Shandong Qingming Customs

1. Qingming Customs

Qingming Customs Essay on Qingming Festival Customs

“It rains heavily during the Qingming Festival, and pedestrians on the road want to die.

May I ask where the restaurant is? The shepherd boy points to Xinghua Village. "The popular poem "Qingming" by Du Mu in the late Tang Dynasty tells the story of longing and sadness.

Qingming Festival is the most important sacrificial festival in our country. It is a day for sweeping tombs, paying homage, and remembering deceased relatives. There are many traditional customs and activities spread around Qingming Festival.

For example, giving cold food to fire, sweeping tombs during the Qingming Festival, outings, flying kites, swinging, cockfighting, tug-of-war, etc. With the passage of time and social changes, some of these customs have been gradually forgotten without even a trace of memory. Some of them still exist today and have been given new connotations. In Qingdao in the old days, Qingming Festival was also regarded as a major solar term.

The Cold Food Festival is the day before Qingming Festival. Every family must cut off the fire and eat cold food. The 105 days after the winter solstice are called cold food. In the past, fire and cold food were prohibited on this day, so it is also called the "cold festival" and "no smoking festival".

People turn on and off the fire two days before the Qingming Festival, that is, they prepare meals before dawn and light the fire after sunset to show their memory of their loved ones. Because people often combine the activities of the Cold Food Festival It continues until Qingming, and gradually combines cold food and Qingming into one. The custom of sweeping tombs is more popular during the Qingming Festival, and sweeping tombs is commonly known as "going to graves."

On this day, we have to fill the ancestral graves with soil, sweep away dust and weeds, burn incense, burn paper, and hold sacrifices. Some families want to take advantage of this opportunity to repair the tomb. Most of them symbolically add soil to the tomb and put some paper money on it so that others can see it and know that there are descendants of the tomb. Therefore, regardless of whether the family No matter how poor you are, you still have to visit graves during Qingming Festival.

After the sacrifices, people have to have a picnic and eat the food offered, that is, eating blessing roots, to express thrift to their ancestors. Many people eat green onions and egg pancakes, which symbolizes wisdom and wisdom. This custom continues to this day.

Some people also make flour flowers, called "steamed Xiaoyan", and eat white flour chicks and eggs. It means that the little swallows are coming and the real spring has arrived.

On the morning of Qingming Festival, the whole family must eat eggs and chickens to keep their minds bright and not sick. Many students bring eggs to their teachers to show their respect. In addition, during the Qingming Festival, paper with scorpion patterns is posted at home to prevent scorpions and centipedes from being attracted to the home, especially in rural areas.

"Before and after the Qingming Festival, plant melons and beans." This is a widely circulated folk proverb. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, rural areas began to rationally arrange the farming season. On the Qingming Festival, many farmers would eat sorghum rice for their animals. As the saying goes: "Hit a thousand, scold ten thousand, and never forget a Qingming Festival meal of sorghum rice."

< p> Eating high-grain rice porridge, wheat porridge, and corn porridge means that life is getting better and better. On this day, porridge is used to feed cattle, donkeys, etc. to reward them for their hard work throughout the year.

Customs and origins of the Qingming Festival

"It rains heavily during the Qingming Festival, and pedestrians on the road are dying.

May I ask where the restaurant is? The shepherd boy pointed to Xinghua Village. ." When people think of Qingming, they will naturally think of this poem by Du Mu, a poet from the Tang Dynasty.

But at first, Qingming did not have this meaning, but was just the name of a solar term. During the Qingming Festival, spring returns to the earth in most parts of our country. The sky is clear and the earth is bright. The climate is getting warmer and everything is recovering. It is the best time for spring plowing and spring planting. Farmers are busy everywhere in the fields. Folk proverbs often say: "The Qingming Festival and the Grain Rain Connect with each other, don’t delay in sowing and plowing the fields.”

How did this solar term to urge spring plowing become a festival to commemorate ancestors? It should be said that this is related to the Cold Food Festival two days (or one day) before. The Cold Food Festival is an earlier festival in ancient China. Legend has it that it was established in the Spring and Autumn Period to commemorate Jie Zitui, a loyal minister of the Jin Dynasty.

