What are the specialties and taboos of Qingming Festival?

What are the customs and taboos of Qingming Festival? There is a saying in traditional folk customs. Learn about the customs and taboos of Qingming Festival below. What are the customs and taboos of the Qingming Festival 1 What are the customs of the Qingming Festival 1. Outing is also called spring outing. In ancient times, it was called exploring spring, looking for spring, etc. The Qingming period is the time when the spring breeze is full of joy and spring. When all things are sprouting, nature is everywhere It presents a vibrant scene, so it has long been a custom to go out for spring outings at this time. 2. Sweeping graves and worshiping ancestors. Tomb-Sweeping Day is the most solemn and grand ancestor worship festival in the Chinese nation. It is a traditional cultural festival that honors ancestors and pays homage to their ancestors. According to custom, on this day, the whole family will go to the graves of their deceased relatives to sweep the tombs. When sweeping the tombs, they will first repair the tombs. The main methods are to remove weeds, add new soil, and then kowtow and worship. On the one hand, this behavior expresses the worshiper's filial piety and care for the ancestors. On the other hand, in the belief of the ancients, the tombs of ancestors are closely related to the prosperity and misfortune of future generations. Grave sweeping is also to pay tribute to the deceased ancestors. Bless future generations. 3. Eating Qingtuan In some southern areas of my country, there is a custom of eating Qingtuan during Qingming Festival. Qingtuan is also known as Qingming cake, cotton vegetable bun, Cihu cake, Qingming cake, moxa leaf cake, mugwort cake and Qingming fruit. It is a kind of food made from fresh moxa leaves and glutinous rice flour. Qingtuan is also a necessary food for people in the Jiangnan area to worship their ancestors. 4. Inserting willows: Qingming Festival is the time when willows sprout and turn green, so there is a folk custom of breaking willows, wearing willows, and inserting willows during Qingming Festival. Some experts believe that the custom of planting willows is to commemorate Shennong, the founder of agriculture who "taught the people how to farm". In some places, people put willow branches under the eaves to predict the weather. There is an old proverb that "willow branches are green when it rains; when willow branches are dry, the weather is sunny." 5. Flying kites: There is also the custom of flying kites during Qingming Festival. People fly them not only during the day but also at night. At night, a string of small colorful lanterns are hung under the kite or on the wind-stabilizing wire, like twinkling stars, and are called "magic lanterns." In the past, some people would cut the strings after flying kites into the blue sky and let the breeze carry them to the ends of the earth. It is said that this can eliminate diseases and disasters and bring good luck to themselves. Taboos of Qingming Festival 1. It is best to fast before sweeping the tomb: When you set out to sweep the tomb, it is best not to eat food or eat vegetarian food, and dress neatly to show courtesy and respect for the deceased. 2. Seniority is important when worshiping: the order of worshiping at the tomb is: father, mother, eldest son, eldest daughter, second son, second daughter... and so on. After worshiping, pay attention to fire safety and wait until the incense candles are lit before leaving. 3. Pregnant women should avoid grave sweeping: Excluding superstitious elements, from a safety point of view, there are many people sweeping graves during the Qingming Festival. For the safety of the fetus, pregnant women are not recommended to participate. 4. Do not take photos in the cemetery: The purpose of sweeping the tomb is to worship the ancestors, and it is obviously meant to worship and pray, not for fun. Therefore, when sweeping the tomb, it is best to be respectful and attentive. 5. Avoid wearing bright red and purple clothes: I believe that everyone will not wear such clothes to participate in such activities. However, there are always people who are careless and inadvertently use red in their clothing or underwear. 6. Outsiders should not participate in other people’s tomb-sweeping: “Everyone sweeps the snow in front of his own door”, this sentence is also very appropriate when used in tomb-sweeping. It is best not to visit relatives and friends on the Tomb-Sweeping Day, because Tomb-Sweeping Day is a special time for memorial ceremonies, and it is inappropriate to visit at this time.

