Introduction to Qingming Festival

English name: Tomb-sweeping Day

Pure Brightness

Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-sweeping Day and Ghost Festival Festival and Ming Festival, together with the Hungry Ghost Festival on July 15th and the Xiayuan Festival on October 15th, are collectively called the Sanming Festival, and they are all related to worshiping ghosts and gods.

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. In ancient my country, the Qingming Festival was divided into three periods: "The first period is when the tung trees begin to bloom; the second period is when the voles turn into quails; the third period is when the rainbow begins to appear." This means that at this time, first the white tung flowers bloom, and then the shade-loving voles disappear. After returning to the hole in the ground, a rainbow can be seen in the sky after the rain.

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 Yi comes, the Qingming wind will arrive." According to "Hundred Questions of the Years": "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, fruit, paper money and other items to the cemetery, offer the food in front of the tomb of their relatives, burn the paper money, plant new soil on the tomb, and break a few green branches to insert on the tomb. , then kowtow and worship, and finally eat the food and wine and go home. 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. To this day, the custom of worshiping ancestors and mourning deceased relatives during the Qingming Festival is still very popular.

Blessings for Qingming Festival

my country’s traditional Qingming Festival began around the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 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. 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 Tian Wen Xun" says: "Fifteen days after the vernal equinox, when Dou Zhi Yi is on the right, the Qingming wind will arrive." According to "Hundred Questions of the Years": "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. 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, fruit, paper money and other items to the cemetery, offer the food in front of the tomb of their relatives, burn the paper money, plant new soil on the tomb, and break a few green branches to insert on the tomb. , then kowtow and worship, and finally eat the food and wine and go home. 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 solar calendar, it is between April 4th and 6th every year. It is the time when the spring scenery is beautiful and the grass is green, and it is also a good time for people to go out in the spring (called outing in ancient times) time, so the ancients had the custom of going outing during the 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

my country’s traditional Qingming Festival began around 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 previous day. Because the dates of Qingming and Cold Food Festival were close, people gradually merged the customs of the two. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581 to 907), Qingming Festival and Cold Food Festival gradually merged into the same festival. A festival has become a day for sweeping tombs and worshiping ancestors, which is today's Qingming Festival. Therefore, Qingming Festival has become a fixed custom of the Chinese nation. Cold Food Festival - Cold food means no fire, only cold or pre-cooked food can be eaten. According to legend, this custom originated in the Spring and Autumn Period. At that time, someone in the Jin Kingdom wanted to kill the eldest prince Chong'er. The loyal minister Jie Zitui (also known as Jie Zitui) escorted Chong'er to escape. He even cut off his own flesh for Chong'er to eat when he was hungry and cold. I hope he can return home safely in the future, become a king, and work diligently and love the people. More than ten years later, Chong'er finally returned to his country and became the king, one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Wen of Jin. He rewarded those who had assisted him during his exile one by one, but forgot to push him. After being reminded by others, he hurriedly sent someone Please recommend me to come and claim the reward. However, Jie Zhitui and his mother went to live in seclusion in the mountains. Duke Wen of Jin and his ministers searched the mountain but could not find it. Someone suggested setting fire to the mountain. Jie Zhitui was a filial son and would definitely save his mother. However, the fire burned for three days and three nights, but there was still no recommendation. After the fire was extinguished, people found Jie Zhitui carrying his mother's body under a willow tree. Duke Wen of Jin was very sad and remorseful, so he buried the two people under a willow tree. Duke Wen of Jin designated the day when mountains were set on fire as the Cold Food Festival, and stipulated that people were prohibited from using fire and had cold food for one day to commemorate Jie Zitui's loyalty. The next year, Duke Wen of Jin and his ministers in plain clothes climbed the mountain to pay homage to Jie Zitui. They found that the old willow tree where Jie Zitui was buried had come back to life. Hanging them outside the door as a commemoration gradually evolved into today's Qingming Festival custom. 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 Tomb-Sweeping Day. Qingming Festival is now the national tomb-sweeping 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 correct 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 and sweeping 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 Qi Ren Pian" also mentioned a ridiculed Qi man who often went to the Dongguo tomb to beg for food and sacrifices for the tomb. This shows that the custom of tomb sweeping was very popular during the Warring States period. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, an edict was issued to make grave-sweeping the cold food as one of the "Five Rites" at that time. Therefore, whenever the Qingming Festival came, "the fields and roads were full of ladies and gentlemen, servants and beggars, all of whom visited the tombs of their parents." (Liu Zongyuan) "Book with Xu Jingzhao") grave sweeping has become an important social custom. In the spring when it is still a bit cold, it is necessary to ban fire and 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 food from harming the body, we plan to go outing, picnic, swing, play football, and play horses. Outdoor activities such as ball games, willow planting, tug-of-war, and cockfighting allow everyone to come out and bask in the sun, stretch their muscles and bones, 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. Tomb sweeping during the Qingming Festival is a festival 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 graveyard" 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 included the 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 allow people to visit their tombs and incorporate them into the Five Rites, which will always be the norm.