In fact, from a historical perspective, the ban on fire and cold food mainly reflects the relics of ancient Chinese customs of changing fire. In primitive society, our ancestors drilled wood to make fire. Fire was hard to come by, and the tree species used to make fire often changed due to seasonal changes. Therefore, changing fire and exchanging new fire was a major event in the lives of ancient people.

Spring and March are the time to change fires. People are forbidden to light fires before new fires arrive. In the Han Dynasty, the Cold Food Festival was called the No-Smoking Festival because people were not allowed to raise fires on this day. In the evening, candles were lit in the palace and passed on to the homes of nobles and ministers.

This is vividly described in the poem "Cold Food" written by the poet Han of the Tang Dynasty: "Flowers are flying everywhere in the spring city, and the east wind of Cold Food protects the willow trees. At dusk, candles are passed from the Han Palace, and light smoke disperses into the houses of the five princes."

Since it is forbidden to light fires for cooking during the Cold Food Festival, it is necessary to prepare some cooked food (that is, cold food) in advance for consumption during the fire ban. Food during the Cold Food Festival in the north mainly includes steamed cakes made of flour, "Zituiyan" with red dates on top and shaped into a swallow; and cheese made from ground rice and maltose.

In the south, there are mainly ring cakes that are deep-fried until golden brown, similar to today's dim sum; and steamed rice dumplings, which are made from glutinous rice and brome grass juice and filled with date paste or bean paste. In addition, duck eggs, date cake, almond porridge, frozen pork, and frozen fish are also commonly used foods during the Cold Food Festival.

Among the customs during the Cold Food Festival, in addition to the ban on fire and cold food, there was also the ritual of sweeping graves, which later became the main part of the Qingming Festival. Ancient Chinese people attached great importance to worshiping their ancestors.

In ancient times, when someone died in the family, only a grave pit was dug for burial without a grave marker, and sacrifices were mainly performed in the ancestral temple. Later, when grave pits were dug, grave mounds were built and ancestor worship was arranged in the cemetery, which provided material support.

During the Warring States Period, the trend of tomb worship gradually became stronger. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the custom of worshiping and sweeping tombs became more popular.

According to the "Book of Han", minister Yan Yannian returned home regularly to pay homage and sweep the cemetery even though he was thousands of miles away from Beijing. In the Tang Dynasty, both scholars and common people regarded tomb-sweeping during the Cold Food Festival as a ritual to return to their roots and trace their ancestors. Since Tomb-Sweeping Day is very close to the Cold Food Festival, people often extended tomb-sweeping to Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Poets' works often mention cold food and Qingming Festival together. For example, Wei Yingwu said in a poem: "It is good to eat cold food during the Qingming Festival, and all kinds of flowers bloom in the spring garden." Bai Juyi also said in a poem: "The crows and magpies are noisy and they are faint." Trees, who will cry during the Cold Food Festival during the Qingming Festival? ”

In view of the common folk custom of celebrating the Cold Food Festival and the Qingming Festival, the imperial court formally stipulated in an official document that when the Qingming Festival comes, a holiday can be taken together with the Cold Food Festival. This regulation is more than 1,200 years old, which shows that from then on Qingming began to have the color of a national statutory holiday.

During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the Qingming Festival gradually rose from being subordinate to the Cold Food Festival to replacing the Cold Food Festival. This is not only reflected in the fact that rituals such as visiting tombs and sweeping tombs are mostly held during the Qingming Festival, but even the original customs and activities of the Cold Food Festival, such as cold food, Cuju, swings, etc., have also been taken over by the Qingming Festival.

Qingming Festival later also absorbed the content of another earlier festival - Shangsi Festival. In ancient times, the Shangsi Festival was held on the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar. The main customs were outing and exorcism (bathing in the river to pray for blessings and eliminate disasters), which reflected people's urgent need for mental adjustment after a dull winter.

Lu Jiyou of the Jin Dynasty wrote in a poem: "It is late spring, the weather is soft and pleasant. At the beginning of Yuan Jilong, I swim in the Yellow River."

That was when people were in Shangsi. A vivid portrayal of festivals and outings. Since about the Tang Dynasty, people have been doing outing and recreational activities while sweeping tombs during the Qingming Festival.