Qingming timetable from 2022 to 2037 Qingming time in 2022: 03:20:03 on April 5, the fifth day of March (big) in 2022 in the lunar calendar 2023 Qingming time: 09:12:52 in the lunar calendar in 2023 The 15th day of February (small) in 2024, the Qingming time in 2024: 15:02:03 on April 4, the 26th day of February (big) in 2024, the 2025 Qingming time: 20:48:21 on April 4, 2025 in the lunar calendar Tomb-Sweeping Time in 2026, the seventh day of March (big) in 2026: 02:39:43 on April 5, the eighteenth day of February (small) in 2026 in the lunar calendar. The Tomb-Sweeping Day in 2027: 08:17:12 in April 5, 2027 in the lunar calendar The 29th day of February (New Year's Day) in 2028, the Tomb-Sweeping Day time: April 4, 14:02:45, the 10th day of March (New Year's Day) in 2028, the lunar calendar. The Tomb-Sweeping Day time in 2029: April 4, 19:58:02, the lunar calendar 2029 Tomb-Sweeping Time on the 21st day of February (big) in 2030: 01:40:37 on April 5, the third day of March (small) on the lunar calendar in 2030. The Tomb-Sweeping Time in 2031: 07:27:59 on April 5, 2031 on the lunar calendar The Tomb-Sweeping Time in 2032 is on the 14th day of March (big month) in 2032: 13:17:10 on April 4, the 24th day of February (small month) in 2032 on the lunar calendar. The Tomb-Sweeping Day time in 2033 is: 19:07:41 on April 4, 2033 on the lunar calendar Tomb-Sweeping Day time in 2034, the fifth day of March (small) in 2034: 01:05:45 on April 5, 2034 in the lunar calendar The 27th day of February (small) in 2036. The Qingming time in 2036: 12:45:44 on April 4, the eighth day of March (small) in 2036. The Qingming time in 2037: 18:43:29 on April 4, 2037 in the lunar calendar What are the customs and taboos of the Tomb-Sweeping Festival on the 19th day of February (Chinese New Year)? 2 Customs and Taboos of the Tomb-Sweeping Festival Chen Peng’s dream interpretation and research on customs and fortunes revealed that any such activities held in the name of the clan are an opportunity for unity and a message Opportunities to share. If you grasp it well, it will be very good for your career, it will also be very good for the inheritance of family ideas, and it will have a significant effect on luck. It's easy for people to find warmth in a foreign land. It doesn't say how much wealth it can bring immediately, but at least it makes them less likely to be bullied. Any behavior of holding together for warmth can resolve many fortune disadvantages. Tomb-sweeping during Qingming Festival, is it just tomb-sweeping? Really not! Qingming Festival is a festival mainly focused on ancestor worship and tomb sweeping, and taboos must be mentioned. Things not to do during the Qingming Festival: It rains heavily during the Qingming Festival, and pedestrians on the road feel anxious. This kind of atmosphere is not suitable for holding weddings, birthday banquets and other festive activities. Birthdays during Qingming Festival generally need to be postponed or brought forward. Tomb Sweeping Day is not a good day to visit friends. People who are not suitable for grave-sweeping: people with dark Yintang, infants and young children under 3 years old, pregnant women, people with serious illnesses, people who have just completed major surgery or those who have just had surgery. The original intention of these taboos is to protect the health of these people and avoid accidents. Things to note when sweeping the tomb: It is best to sweep the tomb in the morning and in the morning. Dress appropriately. No joking or making disrespectful comments. After all, ancestor worship is a very serious matter. Photography of the tomb is not allowed. You cannot take photos under the big trees in the cemetery area. Do not urinate or defecate anywhere in mass graves. You cannot take the flowers, plants and trees around the grave home with you. Do not take home any incense, candles or utensils left over from the sacrifice. Sacrificial offerings are generally not taken home. In some areas, meat is taken home. Finally, Chen Peng’s explanation of dreams reminds everyone, especially young people, that whether you are enthusiastic about ancestor worship or not, your parents will see it in their eyes and remember it in their hearts, because they will occasionally think about whether you will be a hundred years from now. There is a due remembrance and filial piety towards the ancestors. Everyone, if possible, should go back to their hometowns to pay homage to their ancestors. Especially if deceased relatives appear in the dream, it is essentially the call of the soul. What are the customs and taboos of Qingming Festival 3 The origin and legend of Qingming Festival It is said that during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Chong'er, the prince of Jin Dynasty, went into exile in order to avoid disaster. Chong'er fainted from hunger. In order to save Chong'er, Jie Zitui cut a piece of meat from his own leg, roasted it over fire and gave it to Chong'er to eat. Nineteen years later, Chong'er returned to his country and became the king. He was Duke Wen of Jin, one of the famous Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period. After Duke Wen of Jin came to power, he greatly rewarded those ministers who shared the same hardships with him, except for Jie Zitui. Someone cried out for Jie Zitui in front of Duke Wen of Jin. Duke Wen of Jin suddenly recalled the old events and felt guilty, so he immediately sent someone to invite Jie Zitui to go to court to receive a reward and an official title. Jie Zitui didn't want to see him, so he hid in Mianshan with his mother on his back.

