Who will visit the grave in Mid-Autumn Festival?
The time for sweeping graves in the Mid-Autumn Festival in Ming and Qing Dynasties is fixed, that is, from the first day of August to the fifteenth day of August in the lunar calendar, for a total of 15 days. No one went to sweep graves in Minqing, before the eighth month of the lunar calendar, or after the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar (except the modern cemetery in Minqing and some people who sweep graves in Qingming).
Three links of grave sweeping in Mid-Autumn Festival
1 Qing cemetery
Minqing, commonly known as "shovel tomb", is the first and most important part of the Mid-Autumn Festival grave sweeping in Minqing.
Historically, the dead relatives were buried in the form of earth burial in Minqing, and the graves of their relatives were built on various hills by taking advantage of the mountainous characteristics of Minqing. Graves built on the top of the mountain are prone to weeds and miscellaneous trees, which are washed away by rain all the year round. Therefore, the annual cemetery cleaning is particularly important. In Minqing, every Mid-Autumn Festival grave-sweeping, almost every household carries a hoe and a knife, and goes to various hills to remove impurities and weeds from ancestral graves, dredge ditches and cultivate soil.
Grave sacrifice
Commonly known as "offering sacrifices to the tomb", it is the second important link of grave sweeping in the Mid-Autumn Festival in Ming and Qing Dynasties.
After the miscellaneous trees, weeds and ditch soil in each cemetery are cleared, the grave-sweepers offer their own offerings, such as chickens, ducks, pork, rice cakes, fruits, tea, water and wine. At the same time, burn paper money, light incense, light red candles and set off firecrackers; Some people also put paper money on the top of the tomb, shoulders and hands. When returning from the grave-sweeping, the grave-sweeper will, according to the custom, break some twigs in front of the grave and take them home, and put them on the edge of the kitchen door frame.
Friends and relatives get together for dinner.
Commonly known as eating "tomb wine", it is the third important link to sweep graves in the Mid-Autumn Festival in Qing Dynasty.
In Minqing, the first half of August in the lunar calendar, usually from the first day to the fifth day, is the time for all surnames to sweep graves. Ancestral graves include Tomb 1, Tomb 2 and Tomb 3.
The so-called first tomb is the ancestral graves of local surnames. According to custom, on the first day of the eighth lunar month, the grave must be swept by the descendants of the same family. The tombs on the second and third day of the lunar calendar are the tombs of the second and third ancestors with local surnames. According to the custom, the descendants of all branches should make the same sacrifice on the second and third day of the eighth lunar month, and so on.
In fact, due to the numerous ancestral graves, in the Qing Dynasty, most surnames paid homage to the graves of the second, third and first ancestors on the same day. In order to contact clan feelings, enhance mutual understanding and unite clans, at noon on the day when ancestral graves such as the first tomb * * * are swept, all clans generally concentrate on sweeping graves and have lunch at the ancestral temple * * *, that is, eat "tomb-offering wine".
"Tomb wine" is extravagant and thrifty, and it costs more or less. In the past, the expenses were shared equally by all ethnic groups, but in recent years, many ethnic groups have made a fortune, and some people are solely responsible for it.
"Trinity" of Tomb Sweeping in Mid-Autumn Festival
In addition to the Spring Festival and Dragon Boat Festival, sweeping graves in the Mid-Autumn Festival is the most important custom in the Qing Dynasty. It is due to the "trinity" (timely, reasonable and reasonable) that it can last for a long time and spread to this day.
1 synchronization
When you say "timely", it is in line with the weather. The custom of sweeping graves is found all over China, but in many places abroad, most people sweep graves in Tomb-Sweeping Day, while others sweep graves from winter to Sunday. As far as solar terms are concerned, sweeping graves in Mid-Autumn Festival is far better than sweeping graves in Tomb-Sweeping Day and winter solstice.
Minqing is mountainous, and its ancestors were buried in the soil, and their graves were built on the mountains. Every year from Qingming to Mid-Autumn Festival, vegetation grows most vigorously. If the tomb is swept on Qingming Day, it is obviously too early to clean up the cemetery at that time. Before long, the grave will be overgrown with weeds and desolate;
August of the lunar calendar has entered autumn, most of the vegetation growth period has passed, and most of the grass seeds are not yet mature. At this time, the weeds in the cemetery will be cleared, and the grave after clearing the garden will be clean for more than half a year.
If it is too late to sweep the grave on the winter solstice, then by the winter solstice, the weeds have matured and fallen to the ground. After coming back in spring, the cemetery will soon be deserted again, and the barren period will last for several years.
2 reasonable
The second is "reasonable" and reasonable. People in Ming and Qing dynasties have been living by farming, which is very seasonal. Every year from the first day to the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, that is, before the Mid-Autumn Festival15th day, it is the end of summer harvest and autumn planting in rural areas of Minqing, and the winter harvest and winter planting have not arrived. In this slack season, farmers can take time to sweep their ancestors' graves, and also have time to talk with their clansmen by sweeping their graves.
3 feeling
The word "reasonable" accords with "human feelings". Mid-Autumn Festival is a reunion festival. Every year before the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, it is a kind of gratitude and memory for the ancestors, and it also allows the living relatives and ancestors separated by Yin and Yang to get together in the Mid-Autumn Festival and have a happy dream. This is undoubtedly a good emotional sustenance and spiritual comfort for the living.