The origin story of planting willow branches during Qingming Festival

1. The story of the origin of planting willow branches during the Qingming Festival

Theory 1: To commemorate Shennong

It is said that the custom of planting willow branches is to commemorate "teaching people to farm" Shennong's ancestor of farming. In some places, people put willow branches under the eaves to predict the weather. There is an old proverb that "willow branches are green when it rains; when willow branches are dry, the sky is sunny." Willows have strong vitality. As the saying goes: "If you plant flowers intentionally, they will not bloom, but if you plant willows unintentionally, they will create shade." Willow sticks will live when they are inserted into the soil.

Statement 2: Commemorating Jie Zitui

Jie Zitui burned himself under a big willow tree in order to keep his moral integrity, which made Duke Wen of Jin and his ministers and people deeply saddened. The next year, when Duke Wen of Jin led his officials to climb the mountain to worship Jie Zitui, they found that the old willow tree that had been burned had come back to life. Duke Wen of Jin immediately named the old willow tree "Qingming Willow" and broke off a few willow branches on the spot and put them on his head to express his memory. From then on, ministers and common people followed suit one after another, and it became a common practice. Planting willows and wearing willows during the Qingming Festival has become a symbol to commemorate Jie Zitui.

2. Introduction to the Qingming fruit

The Qingming fruit is shaped like a dumpling, and its outer skin is made of curly grass. Purple grass, also known as Qingming grass, is a perennial herbaceous plant with small yellow flowers and small leaves shaped like those of the Compositae family, growing in canopies and clusters. Qingming fruit is a kind of food made before and after the Qingming Festival. It is said to be used to pay homage to ancestors. Before and after the Qingming Festival is a good season for picking Qingming grass. The soft light powder ball is kneaded in your hands, and it has a faint fragrance. Folks use ancient production methods and use primitive stone tools to pound it. It is soft, chewy and has a longer aftertaste.

You need a wooden mold with circular carvings. Press the wrapped Qingming fruit into the mold. When you take it out, there will be a beautiful pattern printed on one side. Generally, there will be three molds with different patterns on a wooden board, and the finished Qingming fruit will also have its own characteristics. After being steamed, the Qingming fruit is green and looks like a pie. The side without the print will be covered with a round bamboo leaf. The small snack is full of fragrance and looks more like a piece of cake. Exquisite jade. It is even more fragrant and smooth when eaten in the mouth.

There are two ways to make Qingming fruit: sweet and salty. Mix Qingming grass with an appropriate amount of glutinous rice flour and rice flour, add sugar water and knead into pastry or process it into skin. Wrap in sesame, osmanthus sugar and bean paste filling. Press into a round mold and steam it to make sweet Qingming fruit; wrap in diced bacon, Dice winter bamboo shoots, diced mushrooms, diced red peppers, dried tofu, pickled vegetables, bean sprout fillings, etc., made into dumplings called Salted Qingming Guo.

Sanming people make Qingming fruit by grinding Qingming grass, rice, and glutinous rice into powder and making a skin. The white rice flour and the green juice of Qingming grass immediately turn into a turquoise color, and then they are wrapped in For bean paste filling, you also need a wooden mold with circular carvings at this time. Press the wrapped Qingming fruit into the mold. When you take it out, there will be a beautiful pattern printed on one side. Generally, there will be three molds with different patterns on a wooden board, and the finished Qingming fruit will also have its own characteristics. After being steamed, the Qingming fruit is green and looks like a pie. The side without the print will be covered with a round bamboo leaf. The small snack is full of fragrance and looks more like a piece of cake. Exquisite jade. It is even more fragrant and smooth when eaten in the mouth.

Qingming fruit is very popular in the south, especially in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. Qingming fruit is also called Qingming dumpling and Amy fruit.

3. What flowers are used to visit graves during the Qingming Festival?

The most common ones are white chrysanthemums, white baihes, gardenias, yellow roses, etc. It is recommended that if it is flowers, it is more suitable to choose white or plain flowers. It is not recommended that the colors are too bright, as it may disrespect the deceased.

White flowers are suitable for visiting graves. Gardenias or plain-colored flowers symbolize regret and longing. Yellow flowers can also express condolences, among which golden chrysanthemums are also the most commonly used flowers for sweeping graves.

In traditional sacrifices, unless there are special circumstances, do not use brightly colored flowers with strong fragrance, so as not to give people the impression of disrespecting the deceased.

In recent years, it has become very popular to use "potted plants" instead of "flower bouquets" when visiting graves during the Qingming Festival. Not only is potted plants more environmentally friendly than "flower bouquets", but if the climate and environmental conditions of the cemetery are not suitable for you, If you choose potted plants that are conducive to growth, they can even grow very lushly in the cemetery. For example, the flower language of Penglai pine is "longevity". It is perfect to give it to the elderly when sweeping the tomb.

White chrysanthemums, white lilies, calla lilies - express condolences

White roses, gardenias or plain flowers - symbolize regret and longing

Penglai pine , Gladiolus, Paicao - symbolizing perseverance and simplicity

Chrysanthemum - mourning

Willow branches and bright peach blossoms - beautiful expectations of the cycle of life

Forget-me-not , yellow roses, red roses, birds of paradise - the longing of future generations

4. What sacrifices should be brought to graves during Qingming Festival

1. Prepare fruits

Since the cemetery can control our five generations, we can take five kinds of fruits.

2. Prepare pastries

Fruits represent yin and pastries represent yang. When worshiping ancestors, fruits and cakes are usually prepared. Visiting the graves of ancestors to offer meat as a sacrifice is only a custom in some places. In the past, sacrifices to heaven and earth required three or five animals, which were relatively sacred. Our ancestors did not have the merits of heaven and earth, nor the blessings as great as heaven and earth, so offering meat or blood is disrespectful to our ancestors.

3. Prepare incense

As soon as the incense is lit, the ancestors will know that their descendants are coming to offer sacrifices.

4. Prepare candles

Light a candle, which is called a lamp. This is Yang, which can ensure that children and grandchildren will not go astray in any way, and will not go to the underworld. This It's called Mingdao. If the ancestor died within three years, use white candles; if it is more than three years ago, use red candles.

5. Safety knowledge for tomb sweeping during Qingming Festival

1. When lighting candles, burning incense and burning paper, keep away from public buildings and cultural relics. Units, key fire safety units, flammable and explosive places, mountains, forests, grasslands, etc.

2. When lighting candles, burning incense, burning paper, or setting off firecrackers, the surrounding combustibles should be cleaned up and on-site care should be carried out to prevent ashes from re-igniting or flying fires causing fires; do not conduct open fire sacrifices on windy days Scan activities.

3. During memorial and sweeping activities, it is strictly prohibited to occupy or block safety exits, evacuation passages and fire truck passages; parents should educate their children not to play with fire.

4. When traveling during the Qingming Festival, please check the power supply and gas at home, clean up debris on balconies and corridors, and maintain home fire safety.

5. Management units in forest areas and cemeteries should strictly implement duty and inspection systems, provide adequate fire-fighting equipment, and detect and deal with fires in a timely manner.

6. If you find a fire, please call the fire department