Tomb-Sweeping Day folk custom

Tomb-Sweeping Day's customs are rich and interesting. In addition to paying attention to the prohibition of fire to sweep graves, there are a series of customs and sports activities such as jogging, swinging, cuju, playing polo and inserting willows.

According to legend, this is because Tomb-Sweeping Day wants to ban cold food and fire. In order to prevent the harm of cold food and cold meal to people, we all take part in some sports activities to exercise. Therefore, this festival is a distinctive festival, with both sad tears to sweep graves and laughter for an outing.

Swing is a custom in ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day, China. Swing, that is, lift the rope, move.

It has a very long history. It was originally called Qian Qiu, but later it was changed into a swing to avoid taboos. In ancient times, swings were made of branches and tied with ribbons.

Later, it gradually developed into two ropes, a pedal swing. Playing swing can not only improve health, but also cultivate courage, which is deeply loved by people, especially children.

Cujuju is a rubber ball, the skin of which is made of leather, and the ball is filled with wool. Cuju is kicking the ball with your feet.

This is a popular game in ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day. According to legend, it was invented by the Yellow Emperor with the original purpose of training warriors.

Hiking is also called spring outing. It was called Tanchun and Xunchun in ancient times.

March is clear, spring returns to the earth, and nature is full of vitality everywhere, which is a good time to go for an outing. People in our country have always maintained the habit of going for an outing in Qingming.

Before and after planting trees, it is clear, the spring is bright, the spring rain is flying, and the survival rate of seedlings is high and the growth is fast. Therefore, China has the habit of planting trees in Qingming since ancient times.

Some people even call Tomb-Sweeping Day Arbor Day. The custom of planting trees has been passed down to this day.

1979, the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) stipulated March 12 every year as China's Arbor Day. This is of great significance to mobilize people of all ethnic groups in China to actively carry out activities to green the motherland.

Flying kites is also the most popular activity in Tomb-Sweeping Day. During their stay in Tomb-Sweeping Day, people not only wore it during the day, but also at night.

At night, a string of colored lanterns is hung under the kite or on the wind-stabilizing stay, like twinkling stars, which is called "magic lamp". Someone used to put kites in the blue sky, then cut the strings and let the breeze send them to the ends of the earth. It is said that this can eliminate diseases and disasters and bring good luck to yourself.

Tomb-Sweeping Day custom Tomb-Sweeping Day custom in various parts of Henan province pays a public sacrifice to Qingming Festival, and the son-in-law also sacrifices to the ancestral grave of Yue family. People offer sacrifices to young crops, ox king and Hongshan God.

In Mengjin County, during the Qingming Festival, seedlings are being planted in the wheat field. There is a custom in Tomb-Sweeping Day, Shaanxi Province. Xingping County is clear, and in-laws give each other paper money and visit each other's graves.

Every household in Fuping County invited the famous mountain springs to source water in Tomb-Sweeping Day, and * * * gave gifts to a god. Preparing sacrifices and praying for a bumper harvest is called "swimming"

After the Qingming Festival in Tongzhou County, willow branches were inserted into the door; And put paper money on the trunk, which is said to prevent insects and ants. Luochuan county steamed buns for food, and the buns were decorated in the shape of birds and snakes.

It is said that meson was protected by birds and snakes when it was pushed to Mianshan, so it was kept as a souvenir. Tomb-Sweeping Day, Sichuan, Chongqing and Wanxian in the east of Sichuan have the custom of "going to the wild grave".

Before and after Tomb-Sweeping Day, three or two women went to the suburbs for a picnic with wine and vegetables. Men, whether they know each other or not, can join in the fun.

In Shifang and other places, women dip shepherd's purse flowers in oil and throw them into the water, depending on the pattern of the water surface, which is called "oil divination". In Chengdu, fried rice balls are sold, decorated with colors and connected with lines, which are called "happy balls".

Tomb-Sweeping Day, Ruyuan County, Guangdong Province, customarily called the first ten days in Tomb-Sweeping Day as "windless days", and all residents in the county wore peach leaves on their heads. After sweeping the grave in Puyang county, a memorial service was issued, that is, the priest presided over the ceremony, and the grave-sweeping sacrifice was prepared and invited to dinner.

