Tomb-Sweeping Day is a traditional folk festival in China, and it is one of the eight important festivals (Shangyuan, Qingming, Long Summer, Dragon Boat Festival, Central Plains, Mid-Autumn Festival, Winter Solstice and New Year's Eve). Generally speaking, it is around April 5th of the Gregorian calendar, and the festival cycle is very long. There are two sayings:/kloc-8 days before 0/0 and 10 days before 0/0. [ 1]
To talk about Tomb-Sweeping Day, we should start with a lost festival-Cold Food Festival [1].
The Cold Food Festival, also known as the Hot Food Festival, the No-smoking Festival and the Cold Food Festival, is only one or two days away from the winter solstice 108. The main festival custom of this festival is to ban fire, cook without fire, and only eat prepared hot food and cold food, hence the name.
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.
The name "Tomb-Sweeping Day" also comes from "Tomb-Sweeping Day" in the twenty-four solar terms of the China lunar calendar. 108 The day after beginning of winter is Qi's Tomb-Sweeping Day. Tomb-Sweeping Day gas * * * has 15 days. As it is Tomb-Sweeping Day, the time is after the vernal equinox. At this time, winter has gone, spring is full, the weather is sunny, the fields are bright and clean, and the vitality of nature is everywhere. It is an appropriate word to call this period "Qingming".
One revolution of the earth is 360 degrees of the yellow meridian, and when the earth reaches zero degrees of the yellow meridian, it is designated as the vernal equinox, and then there is a solar term every time it runs 15 degrees, and there are 24 solar terms in * * *. Therefore, the dates of solar terms in the solar calendar are fixed, and there will be two-day differences in leap years.
The lunar calendar is a yin-yang calendar that reflects phenological changes and guides agricultural time. Also combined with the lunar calendar, that is, the traditional festivals in China are introduced with a lunar phase of 29.5 days (the time interval from one full moon to the next). Because calculating the specific time of solar terms in the lunar calendar requires accurate astronomical knowledge and mathematical knowledge, the occurrence time of each solar term in the previous almanac was promulgated by the state (for example, beginning of spring was accurate to year, month, day, minute and second), and the rules for calculating different times were different, so the local chronicles of the Qing Dynasty used a long space and many graphic formulas to illustrate the calculation method at that time. Generally speaking, the law of setting solar terms in the lunar calendar only determines that the first month is a solar term and the middle of the month is a neutral one. The interval between two solar terms is 15 days, which is the only basis for people to calculate. Solar term song is also the necessary knowledge for ordinary people to master solar terms. A slightly more complicated calculation is that the winter solstice of the previous year (when the sun is the least in a year) is cold food after 105, and Qingming is after 106; It's much simpler according to the solar calendar. April 5 or 4 (depending on February 29 of that year) will do. Astronomically speaking, on April 5 or 6, when the apparent sun (that is, the position of the sun on the ecliptic) reaches 15 degrees.
In the concept of the ancients, 108 is a large number representing perfection, auspiciousness, antiquity and profundity. It is of profound significance to put Qingming Festival on the 108 day from winter to the future. Qingming gets its name not only because everything grows cleanly at this time, but also because the sun in this period is also a fresh sun, and the sun flowing between heaven and earth in this period is also a fresh sun. [2]
Edit this historical development.
According to legend, after Dayu's flood control, people used the language of "Qingming" to celebrate that the flood had been eliminated and the world was at peace. The origin of this Tomb-Sweeping Day is that spring blossoms, everything recovers, and the sky is clear and bright, which is a good time to go for an outing in spring. Going for an outing began as early as the Tang Dynasty and has become a habit throughout the ages. In addition to enjoying the beautiful lakes, mountains and spring scenery, we also carry out various entertainment activities to increase the interest of life.
Grave-sweeping is very popular in Tomb-Sweeping Day. In fact, sweeping graves is the content of Tomb-Sweeping Day's Cold Food Festival the day before. It is said that cold food originated in Jin Wengong to mourn Jiexiu. During the twenty years of Emperor Xuanzong's reign, he ordered the world to "eat cold food in the ground". Because cold food is associated with Qingming, it gradually spread to sweeping graves in Qingming. During the Qingming period, sweeping graves is more popular. In ancient times, children often flew kites when sweeping graves. Some kites are equipped with bamboo flutes, which can make a sound when the wind blows, just like the sound of kites. It is said that this is the reason why kites get their names.
Tomb-Sweeping Day was very common in the Northern Song Dynasty. The Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival handed down by Zhang Zeduan depicts the characters on both sides of the Bianliang River in Tokyo during the Qingming Festival of Huizong in the Northern Song Dynasty.
Since 2008, China has recognized Tomb-Sweeping Day as a legal holiday with one day off. It was changed to three days in 2009. Has continued to this day.
The origin of festivals
Ethnicity
Festival custom
Climatic characteristics
Local custom
folklore
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