The characteristics of Zhuji festivals are various customs, such as Tomb-Sweeping Day and Dragon Boat Festival.

Qingming is one of the 24 solar terms in China. If Qingming is calculated according to the lunar calendar, there is no definite date, that is, 16 days after the winter solstice of last year is Qingming; According to the solar calendar, it is on April 4 or 5 (depending on whether it is flat or leap in February of that year), and when the sun reaches 15 degrees of the yellow meridian, Qingming begins. At that time, the climate in most parts of our country was warm, the cold winter with withered trees had passed, the vegetation was lush, and there was a vibrant spring scene everywhere. As soon as Qingming comes, the temperature rises, which is a good time for spring ploughing and planting. Therefore, there is an agricultural proverb that "before and after Qingming, plant melons and beans" and "planting trees is better than Qingming".

The word "Qingming" is based on Chen Yuanliang's "A Record of Years Old" in the Song Dynasty: "A person who is Qingming means that things are pure and clean". During the Qingming Festival, the weather is sunny, the flowers are long, the willows are green and pink, changing the cold and yellow scene in winter, and the earth is clean and bright. In Huai Nan Zi written by Liu An in the Han Dynasty, it was written: "After the vernal equinox ... fifteen days will bring a clear wind". The "Qingming Festival" mentioned here is in the spring of March, so it is called "March Festival". The book "A Hundred Questions at the Age of Years" once explained: "Everything grows clean and bright at this time, so it is called Qingming." It can be seen that Tomb-Sweeping Day is named after its excellent weather, temperature, light and rainfall.

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 one of the traditional festivals in China, and it is also the most important festival for offering sacrifices to ancestors and sweeping graves. To this day, the custom of worshipping ancestors and mourning the dead relatives in Tomb-Sweeping Day is still very popular. Therefore, the state passed legislation to make Tomb-Sweeping Day a legal holiday.

Tomb-Sweeping Day's customs are rich and colorful. Apart from forbidding fire and sweeping graves, there are also a series of customs and sports activities, such as hiking, swinging, cuju, playing polo and inserting willows. According to legend, this 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 tears to sweep the new grave and laughter for an outing.

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 sweep graves, paying tribute to them, and hanging ingots behind the sedan chairs and horses, the streets are 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.

hanging paper

"hanging paper" is called "tomb paper" in Taiwan Province custom. When hanging paper, weeds growing on ancestors' graves should be cleared up with hoes or sickles, and small stones or bricks should be used to press the tomb paper on the grave, indicating that the grave has heirs, otherwise it will be easily mistaken for an orphan grave without owners and damaged. Tomb paper is divided into white, red and yellow antique paper and five-color paper (red, yellow, blue, white and black). Now, five-color paper is mostly used, which is intended to cover the tile or indicate that future generations have worshipped. As for the traditional Hakka people, they are more cautious when hanging paper. First, they dig a piece of green turf with a hoe, and put stacks of yellow paper dripping with chicken blood on the grave with turf, and then put twelve pieces of silver paper around the grave. In addition to the purpose of hanging tomb paper, there is also a symbol of blood sacrifice.

outing

is also called spring outing. In ancient times, it was called tanchun and xunchun. March is clear, spring returns to the earth, and nature presents a vibrant scene everywhere, which is a good time for an outing. The folk in our country have long maintained the habit of going for an outing in Qingming. The Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival by Zhang Zeduan, a famous painter, depicts the lively scene of people's outing and market trading in Kyoto during the Qingming Festival in the Song Dynasty.

Planting trees

Before and after Qingming Festival, young trees are planted with high survival rate and rapid 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.

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. There is an old saying, "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.

Swing

This is a custom in Tomb-Sweeping Day in ancient 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.

Tug of war

Tug of war was invented in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, when it was called "pulling the hook". The main equipment used is a thick hemp rope, and there are many small hemp ropes at both ends. In ancient competitions, a flag was used as the boundary, depending on which side pulled the other side over the middle line first (representing the river), it was a victory. The purpose of tug-of-war is to enhance physical fitness. It was first popular in the army, and then it became popular among the people. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, a large-scale tug-of-war competition was held in Tomb-Sweeping Day. Since then, tug-of-war has become a custom in Qingming.

Flying kites

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.