Grave-sweeping is called "worshipping the mountain" in Guang Ningxian. Tomb-Sweeping Day, a villager in Hengzhou, Guangxi, Tomb-Sweeping Day, soaked willow leaves and snails in water to wash his eyes, which is said to brighten his eyes.

After sweeping the grave in Xingren County, long banners made of white paper are hung on the head of the tomb, which is called "standard grave" or "hanging green". When sweeping graves in Kaiyang County, the chief priests on duty prepare wine and food as sacrifices.

After the sacrifice, relatives and friends will hold a banquet nearby, which is called a "picnic". It is a custom to sweep the Tomb-Sweeping Day and Tomb-Sweeping Day in Xinjian County, Jiangxi Province, taking spring cakes as an example.

Tomb-sweeping in Yongfeng County lasts three days, and then seven days. In addition to sacrificial ceremonies, rice flour is also used as fruit, called cocoon fruit, or glutinous rice is pressed into cakes and poured with sugar juice, called rice fruit, which still has the legacy of cold food.

In Anyi County, Tomb-Sweeping Day is only held by men, and women do not participate. Tomb-Sweeping Day, Hunan and Changsha, Tomb-Sweeping Day have the custom of inserting willows, which is called "remembering the years".

Tomb-Sweeping Day, Yongzhou Prefecture, draws water in the early morning and remains unchanged for several months, which is especially good for brewing wine. Xintian county agricultural proverb: "Qingming, everything is done."

The custom in Tomb-Sweeping Day, Fujian Province is Qingming in Fuzhou, and tourists in the eastern suburbs are very prosperous. Most of them pick up wild vegetables and cook them. This is called cooking. Hui 'an people fly kites and play wheat flutes when sweeping graves.

Quanzhou Qingming eats "moist cakes" and makes "feet and eyes", which is a spherical snack. It is said that Tomb-Sweeping Day can increase his strength by eating his feet.

/kloc-Children under 0/0 also put up colorful flags in Tomb-Sweeping Day for fun. In Tomb-Sweeping Day, Henan Province, Gong County has a clear custom, and the son-in-law also paid homage to the ancestral grave of Yue family.

People offer sacrifices to young crops, ox king and Hongshan God. In Mengjin County, during the Qingming Festival, seedlings are being planted in the wheat field.

There is a custom in Tomb-Sweeping Day, Shaanxi Province. Xingping County is clear, and in-laws give each other paper money and visit each other's graves. Every household in Fuping County invited the famous mountain springs to source water in Tomb-Sweeping Day, and * * * gave gifts to a god.

Preparing sacrifices and praying for a bumper harvest is called "swimming". After the Qingming Festival in Tongzhou County, willow branches are inserted into the door; And put paper money on the trunk, which is said to prevent insects and ants.

Luochuan county steamed buns for food, and the buns were decorated in the shape of birds and snakes. It is said that meson was protected by birds and snakes when it was pushed to Mianshan, so it was kept as a souvenir.

Tomb-Sweeping Day, Sichuan, Chongqing and Wanxian in the east of Sichuan have the custom of "going to the wild grave". Before and after Tomb-Sweeping Day, three or two women went to the suburbs for a picnic with wine and vegetables.

Men, whether they know each other or not, can join in the fun. In Shifang and other places, women dip shepherd's purse flowers in oil and throw them into the water, depending on the pattern of the water surface, which is called "oil divination".

In Chengdu, fried rice balls are sold, decorated with colors and connected with lines, which are called "happy balls".

The custom composition of Tomb-Sweeping Day

"It rains in the Qingming period, and pedestrians on the road want to break their souls.

Ask local people where to buy wine? The shepherd boy just laughed and didn't answer Xingshan Village. Du Mu, a poet in the late Tang Dynasty, wrote the famous Tomb-Sweeping Day, which tells the story of missing and sadness.

Tomb-Sweeping Day is the most important festival of sacrifice in China, and it is a day to sweep graves, pay homage and remember the deceased relatives. There are many traditional customs and activities around Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Such as lighting a fire with cold food, sweeping graves in Tomb-Sweeping Day, hiking, flying kites, swinging, cockfighting and tug of war. Some of these customs have been gradually forgotten with the alternation of years and social changes, even a trace of memory no longer exists, and some have stayed and been given new connotations. In old Qingdao, Tomb-Sweeping Day was also regarded as a major solar term.