Since we have to go to the countryside to visit graves during the Qingming Festival, besides mourning our ancestors, we can also enjoy the green fields in the bright spring light. Therefore, Qingming Festival is also called the Outing Festival.

Children who are playful by nature are often not satisfied with having an outing and recreation only once during the Qingming Festival. Just like the poem by Wang Wei, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, "Young people travel in different days, and there is no need to go to Qingming Festival at the same time." Qingming Festival, which combines the essence of two ancient festivals, finally formed a traditional festival during the Song and Yuan Dynasties that centered on ancestor worship and tomb sweeping, and integrated the custom of cold food with activities such as Shangsi outing.

The Ming and Qing Dynasties generally inherited the old system of the previous dynasties, and the Qingming Festival still maintained and developed its status as an indispensable festival in spring life. During the Republic of China, on the Qingming Festival, in addition to the original customs of tomb sweeping and outing, tree planting was also identified as a regular project. This is actually just an official recognition of the long-standing folk tree planting custom.

In traditional Chinese culture, Qingming Festival is a festival to commemorate ancestors and deceased relatives. The main commemorative ceremony is tomb sweeping, accompanied by activities such as outings and tree planting. The festival embodies the significance of drinking water and remembering its source, uniting ethnic groups, celebrating the Spring Festival and taking fitness, and caring for nature.

Du Mu's poem "Qijue·Qingming" outlines a beautiful ink painting, with spring rain, shepherd boys, restaurants, and the poet's hurried steps leading to the poetic sentiment of Qingming Festival.

Zhang Zeduan's "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" brings people into another festive scene, with a forest of shops, bustling crowds, and various shapes of carriages, horses, sedans and boats. The busy and prosperous scene is all in the picture.

Today’s Qingming Festival still occupies an important position in people’s daily lives. Commemorating our ancestors, pursuing the future cautiously; remembering the martyrs, looking forward to the future, and creating a happy and beautiful future are the themes of our festival.

What are the folk customs of Qingming Festival

Qingming Festival, also called Outing Festival, takes place at the turn of mid-spring and late spring, which is the 108th day after the winter solstice. It is a traditional Chinese festival and one of the most important sacrificial festivals. It is a day for ancestor worship and tomb sweeping. The traditional Qingming Festival of the Chinese Han people began around the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 years. Influenced by Han culture, 24 ethnic minorities in China, including the Manchu, Hezhe, Zhuang, Oroqen, Dong, Tujia, Miao, Yao, Li, Shui, Jing and Qiang, also have the custom of celebrating Tomb-Sweeping Day. Tomb-sweeping to worship ancestors and outings are the basic themes.

In addition to banning fires and sweeping tombs, the customs of Qingming Festival also include a series of customary sports activities such as outing, swinging, Cuju, playing polo, and planting willows. According to legend, this is because cold food and fire are prohibited during the Cold Food Festival. In order to prevent cold food from harming the body, people come to participate in some sports activities to exercise. During the Qingming Festival, people are prohibited from using needles or washing clothes, and women in most areas are prohibited from walking. Before evening, a gray line should be sprinkled in front of the door. It is said that it can prevent ghosts from entering the house. Therefore, in this festival, there are not only the sad and sad tears of paying respects to new graves, but also the laughter of outings. It is a unique festival.

Cuju

Cuju is a kind of leather ball. The skin of the ball is made of leather and the inside of the ball is stuffed with hair. Cuju means kicking a ball with your feet. This is a game that people loved during the Qingming Festival in ancient times. According to legend, it was invented by the Yellow Emperor, and its original purpose was to train warriors. Playing polo is also one of the Dragon Boat Festival dramas. Polo is played by riding on a horse and holding a stick. It was called Juju in ancient times. There is a sentence in "Famous Capitals" written by Cao Zhi of the Three Kingdoms: "Strike the soil continuously". In Chang'an of the Tang Dynasty, there was a large stadium, and emperors such as Xuanzong and Jingzong were all fond of polo. The "Polo Picture" in the tomb of Prince Zhanghuai depicts the prosperity of polo in the Tang Dynasty: in the picture, more than 20 horses are galloping, their tails are tied up, and the player wears a scarf on his head, boots on his feet, and holds a ball. The sticks hit each other ball by ball. "Analysis of Jinzhi" records that the Liao Dynasty regarded polo as a traditional festival custom, and played polo on the Dragon Boat Festival and Double Ninth Festival. "History of the Jin Dynasty·Li Zhi" also records that the Jin people hit the ball on the Dragon Boat Festival. In the Song Dynasty, there was a "playing ball music" dance team. By the Ming Dynasty, polo was still popular.

