In the history of China, it has long been a custom to eat cold food, forbid fire and pay homage to ancestors. After the Tang Dynasty, the Cold Food Festival gradually declined, and Tomb-Sweeping Day's grave-sweeping and ancestor worship became a continuous festival tradition. Bai Juyi, a great poet in the Tang Dynasty, wrote in his poem "Cold Food and Wild Hope": "Who cries when birds are singing? The wind blows the paper money in the wilderness, and the ancient tomb is full of spring grass. Li Tanghua reflects poplar trees, full of life and death parting places. " Mysterious desert and heavy spring are crying, but people who are raining at dusk and dusk go home. "Song Dynasty poet Koguryo once described in a poem:" There are many tombs in the north and south, and the Qingming is different. Paper ashes fly into white butterflies, and tears are dyed into red azaleas. "At sunset, not a drop reached Jiuquan on the fox's grave!" Even in today's society, before and after Tomb-Sweeping Day, people still have the custom of going to graves to pay homage to their ancestors: uprooting weeds, placing offerings, burning incense and praying in front of graves, burning paper money and gold ingots, or simply offering a bunch of flowers to express their memory of their ancestors.
play on the swing
Swing is a custom in ancient Tomb-Sweeping Day, China. Swing, that is, lift the rope, move. It has a very long history. It was originally called Qian Qiu, but later it was changed into a swing to avoid taboos. In ancient times, swings were made of branches and tied with ribbons. Later, it gradually developed into two ropes, a pedal swing. Swing plays were popular in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The Chronicle of Jingchu records: "In spring, a long rope hangs on a big tree, and a scholar and a woman sit on it and push it, which is called swinging." Swing was a very common game in the Tang Dynasty, and it became an important part of Tomb-Sweeping Day customs. Because swings can be seen everywhere in Tomb-Sweeping Day, Tomb-Sweeping Day was designated as a swing festival in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, and swings were also installed in palaces for queens, concubines and maids to play with. Playing swing can not only improve health, but also cultivate courage, which is deeply loved by people, especially children.
play football
Bow is a rubber ball, the skin of which is made of leather, and the ball is stuffed with wool. Cuju is kicking the ball 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.
Liu She
Shooting willow is a game to practice archery. According to the records of the Ming Dynasty, pigeons were placed in gourds, then the gourds were hung high on willow trees, and the gourds and pigeons flew out with bows, and the victory or defeat was judged by the height of the flying pigeons.
gamecock
In ancient times, cockfighting competitions prevailed in Qingming, which began in Qingming and lasted until the summer solstice. The earliest record of cockfighting in China can be found in Zuo Zhuan. In the Tang dynasty, cockfighting became a common practice, not only among the people, but also the emperor. For example, Tang Xuanzong likes cockfighting best.
Canhuahui
Silkworm Flower Festival "Silkworm Flower Festival" is a unique folk culture in Silkworm Township. During the past period in Tomb-Sweeping Day, this folk activity was held in Wu Tong, Wuzhen, Chongfu and Zhouquan. Among them, A?vagho?a Temple in Zhouquan and Double Temple in Qingshi are the most spectacular. A?vagho?a Temple, located in the west of Zhouquan Town, is known locally as "the king of temples". Every year, there are many activities, such as welcoming the silkworm god, rocking the clippers, making trouble in Taiwan Pavilion, worshiping incense benches, boxing, playing dragon lanterns, lifting poles and singing operas. Some of these activities are carried out on shore, and most of them are carried out on ships, which is very characteristic of water towns. In recent years, in the activities of Shixiang in Wuzhen, only a few projects, such as meeting silkworm gods, stepping on white boats and lifting poles, have great potential to be tapped.
a rat race
It was called "tug of war" in the early days and "strong hook" in the Tang Dynasty. It was invented at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, which became popular in the military and later spread among the people. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, a large tug-of-war was held in Tomb-Sweeping Day. Since then, tug-of-war has become a part of the Qingming custom.
spring outing
During the Qingming Festival, spring returns to the earth, and nature presents a vibrant scene everywhere, which is a good time to go for an outing. People in our country have always maintained the habit of going for an outing in Qingming.
Zhao Zhi Heng, director of Tianjin Astronomical Society, said that Tomb-Sweeping Day is usually around the third month of the lunar calendar, which is the season when spring warms bloom. After the long winter, people go out to feel the breath of spring-or go for an outing in the fields or go to the suburbs to see the fresh air. These outings are called "outings". Go for an outing, also called a spring outing. It was called Tanchun and Xunchun in ancient times.
Legend has it that the Qingming outing began a long time ago. According to "Old Tang Book", "In February of the second year of Dali, at noon, it was fortunate that Kunming was green." It can be seen that the custom of spring outing has long been deeply rooted in people's hearts. Du Fu has a poem "Walk by the river, then see the standard". In Song Dynasty, outing was very popular. The genre painting "The Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" by Zhang Zeduan, a famous painter in Song Dynasty, vividly depicts the lively scene of the Qingming Festival centered on the Bianhe River outside Bianjing. In this picture, there are more than 550 people, more than 50 livestock, more than 20 ships, more than 20 cars and sedan chairs. The grand occasion of the Qingming outing can be seen.
Zhao Zhi Heng said that since spring comes at different times all over the country, there will be the first outing. February is an outing festival in Fujian, and March 3 is an outing festival in Shaanxi. Beijing and Northeast China started hiking on the fifth day of May, because spring came very late. Because outing is a meaningful custom, it has been passed down from generation to generation.