The Cold Food Festival is the day before Tomb-Sweeping Day, and every family has to cut off the fire and eat cold food. 105 The solstice after beginning of winter is called cold food. In the past, fire was forbidden and cold food was eaten, so it was also called "Cold Food Festival" and "No Smoking Festival".

People turn on and off the fire two days before Qingming Festival, that is, they cook before dawn and light a fire after sunset to show their nostalgia for their loved ones. Because people often continue the activities of the Cold Food Festival to Qingming, and gradually combine cold food with Qingming. The custom of sweeping graves is quite popular in Tomb-Sweeping Day, commonly known as "going to the grave".

On this day, we will go to the ancestral grave to fill the whole grave, sweep away dust and weeds, burn incense and paper, and hold a sacrificial ceremony. Some people want to take this opportunity to repair the grave, mostly symbolically adding soil to the grave and putting some paper money on it to show others that there are descendants in the grave. Therefore, no matter how poor the family is, Tomb-Sweeping Day will visit the grave.

After the sacrifice, people will have a picnic and eat the food offered, that is, eat Fugen, to show the frugality of their ancestors. Many people eat green onions and fried eggs, which means they are smart. This custom has continued to this day.

Some people pinch flour flowers, called "steamed Xiaoyan", and eat white-flour chicken and eggs. It means that the swallow has come and the real spring has come.

On the Qingming morning, the whole family must eat eggs and chickens so that their eyes will not get sick. Many students should bring eggs to their teachers to show their admiration. In addition, when I was in Tomb-Sweeping Day, I posted paper with a picture of scorpions at home. Scorpions and centipedes were not invited at home, especially in rural areas.

"Before and after Qingming Festival, plant melons and beans" is a popular folk proverb. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, rural areas began to arrange farming time reasonably. On this day in Tomb-Sweeping Day, many farmers feed sorghum rice to their livestock. As the saying goes, "Fight a thousand and scold ten thousand, don't forget the sorghum rice in Tomb-Sweeping Day."

Eating high-grain rice porridge, wheat porridge and corn porridge means that life has become better. On this day, cows and donkeys should be given a full meal with porridge to reward their hard work for a year.

The custom and origin of Tomb-Sweeping Day.

"It rains in the Qingming period, and pedestrians on the road want to break their souls.

Ask local people where to buy wine? The shepherd boy just laughed and didn't answer Xingshan Village. When it comes to Qingming, people will naturally think of this poem by Du Mu, a poet in the Tang Dynasty.

But in the beginning, Qingming didn't mean it, just the name of a solar term. During the Qingming Festival, most parts of China return to the earth in spring, with sunny weather, warmer climate and recovery of everything. It is the best season for spring ploughing and planting. Farmers are busy everywhere in the fields. There is a saying among the people that "Qingming and Grain Rain are connected, and there is no need to delay immersion."

How did this solar term that urges spring ploughing become a festival to commemorate ancestors? It should be said that this is related to the Cold Food Festival two days ago (or one day). Cold Food Festival is an early festival in ancient China. Legend has it that it was set up in the Spring and Autumn Period to commemorate Jiexiu, a loyal minister of the State of Jin.

In fact, from the historical reality, the prohibition of cold food mainly reflects the remains of the ancient custom of changing fire in China. In primitive society, our ancestors drilled wood for fire, and fire was hard-won. Due to the seasonal changes, the tree species used for making fires are constantly changing. Therefore, changing fire into new fire is a great event in the lives of the ancients.

Spring and March are the seasons for changing fires, so people should forbid making fires before new ones come. The Han Dynasty called the Cold Food Festival a no-smoking festival, because people were not allowed to light a fire on this day, and candles were lit in the palace at night, and the fire spread to the homes of dignitaries.

In this regard, there is a vivid description in the poem "Cold Food" by Han, a poet in the Tang Dynasty: "The spring city is full of flowers, and the cold food records the east wind and willows. At dusk, candles were passed in the Han Palace, and light smoke was scattered into the Hall of the Five Emperors. "

Since cooking with fire is forbidden in the Cold Food Festival, it is necessary to prepare some cooked food (that is, cold food) in advance for eating during the fire ban, which has become the custom of cold food. During the Cold Food Festival, in the north, steamed cakes made of flour are mainly used, with red dates attached and kneaded into the shape of swallows. A fermented cheese is prepared from stem rice and maltose.