"With official affirmation, the trend of tomb worship will inevitably flourish. Qingming Festival is a festival to commemorate ancestors. The main commemorative ceremony is tomb sweeping, which is a concrete manifestation of pursuing the past with care, maintaining family ties, and practicing filial piety. Based on the above significance, Qingming Festival is therefore It has become an important festival for the Chinese. Tomb-sweeping Day is at the turn of mid-spring and late spring, that is, 106 days after the Winter Solstice. Tomb-sweeping activities usually take place 10 days before or 10 days after the Tomb-Sweeping Day. Some people's tomb-sweeping activities last for a month. .

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. A series of customs and 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, people come to participate in some sports activities to exercise. Therefore, this festival includes paying tribute to new graves. The sad tears of death and the laughter of outings are a unique festival.

Swinging is an ancient Qingming Festival custom in my country, which means to move by holding on to the leather rope. The history of the swing is very old. It was first called Qianqiu, but later it was changed to a swing to avoid taboos. In ancient times, the swing was 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.

Cujuju is a leather ball with a leather cover and a ball stuffed with hair. Cuju is a game played by people during the Qingming Festival in ancient times. It is said that it was invented by the Yellow Emperor and was originally used to train warriors.

In ancient times, it was also called spring outing. It is called exploring spring, looking for spring, etc. During the Qingming Festival in March, spring returns to the earth, and nature is full of vitality. It is a good time for outings. my country's folk have long maintained the habit of planting trees during the Qingming Festival. Before and after the Qingming Festival, the spring sun shines and the spring rains fall, so the survival rate of planted saplings is high and they grow quickly. Therefore, since ancient times, some people have called Qingming Festival "Tree Planting Day". In 1979, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress designated March 12th as my country's Arbor Day. This is of great significance for mobilizing people of all ethnic groups to actively carry out greening activities for the motherland.

Kite flying is also the Qingming Festival. During the Qingming Festival, people not only fly them during the day, but also at night. They hang strings of small colorful lanterns under the kites or on the wind-stabilizing wires, which look like twinkling stars, and are called "gods." "Lamp". In the past, some people 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 cure diseases and eliminate disasters, and bring good luck to themselves.

Grave Sweeping Tomb-sweeping during the Qingming Festival is a long-standing custom of "respecting the times" for ancestors. According to the "Scenery of the Imperial Capital" in the Ming Dynasty: "On the Qingming Festival in March, men and women carry ancestral cups and hang ingots on the backs of sedan chairs. The road is full of charm. Those who worship, those who pray, those who weep, those who weed and add soil to the tomb, burn ingots and put paper money on the tomb. If there is no paper money in sight, you will be alone in your grave. After crying, he did not return. He went to the fragrant trees, chose a garden, and sat in rows until he was drunk. "In fact, tomb-sweeping existed before the Qin Dynasty, but not necessarily during the Qingming Festival. Tomb-sweeping during the Qingming Festival was something after the Qin Dynasty. It became popular in the Tang Dynasty. "Qing Tongli" says: "Sui, Cold Food and Frost's Descent Festival, worship When sweeping the tomb, one will visit the tomb in plain clothes at the end of the period, equipped with wine and food and a tool for cutting grass and trees. The tree will be sealed around the callus and the thorn grass will be cut away, so it is called tomb sweeping. "And it has been passed down to this day.

The Qingming Festival ceremony should be held in person at the tomb site, but because each family's economic and other conditions are different, the way of worship and sweeping is also different." "Baggage" is the main form of paying homage to ancestors. The so-called "baggage", also known as "package", refers to the postal parcel sent by filial piety relatives from the Yang world to the "underworld". In the past, Nanzhi shop sold the so-called "bag skin", which was made of white paper. There are two ways to paste a large bag: 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 person who received the money, such as: "Already." Therefore, the words "Zhang Fu Jun Tao Yun Shan Lao Da Ren" are both mail packages and memorial tablets. The other type is plain furoshiki, without any pattern printed on it. There is only a blue sign in the middle to write the name of the deceased. It can also be used as the main sign. . There are many types of money in the baggage.

