"Early Qingming and late October 1st", what is the significance of this saying?

As early as the Qingming Festival and as late as October 1st, let me share my understanding. The literal meaning is that tomb-sweeping visits should be done before the Qingming Festival, and on October 1st, you can go to the tombs a few days later. So let’s analyze it below.

We Chinese are very particular about paying homage, so it has become a traditional folk custom to visit graves regularly. Throughout the year, the days for visiting tombs include Qingming Festival, Winter Solstice Festival, Ghost Festival on July 15th, and Winter Clothes Festival on October 1st. So as we often say, "Early Qingming Festival, late October 1st".

1. Early Qingming

It rains heavily during the Qingming Festival, and pedestrians on the road want to die. In this poem, we see a sense of parting, that is to say, after the Qingming Festival, people There is no time to worship again, so it can be regarded as a separate festival. During the Qingming Festival, everything revives and farmers enter the farming season. When farmers are busy, they no longer care about the food, clothing, housing and transportation of their ancestors. Therefore, after the Qingming Festival, we must take them back. In order not to hinder my work and farming, of course I should visit their graves as early as possible, repair their graves, give them enough paper money, and let them go back early.

2. Late October 1st

Late October 1st means waiting one or two days after the Winter Clothes Festival on October 1st before visiting the grave. The reason is that on October 1st, the farm work for the autumn harvest has been completed and the grain has been returned to the warehouse. Contrary to Qingming Festival, it is the time of leisure. At this time, you can go to the grave later to burn paper, send cold clothes, open the ghost gate, etc. You can also give the ghosts and gods in the underworld more time to collect money and goods. Winter Clothes Festival, this day also marks the arrival of severe winter, so it is also a day to give warm clothes to parents, loved ones and relatives.

The custom of "early Qingming Festival and late Qingming Festival" still differs from place to place, and the specific details are also different. In any case, these two points in time are still very important. We can remember our deceased relatives in different ways. But if you have time, you should go to the grave according to the agreed rules. This is a very strong traditional custom, which makes our traditional etiquette take root in everyone's heart and has a long history.