In the south, there are mainly rice cakes fried to golden yellow, which are similar to today's snacks; A steamed food, Bai Qing jiaozi, is made of glutinous rice and Bromus inermis juice, and stuffed with jujube paste or bean paste. In addition, duck eggs, jujube cakes, almond porridge, frozen pork and frozen fish are also commonly used foods in the Cold Food Festival.

During the Cold Food Festival, besides forbidding fire and cold food, there were also sacrifices to sweep graves, which later became the main content of Tomb-Sweeping Day. The ancients in China attached great importance to offering sacrifices to their ancestors.

In ancient times, when someone died in the family, they only dug graves for burial, not built graves. Sacrifices are mainly held in ancestral halls. Later, when digging a grave, a mound was built, and ancestor worship was arranged in the cemetery, so there was material support.

During the Warring States period, the wind of tomb sacrifice gradually flourished. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, sweeping graves became more popular.

According to Hanshu, Yan Yannian, the minister, regularly returned to his hometown to pay homage to the cemetery even though he was thousands of miles away from Beijing. In the Tang Dynasty, both literati and civilians regarded the grave sweeping of the Cold Food Festival as a ritual festival to return to their hometown and pursue religion. Because Tomb-Sweeping Day is close to the Cold Food Festival, people often extend the time for sweeping graves to Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Poets' works are often cold food and Qingming. For example, Wei has a poem saying: "Qingming is good for cold food, and the spring garden is full of flowers." Bai Juyi also has a poem that says, "The cock crows and the tree is faint, and the Qingming cold food cries."

In view of the fact that both folk cold food and Tomb-Sweeping Day have become a habit, the imperial court formally stipulated in the form of official documents that when Tomb-Sweeping Day came, he could have a holiday with the Cold Food Festival. This regulation has been around for more than 1200 years, which shows that Qingming began to have the color of a national statutory holiday.

During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Tomb-Sweeping Day gradually rose from being attached to the Cold Food Festival to replacing it. This is not only reflected in the fact that many ceremonies, such as grave sweeping, are held in Tomb-Sweeping Day, but also the customs and activities of the Cold Food Festival, such as cold food, cuju and swinging, have been taken over by Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Tomb-Sweeping Day later absorbed the contents of another earlier festival-Shangsi Festival. In ancient times, Shangsi Festival was held on the third day of the third lunar month. The main customs were jogging and bathing by the river, which reflected people's psychological needs for mental adjustment after a dull winter.

There is a poem written by Lu Ji in the Jin Dynasty: "It's late spring and the weather is soft. Yuanji Longchu, swim the Yellow River. "

It is a vivid portrayal of people's childhood travel in Shangsi Festival. Since about the Tang Dynasty, people have been sweeping graves in Tomb-Sweeping Day, accompanied by recreational activities.

As Tomb-Sweeping Day is going to the suburbs, while paying homage to his ancestors, it is also a way to adjust his mood to visit gardening and metallurgy in the bright spring. Therefore, Tomb-Sweeping Day is also called Youth Day.

Children who are playful by nature are often not satisfied with having an outing in Tomb-Sweeping Day only once, just like the poem "When a teenager goes on a trip, he doesn't have to be both Tomb-Sweeping Day and thinking" written by Wang Wei, a great poet in the Tang Dynasty. Tomb-Sweeping Day combined the essence of two ancient festivals, and finally formed a traditional festival in Song and Yuan Dynasties, which centered on worshipping ancestors and sweeping graves, and integrated cold food customs with activities such as thinking about going for an outing.

The Ming and Qing Dynasties generally inherited the old system of the previous generation, and Tomb-Sweeping Day still adhered to and developed its position as an indispensable festival in spring life. During the Republic of China, on this day in Tomb-Sweeping Day, in addition to the original customs of sweeping graves and hiking, tree planting was also determined as a routine project, which was actually just an official recognition of the long-standing tree planting folk custom.

