The Cold Food Festival originated in the Spring and Autumn Period. According to legend, Zhong Er, the son of the State of Jin, became a generation of Jin Wengong under the faithful follow-up of Jietui and his own efforts. Later, Jiexiu retired from the mountain, but Jin Wengong let Yamakaji go and forced him to see the mountain, but Jiexiu was burned in the end. Therefore, Jin Wengong ordered the establishment of the Cold Food Festival to commemorate Jiexiu.
The folk custom is to steam swallows to celebrate. Flour is kneaded into swallows, songbirds, animals, melons and fruits, flowers, etc. The steamed swallows are colored, inserted into the needles of jujube trees, decorated indoors and given as gifts. In the Cold Food Festival, people will ban smoking and fire, eat cold food, offer sacrifices, go hiking, swing, cuju, hook, chicken fighting and so on.
Origin of the festival
The Cold Food Festival was set up to commemorate Jiexiu. According to historical records, during the Spring and Autumn Period, Zhong Er, the son of the State of Jin, lived in exile for 19 years. Minister Jie tui was consistent, never leaving, and even "cut off his share". Zhong Er tried to become a famous gentleman "Jin Wengong".
But meson tui didn't want to make a fortune, so he lived in seclusion with his mother in Mianshan. Jin Wengong ordered the release of Yamakaji to force him out of the mountain, but meson was determined not to go out of the mountain and eventually died in a fire. Jin Wengong remembered his loyalty, buried him in Mianshan, built a shrine and a temple, and ordered the prohibition of cold food on the day of Jiexiu to express his grief. This is the origin of the "Cold Food Festival".