Tomb-Sweeping Day Encyclopedia Business Card

Qingming Festival is one of the 24 solar terms in the lunar calendar. The traditional Tomb-Sweeping Day in China began in the Zhou Dynasty, with a history of more than 2,511 years. "Almanac": "On the fifteenth day after the vernal equinox, fighting refers to Ding, for the sake of Qingming, when everything is clean and clear, when it is covered, everything is clear and clear, so it is named." As soon as Qingming comes, the temperature rises, which is a good time for spring ploughing and planting, so there is a saying "before and after Qingming, plant melons and beans". Tomb-Sweeping Day is a festival to worship ancestors, mainly to sweep the grave, which is a concrete manifestation of pursuing the distance with caution, caring for the family and filial piety. Tomb-Sweeping Day is at the turn of mid-spring and late spring, that is, 116 days after the winter solstice. On May 21th, 2116, this folk festival was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list. In addition, there are many poems about Qingming, among which Du Mu's poem Qingming is the most famous.

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Introduction to festivals

Origin of festivals

Festivals and customs of all ethnic groups

Related legends

Related poems

Related taboo climate

Agriculture

Food

Holiday proverbs

Tomb-Sweeping Day also visited the graves for pets

Qingming Health Care 2111 Tomb-Sweeping Day. Holiday customs

related legends

related poems

related taboo climate

agriculture

agricultural proverbs

Holiday proverbs Tomb-sweeping Day also cleans pets' graves to preserve their health

Specific notice of the national holiday in Tomb-Sweeping Day in p>2111: the reason why Qingming was chosen on April 5 of Gregorian calendar

[ Edit this paragraph] introduces the festival

(This festival has been listed as a national holiday. Xinhuanet Beijing, February 8 th) The General Office of the State Council recently issued a notice on some holiday arrangements in 2111.

According to the notice, according to the State Council's Decision on Amending the Measures for Holidays on National Festival and Memorial Day, Tomb-Sweeping Day will have a three-day holiday. ) Because the twenty-four solar terms objectively reflect the changes in temperature, rainfall and phenology throughout the year, the people of Qingming, an ancient laborer of Du Mu, used it to arrange farming activities. "Huainanzi Astronomical Training" says: "On the fifteenth day after the vernal equinox, when the bucket refers to B, the Qingming wind will come." According to "Questions at the Age of 111", "Everything grows clean and bright at this time. So it is called Qingming. " As soon as Qingming arrives, the temperature rises and the rainfall increases, which is a good time for spring ploughing and spring planting. Therefore, there are agricultural proverbs that "before and after Qingming, point melons and plant beans" and "planting trees, it is better than Qingming". It can be seen that this solar term is closely related to agricultural production.

However, Qingming Festival, as a festival, is different from pure solar terms. Solar terms are the symbol of phenological changes and seasonal order in China, while festivals contain certain customs and activities and some commemorative significance.

Tomb-Sweeping Day is a traditional festival in China, and it is also the most important festival for offering sacrifices to ancestors and sweeping graves. Grave-sweeping is commonly known as going to the grave and offering sacrifices to the dead. Most of the Han people and some ethnic minorities visit graves in Tomb-Sweeping Day.

According to the old custom, when sweeping graves, people should bring wine, fruit, paper money and other things to the cemetery, offer food to their relatives' graves, then burn the paper money, cultivate new soil for the graves, break a few green branches and insert them in the graves, then kowtow and worship, and finally eat the wine and go home. The poem Qingming written by Du Mu, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, said: "It rains a lot during the Qingming Festival, and pedestrians on the road want to break their souls. Ask the local people where to buy wine and worry? The shepherd boy pointed to Xinghua Village. " Write the special atmosphere of Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as the outing festival, is between April 4th and 6th every year according to the solar calendar, which is the season when the spring is bright and the vegetation is green, and it is also a good time for people to have a spring outing (called outing in ancient times), so the ancients had the custom of going for an outing in Qingming and carrying out a series of sports activities. In ancient times, there was another saying, that is, "March Festival"

Until today, the custom of worshipping ancestors and mourning the dead relatives in Tomb-Sweeping Day is still very popular. [1]

Tomb-Sweeping Day is one of the traditional festivals of the Han nationality in China, and it is one of the 24 solar terms in China, and the time is around April 5 of the solar calendar every year. In ancient times, it was said that the day before Qingming Festival was the "Cold Food Festival". According to legend, it began in the Spring and Autumn Period when Jin Wengong mourned the event of meson pushing "cutting stocks to satisfy hunger", and then gradually Qingming Cold Food became one.

