruler, Duke Wen of Jin, one of the famous Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period.

When Duke Wen of Jin came to power, he rewarded those who had suffered with him, but he forgot about Jie Zi Tui. Some people complained for Jie Zi Tui in front of Duke Wen of Jin. Duke Wen of Jin suddenly remembered the old story, the heart of shame, and immediately sent to ask mesoteric push on the court to be rewarded by the official. However, after several trips, Jie Zi Tui did not come. Duke Wen of Jin had to go in person to invite. However, when Duke Wen came to Jie Zi Tui's house, he saw that the door was closed. Jie Zi Tui didn't want to see him, and had already carried his mother to hide in Mianshan Mountain (southeast of present-day Jiexiu County, Shanxi Province). The Duke of Jin then sent his imperial army up to Mianshan to search for him, but they did not find him. So, someone came up with an idea, saying that it would be better to set fire to the mountain, lighting fires on three sides and leaving one side behind, so that when the fire started, Jie Zi Tui would come out on his own. Duke Wen of Jin ordered the fire to burn the mountain, but the fire burned for three days and three nights, after the fire was extinguished, did not see Kai Zi push out. Up the mountain to see, jiezi push mother and son holding a big charred willow tree has died. Duke Wen of Jin looked at the body of the mesquite push to cry and worship for a while, and then buried the remains, and found that the mesquite push spine blocked a willow tree hole, the hole seems to have something.

Cutting out his flesh and serving the king with all his heart, he wished that his lord would always be clear and bright.

It is better to be a ghost under the willow than to be an advisor to the king.

If you have me in your heart, you will always think of yourself when you remember me.

If I am not ashamed of myself in the nine springs, I will be diligent in my administration and will repeat the Qingming Festival.

Duke Wen of Jin hid the bloody book in his sleeve. Then he buried Jie Zi Tui and his mother separately under the big burnt willow tree. To honor Jie Zi Tui, Duke Wen of Jin ordered that Mian Shan be changed to "Jie Shan", built a shrine on the mountain, and designated the day the mountain was set on fire as the Cold Food Festival, telling the whole country to abstain from fireworks and to eat only cold food on that day every year.

When he left, he cut down a section of burnt willow wood and made a pair of wooden clogs in the palace, looking at them every day and sighing, "Woe is the foot." "This is said to have been the origin of the ancient term of respect used by subordinates for their superiors or peers.

The next year, the Duke of Jin led a group of ministers on a hike in plain clothes to pay homage and express their condolences. When he arrived at the grave, he saw the old willow tree come back to life, with thousands of green branches dancing in the wind. Duke Wen of Jin looked at the resurrected old willow tree and saw it as if he had seen Jie Zi Tui. He went to it respectfully, pinched a branch and wove a circle on his head. After the ceremony, the Duke of Jin gave the name "Qingming Festival Willow" to the resurrected old willow tree, and designated this day as the Qingming Festival.

Afterward, Duke Wen of Jin often put the blood book sleeve at his side, as a motto to spur his own ruling. He was diligent in his administration of the Qingming Festival and tried to govern the country well.

Since then, the people of Jin have been able to live and work in peace and contentment, and they miss Jie Zi Tui, who was a man of great merit who did not try to be rich and powerful. On the day of his death, people banned fireworks to commemorate him. Also with flour and jujube paste, kneaded into the swallow, with willow string up, inserted in the door, to summon his soul, this thing is called "the push of the swallow" (jiezitui also known as jiezhitui). Since then, the Cold Food and Qingming Festival has become a grand festival for people all over the country. Whenever cold food is served, people do not make fire to cook and only eat cold food. In the north, the people only eat pre-made cold food such as jujube cake, wheat cake, etc.; in the south, it is mostly green dumplings and glutinous rice candy root. Every Qingming Festival, people weave willow into a circle and wear it on their heads, and stick willow branches in front of and behind their houses to show their remembrance.

The customs of the Qingming Festival are rich and interesting, in addition to preaching about banning fires and sweeping tombs, there are also a series of customary sports activities, such as trekking, swinging, cuju, playing polo, and planting willows. Legend has it that this is because of the Qingming Festival to cold food and fire ban, in order to prevent cold food and cold food injury, so people come to participate in a number of sports activities, in order to exercise the body. Therefore, this festival is characterized by both the sorrowful tears of sweeping the new graves of life and death, as well as the laughter of trekking and playing.

Swinging

This is an ancient Qingming Festival custom in China. Swinging, meaning migrating by the leather rope. Its history is very ancient, the earliest called the thousand autumn, and then in order to avoid taboos, changed to swing. Ancient swing with tree branches for the frame, and then bolted on the ribbon made. Later gradually developed into a swing with two ropes and pedals. Playing swing not only can improve health, but also can cultivate the spirit of bravery, and is still loved by people, especially children.

