Tomb-Sweeping Day is one of the important "eight festivals a year" in China. Generally, it is around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar, and the festival is very long. There are two sayings: 8 days before 10 and 10 days before 10, and these 20 days belong to Tomb-Sweeping Day. Tomb-Sweeping Day originally meant grave-sweeping day, and the government of the Republic of China designated 15 days after the vernal equinox in 935 as a national holiday, also known as the national grave-sweeping day.
"Almanac": "On the fifteenth day after the vernal equinox, the bucket refers to Ding, which is used for Qingming, when everything is clean and bright, and when it is covered, everything is clean and bright, hence the name." As soon as Qingming arrives, the temperature rises, which is a good time for spring ploughing. Therefore, there is a saying that "before and after the Qingming Festival, melons, fruits and beans are planted".
It is said that the origin of Tomb-Sweeping Day began with the "grave-sweeping" ceremony of ancient emperors and generals. Later, people followed suit, and it became a fixed custom of the Chinese nation to worship ancestors and sweep graves on this day. On May 20, 2006, with the approval of the State Council, Tomb-Sweeping Day declared by the Ministry of Culture of China was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list (category: folk customs; No.: X-2).
Second, traditional customs.
In Tomb-Sweeping Day, besides paying attention to the prohibition of fire to sweep graves, there are a series of customary sports activities such as hiking, swinging, cuju, polo and willow insertion. According to legend, this is because it is forbidden to eat cold food during the Cold Food Festival. In order to prevent the harm of cold food and cold meal to people, everyone comes to participate in some sports activities to exercise. In Tomb-Sweeping Day, people avoid injections and washing clothes, and women in most areas avoid walking. Before evening, a gray line should be spread in front of the gate, which is said to prevent ghosts from entering the house. Therefore, this festival is a unique festival, which has both sad and sour tears for sweeping graves and laughter for an outing.
Third, sacrifice to sweep the grave.
Tomb-Sweeping Day is one of the three major Halloween festivals in China. "Ghost Festival" is a festival to mourn the dead, as opposed to a festival to worship gods and land gods.
The participants in Tomb-Sweeping Day are all the people, from princes and ministers to ordinary people, to pay homage to the dead souls of their ancestors on this festival. Since the Tang Dynasty, the imperial court has given officials a holiday and asked them to go to their hometown to visit their graves. According to "Dream of Liang Lu" in the Song Dynasty, every time you go to Tomb-Sweeping Day, "officials go out to the tombs of the suburbs to show their respect for their thoughts." The number of grave sweepers is not limited to men and women, and they often go out with their families. In this way, grave-sweeping activities around Tomb-Sweeping Day often become the personal participation of the whole society. Within a few days, the country people came and went, and the scale was extremely prosperous.
Fourthly, about Tomb-Sweeping Day's ancient poems.
Qingming? Dondum
A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day; The mourner's heart is going to break on his way.
Ask local people where to buy wine? The shepherd boy just laughed and didn't answer Xingshan Village.
On the way to cold food (Tang Dynasty) Song Wenzhi
It's already on the way to late spring when I meet cold food immediately. Poor Jiang, I can't see Luo Qiao people.
The Arctic cherishes the sage, and Nanwa is the vassal. In the old garden, wicker is new day and night.