To the origin of traditional Chinese festivals

The Origin of Qingming Festival

Legend has it that during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the consort of Duke Xian of Jin, Li Ji, in order for her son Xi Qi to succeed the throne, set up a poisonous plot to murder the crown prince Shen Sheng, who was forced to commit suicide. Shen Sheng's younger brother, Chong Er, went into exile 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 monarch, one of the famous Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period ---- Duke Wen of Jin.

After the reign of Duke Wen of Jin, he rewarded those who had suffered with him, but 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, immediately sent to ask the mesoteric pushes 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 had his imperial army search the Mianshan Mountain, 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, found the mesquite push the spine blocked a willow tree hole, the hole seems to have something.

Cutting out the flesh and serving the king, I wish my 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 in plain clothes to pay tribute on foot. 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 took the book of blood with him as a motto to spur him on. He was diligent and clear-minded, and he managed the country well. The people of Jin were able to live and work in peace and contentment, and they missed 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 to wear on the head, the willow branches inserted in front of the house, in order to show remembrance.

One of the Dragon Boat Festival -- originated from honoring Qu Yuan

According to the Records of the Grand Historian (史记), Qu Yuan was a minister of King Huai of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period. He advocated for the promotion of the virtuous, the rich and the strong, and strongly advocated for the alliance of Qi against Qin, which was strongly opposed by the aristocrat Zilan and others, Qu Yuan was gluttonously removed from his post, driven out of the capital city, and exiled to the Yuan and Xiang basins. During his exile, he wrote such immortal poems as "Li Sao", "Heavenly Questions" and "Nine Songs", which are unique and far-reaching (thus, the Dragon Boat Festival is also known as the Poets' Festival). In 278 B.C., the Qin army broke through the capital of Chu. Qu Yuan saw his motherland being invaded, and his heart was cut to pieces, but he could not bear to give up his motherland, and on the 5th of May, after writing his final poem "Huai Sha", he threw himself into Miluo River and died, composing a magnificent patriotic movement with his own life.

Legend has it that after Qu Yuan's death, the people of Chu were in mourning and flocked to the Miluo River to pay homage to him. Fishermen rowed up their boats and salvaged his real body back and forth on the river. A fisherman took out for Qu Yuan prepared rice balls, eggs and other food, "flop, flop" thrown into the river, said that the fish and lobsters and crabs eat enough, will not go to bite the body of Dr. Qu. People see have followed suit. An old physician to bring a altar of yellow wine poured into the river, said to be drug stunned dragon water beasts, so as not to harm Dr. Qu. Later, for fear of rice balls for the dragon to eat, people came up with neem leaves wrapped rice, wrapped in colorful silk, the development of brown. Later, on the fifth day of May each year, there is a dragon boat race, eat zongzi, drink xionghuang wine custom; as a way to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.

Duanwu Festival No. 2--Originally Commemorating Wu Zixu

The second legend of the Dragon Boat Festival, which is widely circulated in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, commemorates Wu Zixu during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC--476 BC). Wu Zixu, a native of Chu, had his father and brother killed by the king of Chu. Later, Wu Zixu abandoned his darkness and ran to Wu to help Wu conquer Chu, and entered Ying City, the capital of Chu, in five battles. At that time, King Ping of Chu had already died, and Zixu dug up his grave and whipped his body 300 times to avenge the killing of his father and brother. After the death of King Helu of Wu, his son Fu Chai succeeded to the throne. The Wu army had high morale and won a hundred battles, and the Yue kingdom was greatly defeated, and King Goujian of Yue asked for peace, which Fu Chai agreed to. Zixu suggested that the state of Yue should be completely destroyed, but Fu-chai refused to listen to him, and Wu's Dazai, who had been bribed by the state of Yue, framed Zixu with slanderous rumors, and Fu-chai believed him and gave Zixu a sword, which he used to kill himself. Zixu was a loyal and good people, like death, before he died, he said to his neighbors: "After I die, I will dig out my eyes and hang them on the east gate of the capital of Wu, in order to see the Vietnamese army enter the city to destroy Wu", and then cut his own throat, Fu Chai was furious at what he said, and he ordered to take Zixu's body and put it into the river on the fifth day of the 5th of the fifth month, so it is said that the Dragon Boat Festival is also a day of remembrance of Wu Zixu.