Cuju

Cuju is a kind of leather ball, the ball skin made of leather, the ball with hair stuffed tight. Cuju is to kick the ball with the foot. It is a favorite game during the ancient Qingming Festival. It is said to have been invented by the Yellow Emperor, and its original purpose was to train warriors.

Trekking

Also called spring tour. In ancient times, it was called exploring spring, searching for spring and so on. March Qingming Festival, spring back to the earth, nature everywhere presents a vibrant scene, it is a great time for excursions. China's folk have long maintained the Qingming Festival trekking habit.

Tree planting

Before and after the Qingming Festival, the spring sun shines, the spring sun shines, the spring rain sprinkles, planting saplings with a high survival rate, fast growth. Therefore, since ancient times, China has the Qingming Festival tree planting habit. Some people also call the Qingming Festival "Tree Planting Day". Tree-planting custom has been handed down to the present day. 1979, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress stipulated that every year on March 12 for China's Tree Planting Day. This is to mobilize the people of all nationalities to actively carry out activities to green the motherland, has a very important significance.

Kite flying

is also a favorite activity of the Qingming Festival. During the Qingming Festival, people not only fly kites during the day, but also at night. At night, a string of small colorful lanterns are hung under the kite or on the wind steady pulling line, like twinkling stars, which are called "divine lanterns". In the past, some people put the kite on the blue sky, then cut the line, let the wind send them to the end of the world, it is said that this can eliminate diseases and bring good luck to themselves.

The Origin and Legend of Qingming Festival

The traditional Qingming Festival in China began around the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 years. Qingming is a very important festival in the beginning, once Qingming arrives, the temperature rises, it is a good time for spring plowing and planting, so there is "before and after Qingming, planting melons and beans". "Tree planting, no more than the Qingming" proverbs. Later, due to the Qingming and cold food days close, and cold food is the folk ban on fire sweeping days, gradually, cold food and Qingming on the merger of one, and cold food has become a Qingming alias, but also become a custom for the Qingming festival, Qingming day does not move fireworks, only eat cold food.

On the cold food, there is such a legend:

According to legend, during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, the consort of Duke Xian of Jin, Li Ji, in order to let her son Xi Qi succeeded to the throne, set up poisonous plots to kill the Prince Shen Sheng, who was forced to commit suicide. Shen Sheng's younger brother, Chong Er, went into exile in order to escape the disaster. While in exile, Chong Er suffered a lot of humiliation. Most of the ministers who followed him went their own way one after another. There were only a few loyal men left who followed him all the way. One of them was called Jie Zi Tui (介子推). Once, Chong Er passed out from hunger. In order to save Chong Er, Jie Zi Pui cut off a piece of meat from his own leg, cooked it over a fire and gave it to Chong Er to eat. Nineteen years later, Chong Er returned to his country and became the ruler, Duke Wen of Jin, one of the famous Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period.

When Duke Wen of Jin came to power, he rewarded those who had suffered with him, but he forgot about Jie Zi Tui. Some people complained for Jie Zi Tui in front of Duke Wen of Jin. Duke Wen of Jin suddenly remembered the old story, the heart of shame, and immediately sent to ask mesoteric push on the court to be rewarded by the official. However, after several trips, Jie Zi Tui did not come. Duke Wen of Jin had to go in person to invite. However, when Duke Wen came to Jie Zi Tui's house, he saw that the door was closed. Jie Zi Tui didn't want to see him, and had already carried his mother to hide in Mianshan Mountain (southeast of present-day Jiexiu County, Shanxi Province). The Duke of Jin then sent his imperial army up to Mianshan to search for him, but they did not find him. So, someone came up with an idea, saying that it would be better to set fire to the mountain, lighting fires on three sides and leaving one side behind, so that when the fire started, Jie Zi Tui would come out on his own. Duke Wen of Jin ordered the fire to burn the mountain, but the fire burned for three days and three nights, after the fire was extinguished, did not see Kai Zi push out. Up the mountain to see, jiezi push mother and son holding a big charred willow tree has died. Duke Wen of Jin looked at the body of the mesquite push to cry and worship for a while, and then buried the remains, and found that the mesquite push spine blocked a willow tree hole, the hole seems to have something.

Cutting out his flesh and serving the king, he wished that his lord would always be clear.

It is better to be a ghost under the willow than to be an advisor to the king.

If you have me in your heart, you will always think of yourself when you remember me.

If I am not ashamed of myself in the nine springs, I will be diligent and clear in my administration.

Duke Wen of Jin hid the bloody book in his sleeve. Then he buried Jie Zi Tui and his mother under the charred willow tree. To honor Jie Zi Tui, Duke Wen of Jin ordered that Mian Shan be changed to "Jie Shan", built a shrine on the mountain, and designated the day the mountain was set on fire as the Cold Food Festival, telling the whole country to abstain from fireworks and to eat only cold food on that day every year.