According to legend, after Dayu took control of the water, people used the word "Qingming" to celebrate that the flood had been eliminated and the world was at peace. At this time, bloom is warm in spring, everything is revived, and the sky is clear and bright, which is a good time for a spring outing. Going for an outing began as early as the Tang Dynasty, and it has become a habit through the ages. In addition to enjoying the beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains and spring scenery, we also carry out various recreational activities to increase the interest of life.

Grave-sweeping is popular in Tomb-Sweeping Day. In fact, grave-sweeping is the content of the Cold Food Festival in Tomb-Sweeping Day the day before. According to legend, cold food originated from Jin Wengong's mourning for Jietui. In the twentieth year of the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, he ordered the world to "eat cold food to the grave". Because the cold food was connected with Qingming, it was gradually spread to tomb sweeping in Qingming. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, tomb sweeping was more popular. In ancient times, children often flew kites when sweeping graves. Some kites are equipped with bamboo flutes, which can make a sound when the wind blows, just like the sound of a kite. It is said that this is how the kite got its name.

There are many lost customs in Tomb-Sweeping Day, such as wearing willows, shooting willows, and swinging, which have been circulating for a long time in ancient times. According to records, the customs in Liao Dynasty were the heaviest in Tomb-Sweeping Day, and people from the imperial court down to the common people enjoyed swinging, and ladies gathered together, and the wind of outing [2] was also very prosperous.

Tomb-Sweeping Day was very common in the Northern Song Dynasty, and now Zhang Zeduan's < < Riverside Scene on Qingming Festival > > It depicts the characters on both sides of the Bianliang River in Tokyo during the Qingming period of Huizong in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Since 2118, Tomb-Sweeping Day has been recognized as a legal holiday in China, with one day off. In 2119, it was changed to three days. Has continued to this day.

[ Edit this paragraph] Origin of festivals

Tomb-Sweeping Day is an important traditional folk festival in China, and it is one of the important "eight festivals" (Shangyuan, Qingming, long summer, Dragon Boat Festival, Zhongyuan, Mid-Autumn Festival, Winter Solstice and New Year's Eve). Generally speaking, it is on April 5th of the Gregorian calendar in China's traditional festival introduction map, but its festival period is very long, and there are two kinds of sayings: eight days before the 11th and ten days after the 11th, which belong to Tomb-Sweeping Day in the past twenty days.

It is said that the origin of Tomb-Sweeping Day began with the ceremony of "tomb sacrifice" by ancient emperors and generals. Later, the people followed suit, and it became a fixed custom of the Chinese nation to worship ancestors and sweep graves on this day. Originally, the Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day were two different festivals. In the Tang Dynasty, the day to worship the grave was designated as the Cold Food Festival. The correct date of the Cold Food Festival is 115 days after the Winter Solstice, around the Qingming Festival. Because the two dates are similar, Qingming Festival and cold food are merged into one day.

The custom of worshipping ancestors and sweeping graves in front of graves originated very early in China. As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, great attention was paid to tombs. Mencius Qi Ren Pian in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the Warring States Period also mentioned a person who was laughed at by people in the State of Qi. He often went to the tomb of Dongguo to beg for offerings from the tomb, which shows that sweeping graves was very popular in the Warring States Period. When I arrived in Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, I made it one of the "five rituals" to sweep the grave with cold food. Therefore, whenever Tomb-Sweeping Day came, "the fields and roads were full of scholars and women, and the servants and beggars of the soap merchants all got their parents' graves." (Liu Zongyuan's Book with Xu Jingzhao) Sweeping graves has become an important social custom.

