Some people in China have a ghost solar term.
Speaking of Halloween, as the name implies, it is a haunted festival for ghosts, wild ghosts and goblins. In everyone's impression, many people just know that the Orchid Festival on July 14th of the lunar calendar is Ghost Festival. In fact, there is more than one "Ghost Festival" in people's lives. Tomb-Sweeping Day, the Mid-Autumn Festival on July 15 and the Cold Clothes Festival on July/0/0 1 day are also called the three famous "ghost festivals" in China.
1, Tomb-Sweeping Day
Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as the Walking Festival, is a traditional festival in China and one of the most important festivals in China. This is the day to worship ancestors and sweep graves.
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. Originally, the Cold Food Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day were two different festivals. In the Tang Dynasty, the day of sweeping graves was designated as the Cold Food Festival. The correct date of the Cold Food Festival is from winter to the future 105, around Tomb-Sweeping Day. Because the two dates are similar, Tomb-Sweeping Day and Cold Food merged into one day.
Tomb-Sweeping Day's customs are rich and interesting. In addition to paying attention to the prohibition of fire to sweep graves, there are a series of customs and sports activities such as jogging, swinging, playing cuju, playing polo and inserting willows. According to legend, Tomb-Sweeping Day visited the grave because cold food was forbidden during the Cold Food Festival. In order to prevent the harm of cold food and cold meal to people, everyone took part 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.
2. Mid-Autumn Festival
Every year, the 15th day of the seventh lunar month is the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, which is called by Taoism in China. On that day, Buddhism called it "Kasahara Festival" and folks called it "Ghost Festival". According to "Five Magazine": "The Daojing takes the fifteenth day of the first month as the Shang Yuan, the fifteenth day of July as the Zhong Yuan, and the fifteenth day of October as the Xia Yuan." Dream orchid basin means hanging upside down. The pain of life is like a bat hanging upside down from a tree, which is very miserable. In order to save all living beings from the suffering of hanging upside down, it is necessary to recite the scriptures and give food to ghosts. This coincides with China's worship of the ghost moon, so the Mid-Autumn Festival and Menglan will be handed down at the same time.
On July 15, every folk family offered sacrifices to their ancestors. Some burn incense to their ancestors at home or in ancestral temples, and the whole family worships them; Some people go to their ancestors' graves to add soil, offer sacrifices and burn incense. After dark, carry firecrackers, paper money, incense sticks, burn some paper money, set off firecrackers, send ancestors on their way and return to the "underworld." By then, every household will offer melons, fruits, vegetables and rice. Hold various sacrificial activities, pray for the blessing of local officials and take care of the "homeless" ghosts; It is necessary to set up altars, monks chanting scriptures, burning evil money and releasing alms.
On this day, there is an important activity to set off river lights. Water lamp means life in the universe. Traditionally, water lanterns are designed to guide those who die unjustly. When the lights went out, the water lights had completed the task of attracting ghosts to cross the Naihe Bridge.
3. Cold Clothes Festival
Every year, the first day of October in the lunar calendar is called "October Dynasty", also known as "ancestor worship festival". Cold clothes festival. Also known as Ghost Festival, this day pays special attention to the people who die first, and it is called sending cold clothes.
The first day of October in the lunar calendar is also the first day of winter. Since then, the weather has become colder and colder, and people are afraid that their ancestors' souls in the underworld are short of clothes and clothes. Therefore, in addition to food, incense sticks, paper money and other general offerings, there is also an indispensable offering-shroud. When offering sacrifices, people incinerate ghost clothes to their ancestors, which is called "sending cold clothes". Burning cold clothes on the first day of October embodies the memory of the old people and the sympathy of the living for the dead.
People should not only send warm clothes to the dead for the winter, but also carry out some traditional activities symbolizing winter. On this day, women will take out cotton-padded clothes and let their children and husbands change seasons. If the weather is still warm, it is not suitable to wear cotton at this time, and children and husbands should be urged to try it on for good luck. People are used to arranging stoves and chimneys on this day. After installation, try to make a fire to ensure smooth heating in cold weather.