Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Traditional virtues - Folk Activities of Qingming Festival 5 Words

Folk Activities of Qingming Festival 5 Words

Qingming Festival is one of the twenty-four solar terms in the lunar calendar. The traditional Chinese Qingming Festival began around the Zhou Dynasty, more than 2,500 years ago. Almanac: "Fifteen days after the vernal equinox, the bucket refers to Ding, for Qingming, when everything is clean and clear, cover when the gas is clear and the scenery is bright, everything is obvious, so it is named." Qingming, the temperature rises, it is a good time for spring plowing and planting, so there is a "Qingming before and after, planting melons and beans". Qingming Festival is a festival to honor our ancestors. The main thing is to sweep the graves, which is a concrete manifestation of the prudence of the end of the past, the family and the family and filial piety. Cold Food Festival is the day before Qingming Festival. Ancient people often extended the activities of Cold Food Festival to Qingming, and over time, people combined Cold Food and Qingming into one. Now, the Qingming Festival has replaced the Cold Food Festival, and the custom of worshipping Jie Zi Tui has become the custom of sweeping graves at Qingming. Today, in the Qingming Festival customs, inherited seems to be only sweeping the tomb, in fact, the Qingming Festival, there are some "old talk" it.

Wearing a willow

An important part of sweeping graves in the past was wearing a willow. "If you don't wear a willow at Qingming, you'll die a yellow dog. The willow culture of Qingming, there is a willow in the grave, there are also folded branches inserted in front of the door, there will be willow inserted in the sedan chair or children's lapel, because the willow tree has a strong vitality. Imagine, today's grave if people have the habit of planting willow trees, year after year, I do not know how many mountains to dye green.

"Burning the baggage"

The so-called "baggage" refers to the parcels of mail that are sent to the "netherworld" by the filial relatives from the Yang Shi to the "netherworld". In the south paper store to buy the so-called "baggage skin", written on the name of the deceased recipient, burn incense and candles, after the ceremony in the door of the incineration. Imagine, now people can according to their own circumstances and schedule, agree with some of the old customs at home to pay tribute, may be able to greatly ease the congestion on the road every year, save a lot of social resources.

Origin of Qingming Festival

When it comes to the Qingming Festival, people with some knowledge of history will associate it with the historical figure Jie Zi Tui. According to history, more than 2,000 years ago during the Spring and Autumn Period, when Prince Chong Er of Jin fled the country and lived a hard life, Jie Zi Pui, who followed him, went so far as to cut a piece of meat from his own leg for him to fill up his hunger. Later, when Chong Er returned to Jin and became the king of the state (i.e. Duke Wen of Jin, one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period), he rewarded all of his followers for their hard life in exile, except Jie Zi Pui, who refused to accept the reward, and took his mother to live in seclusion in Mianshan Mountain, refusing to come out. Duke Wen of Jin had no choice but to set fire to the mountain, thinking that Jie Zi Tui was filial to his mother and would surely bring her out. He thought that Jie Zi Tui was filial to his mother and would surely bring her out, but the fire killed Jie Zi Tui and his son. In order to commemorate Jie Zi Tui, Duke Wen of Jin ordered that on this day every year, fires were forbidden and families could only eat raw and cold food, which is the origin of the Cold Food Festival.

Chanting Poetry

Goblets used to be the main activity on Shangsi Day. The goblet is a cup, let the cup from the upper reaches of the water floating downstream, flow through the guests in front of, can take over a drink, and then chanting poetry. Historically, Wang Xizhi, Xie An and others had a famous Lanting semi-annual ceremony of purification activities, "Lanting set of preface" is Wang Xizhi for this gathering of poems written in the preface. Imagine, every year, Qingming, in the people, especially young people to carry out relevant cultural activities, will certainly make them more love of national culture.

________________________________________

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 sticking willow. Legend 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 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 China's ancient Qingming Festival custom. Swinging, meaning migrating by the leather rope. Its history is very ancient, the earliest called the thousand autumn, after 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 in ancient times during the Qingming Festival. It is said to have been invented by the Yellow Emperor, and its original purpose was to train warriors.