Chuanliuzhi
It is said that the custom of inserting willows is also to commemorate Shennong, the ancestor 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 that "the willow branches are green and the rain is raining;" The saying that there is another village. Willow has a strong vitality, as the saying goes: "If you plant flowers with your heart, you will plant willows without your heart. "Wicker lives when it is planted in the soil, and it lives where it is planted. When it is planted year after year, it becomes gloomy everywhere.
There is another saying in Tomb-Sweeping Day: It turns out that China people regard Tomb-Sweeping Day, July 30th and the first day of October as the three major ghost festivals, which are the time for ghosts to haunt and ask for help. In order to prevent the harassment and persecution of ghosts, people put willows and put them on. Willow has the function of ward off evil spirits in people's minds. Influenced by Buddhism, people think that willows can exorcise ghosts and call them "ghost trees". Guanyin dipped willow branches in water to help all beings. Jia Sixie of the Northern Wei Dynasty said in the Book of Qi Yao Min: "Take a willow branch and put it on the house, and a hundred ghosts will not enter the house." Tomb-Sweeping Day is a ghost festival. When wicker sprouted, people naturally inserted willows to ward off evil spirits.
The Han people have the custom of "folding willows to bid farewell": Baqiao is in Chang 'an East, crossing the water is the bridge, and the Han people send guests to this bridge and fold willows to bid farewell. Li Bai has a saying: "Willow falls every year, Lingling hurts." In ancient times, on both sides of Chang 'an Baqiao, the embankment was ten miles long, one step at a time. Many people who walk from Chang 'an East come here to bid farewell to their loved ones and fold willow branches to bid farewell to their loved ones, because "willow" is homophonic with "stay" to show the meaning of retaining. This custom originated from the book of songs, Xiaoya Cai Wei, which said, "I was away yesterday, Liu Yiyi." Send a willow tree as a parting gift to express feelings that are inseparable and reluctant to part. Willow is a symbol of spring. Willow swaying in spring always gives people a feeling of prosperity. "Farewell to the Willows" contains the wish that "spring is always there". The ancients sawed off the willows and sent them to each other, which also meant that their relatives, such as willow branches, left their hometown. I hope that when they arrive in a new place, they can take root and sprout quickly, as if willow branches can grow everywhere. It's a good wish for friends. There are also many references to folding willows to give people away in ancient poems. Quan Deyu's poem in Tang Dynasty: "Give me new knowledge", Song Dynasty's poem: "There are no green willows on the other side of the road, don't worry", and Ming Dynasty's poem: "Give someone away when you are old, and the willows on the edge of the city will be folded." Chen Weisong's Ci in Qing Dynasty: "How many border crossings are left? Want a discount. " People will not only feel sad when they see willow trees, but also touch their mood when they hear the song "Breaking Willow". Li Bai's "Smelling the flute in Los Angeles on a Spring Night": "Everyone can't stand the homesickness." In fact, Liu can have many symbolic meanings. The ancients endowed Liu with various feelings, so it is reasonable to borrow Liu to send feelings.
Tomb-Sweeping Day is the time when willows sprout and smoke is green. There are folk customs of folding willow, piercing willow and inserting willow. When people go out for an outing, they break off some wicker branches, which can be played with in their hands, woven into hats and worn on their heads, or taken home and inserted on the lintels and eaves. There are proverbs that "a beauty becomes a bright eye without wearing willow in Qingming Festival" and "a dog turns yellow after death without wearing willow in Qingming Festival", which shows that folding willow in Qingming Festival is a very common custom in the old society. It is said that willow branches can ward off evil spirits, so it is not only a fashionable decoration, but also has the effect of praying for evil spirits. It may also be related to the custom of using willow branches to beg for new fire in the past cold food festival. Today, it seems that breaking willow branches at will is a kind of damage to trees and should not be advocated.
plant trees
Before and after Tomb-Sweeping Day, the spring is bright, the spring is bright, and the spring rain is falling. The planted seedlings have high survival rate and fast growth. Therefore, China has the habit of planting trees in Qingming since ancient times. Some people even call Tomb-Sweeping Day Arbor Day. The custom of planting trees has been passed down to this day. 1979, the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) stipulated March 12 every year as China's Arbor Day. This is of great significance to mobilize people of all ethnic groups in China to actively carry out activities to green the motherland.
fly a kite
Fly a kite. Flying kites is a popular custom in Tomb-Sweeping Day. Pan Rongbi, a writer in A Qing, wrote in "Ji Sheng at the Age of Emperor Jingdi": "When sweeping graves in Qingming Festival, men and women in the whole city flocked out from the suburbs, carrying boxes and wheels facing each other. Everyone brings a kite spool, and it will be better to put it in front of the grave after the sacrifice. " The ancients also thought that the Qingming wind was very suitable for flying kites. Jia Qinglu said: "The wind of spring is from bottom to top, and kites rise because of it, so there is a proverb" Clear and clear ". "In ancient times, flying kites was not only an entertainment activity, but also an act of witchcraft: they thought flying kites could release their bad breath. Therefore, when flying kites in Tomb-Sweeping Day, many people will write all the disasters they know on paper kites. When the kite flies high, they cut the kite string and let the kite float away with the wind, symbolizing that their illness and dirty air have been taken away by the kite.