The origin and story of Qingming Festival and Cold Food Festival:
Qingming Festival, also called Outing Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival at the turn of mid-spring and late spring, which is the 104th day after the winter solstice. One of the festivals, and also one of the most important sacrificial festivals, is a day for ancestor worship and tomb sweeping.
It is said that during the Spring and Autumn Period, Chong'er, the prince of Jin Dynasty, went into exile abroad to escape persecution. On the way to exile, in a deserted place, I was tired and hungry, and could no longer stand up. The minister searched for a long time but could not find anything to eat. When everyone was extremely anxious, the minister Jie Zitui went to a secluded place, cut off a piece of meat from his own thigh, and cooked a bowl of broth for the young master to drink.
Chong'er gradually regained his energy. When Chong'er discovered that the meat was cut from his own leg by Jie Zitui, he was moved to tears.
Nineteen years later, Chong'er became the king, which was the Duke Wen of Jin in history. After he ascended the throne, Duke Wen paid heavy rewards to the officials who accompanied him in exile, but he forgot about Jie Zitui. Many people complained about Jie Zitui and advised him to ask for reward from the king. However, Jie Zitui despised those who strive for merit and reward. He packed his luggage and quietly went to live in seclusion in Mianshan with his old mother.
After hearing this, Duke Wen of Jin was so ashamed that he took people to invite Jie Zitui himself. However, Jie Zitui had already left home and gone to Mianshan. Mianshan Mountain has high mountains, dangerous roads and dense trees. It is not easy to find two people. Someone came up with a plan to burn Mianshan Mountain from three sides to force Jie Zitui out. The fire burned all over Mianshan, but there was no sign of Jie Zitui. After the fire died, people found that Jie Zitui, who was carrying his old mother on his back, had died sitting under an old willow tree.
When Duke Wen of Jin saw this, he cried. During the burial, a piece of clothing was found in the hole of the tree, with the words: "I will cut my flesh to show my loyalty to you, and I hope my lord will always be clear." In order to commemorate Jie Zitui, Duke Wen of Jin ordered this day to be designated as the Cold Food Festival.
The next year, Duke Wen of Jin led his ministers to climb a mountain to pay homage and found that the old willow tree had come back to life. He named the old willow tree "Qingming Willow" and informed the world that the day after the Cold Food Festival would be the Qingming Festival.
The origin and story of Shangsi Festival:
Shangsi originally refers to the first Si day of March in the lunar calendar. In the Wei and Jin Dynasties, it evolved into the third day of March in the lunar calendar. The old custom is to use this day. Wash away dirt and worship ancestors by the water. Lu Ji of the Jin Dynasty wrote in his "Poetry on March 3rd", "It is late in spring, and the weather is soft and pleasant. At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, Jilong was about to swim in the Yellow River." It is about the scene where people follow tradition and go out for an outing during the Shangsi Festival, and go to the river to bathe and pray for blessings.
In the past, on this day, all the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty had a collective vacation; the emperor often used this day to entertain new scholars. People want to go out for an outing in the wild. Young men and women are completely liberated on this day. They can do what they want, love what they love, and interact freely without being bound by etiquette.
Swinging on the waterfront in the suburbs, flying kites, watching the scenery, young men and women singing to each other and expressing their feelings, each enjoying themselves. In the Tang Dynasty, this custom continued to spread, and even the heavily guarded royal court opened its doors to allow concubines and maids to spend the day in the countryside.