In the spring when it is still cold, it is necessary to ban fire and eat cold food, for fear that some old and weak women and children can't stand the cold, and in order to prevent cold food and cold food from hurting their health, outdoor activities such as hiking, outing, swinging, playing football, playing polo, inserting willows, tug-of-war and fighting cocks are planned, so that everyone can come out to bask in the sun, exercise their bones and muscles and increase their resistance. Therefore, in addition to worshipping ancestors and sweeping graves, Tomb-Sweeping Day also has various outdoor fitness activities, which makes this festival not only have sentimental feelings of pursuing the future with caution, but also blend the atmosphere of enjoying spring with joy; There are both where will you go's sad and sour tears, and there are fresh and bright vivid scenes everywhere. It's really a very special festival. Tomb sweeping in Qingming Festival is a festival custom related to funeral customs. According to records, in ancient times, "the tomb was not a grave", that is to say, only the grave pit was dug, and no grave mound was built, so the sacrifice was not recorded. Later, tombs and graves, the custom of offering sacrifices to sweep, had a support. In the Qin and Han dynasties, tomb sacrifice has become an indispensable ritual activity.

According to the biography of Yan Yannian in Han Dynasty, Yan's family will "return to the grave site in the East China Sea" in Qingming, even though he is thousands of miles away from Beijing. As far as China people's ancestor worship and kinship awareness are developed and strengthened, Yan Yannian's actions are reasonable. Therefore, the tomb sacrifices that were not included in the norms in ancient times were also included in the Five Rites: "It is advisable for a scholar's family to go to the tomb and be included in the Five Rites, which will always be a routine." With the official affirmation, the wind of tomb sacrifice is bound to flourish.

As the days of Qingming and cold food are close, and cold food is the day when people ban fire to sweep graves, gradually, cold food and Qingming become one, and cold food has become another name for Qingming, and it has also become a custom in Qingming. On Qingming Day, no fireworks are used, only cold food is eaten. One of the 24 solar terms. On April 4th or 5th and 6th every year, folk customs sweep graves during this period.

Due to the custom of offering sacrifices to ancestors, sweeping graves and hiking on Qingming Day in China, it has gradually evolved into a traditional China festival in which Chinese people pay homage to their ancestors by sweeping graves. At the turn of mid-spring and late spring, it is generally 116 days after the winter solstice and the day after the Cold Food Festival. Grave-sweeping activities can last about ten days before and after the festival.

[ Edit this paragraph] Festivals of all ethnic groups

There are 25 ethnic groups in China who have visited Tomb-Sweeping Day. Although the customs vary from place to place, the basic theme is to visit graves to worship ancestors and go outing. Influenced by the Han culture, 24 ethnic minorities in China, such as Manchu, Hezhe, Zhuang, Oroqen, Dong, Tujia, Miao, Yao, Li, Shui, Jing and Qiang, have also had Tomb-Sweeping Day customs.

[ Edit this paragraph] Festival customs

The customs in Tomb-Sweeping Day are rich and interesting. Apart from paying attention to prohibiting fire and sweeping graves, there are also a series of customs and sports activities such as hiking, swinging, cuju, polo and willow planting. According to legend, Tomb-Sweeping Day's grave-sweeping is because Tomb-Sweeping Day wants to ban cold food and fire. In order to prevent cold food and cold meals from hurting people, we all take part in some sports activities to exercise. Therefore, this festival is a distinctive festival, with both sad and sour tears for sweeping the new grave of where will you go and laughter for an outing.

Swing

This is the custom of ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day in China. Swing, which means pulling the leather rope and moving. Its history is very old. It was first called Qianqiu, and later it was changed to a swing to avoid taboos. In ancient times, swings were made of branches of trees and tied with ribbons. Later, it gradually developed into a swing with two ropes and pedals. Playing swing can not only improve health, but also cultivate courage, which is loved by people, especially children.

Cuju

Juju is a kind of rubber ball, the leather of the ball is made, and the inside of the ball is stuffed with wool. Cuju is to play football 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.

outing

is also called spring outing. In ancient times, it was called tanchun and xunchun. Qingming in April, spring returns to the earth, and nature presents a vibrant scene everywhere, which is a good time for outing. The folk in our country have long maintained the habit of going for an outing in Qingming.

Planting trees

Before and after Qingming Festival, the spring sun shines and the spring rain flies, and the seedlings planted have high survival rate and fast growth. Therefore, since ancient times, China has the habit of planting trees in Qingming. Some people even call Tomb-Sweeping Day 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 was Arbor Day in China. This is of great significance to mobilizing people of all ethnic groups in China to actively carry out activities to green the motherland.

