Tomb-Sweeping Day handwritten newspaper materials.

Tomb-Sweeping Day is one of the twenty-four solar terms in the lunar calendar, which is at the turn of mid-spring and late spring, that is, after the winter solstice 106. The traditional Tomb-Sweeping Day in China began in the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,500 years. "Almanac": "On the fifteenth day after the vernal equinox, the bucket refers to Ding, which is used for Qingming, when everything is clean and bright, and when it is covered, everything is clean and bright, hence the name." As soon as Qingming comes, the temperature rises, which is a good season for spring ploughing and sowing, so there is a saying that "before and after Qingming, melons and fruits are planted". Tomb-Sweeping Day is a festival to worship ancestors, and the traditional activity is to sweep graves. On May 20th, 2006, this folk festival was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.

Basic introduction

Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as the outing festival, according to the solar calendar, between April 4th and 6th every year, it is the season of beautiful spring and lush vegetation, and it is also a good time for people to have a spring outing (called outing in ancient times), so the ancients had the custom of going for an outing in Qingming and carrying out a series of sports activities. There is also a saying in ancient times, that is, "March Festival".

The origin of festivals

Tomb-Sweeping Day is an important traditional folk festival in China, and it is one of the eight important festivals: Shangyuan, Qingming, Long Summer, Dragon Boat Festival, Central Plains, Mid-Autumn Festival, Winter Solstice and New Year's Eve. Generally speaking, it is on April 5 in the solar calendar, but its festival is very long. There are two kinds of sayings: eight days before the tenth day and ten days after the tenth day, and these 20 days belong to Tomb-Sweeping Day.

It is said that the origin of Tomb-Sweeping Day began with the "grave-sweeping" ceremony of ancient emperors and generals. Later, people followed suit, and it became a fixed custom of the Chinese nation to worship ancestors and sweep graves on this day. Originally, the Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day were two different festivals. In the Tang Dynasty, the day of sweeping graves was designated as the Cold Food Festival.

The name "Tomb-Sweeping Day" also comes from the Tomb-Sweeping Day atmosphere in the twenty-four solar terms of the China lunar calendar. 105 The first day after winter is Qi Tomb-Sweeping Day. Tomb-Sweeping Day gas * * * has 15 days. As it is Tomb-Sweeping Day, the time is after the vernal equinox. At this time, winter has gone, spring is full, the weather is sunny, the fields are bright and clean, and the vitality of nature is everywhere. It is an appropriate word to call this period "Qingming".

One hundred and five days after beginning of winter, the solstice was called cold food. In the past, fire was forbidden and cold food was eaten, so it was also called "Cold Food Festival" and "No Smoking Festival". According to folklore, cold food is to commemorate the burning of mesons in Mianshan during the Spring and Autumn Period, and Jin Wengong ordered the fire to be banned. Jiezitui is from Shanxi, so the custom of cold food is first popular in Shanxi. In the old days, cold food cut off fire, and the next day there was a ceremony to drill wood for fire in the palace, and the people also begged each other for fire with wicker.

Festival custom

Tomb-Sweeping Day's customs are rich and interesting. In addition to paying attention to the prohibition of fire to sweep graves, there are a series of customs and sports activities such as jogging, swinging, playing cuju, playing polo and inserting willows. According to legend, this is because it is forbidden to eat cold food during the Cold Food Festival. In order to prevent the harm of cold food and cold meal to people, everyone comes to participate in some sports activities to exercise. In Tomb-Sweeping Day, people avoid injections and washing clothes, and women in most areas avoid walking. Before evening, a gray line should be spread in front of the gate, which is said to prevent ghosts from entering the house. Therefore, this festival is a unique festival, which has both sad and sour tears for sweeping graves and laughter for an outing.

Related poems

Tomb-Sweeping Day's famous poems

Tomb-Sweeping Day (Tang Dynasty) Du Mu

A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day; The mourner's heart is going to break on his way.

Ask local people where to buy wine? The shepherd boy just laughed and didn't answer Xingshan Village.

Cold Food on the Tomb (Song) Yang Wanli

Go straight to your husband! Can this bridge be out of danger? The maple leaves in the distant mountains are pale outside, and the broken houses are beside the lonely wheat. The spring breeze is coming again, and all the new buildings are gone. Pear blossoms are cold food, and it is only when you enter the festival that you are worried.