In the traditional culture of China, Tomb-Sweeping Day is a festival to commemorate ancestors and deceased relatives. The main memorial ceremony is grave sweeping, accompanied by hiking, tree planting and other activities. This festival embodies the significance of drinking water, uniting the nation, keeping fit in spring and caring for nature.

Du Mu's poem "Seven Wonders of Qingming Festival" outlines a beautiful ink painting, including spring rain, a shepherd boy, a restaurant, and the poet's hurried footsteps pulling Tomb-Sweeping Day's poems. Zhang Zeduan's "The Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" brings people into another festival scene. The shops in the forest, the bustling crowd and various shapes of chariots, horses and boats all present a busy and prosperous scene in the picture.

Today, Tomb-Sweeping Day still occupies an important position in people's daily life. Commemorate our ancestors and pursue the future with caution; Remembering the martyrs, looking forward to the future and creating a happy future are the themes of our festival.

Qingming custom! ! !

Ming is one of the 24 solar terms in China. Because the 24 solar terms objectively reflect the changes of temperature, rainfall and phenology throughout the year, ancient working people used them to arrange agricultural activities. Huainanzi? Astronomical training says: "On the 15th day after the vernal equinox, the bucket refers to B, and the Qingming wind is coming." According to the centenarian question, "everything grows clean and bright at this time." So it's called Qingming. "As soon as Qingming arrives, the temperature rises and the rainfall increases, which is a good time for spring ploughing and spring planting. Therefore, there is an agricultural proverb that "before and after Qingming, point melons and plant beans" and "planting trees is not as good as Qingming". It can be seen that this solar term is closely related to agricultural production.

However, Qingming, as a festival, is different from pure solar terms. Solar terms are symbols of phenological changes and seasonal order in China, while festivals contain certain customs and activities, which have certain commemorative significance.

Tomb-Sweeping Day is a traditional festival in China, and it is also the most important festival to worship ancestors and sweep graves. Grave-sweeping is commonly known as going to the grave and offering sacrifices to the dead. Most Han people and some ethnic minorities visit graves in Tomb-Sweeping Day.

According to the old custom, when sweeping graves, people should bring food, wine, fruit, paper money and other items to the cemetery, offer food to the graves of their loved ones, then burn the paper money, cultivate new soil for the graves, break some green branches and insert them in front of the graves, then kowtow and worship, and finally go home after eating and drinking. The poem Qingming written by Du Mu, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, said: "There are many rains during the Qingming period, and pedestrians on the road want to break their souls. Ask local people where to buy wine? The shepherd boy pointed to Xinghua Village. " Write about the special atmosphere in Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as the outing festival, according to the solar calendar, between April 4th and 6th every year, it is the season of beautiful spring and lush vegetation, and it is also a good time for people to have a spring outing (called outing in ancient times), so the ancients had the custom of going for an outing in Qingming and carrying out a series of sports activities.

To this day, the custom of worshipping ancestors and mourning the dead relatives in Tomb-Sweeping Day is still very popular.

The origin and legend of Tomb-Sweeping Day;

The traditional Tomb-Sweeping Day in China began in the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 years. Tomb-Sweeping Day is first of all a very important solar term. As soon as Tomb-Sweeping Day arrives, the temperature rises, which is a good season for spring ploughing and planting. Therefore, there is a saying that "melons and beans are planted before and after Qingming". Agricultural proverb "Planting trees is not as clear as Qingming". Later, as the days of Qingming and cold food approached, cold food was the day when people banned fire to sweep graves. Gradually, cold food and Qingming became one, and cold food became another name of Qingming and became a custom of Qingming. On Qingming Day, there are no fireworks, only cold food.

There is a legend about cold food:

According to legend, in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Jin Xiangong's concubine killed the prince in order to let her son inherit the throne, and Shen Sheng was forced to commit suicide. Shen Sheng's younger brother, Zhong Er, went into exile to escape the scourge. During his exile, Zhong Er suffered humiliation. Most of the courtiers who went out with him went out one after another. Only a few loyal people have been following him. One of them is called meson push. On one occasion, Zhong Er fainted from hunger. In order to save Zhong Er, Jiezitui cut a piece of meat from his leg, cooked it with fire and gave it to Zhong Er. Nineteen years later, Zhong Er returned to China and became the monarch, that is, Jin Wengong, one of the famous five tyrants in the Spring and Autumn Period.