Flying kites

is also a favorite activity in Qingming Festival. During the Qingming Festival, people not only put it on during the day, but also at night. At night, a string of small colored lanterns is hung under a kite or on a wind-stable stay line, like a flashing star, which is called a "magic lamp". In the past, some people 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 themselves.

sweeping graves

Qingming sweeping graves is called "respect for thinking of time" for ancestors. Its custom has a long history. The Ming Dynasty's "A Brief Introduction to the Scenery of the Imperial Capital" reads: "On the Qingming Day in March, men and women visited the graves, carrying their respect, and hanging ingots from the back of the sedan chair, the road was full of embarrassment. Worshippers, mourners, weeping, weeding and adding soil to the tomb, burn ingots several times and buy graves with paper money. If there is no paper money in sight, it will be a lonely grave. After crying, don't go back, go to the fragrant trees, choose the garden, and sit down and get drunk. " In fact, sweeping graves existed before Qin dynasty, but not necessarily during Qingming period, but after Qin dynasty. It didn't become popular until the Tang Dynasty. "Qing Tong Li" says: "On the New Year's Eve, cold food and first frost Festival, you worship to sweep the tomb. During the period, you will serve the tomb in plain clothes, with wine and tools for cutting vegetation, and you will seal the trees and cut off the jingcao in the week, so it is called sweeping the grave." And passed down to this day.

The Qingming Festival sweeping ceremony should have been held in person, but because each family's economic conditions and other conditions are different, the way of sweeping is different. "Burning a bundle" is the main form of paying homage to ancestors. The so-called "baggage", also known as "parcel", refers to the postal parcel sent by filial piety from Yangshi to Sheol. In the past, Nanzhi store sold so-called "wrapped skins", that is, a large bag was pasted with white paper. There are two forms: one is a woodcut version, in which the Sanskrit transliteration of the "Death Mantra" is printed around it, and a lotus tablet is printed in the middle to write down the names of the dead people in the area code, such as the words "the late Zhang Fujun was afraid of the boss in Yunshan", which is both a parcel and a tablet. The other is plain wrapped leather, which does not print any patterns. Just stick a blue sign in the middle and write down the names of the dead. Also used as the main card. There are many kinds of money in the bag.

inserting willows

It is said that the custom of inserting willows is also to commemorate Shennong, the founder of farming who taught the people to cultivate crops. In some places, people put willow branches under the eaves to forecast the weather. In ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day, there is a proverb, "The willow branches are green and rainy; The saying that the wicker is dry and the sky is sunny. During the Huang Chao Uprising, it was stipulated that "Qingming is a period, Dai Liu is the number". After the failure of the uprising, the custom of wearing willow was gradually eliminated, and only inserting willow prevailed. Willow has a strong vitality, as the saying goes: "If you have the heart to plant flowers, you will not grow them." Wicker lives when it is inserted into the soil, where it is inserted, where it lives, and when it is inserted year after year, it becomes cloudy everywhere.

There is another saying: It turns out that China people regard Qingming Festival, July 31 and October New Moon as the three major ghost festivals, which are the time for ghosts to haunt and seek. In order to prevent the harassment and persecution of ghosts, people put in willows and wear willows. Willow has the function of ward off evil spirits in people's minds. Influenced by Buddhism, people think that willows can exorcise ghosts, and call them "ghosts and trees". Guanyin helps all beings by dipping willow branches in water. Jia Sixie in the Northern Wei Dynasty said in "Qi Min Yao Shu": "Take a willow branch and put it on the house, and a hundred ghosts will not enter the house." Qingming Festival is a ghost festival. On the occasion of wicker germination, people naturally insert willows and wear willows to ward off evil spirits.

[ Edit this paragraph] Related Legends

There is a legend about cold food:

It is said in Tomb-Sweeping Day that during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Jin Xiangong's concubine Li Ji set a poisonous plot to kill Prince Shen Sheng and Shen Sheng was forced to commit suicide in order to let her son Xi Qi succeed him. Shen Sheng's younger brother, Zhong Er, fled into exile to escape the scourge. During his exile,