Tomb-Sweeping Day is one of the important "Eight Festivals of the Year" in China. Generally, it is around April 5th of Gregorian calendar, and the festival is very long. There are two sayings: 8 days before 10 and 8 days after 10, which belong to Tomb-Sweeping Day in recent 20 days. Tomb-Sweeping Day originally refers to the 15th day after the vernal equinox.1In 935, the government of the Republic of China designated April 5th as a national holiday in Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as the national grave-sweeping festival.
"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 that "before and after Qingming, we should plant melons and beans".
It is said that the origin of Tomb-Sweeping Day began with the ceremony of "tomb sacrifice" by the ancient emperors and generals, and later the people followed suit, and it became a fixed custom of the Chinese nation to worship ancestors and sweep graves on this day. On May 20th, 2006, it was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.
Chinese name: Tomb-Sweeping Day.
English name: Tomb-sweeping Day
Festival time: April 4th, 5th or 6th in Gregorian calendar.
Festival type: traditional festivals
Popular areas: China, Viet Nam, South Korea, Ryukyu.
Origin of Festival: Sacrifice
Festive activities: no fire, grave sweeping, hiking, swinging, playing cuju, playing polo and inserting willows.
Festival significance: to commemorate ancestors in the form of grave sweeping and worship.
Origin and origin
The legend of Jie Zhitui
According to legend, during the Spring and Autumn Period, Zhong Er, the son of Jin Dynasty, went into exile to escape persecution. On the way to exile, he was tired and hungry in a deserted place, and he was unable to stand up any more. After searching for a long time, the minister couldn't find anything to eat. Everyone was very anxious. The minister meson pushed him to a secluded place, cut a piece of meat from his thigh and cooked a bowl of broth for the childe to drink. Zhong Er gradually recovered his spirit. When Zhong Er found that the meat was cut off by meson pushing his leg, he shed tears.
Meson extrapolation
Nineteen years later, Zhong Er became the monarch, that is, Jin Wengong in history. After he acceded to the throne, Wen Gong rewarded the hero who accompanied him in exile at the beginning, but forgot meson push. Many people complain about meson, and advise him to admire him. However, meson most despises those who strive for merit. He packed his bags and quietly went to Mianshan to live in seclusion.
When Jin Wengong heard this, he was so ashamed that he personally took someone to ask Jietui, but Jietui had left home for Mianshan. Mianshan Mountain is high and dangerous, with dense trees. It is hard to find two people. Someone offered a plan to burn Mianshan Mountain from three sides and force a meson to push it out. The fire burned all over Mianshan, but there was no sign of meson push. After the fire was extinguished, people found that meson push carrying his old mother had sat under an old willow tree and died. Jin Wengong said, wailing. During the burial, I found a bloody book in a tree hole, which read: "I wish my master would always be clear-cut." To commemorate meson tui, Jin Wengong ordered that this day be designated as Cold Food Festival.
In the second year, Jin Wengong led his ministers to climb mountains to pay homage, and found the old willow tree dead and resurrected. He named the old willow "Qingming Willow" and told the world that the day after the Cold Food Festival was designated as Tomb-Sweeping Day.