After Jin Wengong came to power, in addition to meson push, he offered many rewards to courtiers who shared his joys and sorrows. Someone defended meson in front of Jin Wengong. Jin Wengong suddenly remembered the past and felt guilty. He immediately sent someone to ask meson to take the imperial court to be rewarded as an official. However, after several trips, the meson could not be pushed. Jin Wengong had to please. However, when Jin Wengong came to the meson pusher's house, he saw that the door was closed. Jiezitui didn't want to see him, and had already been hiding in Mianshan (now southeast of Jiexiu County, Shanxi Province) behind his mother's back. Jin Wengong asked his body guard to search Mianshan, but he couldn't find it. So, someone had an idea, saying, it is better to let Yamakaji go, set fire on three sides, leave one side, burn it and the meson will come out. Jin Wengong ordered the promotion of Yamakaji. Unexpectedly, the fire burned for three days and nights. After the fire was put out, the meson was not pushed out after all. Looking up the mountain, the mother and son were holding a charred willow tree and were dead. Jin Wengong looked at meson push's body and cried for a while. Then I buried the body and found that the back of meson push was blocked by a willow hole, as if there was something. Take out a look, turned out to be a skirt, with a blood poem:

I hope your master is always clear.

It is better to be a ghost than to accompany you as an exhorter.

If your master has me in his heart, remember that I often reflect.

I have a clear conscience in Jiuquan, diligent and honest.

Jin Wengong hid * * * in his sleeve. Then meson tui and his mother were buried under the charred willow tree. To commemorate Jiexiu, Jin Wengong ordered Mianshan to be changed to Jiexiu Mountain, and an ancestral temple was built on the mountain, and the day when Yamakaji was released was designated as the Cold Food Festival, telling the whole country that it is forbidden to set off fireworks and firecrackers on this day every year and only eat cold food.

When he left, he cut a charred willow and made a pair of clogs in the palace. He looked at it every day and sighed, "What a pity." The "first step" is the name of ancient people's subordinates respecting each other between superiors or peers, which is said to come from it.

The following year, Jin Wengong led his ministers to go hiking in plain clothes to show their respect and condolences. Walking to the grave, I saw the dead old willow tree resurrected, with thousands of green branches dancing in the wind. Jin Wengong looked at the resurrected old willow tree and seemed to see the meson push. He walked up to him respectfully, lovingly squeezed a branch, braided it into a circle and put it on his head. After the sacrifice, Jin Wengong named the revived old willow "Qingming Willow" and named it Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Later, Jin Wengong often put the sleeve of * * * beside him as a souvenir, urging himself to take power. He is diligent and honest, and strives to govern the country well.

Qingming custom

Tomb-Sweeping Day's customs are rich and interesting. In addition to paying attention to the prohibition of fire to sweep graves, there are a series of customs and sports activities such as jogging, swinging, playing cuju, playing polo and inserting willows. According to legend, this is because it is forbidden to eat cold food during the Cold Food Festival. In order to prevent the harm of cold food and cold meal to people, everyone comes to participate in some sports activities to exercise. In Tomb-Sweeping Day, people avoid injections and washing clothes, and women in most areas avoid walking. Before evening, a gray line should be spread in front of the gate, which is said to prevent ghosts from entering the house. Therefore, this festival is a distinctive festival, with sad and sour tears to sweep the new grave and laughter for an outing.

play on the swing

This is the custom of ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day in China. Swing, that is, lift the rope, move. Swing can not only improve health, but also cultivate courage, which is deeply loved by people, especially children.

play football

Bow is a rubber ball, the skin of which is made of leather, and the ball is stuffed with wool. Cuju is kicking the ball with your feet. This is a popular game in ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day.

spring outing

Also called spring outing. It was called Tanchun and Xunchun in ancient times. Qingming in April, spring returns to the earth, and nature presents a vibrant scene everywhere, which is a good time to go for an outing. People in our country have always maintained the habit of going for an outing in Qingming.

plant trees

Before and after Tomb-Sweeping Day, the spring was bright and the spring rain was falling, and the survival rate of planted seedlings was high and the growth was fast. Therefore, China has the habit of planting trees in Qingming since ancient times. Some people even call Tomb-Sweeping Day Arbor Day. The custom of planting trees has been passed down to this day. 1979, the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) stipulated March 12 every year as China's Arbor Day. This is of great significance to mobilize people of all ethnic groups in China to actively carry out activities to green the motherland.

fly a kite

Flying kites is also the most popular activity in Tomb-Sweeping Day. During their stay in Tomb-Sweeping Day, people not only wore it during the day, but also at night. At night, a string of colored lanterns is hung under the kite or on the wind-stabilizing stay, like twinkling stars, which is called "magic lamp".

