What does it mean to put a wicker at the door during Qingming Festival?

Inserting wicker sticks during Qingming Festival refers to the act of inserting wicker sticks under the eaves or wearing them on the body.

Some people say that this behavior is to commemorate Shennong who taught us agricultural knowledge. Others say that this behavior is passed down after people imitated Jin Wengong's behavior in commemorating Jie Zitui.

There is another saying about planting willows during the Qingming Festival: It turns out that the Chinese regard Qingming, half of July and the first day of October as the three major ghost festivals, when ghosts appear and beg for help. In order to prevent the intrusion and persecution of ghosts, people plant willows and wear willows. Willow has the function of warding off evil spirits in people's minds. Influenced by Buddhism, people believe that willow can ward off ghosts, and are called "ghost-terrible trees." Avalokitesvara dips willow branches in water to save all living beings.

And there is another interesting thing about it, that is, in the past, people used to plant willow trees under the eaves, so that they can predict the weather forecast. In ancient times, there was a farmer's proverb: "The willow tree will be green when it rains; when the willow tree is dry, it will be sunny." There is a saying that the weather changes can be judged by inserting wicker sticks.

The significance of Qingming Festival:

Qingming Festival is the most solemn and grand ancestor worship festival of the Chinese nation. It is a traditional cultural festival that honors ancestors and pays homage to the past. The Qingming Festival embodies the national spirit, inherits the sacrificial culture of Chinese civilization, and expresses people's moral sentiments of respecting their ancestors and continuing their aspirations.

The Qingming Festival has a long history, originating from the ancestral beliefs and spring festival customs of early humans. According to the research results of modern anthropology and archeology, the two most primitive beliefs of mankind are the belief in heaven and earth and the belief in ancestors.