How does Tomb-Sweeping Day insert willow branches?
The custom of inserting willows and wearing willows is related to the wind of planting willows and loving willows in ancient China. During the Jin dynasty, willows were planted all over the country, called "official willows"; Zhou Yafu, commander-in-chief of the Han Dynasty, planted many willows in the military camp, giving it the name "Liuying". When Princess Wencheng got married in the Tang Dynasty, she brought a willow tree from Chang 'an to Lhasa and planted it in front of Jokhang Temple.
Scholars and poets have also written many poems about willows, reflecting people's love for willows. "Liu" and "Liu" are homophonic, and the ancients often expressed their feelings of parting and gave them to Liu. Moreover, willow is a symbol of spring, which often gives people a feeling of prosperity.
People in the Tang dynasty believed that wearing willow branches when going to the river or in the wild could get rid of the harm of poisonous insects. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the custom of inserting willows in Qingming became more popular. When people come back from sightseeing spots, they will plant a willow tree in front of their house to avoid pests.
There is a folk proverb that says, "Don't wear willow on Qingming Festival, you will become a yellow dog after death", which means that when you arrive in Tomb-Sweeping Day, no matter men, women and children, you should weave a willow hat with willow branches and wear it on your head, otherwise this person will become a yellow dog and a beast in the afterlife after death. Although this sentence is a feudal superstition, the custom of "inserting willows at Qingming Festival" has a long history, and folklore has been popular since Sui Dynasty.
In some places, people put willow branches under the eaves to forecast the weather. There is an old saying that "the willow branches are green and the rain is raining;" The saying that there is another village. During the period of Huang Chao, it was stipulated that "Qingming lasts for a period, and Liu Dai is the number".