Pay tribute to the dead at their graves.

Sweeping graves on Qingming Festival is called "respecting thinking about time" for ancestors. Chuanliuzhi

It is said that the custom of inserting willows is also to commemorate Shennong, the ancestor of farming, who taught the people to cultivate crops. In some places, people put willow branches under the eaves to forecast the weather. There is an old saying that "the willow branches are green and the rain is raining;" The saying that there is another village. Wicker lives when inserted in the soil, lives where it is inserted, and goes down year after year, and it becomes gloomy everywhere.

Liu She

Shooting willow is a game to practice archery. According to the records of the Ming Dynasty, pigeons were placed in gourds, then the gourds were hung high on willow trees, and the gourds and pigeons flew out with bows, and the victory or defeat was judged by the height of the flying pigeons.

gamecock

In ancient times, cockfighting competitions prevailed in Qingming, which began in Qingming and lasted until the summer solstice. The earliest record of cockfighting in China can be found in Zuo Zhuan. In the Tang dynasty, cockfighting became a common practice, not only among the people, but also the emperor. For example, Tang Xuanzong likes cockfighting best.

Canhuahui

Silkworm Flower Festival "Silkworm Flower Festival" is a unique folk culture in Silkworm Township. During the past period in Tomb-Sweeping Day, this folk activity was held in Wu Tong, Wuzhen, Chongfu and Zhouquan. Among them, A?vagho?a Temple in Zhouquan and Double Temple in Qingshi are the most spectacular. A?vagho?a Temple, located in the west of Zhouquan Town, is known locally as "the king of temples". Every year, there are many activities, such as welcoming the silkworm god, rocking the clippers, making trouble in Taiwan Pavilion, worshiping incense benches, boxing, playing dragon lanterns, lifting poles and singing operas. Some of these activities are carried out on shore, and most of them are carried out on ships, which is very characteristic of water towns. In recent years, in the activities of Shixiang in Wuzhen, only a few projects, such as meeting silkworm gods, stepping on white boats and lifting poles, have great potential to be tapped.

What are the Qingming customs?

Qingming is the fifth solar term in the twenty-four solar terms of the lunar calendar, which indicates the official start of the Ji Chun season. When the sun reaches longitude 15 degrees, it will be Tomb-Sweeping Day gas.

1. Tomb-Sweeping Day is an important traditional festival in China and one of the important "Eight Festivals" (Lunar New Year, Lantern Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Winter Solstice and New Year's Eve), which generally falls on April 5 of the Gregorian calendar; However, the festival is very long, and there are two sayings: "Eight days after the first ten days" and "Ten days after the first ten days". These twenty days belong to Tomb-Sweeping Day.

2. Originally, Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day were two different festivals. In the Tang Dynasty, the day of sweeping graves was designated as the Cold Food Festival. The correct date of the Cold Food Festival is from winter to the future 105, around Tomb-Sweeping Day. Because the two dates are similar, Tomb-Sweeping Day and Cold Food merged into one day.

3. Apart from worshipping ancestors and sweeping graves, there are various outdoor fitness activities in Tomb-Sweeping Day, such as hiking, outing, swinging, playing football, polo, inserting willows, tug of war and fighting cocks, so that everyone can come out to bask in the sun, exercise their bones and muscles and increase their resistance.

Qingming folk custom

Folk custom of Qingming dialect: the traditional sweeping festival in China.

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Before and after Tomb-Sweeping Day, people went to graves to pay homage to their ancestors: uprooting weeds, placing offerings, burning incense and praying in front of graves, burning paper money and gold ingots, or simply offering a bunch of flowers to express their memory of their ancestors.

