What are the etiquette and taboos of Tomb-Sweeping Day, a traditional folk festival in China?

Tomb-Sweeping Day is one of the important traditional folk festivals in China. From April 4th to 6th in the solar calendar every year, Tomb-Sweeping Day is the most important festival for offering sacrifices, and it is also a festival for China people to express their respect and gratitude to their ancestors. What are the etiquette or taboos for sweeping graves in Tomb-Sweeping Day?

1, Tomb-Sweeping Day's grave-sweeping procedure.

According to custom, the order of sacrifice is to clean the cemetery first. The cemetery is on the mountain, and the weeds in the cemetery should be removed. Then there are sacrifices. People offer food, wine, fruit, paper money and other items to the graves of their relatives, burn incense and toast, and then kowtow and worship to express their respect for their ancestors and place their grief.

2. Tomb-Sweeping Day worships generations.

Sacrifice is right. In order: father, mother, eldest son, eldest daughter, second son, second daughter and so on. After the worship, the sacrifice is blessed by the ancestors, and everyone can eat and take the sacrifice. Finally, of course, pay attention to fire safety and leave after lighting incense.

3. What flowers did Tomb-Sweeping Day buy to mourn the dead?

It is usually chrysanthemum, because chrysanthemum is regarded as a flower of sustenance in ancient China, which means missing and nostalgia. White chrysanthemum is the most suitable, and it can also be matched with some green grass, such as lily, green leaves and carnations, which will be more beautiful. Huang Juhua is called Longevity Chrysanthemum, which is more suitable for visiting patients.

4, Tomb-Sweeping Day clothing accessories

Tomb-Sweeping Day should wear plain clothes instead of red and purple.

5, Qingming grave sweeping time

Generally speaking, grave sweeping activities are completed from 7 am to 4 pm, because the yang gradually fades and the yin gradually increases. People with bad luck are easily troubled or harassed by yin qi.

6. Don't laugh and curse when sweeping the grave.

Because the cemetery is the home of ghosts, so don't cross the graves and offerings, don't make a noise, don't laugh and curse, don't swear, don't run around and touch, and don't urinate anywhere. This is not only disrespectful to ancestors, but also a nuisance to nearby gods. You can't go to other graves or comment on the design of graves, which will be considered blasphemy. If you encounter a bad atmosphere, you will get into trouble and go home.

Qingming Festival

Qingming Festival

7. Be careful when taking photos in the ancestral graves.

In China, ancestor worship is not only to commemorate ancestors, but obviously to worship and pray for the dead. Be careful when taking photos in ancestral graves, whether it is the grave sweeper himself or the grave sweeper and cemetery. When taking pictures, it is even more taboo to take other people's graves into the camera. Otherwise, your fortune is likely to decline and be unbalanced in all aspects.

Tomb-Sweeping Day is forbidden to visit relatives and friends.

It's better for Tomb-Sweeping Day to visit relatives and friends not on the same day, but the next day, because Tomb-Sweeping Day is a special memorial time, so it is unreasonable or unlucky to visit relatives and friends at this time. Of course, you can also invite friends and relatives out for dinner.