1. Big burning paper, 9K white paper, with four rows of yuan coins, five in each row;

2. Ghost banknotes, which are imitations after foreign currency notes became available in the world. , with the words "Bank of Heaven", "Bank of the Underworld", "Bank of the Underworld" and other words on it, as well as the pattern of Fengdu City. Most of them are huge bills, with the Buddhist "Rebirth Mantra" printed on the back;

3. Fake foreign money, with a hard paper core, wrapped with silver foil, and embossed with the same pattern as the silver dollar that was popular at the time;

4. The "Rebirth Mantra" printed in red on yellow paper, into one It is shaped like a round coin, so it is also called "money for the past life";

5. Ingots and ingots made of gold and silver foil, some of which are strung with threads and decorated with colorful paper tassels at the bottom. In the old days, everyone, rich or poor, would burn their baggage. On this day, a confession table is set up in the ancestral hall or the main room of the house, and the bundle is placed in the middle. Dumplings, cakes, fruits and other offerings are placed in front of it, and incense and candles are burned. After the whole family bows respectfully to the elder and the younger, it can be burned outside the door. When incineration, draw a large circle and leave a gap in the direction of the grave. Burning three or five pieces of paper outside the circle is called "sending away evil spirits".

Some wealthy households take their families and family members by car or sedan to visit the tombs in person to pay homage. At that time, the tomb should be repaired, or soil should be symbolically added to the tomb, and some paper money should be pressed on it to let others see it and know that there are descendants of this tomb. After the sacrifice, some people sit around to have a meal and drink; others fly kites and even compete with each other for entertainment. Women and children also need to fold some willow branches nearby and tie the removed steamed food offerings with wickers. Some people braid willow sticks into a basket shape and wear them on their heads, saying, "If you don't wear willow during Qingming Festival, you will become a yellow dog in the next life." This is both tomb-sweeping and outing, and we don’t return until we have exhausted our excitement.

Inserting willows It is said that the custom of inserting willows is also to commemorate the founder of farming, Shennong, who "taught the people how to farm". In some places, people put willow branches under the eaves to predict the weather. There is an old proverb that "willow branches are green when it rains; when willow branches are dry, the sky is sunny." During the Huang Chao uprising, it was stipulated that "the Qingming Festival will last for a period of time, and Dai Liu will be the number." After the failure of the uprising, the custom of wearing willows was gradually eliminated, and only inserting willows remained popular. Willows have strong vitality. As the saying goes: "If you plant flowers intentionally, they will not bloom, but if you plant willows unintentionally, they will create shade." Willows will live when they are inserted into the soil. Wherever they are inserted, they will live wherever they are inserted. Willows will be inserted year after year, and they will become shade everywhere.

The spring breeze is bright and green on the Qingming Festival. On this day, people go outing, sweep graves, and visit graves. Everyone must wear a willow, and willow branches are placed at the door of every house. Where did this custom come from? There is a legend about Qingming Festival related to Liu Yong, a great poet in Song Dynasty. It is said that Liu Yong lived a dissolute life and often traveled among Huajie and Liuxiang. The geishas at that time all loved Liu Yong's talents and were proud of being favored by Liu Yong. However, due to his bad life, Liu Yong was not tolerated by his official career throughout his life. Although he was a Jinshi, he died in poverty in Xiangyang. The cost of his burial was raised by the singing girls who admired him. Every year during the Qingming Festival, singing girls would go to his grave and plant willow branches as a mark of commemoration. Over time, it became a custom to plant willow branches during the Qingming Festival. In fact, this custom has been around since the Tang Dynasty. People in the Tang Dynasty believed that when worshiping by the river on March 3rd, wearing willow branches on the head could protect them from poisonous insects. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the custom of planting willows during the Qingming Festival became very popular. People returned from outings and planted willows at their doorsteps to avoid insect pests. Whether it is folklore or historical records, planting willows during the Qingming Festival is always related to avoiding diseases. As the weather gets warmer during the Spring Festival, various germs begin to multiply. People with poor medical conditions can only place their hope in shaking the willow branch.

There is another saying about planting willows during the Qingming Festival: It turns out that the Chinese regard Qingming, half July and the first day of October as the three major ghost festivals, when hundreds of ghosts haunt them. In order to prevent the intrusion and persecution of ghosts, people plant willows and wear willows. Willow has the function of warding off evil spirits in people's minds. Influenced by Buddhism, people believe that willow can ward off ghosts, and are called "ghost-terrible trees." Avalokitesvara dips willow branches in water to save all living beings. Jia Sixie of the Northern Wei Dynasty said in "Qi Min Yao Shu": "Putting willow branches on the door will prevent all ghosts from entering the house." Qingming is the Ghost Festival, and when willow branches sprout, people naturally plant willows to ward off evil spirits. The Han people have a custom of "breaking willows to say goodbye": Baqiao is a bridge across the water in the east of Chang'an. Han people send guests to this bridge and break willows to say goodbye. Li Bai has a poem that goes: "Willows color every year, and Baling is sad to say goodbye." In ancient times, on both sides of the Ba Bridge in Chang'an, the embankment was ten miles long, with a willow per step. Many people going east from Chang'an came here to say goodbye, and broke willow branches to bid farewell to their relatives, because "willow branches" "" is homophonic with "stay", which means to retain. This custom originated from "The Book of Songs. Xiaoya. Plucking Wei" in "I have left in the past, and the willows are still there". Use willows as a parting gift to express the inseparability, the inability to bear to see each other, and the reluctance to leave. Willows are a symbol of spring. Willows swaying in spring always give people a sense of prosperity.

