The customs of Qingming Festival are rich and interesting. In addition to banning fires and sweeping tombs, there are also a series of customary sports activities such as outing, swinging, Cuju, playing polo, and planting willows. According to legend, this is because cold food and fire are forbidden during the Qingming Festival. In order to prevent cold food and cold meals from harming the body, everyone comes to participate in some sports activities to exercise. Therefore, in this festival, there are both the sadness and tears of paying respects to new graves and the laughter of outings. It is a unique festival.
Swinging is an ancient Chinese custom during the Qingming Festival. Swing means moving by holding on to the leather rope. It has a very ancient history. It was first called Qianqiu, but later was changed to Swing to avoid taboos. In ancient times, swings were mostly made of tree branches and tied with colorful ribbons. Later, it gradually developed into a swing with two ropes and pedals. Swinging can not only improve health, but also cultivate bravery. It is still loved by people, especially children.
Cuju Ju is a kind of leather ball. The ball is made of leather and the inside of the ball is stuffed with hair. Cuju means kicking a ball with your feet. This is a game that people loved during the Qingming Festival in ancient times. According to legend, it was invented by the Yellow Emperor, and its original purpose was to train warriors.
Outing is also called spring outing. In ancient times, it was called Tanchun, Xunchun, etc. On the Qingming Festival in March, spring returns to the earth, and nature presents a vibrant scene everywhere. It is a great time for outings. Chinese people have long maintained the habit of going outing during the Qingming Festival.
Tree planting. Before and after the Qingming Festival, the spring sun shines and the spring rain falls. The survival rate of planted saplings is high and they grow quickly. Therefore, China has had the habit of planting trees during Qingming Festival since ancient times. Some people also call Qingming Festival "Arbor Day". The custom of planting trees has been passed down to this day. In 1979, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress stipulated that March 12th every year would be China's Arbor Day. This is of great significance in mobilizing people of all ethnic groups across the country to actively carry out activities to green the motherland.
Kite flying is also a favorite activity during the Qingming Festival. During the Qingming Festival, people not only play during the day but also at night. At night, strings of small colorful lanterns are hung under the kite or on the wind-stabilizing wire, like twinkling stars, and are called "magic lanterns." In the past, some people would cut the strings after flying kites into the blue sky and let the breeze carry them to the ends of the earth. It is said that this can eliminate diseases and disasters and bring good luck to themselves.
Comb-sweeping graves during the Qingming Festival is called "respecting the times" for ancestors. Its custom has a long history. "On the Scenery of the Imperial Capital" of the Ming Dynasty records: "On Qingming Day in the third month, men and women sweep tombs, carry bamboo poles, hang ingots on the backs of sedans and horses, and the streets are full of charm. People worship, pray, cry, and weed and add soil to the tomb. , burn ingots, and place paper money on the grave. If there is no paper money in sight, the grave will be lonely. After crying, you will go to the fragrant tree, sit in the garden, and get drunk. "In fact, tomb-sweeping existed before the Qin Dynasty. , but not necessarily during the Qingming Festival. Tomb-sweeping during the Qingming Festival was a matter after the Qin Dynasty. It did not become popular until the Tang Dynasty. "Qing Tong Li" says: "On the New Year's Day, during Cold Food and Frost's Descent Festivals, people pay homage to the tomb sweepers. During the period, they go to the tomb in plain clothes, equipped with wine and food and a tool for cutting grass and trees. They seal the trees and cut off the wattle grass, so it is called tomb sweeping." And it has been passed down to this day.
The Qingming Festival sweeping ceremony should be held in person at the tomb site. However, because each family’s economic and other conditions are different, the method of sweeping the memorial ceremony is also different. "Burning baggage" is the main form of paying homage to ancestors. The so-called "baggage", also known as "package", refers to the parcel sent by filial piety from the Yang world to the "underworld". In the past, Nanzhi Store sold so-called "furoshiki", which was a large bag made of white paper. There are two forms: one is to use a woodblock board with the Sanskrit transliteration of the "Rebirth Mantra" printed around it, and a rosette tablet printed in the middle, which is used to write the name of the deceased person who received the money, such as: "The late Mr. Zhang's family name" The words "Master Yunshan" are both a postal package and a tablet. The other type is plain furoshiki, which does not have any pattern printed on it. It only has a blue label stuck in the middle and the name of the deceased can be written on it. Also used as main card. There are many types of money in the baggage.
1. Big burning paper, 9K white paper, with four rows of yuan coins, five in each row;
2. Ghost banknotes, which are imitations after foreign currency notes became available in the world. , with the words "Bank of Heaven", "Bank of the Underworld", "Bank of the Underworld" and other words on it, as well as the pattern of Fengdu City. Most of them are huge bills, with the Buddhist "Rebirth Mantra" printed on the back;
3. Fake foreign money, with a hard paper core, wrapped with silver foil, and embossed with the same pattern as the silver dollar that was popular at the time;
4. The "Rebirth Mantra" printed in red on yellow paper, into one It is shaped like a round coin, so it is also called "money for the past life";
5. Ingots and ingots made of gold and silver foil, some of which are strung with threads and decorated with colorful paper tassels at the bottom. In the old days, everyone, rich or poor, would burn their baggage. On this day, a confession table is set up in the ancestral hall or the main room of the house, and the bundle is placed in the middle. Dumplings, cakes, fruits and other offerings are placed in front of it, and incense and candles are burned. After the whole family bows to the elder and the younger, it can be burned outside the door. When incineration, draw a large circle and leave a gap in the direction of the grave. Burning three or five pieces of paper outside the circle is called "sending away evil spirits".