"Xuwen Tongkao Lekao" records that Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty went to Dongyuan several times to hit balls and shoot willows. The long scroll "Xuanzong's Polo Pictures" in the Ming Dynasty shows the scene of Xuanzong enjoying polo. Wang Zhi, an official at that time, wrote a poem about watching basketball on the Dragon Boat Festival: "A thousand-gold horse with jade, a ball with seven treasures carved on it. Flying in the sky is startled by lightning, and the sky is full of stars. The fire page has achieved three victories, and the joy is the first." Qingyun followed Yi's footsteps and circled the east end of the hall. "There is also a mass horseback riding ceremony in front of Baiyun Temple in Beijing. Polo was also played around the Temple of Heaven in the Qing Dynasty, but it did not disappear until the middle of the Qing Dynasty. Since 1965, antique polo has appeared in Xi'an City, making this ancient sport reappear in China after being extinct for many years.

Outing

Also called spring outing. In ancient times, it was called Tanchun, Xunchun, etc. On the Qingming Festival in April, spring returns to the earth, and the natural world presents a vibrant scene everywhere. It is a great time for outings. Chinese people have long maintained the habit of going outing during the Qingming Festival.

Planting trees

Around the Qingming Festival, when the spring sun shines and the spring rain falls, the saplings planted have a high survival rate and fast growth. Therefore, China has had the habit of planting trees during Qingming Festival since ancient times. Some people also call Qingming Festival "Arbor Day". The custom of planting trees has been passed down to this day.

The custom of planting trees during the Qingming Festival originated from the custom of wearing willows and inserting willows during the Qingming Festival. There are three legends about wearing willows and planting willows during the Qingming Festival. The oldest legend is that it is to commemorate Shennong, the ancestor who taught people how to farm. Later, it developed the meaning of praying for longevity. A later legend is related to Jie Zitui. It is said that when Duke Wen of Jin led his ministers to climb a mountain to pay homage to Jie Zitui, they found that the old willow tree that Jie Zitui had leaned on before his death came back to life, so he gave the old willow tree the name "Qingming Willow". A later legend is that Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty gave willow rings to ministers as a blessing to drive away epidemics.

Kite flying

Kite flying is also a favorite activity during the Qingming Festival. During the Qingming Festival, people not only play during the day but also at night.

At night, a string of small colorful lanterns are hung under the kite or on the wind-stabilizing wire, like twinkling stars, and are called "magic lanterns." In the past, some people would cut the strings after flying kites into the blue sky and let the breeze carry them to the ends of the earth. It is said that this can eliminate diseases and disasters and bring good luck to themselves.

Tomb-sweeping

Tomb-sweeping during the Qingming Festival is called "respecting the times" for ancestors. Its custom has a long history. "On the Scenery of the Imperial Capital" of the Ming Dynasty records: "On Qingming Day in the third month, men and women sweep tombs, carry bamboo poles, hang ingots on the backs of sedans and horses, and the streets are full of charm. People worship, pray, cry, and weed and add soil to the tomb. , burn ingots, and place paper money on the grave. If there is no paper money in sight, the grave will be lonely. After crying, you will go to the fragrant tree, sit in the garden, and get drunk. "In fact, tomb-sweeping existed before the Qin Dynasty. , but not necessarily during the Qingming Festival. Tomb-sweeping during the Qingming Festival was a matter after the Qin Dynasty. It did not become popular until the Tang Dynasty. And it has been passed down to this day.

