Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as the outing festival, is between April 4th and 6th every year according to the solar calendar. It is a season of beautiful spring and lush vegetation, and it is also a good time for people to have a spring outing (called outing in ancient times). Therefore, the ancients had the custom of going for an outing in Qingming and carrying out a series of sports activities. Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as March Festival in ancient times, has a history of more than 2,000 years.
To this day, the custom of worshipping ancestors and mourning the dead relatives in Tomb-Sweeping Day is still very popular.
The traditional Tomb-Sweeping Day in China began in the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 years. In ancient times, it was not as important as the Cold Food Festival the day before, because the dates of Tomb-Sweeping Day and the Cold Food Festival were close, and the people gradually merged their customs. In the Sui and Tang Dynasties (58 1 to 907), Tomb-Sweeping Day and Cold Food Festival gradually merged into the same festival, which became the day to visit graves and worship ancestors, that is, today's Tomb-Sweeping Day. Therefore, Tomb-Sweeping Day has become a fixed custom of the Chinese nation. Cold food festival-cold food means not getting angry, and you can only eat cold or pre-cooked food. According to legend, this custom originated in the Spring and Autumn Period. At that time, someone in the State of Jin wanted to kill his eldest son, Zhong Er, and the loyal minister Jiezhitui (also known as Jiezhitui) escorted Zhong Er to escape. Even when he was hungry and cold, he would cut off his own meat for Zhong Er to eat, hoping that he would return home safely, become a monarch, and be diligent and love the people. After more than ten years, Zhong Er finally returned to China to become a monarch, that is, Jin Wengong, one of the five tyrants in the Spring and Autumn Period, rewarded those who helped him during his exile, but forgot to introduce him. After being reminded by others, he quickly sent someone to invite Jiezhi to come and receive the reward. However, Jie Zhitui and his mother went to live in seclusion in the mountains. Jin Wengong and his courtiers found nothing in the mountains. It is suggested that Yamakaji be released. Jie Zhitui is a dutiful son and will definitely save his mother. However, the fire burned for three days and nights, and there was still no referral. After the fire went out, people found Zhizhi carrying his mother's body under a willow tree. Jin Wengong was so sad and regretful that he buried them under the willow tree. Jin Wengong designated the day when Yamakaji was released as the Cold Food Festival, and stipulated that people were forbidden to use fire and eat cold food for one day to commemorate Jie Zhitui's loyalty. The following year, Jin Wengong and his ministers climbed to the top of the mountain in plain clothes to pay homage to Jiexiu. They found that the old willow tree buried by Jiexiu came back from the dead. Jin Wengong stepped forward and folded the willow branches into a circle, put them on his head and hung them outside the door as a souvenir, which gradually evolved into today's Tomb-Sweeping Day custom. In March and April, when spring is bright, pink and green, one of the most important festivals in China's traditional customs is Tomb-Sweeping Day.
Swing is a custom in ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day, China. Swing, that is, lift the rope, move. It has a very long history. It was originally called Qian Qiu, but later it was changed into a swing to avoid taboos. In ancient times, swings were made of branches and tied with ribbons. Later, it gradually developed into two ropes, a pedal swing. Playing swing can not only improve health, but also cultivate courage, which is deeply loved by people, especially children.
Cujuju is a rubber ball, the skin of which is made of leather, and the ball is filled with wool. Cuju is kicking the ball with your feet. This is a popular game in ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day. According to legend, it was invented by the Yellow Emperor with the original purpose of training warriors.
Hiking is also called spring outing. It was called Tanchun and Xunchun in ancient times. March is clear, spring returns to the earth, and nature is full of vitality everywhere, which is a good time to go for an outing. Our people have kept the habit of walking in Tomb-Sweeping Day for a long time.
