Information on Qingming Festival customs, with pictures attached

Qingming Festival, also called the Outing Festival, according to the Gregorian calendar, it falls between April 4th and 6th every year. It is the time when the spring scenery is bright and the grass is green, and it is also the time when people go out for spring outings. It is a good time for outing (called outing in ancient times), so the ancients had the custom of outing during Qingming Festival and carrying out a series of sports activities. Qingming Festival was also called March Festival in ancient times and has a history of more than 2,000 years.

Tomb-Sweeping Day 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. Since the twenty-four solar terms more objectively reflect changes in temperature, rainfall, phenology and other aspects throughout the year, working people in ancient times used them to arrange agricultural activities. "Huainanzi? Tianwen Xun" says: "Fifteen days after the vernal equinox, when Dou Zhiyi B, the Qingming wind will arrive." According to "Hundred Questions of the Year": "Everything growing at this time is clean and bright. Therefore, it is called Qingming Festival. "When Qingming Festival comes, the temperature rises and the rainfall increases. It is a good time for spring plowing and spring planting. Therefore, there are farmers' proverbs such as "Before and after Qingming, order melons and plant beans" and "Afforestation is better than Qingming." It can be seen that this solar term is closely related to agricultural production.

However, Qingming, as a festival, is different from a pure solar term. Solar terms are symbols of phenological changes and seasonal sequences in my country, while festivals contain certain customary activities and commemorative significance.

Qingming Festival is a traditional festival in my country and the most important sacrificial festival. It is a day for worshiping ancestors and sweeping tombs. Tomb sweeping, commonly known as visiting graves, is an activity to pay homage to the deceased. Most of the Han people and some ethnic minorities visit tombs during the Qingming Festival.

According to the old custom, when sweeping the tomb, people should bring wine, food, fruits, paper money and other items to the cemetery, offer the food in front of the tomb of their loved ones, then burn the paper money, build new soil on the tomb, and fold a few branches. New green branches are planted on the grave, then they kowtow and worship, and finally go home after eating wine and food. Du Mu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem "Qingming": "It rains heavily during the Qingming Festival, and passersby on the road are dying. May I ask where the restaurant is? The shepherd boy pointed to Xinghua Village in the distance." It describes the special atmosphere of the Qingming Festival.

Qingming Festival, also called the Outing Festival, according to the Gregorian calendar, it falls between April 4th and 6th every year. It is the time when the spring scenery is bright and the grass is green, and it is also the time when people go out for spring outings. It is a good time for outing (called outing in ancient times), so the ancients had the custom of outing during Qingming Festival and carrying out a series of sports activities.

To this day, the custom of worshiping ancestors and mourning deceased relatives during the Qingming Festival is still very popular.

The origin of Qingming Festival

The origin and legend of Qingming Festival

my country’s traditional Qingming Festival began around the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 years history. Qingming is a very important solar term at the beginning. When Qingming arrives, the temperature rises, which is a good time for spring plowing and spring planting. Therefore, there is a saying "Before and after Qingming, plant melons and beans." There is a farmer's proverb: "Afforestation is better than Qingming Festival". Later, because the days of Qingming and Hanshi were close, and Hanshi was a day when folk people banned fire and visited graves, gradually, Hanshi and Qingming became one, and Hanshi became not only another name for Qingming, but also a custom during Qingming. On the Qingming Festival, there will be no fireworks and only cold food.

There is such a legend about cold food:

It is said that during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Li Ji, the concubine of Duke Xian of Jin, set up a poisonous plot to kill Prince Shen Sheng in order to let her son Xi Qi succeed to the throne. The student was forced to commit suicide. Shen Sheng's younger brother Chong'er fled into exile in order to avoid the disaster. During his exile, Chong'er suffered a lot of humiliation. Most of the ministers who originally ran away with him went their separate ways one after another. There were only a few loyal people left who followed him. One of them is called Jie Zitui. Once, Chong'er fainted from hunger. In order to save Chong'er, Jie Zitui cut a piece of meat from his own leg, roasted it over fire and gave it to Chong'er to eat. Nineteen years later, Chong'er returned to his country and became the king. He was Duke Wen of Jin, one of the famous Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period.