So, someone came up with an idea and said that it would be better to set fire to the mountain, light fires on three sides and leave one side alone. When the fire breaks out, Jie Zitui will come out on his own. Duke Wen of Jin ordered a fire to be set on the mountain. Unexpectedly, the fire burned for three days and three nights. After the fire was extinguished, the meson was not pushed out. When he went up the mountain, he saw that Jie Zitui, mother and son, were already dead holding a large burnt willow tree. Duke Wen of Jin looked at Jie Zitui's body and cried for a while, then buried the body. The next year, Duke Wen of Jin led his ministers to hike up the mountain in plain clothes to pay homage and express their condolences. When I walked to the grave, I saw the dead old willow tree resurrected, with thousands of green branches fluttering in the wind. After the sacrifice, Duke Wen of Jin named the resurrected old willow tree "Qingming Willow" and designated this day as Qingming Festival. Qingming Festival Customs Dang / Qiu / Qian This is the custom of Qingming Festival in ancient China. "Kaiyuan Tianbao Legacy" written by Wang Renyu of the Five Dynasties records that "a swing was erected in Tianbao Palace during the Cold Food Festival, which made the concubines laugh and think it was a feast. The emperor called it a play of half-immortals, and the soldiers and people in the capital called it accordingly." Wen Yanbo, Prime Minister of the Song Dynasty The poem "The cold eclipse sun passes over Longmen". Kick / Cue / Ju Ju is a kind of leather ball. The cover of the ball is made of leather and the inside of the ball is stuffed with hair. Cuju means kicking a ball with your feet. This is a game that people loved during the Qingming Festival in ancient times. According to legend, it was invented by the Yellow Emperor, and its original purpose was to train warriors. Playing polo is also one of the Dragon Boat Festival dramas. Polo is played by riding on a horse and holding a stick. It was called Juju in ancient times. There is a sentence in "Famous Capitals" written by Cao Zhi of the Three Kingdoms: "Strike the soil continuously". Is it better to sweep tombs as early as possible during the Qingming Festival? There are two timing issues involved here: First, should the tombs be swept on the day of Qingming Festival or before and after? The sooner the better? As long as it's during the Qingming Festival, it depends on your convenience. Of course, there are some local customs in various places, and we must respect these customs. Also, for some customs, there are some differences in the time between sweeping the graves of relatives who have died within a year and sweeping the graves of relatives who have died for more than a year. Friends should abide by relevant local customs. Secondly, is the earlier the specific departure time on the day of tomb sweeping the better? Not necessarily. You need to do it according to your own situation. It is best to do it between 5 and 7 o'clock, which is Mao hour. In the ancient calendar, it was one. Of course, it is usually not that early now, but I would like to remind my friends that it is best to complete the Qingming Mountain Worshiping Activity before three o'clock in the afternoon, because the Yang Qi has gradually faded and the Yin Qi has gradually increased. If you are a person with low fortune, it is easy to cause trouble. Haunted or harassed by evil spirits. Can pregnant women go to visit graves during the Qingming Festival? Generally speaking, pregnant women should avoid mountain worship activities during the Qingming Festival, and that’s not all. Strictly speaking, it is best not to participate in such activities when women are on their period, especially not to participate in Qingming mountain worship activities after 3 p.m. Remind friends: Our motherland is vast, and the customs of tomb-sweeping are slightly different in the north and the south. For example: in the south, children usually go to the tomb-sweeping ceremony, while in some places in the north, the daughters usually do not go to the tomb-sweeping graves. If they are married daughters, they go with their husbands to go to the tomb-sweeping graves. Why shouldn’t you laugh and curse when sweeping a grave? Because the cemetery is the home of ghost spirits, you should not step over the grave and the offerings, make loud noises, laugh and curse, speak obscene words, run around, and urinate everywhere. Doing so is not only They are disrespectful to their ancestors and are a nuisance to nearby spirits. You should not trample on other people's tombs or comment on the design of the tomb. It will be regarded as blasphemy. If you encounter a bad aura, you will get into trouble when you go home. Why you should be cautious about taking photos at your ancestors’ gravesites In China, ancestor worship is not just about commemorating ancestors, but it also obviously means worshiping and praying to the souls of the dead. Be careful when taking photos at the graves of ancestors, whether it is a photo of the grave sweeper himself or a photo of the grave sweeper and the grave. It is even more taboo to take pictures of other tombs in the camera lens. Otherwise, your fortune is likely to decline and all aspects will be imbalanced. A friend said: "Three years ago, I was sweeping a grave. Because I didn't understand, I took a photo at the ancestor's cemetery. In addition to taking a photo of the grave sweeper himself, I also took a photo with the cemetery, and other graves were also included in the photo. Lens. Can I remedy the bad luck caused by deleting these photos? "In addition to deleting or destroying these photos, it is best to burn incense at the door to remove the bad "qi". What kind of flowers are appropriate to buy during the Qingming Festival to commemorate the deceased? Usually chrysanthemums are used, because in ancient my country, chrysanthemums were regarded as a flower of sustenance and had the meaning of longing and remembrance. White chrysanthemums are the most suitable, and they can also be paired with some green grass, such as lilies, green leaves, carnations, etc., to make them more beautiful. Yellow chrysanthemums are known as longevity chrysanthemums and are more suitable for visiting patients.