Do I need to make an appointment to sweep the grave from the winter solstice in Suzhou in 2020? -Appointment procedure

For many years, it has been a traditional custom of China people to carry out cleaning activities during the winter solstice and solar terms. In 2020, affected by the epidemic, in order to prevent the grave-sweepers from gathering excessively, all major cemeteries were open to make an appointment to sweep graves. So how do you make an appointment to sweep the grave in Suzhou in 2020? Let's have a look.

How to make an appointment for sweeping graves from winter to sun in Suzhou According to the current situation of epidemic prevention and control and the No.22 circular of Suzhou Municipality on epidemic prevention and control, in order to prevent the grave-sweeping and ashes burial (release) crowds from being highly gathered, our district will continue to make an appointment in advance, move in a limited time, and open the outdoor cemetery in an orderly manner to offer sacrifices to sweep graves.

Appointment process

1. Pay attention to the official account of "Suzhou Civil Affairs" WeChat;

2. Click on "Micro-service" and log in to the "Cloud Sacrifice Sweep" public welfare information platform;

3. Enter the "Appointment Sacrifice Sweep" module.

Can all cemeteries make an appointment for on-site sacrifice to sweep graves? At present, all outdoor cemeteries in our district can make an appointment in advance for on-site sacrifice to sweep graves. In order to prevent people from over-gathering, indoor places such as the Ashes Hall and Tallinn are still under closed management (except for the placement of ashes), and the site is temporarily closed to the public.

What are the rules for on-site sacrifice? In order to ensure the prevention and control of epidemic situation and the safety of sacrifice sweeping, it is suggested that people in high-risk areas choose green sacrifice sweeping methods such as family memorial service and online sacrifice sweeping.

After the online booking is successful, the people who go to the site to offer sacrifices to sweep should obey the unified management of the site staff, actively cooperate with the information registration work, show their ID cards and health codes, take their normal body temperature and do personal protection before entering. Personnel in low-risk areas under the jurisdiction of medium and high-risk areas are also required to show negative proof of nucleic acid detection within 7 days.

When sweeping the site, residents and friends are encouraged to choose ways such as offering flowers, reading eulogies and cleaning tombstones. Express your grief, don't bring kindling, kindling into the park or burn incense sticks and paper money without permission to prevent forest fires and realize safe and orderly sweeping activities.

How can the elderly and minors who can't make an appointment with their smartphones make an appointment?

For groups such as the elderly who don't have smart phones or can't operate online, it is recommended to make an on-site appointment for sweeping activities accompanied by family members.

What's the difference between sweeping graves in Tomb-Sweeping Day and the winter solstice? Sacrificing one's ancestors in front of a grave is called grave sweeping or worship. This custom originated in China a long time ago. As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, people attached great importance to tombs. In Mencius' article about Qi people in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the Warring States Period, he also mentioned a ridiculed Qi person who often went to the tombs of Dongguo to beg for food and worship tombs. It can be seen that the wind of sweeping graves was very popular in the Warring States Period. When I arrived in Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, I decided to sweep the grave with cold food as one of the "five rites" at that time. Therefore, whenever Tomb-Sweeping Day comes, "the fields and roads are crowded with scholars and women, and all servants and beggars must go to their parents' graves. (Liu Zongyuan's Book with Xu Jingzhao) Grave sweeping has become an important social custom. (Originally, the Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day were two different festivals. In the Tang Dynasty, it was designated as the Cold Food Festival. The correct date of the Cold Food Festival is from winter to the future 105, which is around Qingming, so Qingming and Cold Food Festival meet together)

In the Tang and Song Dynasties, the solstice in winter was a day to worship gods and ancestors. On this day, the emperor went to the suburbs to hold a ceremony to worship the gods. On this day, people must worship their parents and elders. Except for families offering sacrifices to their immediate ancestors, all those who have "ancestral halls" or "ancestral halls" should hold ceremonies offering sacrifices to gods, which are called "winter sacrifices". Some of them are held ten days before the winter solstice, and the ceremony is very grand. After the festival, banquets are held to entertain relatives and friends, which has a profound effect on caring for relatives and neighbors. There is not much difference between the Qingming Festival from winter to the sun and sweeping graves, except that the time is inconsistent, and other situations are similar.

At present, there are still some places that celebrate festivals from winter solstice to Sunday, and gradually expand to sweep graves.

Did you notice that you went to visit the grave on the solstice in winter? 1. Don't go too remote. Because it is to worship ancestors, it is inevitable to go to places where there are few people. It is best to take the usual route. Don't go hiking in remote places. One is security, and the other is easy to get stuck.

2. It is better to sincerely worship the ancestors and sweep the grave. You should respect the grave you meet when you walk or stand. Don't touch the tombstone with your feet. It's better to be serious in this place. Don't touch and occupy other neighbors' tombstones at will.

What's so special about going to the grave on the winter solstice?

Facing the graves of ancestors, we must clean up the weeds, add some loose soil, sweep away the debris in front of the graves and clean up the tombstones. Let the whole cemetery look brand-new, look fuller, meditate in your heart, and hope that the ancestors under Jiuquan will bless future generations with wealth and splendor.

4. It is best to choose to sweep the grave when the yang is strong. Like before dawn or just before dawn, or in the evening or when the sun is about to set, you can't go to the grave. Because the resistance is the weakest at this time, it is not good for grave sweepers. Generally, it is better between 10 am and 3 pm.

If the person who goes to the grave is weak and sick or his forehead is black, it means that his fortune is low, so it is best not to go to the grave. If you must go, you can wear amulets such as jade or jade Buddha with you.