The Qingming Festival sweeping ceremony should be held in person at the tomb site. However, because each family’s economic and other conditions are different, the method of sweeping the grave is also different. "Burning baggage" is the main form of paying homage to ancestors. The so-called "baggage", also known as "package", refers to the parcel sent by filial piety from the Yang world to the "underworld". In the past, Nanzhi Store sold the so-called "furoshiki", which was a large bag made of white paper. There are two forms: one is to use a woodblock board to print the Sanskrit transliteration of the "Rebirth Mantra" around it, and print a rosette tablet in the middle to write the name of the deceased with the area code, such as: "The late Zhang Fujun said: The words "Sir Shan Lao" are both a mail package and a tablet. The other type is plain furoshiki, which does not have any pattern printed on it. It only has a blue label stuck in the middle and the name of the deceased can be written on it. Also used as main card. There are many types of money in the baggage.

Folk customs of Qingming Festival

Folk customs of Qingming Festival: my country’s traditional festival of sacrifice and sweeping There is a custom of visiting the tombs to pay homage to ancestors: eradicate weeds, place offerings, burn incense and pray in front of the graves, burn paper money and gold ingots, or simply offer a bouquet of flowers to express the memory of the ancestors.

During the Qingming Dynasty, after sweeping the tomb, the whole family, old and young, had fun in the mountains and countryside. When they returned home, they picked up a few willow branches with newly bloomed leaves and put them on their heads, which made them happy. Some people also go out to nature during the Qingming Festival to appreciate and appreciate the vibrant spring scene. They go hiking in the countryside to express their depression since the harsh winter. This kind of outing is also called spring outing. In ancient times, it was called exploring spring and seeking spring. There is also the custom of planting willows and trees during the Qingming Festival. It is said to commemorate Shennong who invented various agricultural production tools and "tasted hundreds of herbs"; another saying is that the willow tree that Jie Zitui held when he died later came back to life, and was given the name by Duke Wen of Jin. Qingming willows were folded into a circle and worn on the head. This custom was later spread to the people. Although they have different origins of allusions, these customs are still inseparable from people's joy at the return of spring to the earth.

(1) Death Anniversary Festival (Anniversary Festival)

It refers to the sacrificial activities held for the day of death of the deceased. On this day, relatives and friends gather in front of the tomb to pay homage, sweep the tomb, and set off firecrackers. This is usually the day when tombstones are built and monuments are erected. There have been many changes in sacrificial rituals that have been passed down in China to this day, but the spirit of respecting ancestors and expressing condolences remains the same, which is also a manifestation of the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation.

Anniversary sacrifices are held one week after the death of the deceased, which is a relatively important anniversary in traditional customs. On this day, relatives and friends of the deceased gather together, either at home or in the cemetery or at the funeral parlor, to offer sacrifices to the deceased, burn incense, kowtow, and express their love for each other.

Nowadays, there are many forms of death anniversary memorial services. In addition to the more traditional methods mentioned above, there are also those that learn from Western memorial methods and emphasize individuality. For example, on this day, relatives and friends of the deceased go to the cemetery to present flowers to the deceased and express their condolences; or they may hold a memorial meeting to look at the deceased's photos, videos, and belongings, etc., and recall the happy days together in the past. This kind of memorial method is now generally accepted by people, especially among young people.

(2) Spring Festival Sacrifice

The Spring Festival is a traditional festival of the Chinese nation. On New Year's Eve, people inevitably worship their ancestors. While worshiping their ancestors, other deceased people should also be touched by some incense. There is a folk custom of family reunion, setting up a meal, lighting incense and candles, and respectfully inviting ancestors or deceased relatives to come home to celebrate the New Year. On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, before going out to pay New Year greetings, you must first worship the spiritual tablets of your ancestors. During memorial activities, portraits of ancestors or deceased relatives are hung in the hall, tablets are placed, and lit incense is inserted into the incense burner to indicate that the ancestors or relatives have returned home. To show respect, the memorial tablet for ancestor worship should be facing south.

(3) Shangyuan Festival and Hungry Ghost Festival

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Shangyuan Festival, also called the "Lantern Festival". According to custom, on this day, people offer sacrifices at home or in ancestral halls, burn incense and kowtow to pray for blessings and blessings. Therefore, "Shangyuan Festival" is an important festival for worshiping ghosts.

