What national cultural characteristics does Tomb-Sweeping Day reflect?

What sacrificial culture does Tomb-Sweeping Day reflect in Han etiquette?

"Rite" is the core of our traditional culture in China and the essence of our people in China. These etiquette thoughts have penetrated into the blood of China people and formed the basic characteristics of China people.

Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as the Walking Festival, is one of the traditional festivals and one of the most important sacrificial festivals in China. It is at the turn of mid-spring and late spring, that is, the first 108 day after the winter solstice. This is the day to worship ancestors and sweep graves.

The traditional Tomb-Sweeping Day of the Han nationality in China began in the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 years. 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, also have the customs of Tomb-Sweeping Day. Although customs vary from place to place, sweeping graves to worship ancestors and hiking are the basic themes.

The origin of Tomb-Sweeping Day

The traditional Tomb-Sweeping Day in China began in the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 years. Tomb-Sweeping Day is first of all a very important solar term. As soon as Tomb-Sweeping Day arrives, the temperature rises, which is a good season for spring ploughing and planting. Therefore, there is a saying that "melons and beans are planted before and after Qingming". Agricultural proverb "Planting trees is not as clear as Qingming". Later, as the days of Qingming and cold food approached, cold food was the day when people banned fire to sweep graves. Gradually, cold food and Qingming became one, and cold food became another name of Qingming and became a custom of Qingming. On Qingming Day, there are no fireworks, only cold food.

There is a legend about cold food:

According to legend, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Zhong Er of Jin Wengong went hungry during his exile. In order to save Zhong Er, Jiexiu cut off his leg and cooked it for Zhong Er. Nineteen years later, after Jin Wengong came to power, in addition to meson push, he raised a large reward for the detainees who shared his joys and sorrows. Someone defended meson in front of Jin Wengong. Jin Wengong suddenly remembered the past, so he went to ask Jiexiu to go to the imperial court to be sealed. Jiexiu didn't want to see him, and had already hid behind his mother's back in Mianshan (now southeast of Jiexiu County, Shanxi Province). Ordered to Yamakaji, forcing mesons. But it didn't come out. Mother and son died holding a charred willow tree. Jiezitui put a skirt in the hole of the willow tree on the ridge of the beam and wrote a poem on it:

I hope your master is always clear.

It is better to be a ghost than to accompany you as an exhorter.

If your master has me in his heart, remember that I often reflect.

I have a clear conscience in Jiuquan, diligent and honest.

To commemorate Jiexiu, the day when Yamakaji was released was designated as the Cold Food Festival, and the whole country was informed that it was forbidden to set off fireworks and firecrackers on this day every year, and only cold food was eaten.

When he left, he cut a charred willow and made a pair of clogs in the palace. He looked at it every day and sighed, "What a pity." The "first step" is the name of ancient people's subordinates respecting each other between superiors or peers, which is said to come from it.

The following year, Jin Wengong led his ministers to go hiking in plain clothes to show their respect and condolences. Walking to the grave, I saw the dead old willow tree resurrected, with thousands of green branches dancing in the wind. Jin Wengong looked at the resurrected old willow tree and seemed to see the meson push. He walked up to him respectfully, lovingly squeezed a branch, braided it into a circle and put it on his head. After the sacrifice, Jin Wengong named the revived old willow "Qingming Willow" and named it Tomb-Sweeping Day.