After Duke Wen of Jin came to power, he greatly rewarded those ministers who shared the same hardships with him, but he forgot about Jie Zitui. Someone cried out for Jie Zitui in front of Duke Wen of Jin. Duke Wen of Jin suddenly recalled the old events and felt guilty, so he immediately sent someone to invite Jie Zitui to come to court and receive an official title. However, after sending people several times, Jie Zitu could not come. Duke Wen of Jin had no choice but to invite him personally.

However, when Duke Wen of Jin came to Jie Zitui's house, he saw that the door was closed. Jie Zitui didn't want to see him, so he hid in Mianshan (today's southeast of Jiexiu County, Shanxi) with his mother on his back. Duke Wen of Jin asked his imperial guards to search Mianshan Mountain, but they couldn't find it. So, someone came up with an idea and said that it would be better to set fire to the mountain, light fires on three sides and leave one side alone. When the fire breaks out, Jie Zitui will come out on his own. Duke Wen of Jin ordered a fire to be set on the mountain. Unexpectedly, the fire burned for three days and three nights. After the fire was extinguished, the meson was not pushed out. When he went up the mountain, he saw that Jie Zitui, mother and son, were already dead holding a large burnt willow tree. Duke Wen of Jin looked at Jie Zitui's body and cried for a while, then buried the body. He found that Jie Zitui's back was blocked by a willow tree hole, and there seemed to be something in the hole. I took it out and saw that it was a piece of clothing with a bloody poem written on it:

I cut my flesh to serve the king with my loyalty, I hope that the master will always be clear.

It is better to act as a ghost under the willow tree and never see it again than to accompany you as a remonstrator.

If the Lord has me in your heart, remember me and always reflect on yourself.

I have a clear conscience in Jiuquan, and I work diligently to keep the Qingming and the Qingming.

Jin Wengong hid the blood book in his sleeve. Then Jie Zitui and his mother were buried under the big burnt willow tree. In order to commemorate Jie Zitui, Duke Wen of Jin ordered to change Mianshan Mountain to "Jie Mountain", build an ancestral hall on the mountain, and designated the day when the mountain was set on fire as the Cold Food Festival. He told the whole country that fireworks were forbidden and only cold food was eaten on this day every year.

When he left, he cut down a section of burnt willow and went to the palace to make a pair of wooden clogs. He looked at it every day and sighed: "What a sad step." The mutual respect between the two people is said to come from this.

The next year, Duke Wen of Jin led his ministers to hike up the mountain in plain clothes to express their condolences. When I walked to the grave, I saw the dead old willow tree resurrected, with thousands of green branches fluttering in the wind. Duke Wen of Jin looked at the resurrected old willow tree as if he had seen Jie Zitui. He walked up to it respectfully, pinched the branch lovingly, made a circle and put it on his head. After the memorial ceremony, Duke Wen of Jin named the resurrected old willow tree "Qingming Willow" and designated this day as Qingming Festival.

From then on, Duke Wen of Jin often kept the blood letter on his sleeve as a motto to spur him to govern. He was diligent, clear-minded, and worked hard to govern the country well.

After that, the people of Jin State were able to live and work in peace and contentment, and they missed Jie Zitui very much, who did not live up to his merits and did not seek wealth. On the day of his death, fireworks are banned to commemorate him. He also mixed flour with jujube paste, shaped it into the shape of a swallow, strung it with willow sticks, and stuck it on the door to summon his soul. This thing is called "Zhitui Yan" (Jie Zitui is also called Jie Zitui). Since then, Hanshi and Qingming have become grand festivals for people across the country. Whenever there is cold food, people do not light a fire to cook, but only eat cold food. In the north, people only eat pre-prepared cold foods such as date cakes and wheat cakes; in the south, they mostly eat green dumplings and glutinous rice with candied lotus roots. Every Qingming Festival, people weave wicker into a circle and wear it on their heads, and stick wicker branches in front of and behind their houses to show their memory.

In March and April, when the spring is bright and the flowers are red and the willows are green, one of the most important festivals in Chinese traditional customs is the Qingming Festival. Qingming Festival is now the National Tomb Festival. According to the Lord's Day, it is around April 5th, and according to the lunar calendar, it is in the first half of March. The ancients divided the year into twenty-four solar terms, and used this annual calendar to sow and harvest. Qingming is one of the twenty-four solar terms, which falls fifteen days after the spring equinox. According to the "Hundred Questions of the Year": "All things growing at this time are clean and bright. Therefore, it is called Qingming." Therefore, "Qingming" was originally the name of the solar term. Later, the customs of cold food, fire ban and tombs were added to form the Qingming Festival.