When I was in Tomb-Sweeping Day, after sweeping the grave, the whole family, old and young, played in Shan Ye. When they got home, they broke some branches and put them on their heads. They were very happy. During their stay in Tomb-Sweeping Day, some people go hiking in the suburbs to express their stagnant mood since the severe winter, and go to nature to enjoy and appreciate the vibrant spring scenery. This kind of outing is also called spring outing, which was called spring exploration and spring hunting in ancient times. Tomb-Sweeping Day also has the habit of planting trees by inserting willows, which is said to commemorate Shennong who invented various agricultural production tools and tasted all kinds of herbs. On the other hand, it is said that the willow tree that meson held when he died came back to life. Jin Wengong named it Qingming Willow and folded it into a circle to wear on her head. This custom was later introduced to people. Although the sources of allusions are different, these customs are still inseparable from the joy of people returning to the earth in spring.

(1) Memorial Day Sacrifice (anniversary sacrifice)

Refers to the sacrificial activities held on the day of the death of the deceased. On this day, relatives and friends get together to sweep graves and set off firecrackers. It is usually on this day that a tomb is built and a monument is erected. Great changes have taken place since the spread of sacrificial ceremonies in China, but the spirit of ancestor worship and mourning is the same, which is also the embodiment of the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation.

The anniversary sacrifice is a week after the death of the deceased, which is an important anniversary in traditional customs. On this day, relatives and friends of the deceased get together, or at home, or in the cemetery, or in the funeral home, offering sacrifices to the deceased, burning incense and kowtowing, and telling the feelings of lovesickness.

Now all kinds of memorial services are sheltered from the sun. In addition to the above traditional practices, there are ways to learn from the west and emphasize individuality. For example, on this day, relatives and friends of the deceased went to the cemetery to present flowers to the deceased to express their grief; Or hold a memorial service, look at the photos, videos and relics of the deceased, and recall the happy days together in the past. This way of paying homage has been generally accepted by people, especially young people.

(2) Spring Festival Sacrifice

The Spring Festival is a traditional festival of the Chinese nation. On New Year's Eve, people should pay homage to their ancestors, and other dead people should also get some incense and anger. The folks have the custom of family reunion, offering vegetarian meals, burning incense and lighting candles, and respectfully inviting ancestors or deceased relatives to go home for the New Year. On the morning of the first day, you should worship the spirits of your ancestors before going out to pay a New Year call. During the memorial service, portraits of ancestors or deceased relatives are hung in the hall, memorial tablets are placed, and incense burners are inserted to indicate that ancestors or relatives have gone home. In order to show respect, the memorial tablet for ancestor worship should face south.

(3) Shangyuan Festival and Zhongyuan Festival.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is Shangyuan Festival, also called Lantern Festival. According to custom, on this day, people make sacrifices at home or in ancestral temples, burn incense and kowtow, and pray for blessing. Therefore, "Shangyuan Festival" is an important festival to worship ghosts and gods.

July 15 is the Mid-Autumn Festival, commonly known as "Ghost Festival". This day is a day of sacrifice, and every family has prepared rich sacrifices. Paper clothing must be burned on the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is also commonly known as the "Paper Clothing Festival". Married women must send "gauze boxes" every day to offer sacrifices to their deceased parents. During the sacrifice, the head of the household shouted the names of the ancestors, and then all the descendants burned paper clothes and paper money. Its order must be from Gaozu, Dazu to Zukao.

(4) Tomb-Sweeping Day and Winter Solstice Festival

Tomb-Sweeping Day and the winter solstice are important seasons for people to pay homage to the dead and bury their ashes. There is a folk saying that it is appropriate to be buried in Qingming, from winter to three days before and after, and to offer sacrifices to sweep. The solstice of winter was called "Winter Festival" in ancient times. Every household should make powder pills, also called "filial piety pills". Powder pills are first boiled into pill soup, which is offered to ancestors' families for worship. After the ceremony, the family will eat pill soup as a meal.

(5) Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival

May 5th is Duanyang Festival, commonly known as "May Festival", which is the biggest festival outside the New Year. On this festival, people have to make zongzi, offering sacrifices to their ancestors and gods, and then sharing them with their families. Double Ninth Festival (September 9th), autumn festival is the custom of upper-middle class families, and it is not as common as sweeping graves in Tomb-Sweeping Day.