When he left, he cut down a section of burnt willow wood and made a pair of wooden clogs in the palace, looking at them every day and sighing, "Woe is the foot." "This is said to have been the origin of the ancient term of respect used by subordinates for their superiors or peers.

The next year, the Duke of Jin led a group of ministers on a hike in plain clothes to pay homage and express their condolences. When he arrived at the grave, he saw the old willow tree come back to life, with thousands of green branches dancing in the wind. Duke Wen of Jin looked at the resurrected old willow tree and saw it as if he had seen Jie Zi Tui. He went to it respectfully, pinched a branch and wove a circle on his head. After the ceremony, the Duke of Jin gave the name "Qingming Willow" to the resurrected old willow tree, and designated this day as the Qingming Festival.

Afterward, Duke Wen of Jin often put the bloody book on his side, as a motto to spur his own ruling. He was diligent and clear, and he managed the country well.

Since then, the people of Jin have been able to live and work in peace and contentment, and they miss Jie Zi Tui very much. On the day of his death, people banned fireworks to commemorate him. Also with flour and jujube clay, kneaded into the swallow, with willow string up, inserted in the door, to summon his soul, this thing is called "the push of the swallow" (jiezitui also known as jiezhitui). Since then, the cold food and Qingming became the grand festivals of the people all over the country. Whenever cold food is served, people do not make fire to cook and only eat cold food. In the north, the people only eat pre-made cold food such as jujube cake, wheat cake, etc.; in the south, it is mostly green dumplings and glutinous rice candy root. Every Qingming, people weave willow into a circle and wear it on their heads, and stick willow branches in front of and behind their houses to show their remembrance.

The rain falls on the road during the Ching Ming Festival - Ching Ming Festival Customs, Poetry Appreciation

The rain falls on the road during the Ching Ming Festival, and the pedestrians on the road want to break their souls.

Where can I find a tavern? The shepherd boy points to the village of apricot blossoms.

Ching Ming, has always given people the impression that it is always a wet rain.

Or the wind and rain, or the wind and rain, from early in the morning, to dusk,

In the rainy mountains, in the muddy path,

There is always the wind and rain, dotted with silence, line line line line line line of the gravesweeper;

Or three or five groups, help the old and the young, or one or two lone shadow, hobbling solo.

The distant mountains are hidden in the clouds and mist, and the near trees are caged in front of the lonely smoke,

The bridge and water, the sad crows cried sadly, the rain washed the autumn, the wind blew the sadness,

Only to see the rain and smoke, not to see the people and the cooking smoke.

What a sad and lonely journey, what a disorienting picture.

Looking up at the graveyard, I saw the following:

Hundreds of graves, thousands of monuments; the rain and smoke is hazy, and the grass is away from the...

This is the first time I've seen this.

A piece of desolation, a piece of bleakness, a piece of dead silence!

The mountains are lonely, the smoke is thin, the trees are small, the sound of rain is rare!

The wind is blowing, the rain is falling, the sadness is long, the sadness is small,

If you don't want to lose your soul, where will you find the dark scent of your sleeve?

Pulling up a piece of messy grass, set down a few cups of cold wine, burned a handful of paper money,

The wind and rain is very sad, cups of soil with sadness, weeds with smoke, but there are no words,

Only the bottom of the heart is filled with a ghost of sadness and a faint sadness,

This is the only thing that is full of sadness and faint sadness!

The dead are gone, and the survivors are sad!

It's a good thing that I'm not a big fan of the way we do things.

It's a good thing that I'm not a big fan of the way we do things.

They're not a big fan of the way we do things.

It's a good thing that I'm not a big fan of the way we do things.

They are the first to be able to do so, and they are the first to be able to do so, and they are the first to be able to do so.

Where can I find a wine shop? The shepherd boy is pointing to the village of apricot blossoms.

---- (Tang) Du Mu

The severe winter has passed, and the spring breeze is greening the south of the river.

At the time of the Qingming Festival, the willow buds bloom, the peach blossoms bloom, and

the grass is green. The atmosphere is clean, "Clean Qi Qingming".

Clean Ming Qingming is an image of the climate and physical characteristics of the winter and spring.

"The rain falls one after another during the Qingming Festival, and the pedestrians on the road want to break their souls."

Why is the soul broken?

Because "the old tombs and the white poplar trees are all the places where life and death are parted."

The vigorous growth of life after winter reminds one of departed ancestors and friends.

This little poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu, which chants about Qingming,

is still so mournful and affectionate when read today.

See through the ages,

Some of the ****same, beautiful feelings in human nature,

are common across the four seas, ancient and modern.

There is a metabolism in human nature, and the exchanges have become ancient and modern.