Before and after planting trees, it is clear, the spring is bright, the spring rain is flying, and the survival rate of seedlings is high and the growth is fast. Therefore, China has the habit of planting trees in Qingming since ancient times. Some people even call Tomb-Sweeping Day Arbor Day. The custom of planting trees has been passed down to this day. 1979, the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) stipulated March 12 every year as China's Arbor Day. This is of great significance to mobilize people of all ethnic groups in China to actively carry out activities to green the motherland.
Flying kites is also the most popular activity in Tomb-Sweeping Day. During their stay in Tomb-Sweeping Day, people not only wore it during the day, but also at night. At night, a string of colored lanterns is hung under the kite or on the wind-stabilizing stay, like twinkling stars, which is called "magic lamp". Someone used to put kites in the blue sky, then cut the strings and let the breeze send them to the ends of the earth. It is said that this can eliminate diseases and disasters and bring good luck to yourself.
Going to the river to sweep the grave on Qingming Festival is called "respecting time" for ancestors. Its customs have a long history. Grave-sweeping existed before Qin dynasty, but not necessarily during Qingming period, but after Qin dynasty. It was not until the Tang Dynasty that it became popular.
Tomb-Sweeping Day food
In Tomb-Sweeping Day, different places have different seasonal foods.
Because of the combination of Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day, some places still keep the habit of eating cold food in Tomb-Sweeping Day. In Shandong, Jimo eats eggs and cool cakes, while Laiyang, Zhaoyuan and Long Island eat eggs and cool sorghum rice. It is said that if not, there will be hail. Taian eats cold pancakes and rolls bitter vegetables. It is said that his eyes are bright. Jinzhong area still retains the habit of banning fire the day before Qingming.
In many places, after the sacrificial ceremony is completed, food will be sacrificed. When people in southern Shanxi crossed Tomb-Sweeping Day, they used to steam big steamed buns with white flour, with walnuts, dates and beans in the middle, coiled into dragons outside, and an egg tied in the middle of the dragon's body, named "Zifu". It is necessary to steam a big "blessing" to symbolize family reunion and happiness. When going to the grave, the "Zifu" is usually dedicated to the ancestors and shared by the whole family after sweeping the grave. According to the old custom in Shanghai, steamed cakes for sacrifice should be put on wicker and dried and stored. When they come in the long summer, they will be fried and given to the children. It is said that eating it in summer won't make you sick.
Tomb-Sweeping Day has the custom of eating dumplings. Mix Bromus inermis juice with glutinous rice to make the green juice and rice flour blend with each other, then wrap it with stuffing such as bean paste and jujube paste, and put it in a steamer with reed leaves as the bottom. Steamed balls are green in color and fragrant, which is the most distinctive seasonal food in Tomb-Sweeping Day. There are also some people in Shanghai, Tomb-Sweeping Day, who love to eat peach blossom porridge and fish with knives when sweeping graves and having family dinners.
Taiwan Province Province:
China is a vast country with different climates in the north and south, so Tomb-Sweeping Day also varies from place to place, from the second day of February to the third day of March. Tomb-Sweeping Day, Taiwan Province Province, is the105th day from the winter solstice of the previous year, and Tomb-Sweeping Day, a native of Zhangzhou, Taiwan Province Province, is on the third day of the third lunar month. The customs in Tomb-Sweeping Day, Taiwan Province Province are similar to those in southern Fujian. The time for the Hakka people in Taiwan Province Province to worship their ancestors and sweep graves begins after the Lantern Festival, and the date is decided by each family until the Qingming Festival.