Originally, the Cold Food Festival and the Qingming Festival were two different festivals. In the Tang Dynasty, the day of worshiping and sweeping tombs was designated as the Cold Food Festival. The main day of the Cold Food Festival is one hundred and five days after the winter solstice, around the time of Qingming, so Qingming and Cold Food are combined into one!

The custom of worshiping ancestors in front of their tombs originated very early in China. As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, great importance was attached to tombs. During the Warring States Period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, Mencius's Qi Ren Chapter also mentioned a ridiculed Qi man who often went to the Dongguo tomb to beg for food and sacrifices for the tomb. However, during the Warring States Period, the custom of tombs was very popular.

By the time of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the tomb of Hanshi was ordered to be one of the "Five Rituals" at that time. Therefore, every time the Qingming Festival came, "the fields and roads were filled with ladies and gentlemen, servants and beggars, all of whom had the tombs of their parents." ( Liu Zongyuan's "Book with Xu Jingzhao") grave sweeping has become an important social custom.

In the cold winter, it is necessary to ban fire and eat cold food. I am afraid that some old, weak, women and children will not be able to bear the cold, and in order to prevent cold food and cold meals from harming the body, I plan to go outing, picnic, and swing. Outdoor activities such as football, polo, willow planting, tug-of-war, and cockfighting allow everyone to get out in the sun, stretch their muscles, and increase their resistance. Therefore, in addition to paying homage to ancestors and sweeping their tombs, the Qingming Festival also includes various outdoor fitness activities. This festival, in addition to the sadness of pursuing the end, also incorporates the atmosphere of joy and spring appreciation; there are sad and sad tears of life and death, but also a fresh atmosphere everywhere. A bright and vivid scene. It is really a very unique and special festival.

It is one of the twenty-four solar terms in my country. Since the twenty-four solar terms more objectively reflect changes in temperature, rainfall, phenology and other aspects throughout the year, working people in ancient times used them to arrange agricultural activities. "Huainanzi? Tianwenxun" says: "Fifteen days after the vernal equinox, when Dou Zhiyi B, the Qingming wind will arrive." According to "Hundred Questions of the Year": "Everything growing at this time is clean and bright. Therefore, it is called Qingming Festival. "When Qingming Festival comes, the temperature rises and the rainfall increases. It is a good time for spring plowing and spring planting. Therefore, there are farmers' proverbs like "Before and after Qingming, order melons and plant beans" and "Afforestation is better than Qingming." It can be seen that this solar term is closely related to agricultural production.

However, Qingming, as a festival, is different from a pure solar term. Solar terms are symbols of phenological changes and seasonal sequences in my country, while festivals contain certain customary activities and commemorative significance.

Qingming Festival is a traditional festival in my country and the most important sacrificial festival. It is a day for worshiping ancestors and sweeping tombs. Tomb sweeping, commonly known as visiting graves, is an activity to pay homage to the deceased. Most of the Han people and some ethnic minorities visit tombs during the Qingming Festival.

According to the old custom, when sweeping the tomb, people should bring wine, food, fruits, paper money and other items to the cemetery, offer the food in front of the tomb of their loved ones, then burn the paper money, build new soil on the tomb, and fold a few branches. New green branches are planted on the grave, then they kowtow and worship, and finally go home after eating wine and food. Du Mu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem "Qingming": "It rains heavily during the Qingming Festival, and pedestrians on the road are dying. May I ask where the restaurant is? The shepherd boy points to Xinghua Village." It describes the special atmosphere of the Qingming Festival.

To this day, the custom of worshiping ancestors and mourning deceased relatives during the Qingming Festival is still very popular.

The Qingming Festival and tomb sweeping are related to funeral customs. According to records, in ancient times, there were "tombs without tombs", which meant that only grave pits were dug and no tombs were built, so the memorial sweeps were not recorded in the records. Later, the tombs were added to the tombs, and the custom of offering sacrifices and sweeping came to have support. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, tomb sacrifices had become an indispensable ritual activity.