The living will always keep on becoming the dead.

The next generation keeps growing, the last **** keeps aging,

Continuously dying, this is the law of biology, the law of nature.

This is how human society continues from generation to generation.?

We are here to express our longing for our loved ones,

and shed all our tears, so that memories are no longer a burden to life.

Here we again experience the love and warmth of the world,

Piecing together our broken hearts, and lifting the sails of life with a smile.

Here we are in the midst of the world's uncertainties and the shortness of life,

When we have truly loved, we have no regrets in our lives.

Help in others in distress, their own frustration in the optimism,

As long as there is love in the heart, life is always a beautiful spring.

The Qingming Festival is a traditional festival of the Chinese people to commemorate their ancestors,

and its main form is to pay homage to their ancestors and sweep their graves.

This custom has been practiced for a long time, and according to historical records, during the Qin and Han Dynasties,

tomb-sacrifice had become an indispensable ritual activity.

The Book of Han .

Yan Yan Nian biography,

Yan's even thousands of miles away from the capital will be in the Qingming "return to the East China Sea to sweep the cemetery".

As ancestor worship and kinship consciousness became more and more developed and solidified,

The grave ceremony, which was not standardized in ancient times, was also included in the Five Rites:

"It is appropriate for the families of the scholar and the commoner to allow for the grave ceremony to be included in the Five Rites, which will be the norm for eternity."

The court's promotion of the tomb ceremony activities more prevalent.

Ancient poems depicting tomb-sweeping at Ching Ming:

"There are many tomb fields on the hills in the north and south, and each one of them is swarmed by the Ching Ming Festival;

Paper ash flies as white butterflies, and tears and blood dye the red azaleas."

The popular folk song of Meng Jiangnu's search for her husband also reads

"It's Ching Ming in March, and the peaches are red, the willows are green, and the grass is green;

The white paper floats on the graves of others, but the grave of my family is cold and quiet."

Du Mu's famous lines from the Tang Dynasty:

"The rain falls one after another during the Ching Ming Festival, and the pedestrians on the road want to break their souls;

If I ask where the tavern is, the shepherd boy points to the apricot blossom village."

These verses all very truly reflect the scene and atmosphere of the Qingming grave-sweeping at that time.

Why sweep the graves at Ching Ming?

It was probably because winter had gone and spring had come, and the grass and trees were budding.

People think about the graves of their ancestors, whether foxes and rabbits are burrowing through them, and

whether they will cave in due to the onset of the rainy season, so they go to see for themselves.

When cleaning the graves, they remove weeds, add new soil, offer sacrifices,

burn incense and wine, burn paper money, or hang paper strips from tree branches,

and perform simple rituals to show their remembrance of the dead.

As for the date of cleaning, customs vary from place to place,

Some are ten days before and ten days after the Qingming Festival;

Some are called "three before and three after";

Some are held in the Qingming Festival before and after the "single" day;

Some places are sweeping the tomb for up to a month.

Tomb-sweeping at Ching Ming Festival is a concrete manifestation of the Chinese people's virtue of keeping track of their ancestors,

don't forget their relatives and filial piety,

The Ching Ming Festival has thus become an important festival for the Chinese people all over the world.

Many overseas compatriots, ethnic Chinese, also have the custom of returning to their hometowns to visit their graves,

to show that they do not forget their ancestors, and do not forget the feelings of patriotism of the homeland.

Since ancient times,

Tomb-sweeping at Ching Ming is not only to commemorate one's own ancestors,

history for the people who have made achievements,

done good things for the people, the people will commemorate him.

Customs of Qingming Festival

The customs of Qingming Festival are rich and interesting, in addition to prohibiting fires and sweeping tombs,

there are also a series of customary sports activities, such as trekking, swinging on the swings, cuju, playing polo, and planting willows.

Rumor has it that this is because the Qingming Festival to cold food and fire ban, in order to prevent cold food and cold food injury,

So people come to participate in some sports activities, in order to exercise the body.

So, this festival is characterized by the sadness and sorrow of sweeping the new graves and the sadness and sorrow of parting with the dead,

and the laughter of trekking and playing.

Swinging

This is China's ancient Qingming Festival custom. Swinging, meaning migrating by the leather rope.

It has an ancient history, the earliest called Qianqiu, and then changed to swing in order to avoid taboos.

Anciently, the swing was made of tree branches and then bolted with colored ribbons.

Later gradually developed into a swing with two ropes and pedals.

Swinging not only improves health, but also cultivates the spirit of bravery,

and is still loved by people, especially children.

Cuju

Cuju is a kind of ball made of leather and stuffed with wool.

Cuju means to kick a ball with the foot.

It was a favorite game during the ancient Qingming Festival.

It is said to have been invented by the Yellow Emperor, initially for the purpose of training warriors.