The custom of people sweeping graves in Taiwan Province Province can be roughly divided into two types: one is sweeping graves in general, with simple rituals and sacrifices, and most of them are just rice cakes, cakes and cakes; The second is to repair the ancestral graves, and the sacrifices are also quite grand. Sacrifice generally includes all kinds of sacrifices, twelve kinds of vegetables, cakes and so on. When sweeping the grave, you must stick "tomb paper" around the grave (cut into rectangles with five-color paper). There are small stones on every piece of paper, and a pile must be placed on the tombstone. This ceremony, commonly known as "hanging paper", is money for ancestors. If it is to repair the tomb, that is, to repair the ancestral grave, the whole family gathers in front of the grave to eat red eggs, and the eggshells are scattered on the cemetery, which contains the auspicious meaning of metabolism and endless life. While sweeping graves, we should also pay homage to the landlords (with small stone tablets) who have stood by for a long time guarding the cemetery and resting their ancestors. On the one hand, it is a kind of comfort, but also means gratitude. There is also a special custom in Taiwan Province Province. If there is a happy event at home this year, you should renovate the grave when you sweep it, put a small red light (oil lamp) in front of the grave and take it home when you go home. It is said that it can attract more happiness and auspiciousness.
In the rural areas of Taiwan Province Province, a group of children came to beg for money after each grave-sweeping. The more people come, the more developed the family will be in the future, and the owners will be willing to give money or money to those children.
Later, due to the decrease of cemeteries in Taiwan Province Province, an urn was implemented. Many people put the urn on the urn tower and go to the urn tower to worship whenever they go to Tomb-Sweeping Day, which also plays the role of ancestor worship. Due to the gradual change of people's concept, the ceremony of sweeping graves has also been omitted.
Zhoushan: Tomb-sweeping Zhoushan people are commonly known as going to the grave to worship their ancestors. When paying homage, out of respect for ancestors, people cut weeds, trim the wood and move the soil to cultivate graves, so it is called sweeping graves. Then light incense, candles, and offerings such as snails, green cakes, striped cakes and plates. Old-fashioned parents lead the whole family to kneel and kowtow, while new-style parents bow and salute. After the ceremony, bamboo sticks are inserted at the top of the grave, paper money and money are burned, and "hemp money" (hemp money is a green cake with a round shape and a diamond shape) is distributed to the children watching the grave. After going to the grave, I have to make "Qingming soup rice" when I go home. ?
It is worth mentioning here that there is a feature in the offerings of Lao Dinghai when he went to the grave. Many dishes are cold dishes, as well as Qingming special snacks-green cakes and striped cakes, which can be eaten cold. It can be seen that although the custom of the Cold Food Festival has long declined, its spirit remains in the Qingming diet custom and lasts for a long time. ?
In addition, there is a custom among the people in Laodinghai. On this day in Tomb-Sweeping Day, women in suburbs and fishing villages put cauliflower and Artemisia annua on their heads and willows in their doors. As the saying goes: "Qingming wears flowers, and there is a mother in the afterlife; Qingming Dai Zhiqing, there are relatives in the afterlife; There are willows in Qingming, and there are mother-in-law in the afterlife. " ?
Go for an outing, also known as spring outing, exploring spring and seeking spring. During the Qingming Festival, the sky is high and the clouds are light, and it is calm. Since ancient times, people like to swim in the countryside in beautiful spring. Grave-sweepers often choose the nursery and queue up instead of returning after the sacrificial ceremony, which has evolved from a simple sacrificial activity to a simultaneous outing. From the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, the custom of spring outing was also popular in Laodinghai. Whenever Tomb-Sweeping Day, everything revives, the vegetation turns green, and the fields are bright and fragrant. Private schools and schools in urban areas will have a few days of spring break, so that students can follow their parents to the suburbs to sweep graves for a spring outing. In addition, Laodinghai also has the custom of flying kites in spring outing. Flying kites is commonly known as paper kites in Zhoushan. Whenever the spring breeze is warm, there are always many people happily enjoying the fun of flying paper owls in green fields and open areas of cities. Those paper owls are swaying in the breeze, most of them are tile owls, followed by butterfly owls and eagle owls, and the most conspicuous owls are centipede owls, which are colorful, patchwork, very interesting and beautiful. It is said that flying kites is a meaningful cultural and recreational activity, which can exercise, cultivate sentiment and enjoy beautiful spring scenery.
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