July 15th is the Ghost Festival, commonly known as the "Ghost Festival". This day is dedicated to sacrifices, and every household prepares rich sacrifices. Paper clothes must be burned on Zhongyuan Day, which is commonly known as the "paper clothes burning festival". Married women must send "gauze boxes" on this day as sacrifices to their deceased parents. During the sacrifice, the head of the household shouts the name of his or her ancestor, and then the descendants of each branch burn paper clothes and paper money. The next order must be from the great ancestor, the great ancestor to the ancestor.

(4) Qingming Festival and Winter Solstice Sacrifice and Sweeping

Qingming Festival and Winter Solstice are important times for people to pay homage to the dead and bury their ashes. There is a folk saying that it is appropriate to bury and hold sacrifices three days before and after the Qingming Festival and the Winter Solstice. The winter solstice was called "Winter Festival" in ancient times. Every household must make powdered pills, which are also called "filial son's pills". The powdered pills are first boiled into pill soup and then offered as sacrifices to ancestors and gods, and the whole family prays. After the ceremony, the family gathers around to eat ball soup as a meal.

(5) Duanyang Festival and Autumn Festival

May 5th is the Duanyang Festival, commonly known as the "May Festival", which is the largest festival outside the New Year. During this festival, people must make "zongzi" to offer sacrifices to their ancestors and gods, and then eat them among their family members. On the Double Ninth Festival (September 9th), autumn sacrifices are a custom for middle and upper families, and are not as common as tomb sweeping during the Qingming Festival.

What are the customs of Qingming Festival?

There are many ways to commemorate ancestors during the Qingming Festival:

Tomb sweeping is the earliest custom of the Qingming Festival. This custom continues to this day and has been gradually simplified with the progress of society. On the day of tomb-sweeping, descendants first trim and clean the ancestor's grave and the surrounding weeds, and then offer food, flowers, etc.

As cremation of remains becomes more and more common, the custom of visiting ancestors at the ashes is gradually replacing the custom of sweeping graves.

Singaporean Chinese also set up sacred tablets for the deceased in temples, and temples have therefore become places where ancestors are worshipped during the Qingming Festival.

On the Qingming Festival, some people also worship their ancestors at home.

On Tomb Sweeping Day, you can bow silently in front of the ancestor’s grave, ashes or the memorial tablet in a temple.

No matter what form of commemoration is used, the most basic ritual of Qingming Festival is to remember the ancestors in front of the grave, the ashes placement place or the spiritual tablet. In order to make the ceremony of honoring ancestors more meaningful, we should let the younger generation of family members understand the history of the past struggles of their ancestors.

The Qingming Festival was also called the March Festival in ancient times and has a history of more than 2,000 years. Qingming Festival falls around April 5th in the Gregorian calendar and is one of the twenty-four solar terms. Among the twenty-four solar terms, only Qingming is both a solar term and a festival.

It is said that after Dayu controlled the floods, people used the words "Qingming" to celebrate that the floods had been eliminated and the world was at peace. At this time, spring is warm, flowers are blooming, everything is revived, and the sky is clear and the earth is bright. It is a good time for spring outings. Outing began as early as the Tang Dynasty and has become a habit inherited by generations. In addition to appreciating the natural scenery of lakes, mountains and spring scenery, outings also carry out various cultural and recreational activities to add interest to life.

Tomb-sweeping is popular during Qingming Festival. In fact, tomb-sweeping is part of the Cold Food Festival on the day before Qingming Festival. According to legend, Cold Food originated from the memorial ceremony for Duke Wen of Jin Dynasty. In the 20th year of Kaiyuan, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty issued an edict to the world: "Cold food should be served to the tomb". Because cold food coincides with Qingming Festival, it gradually became known as tomb-sweeping during Qingming Festival. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, tomb sweeping during the Qingming Festival became even more popular. In ancient times, children often flew kites when visiting tombs. Some kites are equipped with bamboo flutes, which can make sounds when blown by the wind, just like the sound of a kite. It is said that this is how the name of the kite comes.

There are many lost customs during the Qingming Festival, such as wearing willows, shooting willows, playing on swings, etc. that have been circulated for a long time in ancient times. According to records, the customs of the Liao Dynasty were the most important during the Qingming Festival, from the imperial court to the common people. Everyone enjoys playing on the swing, ladies gather there, and outings are very popular.

