Ancient northern folk customs, why do you want to insert willow branches in the grave?

Mourn. Willow was a common farewell object in ancient times. The willows are so dense that people often break off their branches and give them to their friends when they leave. Presumably, everyone has heard of the story of Baqiao Broken Willow! There are many such descriptions in many ancient poems. Parting is a sad thing, which makes people moved by the willow tree and writes the poem "Yang Liuan, the breeze fades away".

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In ancient times, willow had the function of exorcism. In the traditional concept, after death, people should report to the underworld and take a walk on the road of death. There are all kinds of wandering ghosts in the underworld, and there are ghosts at dead ends. Relatives and friends planted willow branches in front of the grave of the deceased to clear the way for the deceased. For example, let's think about it. What's in the jade bottle of Guanyin Bodhisattva? That's a touch of green on the willow branches. It's pure. Wouldn't it be nice to use it to clean up the dirt on the dead road?

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Liu's pronunciation is similar to "stay", so it means to stay and say goodbye to old friends. After the ancients separated from their relatives and friends, it was impossible to contact them by mobile phone as it is now. They often don't even know where the other person is and whether he is still alive, let alone keep in touch and write letters.

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Therefore, when they leave, they are particularly reluctant to leave, especially when they want to stay. Most literati often have no food and nothing precious to commemorate when they have no fame. Moreover, the deep feelings of the ancients were expressed in words, so willows were used to express their feelings of parting and nostalgia. Willow is yin, which has the effect of nourishing yin and calming the nerves. The grave is the final destination of people and the treasure house chosen by relatives for the dead. Relatives and friends hope that the deceased can be safe here.