Some wealthy households take their families and family members by car or sedan to visit the tombs in person to pay homage. At that time, the tomb should be repaired, or soil should be symbolically added to the tomb, and some paper money should be pressed on it to let others see it and know that there are descendants of this tomb. After the sacrifice, some people sit around to have a meal and drink; others fly kites and even compete with each other for entertainment. Women and children also need to fold some willow branches nearby and tie the removed steamed food offerings with wickers. Some people braid willow sticks into a basket shape and wear them on their heads, saying, "If you don't wear willow during Qingming Festival, you will become a yellow dog in the next life." This is both tomb-sweeping and outing, and we don’t return until we have exhausted our excitement.
6. Flowers used during Qingming Festival. Generally speaking, white flowers express mourning. It is more appropriate to choose white lilies, calla lilies, etc. for sweeping graves, while white roses, gardenias or plain flowers It symbolizes regret and longing. Some people prefer simple plants such as Penglai pine and row grass. Of course, nowadays, flowers for sweeping graves are no longer limited to this. Many citizens will choose flower types based on the age and preferences of the deceased, such as forget-me-nots, yellow roses, red roses, birds of paradise, etc.
Inserting willows It is said that the custom of inserting willows is also to commemorate the founder of farming, Shennong, who "taught the people how to farm". In some places, people put willow branches under the eaves to predict the weather. There is an old proverb that "willow branches are green when it rains; when willow branches are dry, the sky is sunny." During the Huang Chao uprising, it was stipulated that "the Qingming Festival will last for a period of time, and Dai Liu will be the number." After the failure of the uprising, the custom of wearing willows was gradually eliminated, and only inserting willows remained popular. Willows have strong vitality. As the saying goes: "If you plant flowers intentionally, they will not bloom, but if you plant willows unintentionally, they will create shade." Willows will live when they are inserted into the soil. They will live wherever they are inserted. Willows will be inserted every year and they will provide shade everywhere.
The spring breeze is bright and green on the Qingming Festival. On this day, people go outing, sweep graves, and visit graves. Everyone must wear a willow, and willow branches are placed at the door of every house. Where did this custom come from? There is a legend about Qingming Festival related to Liu Yong, a great poet in Song Dynasty. It is said that Liu Yong lived a dissolute life and often traveled among Huajie and Liuxiang. The geishas at that time all loved Liu Yong's talents and were proud of being favored by Liu Yong. However, due to his bad life, Liu Yong was not tolerated by his official career throughout his life. Although he was a Jinshi, he died in poverty in Xiangyang. The cost of his burial was raised by the singing girls who admired him. Every year during the Qingming Festival, singing girls would go to his grave and plant willow branches as a mark of commemoration. Over time, it became a custom to plant willow branches during the Qingming Festival. In fact, this custom has been around since the Tang Dynasty. People in the Tang Dynasty believed that when worshiping by the river on March 3rd, wearing willow branches on the head could protect them from poisonous insects. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the custom of planting willows during the Qingming Festival became very popular. People returned from outings and planted willows at their doorsteps to avoid insect pests. Whether it is folklore or historical records, planting willows during the Qingming Festival is always related to avoiding diseases. As the weather gets warmer during the Spring Festival, various germs begin to multiply. People with poor medical conditions can only place their hope in shaking the willow branch.