"Book of Han. Biography of Yan Yannian" records that even if Yan is thousands of miles away from Beijing, he will "return to the East China Sea to sweep the cemetery" during the Qingming Festival. Judging from the development and strength of Chinese people's ancestor worship and kinship consciousness, Yan Yannian's actions are reasonable and reasonable. Therefore, later generations also included tomb sacrifices that were not standardized in ancient times into the Five Rites: "In the homes of scholars and common people, it is appropriate to visit the tomb, and it is included in the Five Rites, which will always be the norm." With official approval, the trend of tomb sacrifices will inevitably flourish. .

Qingming Festival is a festival to commemorate ancestors. The main commemorative ceremony is tomb-sweeping, which is a concrete manifestation of being cautious about the past, maintaining family harmony, and practicing filial piety. Based on the above significance, Tomb-Sweeping Day has become an important festival for the Chinese.

The Qingming Festival falls at the turn of mid-spring and late spring, which is 106 days after the winter solstice. Tomb-sweeping activities usually take place 10 days before or 10 days after Qingming Festival. Some locals' tomb-sweeping activities last for a month.

Memorial methods

There are many ways to commemorate ancestors during Qingming Festival:

Grave sweeping is the earliest custom of Qingming Festival. This custom continues to this day. It is gradually simplified with the progress of society. On the day of tomb-sweeping, descendants first trim and clean the ancestor's tomb 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 place where ashes are placed is gradually replacing the custom of sweeping tombs.

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

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

On the 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 Tomb-Sweeping Day 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 past struggles of their ancestors.

Customs of the Qingming Festival

The customs of the Qingming Festival are rich and interesting. In addition to banning fires and sweeping tombs, there are also outings, swings, Cuju, playing polo, and willow planting. Series of custom sports activities. According to legend, this is because cold food and fire are forbidden during the Qingming Festival. In order to prevent cold food and cold meals from harming the body, everyone comes to participate in some sports activities to exercise. Therefore, in this festival, there are both the sadness and tears of paying respects to new graves and the laughter of outings. It is a unique festival.

Swinging

This is an ancient Qingming Festival custom in my country. Swing means moving by holding on to the leather rope. It has a very ancient history. It was first called Qianqiu, but later was changed to Swing to avoid taboos. In ancient times, swings were mostly made of tree branches and tied with colorful ribbons. Later, it gradually developed into a swing with two ropes and pedals. Playing on the swing can not only improve health, but also cultivate bravery. It is still loved by people, especially children.

Cuju

Cuju is a ball made of leather and 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.

Outing

Also called spring outing. In ancient times, it was called Tanchun, Xunchun, etc. On the Qingming Festival in March, spring returns to the earth, and nature 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.

Tree planting

Before and after the Qingming Festival, when the spring sun is shining and the spring rain is falling, the saplings planted have a high survival rate and fast growth. Therefore, since ancient times, our country has had the habit of planting trees during the Qingming Festival. Some people also call Qingming Festival "Arbor Day". The custom of planting trees has been passed down to this day. In 1979, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress stipulated that March 12th every year would be my country's Arbor Day. This is of great significance in mobilizing people of all ethnic groups across the country to actively carry out activities to green the motherland.

Kite flying

It 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, strings 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.

Grave-sweeping

Sweeping tombs 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 the tombs, carry the statues, hang ingots on the backs of the sedans and horses, and the streets are filled with charms. Those who worship, those who pray, those who weep, those who weed and add soil to the tombs , 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. "Qing Tong Li" says: "On the New Year's Day, during Cold Food and Frost's Descent Festivals, people pay homage to the tomb sweepers. During the period, they go to the tomb in plain clothes, equipped with wine and food and a tool for cutting grass and trees. They seal the trees and cut off the wattle grass, so it is called tomb sweeping." 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 memorial ceremony 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.

"Chen Weisong of the Qing Dynasty wrote a poem: "How many wicker sticks are left now? Awaiting discount. "Not only will people feel sad when they see willows, but they will also be moved away from home when they hear the song "Breaking Willows". Li Bai's "Hearing the Flute in Luocheng on a Spring Night": "Hearing the broken willows in this nocturne, who can't feel the love of his hometown? "In fact, willows can have many symbolic meanings, and the ancients gave willows various emotions, so it is reasonable to borrow willows to express feelings.

"Qingming Festival" abroad

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