"Breaking willows to say goodbye" contains the wish of "spring is always here". The ancients broke willows to see each other off, which also means that leaving a loved one in the hometown is like a willow tree that leaves a branch. It is hoped that when he goes to a new place, he can quickly take root and sprout, just like a willow branch that can live anywhere. It is a kind of good wish for friends. Ancient poems also mentioned a lot of breaking willows to say goodbye. Quan Deyu's poem of the Tang Dynasty: "New knowledge breaks willows as gifts"; Jiang Baishi's poem of the Song Dynasty: "I fear there will be no green willow branches on other roads"; Guo Deng's poem of the Ming Dynasty: "I see off travelers every year and break all the willows on the roadside in border towns." Chen Weisong's poem of the Qing Dynasty: "How many wicker sticks are left now? I want to give them away." Not only will people feel sad when they see willows, but they will also be moved when they hear the song "Folding Willows". Li Bai's "Listening to the Flute in Luo City on a Spring Night": "I heard the broken willows in this nocturne, and who can't feel the love for my 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. Something happened.

"Qingming"

(Tang Dynasty) Du Mu

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 in the distance.

"Cold Food on the Way"

(Tang) Song Zhiwen

There will be cold food soon, and it is late spring on the way.

Poor Jiangpuwang, there are no Luoqiao people.

The North Pole is the master of Ming Dynasty, and the South Pole is the minister of exile.

The broken heart of my hometown is new day and night.

"Cold Food"

(Tang Dynasty) Han Hong

Flowers are flying everywhere in the Spring City, and the east wind of Cold Food keeps the willows from slanting.

At dusk, candles were passed around the Han Palace, and light smoke dispersed into the house of the Five Marquises.

"The Lumen Jishi"

(Tang Dynasty) Zhang Ji

The farmer recruited the boat to love the building, and the spring grass was green and there were thousands of fields;

< p>Try to go up to Wumen to have a look at the county. There is new smoke in several places during the Qingming Festival.

"Qingming"

Wang Yuqiao (Song Dynasty)

Spending Qingming without flowers and wine, the mood is as dull as a wild monk.

Yesterday the neighbor was begging for a new fire, and Xiao Chuang was given a reading lamp.

"The Qingming Festival at Su Di"

(Song Dynasty) Wu Weixin

The wind blows from the pear blossoms during the Qingming Festival, and the wanderer is half out of the city in search of spring.

At dusk, the music and songs are put away, and thousands of willows belong to the wandering orioles.

"Cold Food on the Tomb"

(Song Dynasty) Yang Wanli

How fine is Jing Zhifu! Can bridges in danger be exempted from assistance?

The maples in the distant mountains are pale, and the wheat in the dilapidated house is lonely beside it.

The spring breeze returns to Sucao, and there is nothing new in the last year.

Pear blossoms eat cold food, and they only worry about the rest during the festival.

"Walking in the Suburbs"

(Song Dynasty) Cheng Hao

Walking around in the green grass and green fields, spring comes into the distant mountains and green surroundings;

< p>The red flowers in the willow lanes are flowing through the willow alleys, because the flowing water is sitting on the moss rocks;

Mo Cichang wine is very encouraging, but I am afraid that the wind will turn the flowers red;

It is a good weather during the Qingming Festival , you might as well travel without forgetting to return home.

"Send off Chen Xiucai and visit his grave on the sand"

(Ming Dynasty) Gao Qi

My clothes are full of blood, tears and dust. It is sad to return home after the chaos.

After the wind and rain, the pear blossoms and the cold food have passed, how many graves have descendants?

"Qingjiang Yin Qingming Day Trip"

(Ming Dynasty) Wang Pan

Ask where is the best place to ban smoking in Xilou?

Green field and clear sky road.

Horses neigh through willows, people lean on swings and laugh,

Teacher Tan Yinghua falls drunk in spring.

my country’s traditional Qingming Festival probably began in the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 years. 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 merged into 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 there was a willow tree hole blocked by Jie Zitui's back, 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 will sacrifice my flesh to you, but I hope my 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 dancing 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. During the cold food season, 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