2. Go for an outing. China people have the custom of going for an outing in Qingming since ancient times. Hiking is also called spring outing. It was called Tanchun and Xunchun in ancient times. Qingming in April, spring returns to the earth, and nature presents a vibrant scene everywhere, which is a good time for an outing. China folks have always maintained the habit of going for an outing in Tomb-Sweeping Day. China's outing custom has a long history, which was formed as early as the pre-Qin period.
3. swing. This is the custom of ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day in China. Wang Renyu's "Kaiyuan Tianbao Legacy" in the Five Dynasties recorded that "the Tianbao Palace Mid-solstice Cold Food Festival actually erected a swing, which made the wives and concubines in the palace laugh and thought it was a feast. The emperor called it a semi-fairy play, so the scholars in the capital called it. " Wen Yanbo, the prime minister of the Song Dynasty, wrote the poem "Cold Food Day Crossing the Dragon Gate", which is described as "the willow on the bridge hangs on a line and hangs more colorful ropes." Swing, that is, lift the rope, move.
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.
Tomb-Sweeping Day is a sacrificial festival in China. "Sacrifice" is a festival to mourn ancestors, as opposed to festivals to worship gods and land gods. Participants in Tomb-Sweeping Day are all people, from the king's ministers to ordinary people. They should worship their ancestors on this festival. Sweeping graves on Qingming Festival is called "respecting thinking about time" for ancestors. Its customs have a long history. According to legend, the custom of ancestor worship in Tomb-Sweeping Day began with the "tomb sacrifice" ceremony when the ancient emperors and generals went for an outing in the suburbs. Later, people followed suit. On this day, they went to visit the grave to worship their ancestors.
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Due to the combination of the Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day, some places in the north 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.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Tomb-Sweeping Day