After the founding of New China, people visited the tombs of martyrs on this day to remember their revolutionary ancestors

What are the customs of Qingming?

Qingming is the fifth solar term among the 24 solar terms in the lunar calendar, indicating the official start of spring season; the Qingming solar term occurs when the sun reaches 15 degrees longitude.

1. Tomb-sweeping Festival is an important traditional festival in China. It is one of the "Eight Festivals" (Lunar New Year, Lantern Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Zhongyuan Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Winter Solstice and New Year's Eve). It usually falls on It falls on April 5th in the Gregorian calendar; but its festival period is very long. There are two sayings: "ten days before and eight days after" and "ten days before and ten days after". These nearly 20 days are all Qingming Festival.

2. Originally, the Cold Food Festival and the Qingming Festival were two different festivals. In the Tang Dynasty, the day for worshiping and sweeping tombs was designated as the Cold Food Festival. The correct day of the Cold Food Festival is one hundred and five days after the winter solstice, around the time of Tomb Sweeping Day. Because the two days are close, Tomb Sweeping Day and Cold Food Festival are combined into one day.

3. In addition to ancestor worship and tomb sweeping, the Qingming Festival also includes various outdoor fitness activities, such as outings, outings, swings, playing football, polo, willow planting, tug-of-war, cockfighting and other outdoor activities. Let everyone come out and bask in the sun, stretch your muscles and bones, and increase your resistance.

What are the customs of Qingming Festival?

Customs of Qingming Festival in various places. Qingming Festival in Zhoushan. People in Zhoushan visit tombs, commonly known as grave-sweeping, and go to the tombs to pay homage to their ancestors. There is a special feature of the offerings at the Jiuding Haihai Tomb. Many dishes are cold dishes and salads, as well as Qingming special snacks - green cakes and sliver cakes can be eaten cold. It can be seen that although the custom of the Cold Food Festival has long since faded, its The spirit still remains in the food customs of Qingming Festival, which will last forever. Tomb-Sweeping Festival in Southern Fujian On the Tomb-Sweeping Day, every household gets up early, prepares incense and candles, cooks several bowls of vegetables and rice (or uses three kinds of wine and wine), and offers sacrifices to their ancestors. At noon, the custom of offering sacrifices to the ancestors will be carried out. The places where the ancestors are worshiped are mostly "ancestral halls" and "family temples" in the same township and community. All descendants of the clan with this surname are adults or above (those who have married a wife) can enter the temple to enjoy the feast. The elders from the hometown also took advantage of this time to discuss necessary matters for the temple, so they considered this day to be the most important day. Shanxi's Tomb-Sweeping Day There is an old folk song in Shanxi: "The drizzle on the Qingming Festival makes people mourn, the wild flowers bloom in the desert soil, the sacrifices are in the hands and the spades are on the shoulders, and they are all buried in the graves of the deceased." It vividly summarizes the mood and mood of the people at that time. Characteristics of tomb sweeping. In spring, people often repair their houses to prevent summer rain leaks. Reminiscing from the living to the dead, the tombs in the fields often collapse due to exposure to wind and rain. The most important feature of visiting graves during the Qingming Festival is to eradicate weeds from the graves and use new soil to heighten and strengthen the graves. This is called repairing the graveyard, which expresses the grief of the children and grandchildren for their ancestors. During Qingming Festival, people in southern Shanxi will steam steamed buns filled with walnuts, red dates, beans, etc., which is called Zifu. It means that your descendants will be blessed, all thanks to the blessings of your ancestors. Every family also makes black bean jelly, cuts it into thin pieces and pours it into soup. Shoveling withered grass and rubbing it on the kang mat is called driving away scorpions. In the southeastern part of Shanxi, people wear willow branches and dead leaves on their heads. Women should use gold-painted Caisheng (headgear) on their temples. In the northern Shanxi region, it is customary to raw black bean sprouts and eat them with corn bread and black bean sprout stuffing. In the northwest of Shanxi, people pay attention to grinding millet flour to make cakes, which is commonly known as "tanhuang'er". In Luliang area, on the day after the Qingming Festival, people have to pick up their daughters and invite their sons-in-law, which is commonly known as "fresh fire".