There is another saying about planting willows during the Qingming Festival: It turns out that the Chinese regard Qingming, half July and the first day of October as the three major ghost festivals, when hundreds of ghosts haunt them. 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. Jia Sixie of the Northern Wei Dynasty said in "Qi Min Yao Shu": "Putting willow branches on the door will prevent all ghosts from entering the house." Qingming is the Ghost Festival, and when willows germinate, people naturally plant willows to ward off evil spirits. The Han people have a custom of "breaking willows to say goodbye": Baqiao is a bridge across the water in the east of Chang'an. Han people send guests to this bridge and break willows to say goodbye. Li Bai has a poem that goes: "Willows color every year, and Baling is sad to say goodbye." In ancient times, on both sides of the Ba Bridge in Chang'an, the embankment was ten miles long, with a willow per step. Many people going east from Chang'an came here to say goodbye, and broke willow branches to say goodbye to their relatives, because "willow branches" "" is homophonic with "stay", which means to retain. This custom originated from "The Book of Songs. Xiaoya. Picking Wei" in "In the past, I have gone, and the willows are still there". Use willows as a parting gift to express the inseparability, the inability to bear to see each other, and the reluctance to part. Willows are a symbol of spring. Willows swaying in spring always give people a sense of prosperity. "Breaking willows to say goodbye" contains the wish of "spring is always here". The ancients broke willows to see each other off, which also means that leaving a loved one in the hometown is like a willow tree that leaves a branch. It is hoped that when he goes to a new place, he can quickly take root and sprout, just like a willow branch that can live anywhere. It is a kind of good wish for friends. Ancient poems also mentioned a lot of breaking willows to say goodbye. Quan Deyu's poem of the Tang Dynasty: "Bring off new knowledge as a gift"; Jiang Baishi's poem of the Song Dynasty: "I'm afraid there will be no green willow branches on other roads"; Guo Deng's poem of the Ming Dynasty: "I see off travelers every year, and break all the willows on the roadside in border towns." Chen Weisong's poem of the Qing Dynasty: "How many wicker sticks are left now? I want to give them away." Not only will people feel sad when they see willows, but they will also be moved when they hear the song "Folding Willows". Li Bai's "Listening to the Flute in Luo City on a Spring Night": "I heard the broken willows in this nocturne, and who can't feel the love for my hometown?" In fact, willows can have many symbolic meanings, and the ancients gave willows various emotions, so it is reasonable to borrow willows to express feelings. Something happened. Ghosts don't enter the house. "Qingming is the Ghost Festival, and when willows germinate, people naturally plant willows and wear willows to ward off evil spirits. The Han people have the custom of "breaking willows to say goodbye": Baqiao is a bridge across the water in the east of Chang'an. Han people see off guests on this bridge. , break the willows to say goodbye. Li Bai has a poem that goes: "The willows will be colored every year, and Baling will be sad to say goodbye." "In ancient times, on both sides of the Baqiao Bridge in Chang'an, the embankment was ten miles long, with a willow per step. Many people going east from Chang'an came here to say goodbye, breaking willow branches as gifts to their relatives. Because "Liu" and "Liu" are homophonic, it means to stay. This kind of The custom originated from the book "The Book of Songs. Xiaoya. Picking Wei", "I have passed away, and the willows are still there". The willows are used to express the inseparability, the inability to bear to say goodbye, and the reluctance to leave. Willows are a symbol of spring. The swaying willows in spring always give people a sense of prosperity. "Breaking willows to say goodbye" contains the wish that "spring will always be there". It also means that the farewell of relatives is like leaving a branch. The willow branches will soon take root in new places, as if the willow branches can live anywhere. It is a kind of good wish for friends. Ancient poems also mentioned the matter of breaking willows and saying goodbye. Deyu's poem: "New knowledge breaks off willows as a gift"; Jiang Baishi's poem of Song Dynasty: "I fear there will be no green willow branches on other roads"; Guo Deng's poem of Ming Dynasty: "I see off travelers every year, and I break all the willows on the roadside in border towns."
"Chen Weisong of the Qing Dynasty wrote a poem: "How many wicker sticks are left now? Awaiting discount. "Not only will people feel sad when they see willows, but they will also be moved away from home when they hear the song "Breaking Willows". Li Bai's "Hearing the Flute in Luo City on a Spring Night": "Hearing the broken willows in this nocturne, who can't feel the love of his hometown? "In fact, the willow tree can have many symbolic meanings, and the ancients gave the willow tree various emotions, so it is reasonable to borrow the willow tree to express feelings.
How many days before the Qingming Festival does Hanshi fall? According to the records in "Jingchu Suishiji" of the Southern Dynasties, one hundred and five days after the winter solstice is called the Cold Food Festival, which happens to be two days before the Qingming Festival. Yuan Zhen's poem in the Tang Dynasty said: "The first hundred and six days of the Cold Food Festival". The day before Qingming Festival is the Cold Food Festival, and there is a one-day difference between the dates of Qingming Festival and the Winter Solstice itself. Because the days of Cold Food and Qingming are similar, and the activities of the ancients during Cold Food often extended to Qingming over time. There is no strict distinction.
There are many traditional customs and activities spread around the Qingming Festival, such as giving fire to cold food, sweeping tombs during the Qingming Festival, outings, playing polo, flying kites, swinging, cockfighting, tug-of-war, etc. These activities have changed with the passage of time and society. Some customs have been eliminated, while others are still left and given new content.
Scones are all served during the Qingming Festival in Sichuan. Qingming cakes are baked with vegetables, flour, chili, etc., with excellent color and fragrance.
Qingming vegetable cakes: a wild plant that only appears during the Qingming Festival in the Tunpu area of ??Anshun, Guizhou. -- Qingming vegetables (also called Maomaohua in local dialect because they resemble a flower and there are many small hairs on the stem) are mixed with flour and made into a "baba shape" through a unique handcraft, and then wrapped in a filling (Usually local spring vegetables mixed with meat, "Yinzi" (suma seeds) mixed with brown sugar, fried meat with hot and sour seeds, etc.) It is made by frying and roasting on a coal fire in a unique earthen casserole in the Tunpu area. Every household will make it. Since Qingming vegetables are a kind of fibrous plant, they will be "pulled" when you bite them. They taste great and can be used as snacks or staple food. They can be kept for a long time. It is said that it is eaten during the Ming Dynasty. During the period of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Dynasty, when the people were marching and fighting, the soldiers made it conveniently.