When is the Cold Food Festival in 2023?
The Cold Food Festival is different every year, but the time is relatively fixed. The Cold Food Festival has been in Tomb-Sweeping Day for a day or two, and there are still 105 days before the summer solstice. Tomb-Sweeping Day is not only a traditional festival, but also one of the 24 solar terms. It falls from April 4th to 5th in the Gregorian calendar every year, so the Cold Food Festival falls on April 3rd and 4th.
Before the calendar reform in Tang Ruowang in the early Qing Dynasty, Tomb-Sweeping Day was scheduled for two days after the Cold Food Festival. After the reform of the Tang family, the Cold Food Festival was held the day before Tomb-Sweeping Day. The definition of the modern twenty-four solar terms follows that of the Tang Dynasty, so the Cold Food Festival is the day before Tomb-Sweeping Day.
The Origin of Cold Food Festival
Tracing the origin of cold food needs to be traced back to ancient times. At that time, the Cold Food Festival was also called "No Fire Festival". Ancient ancestors thought that fire would age and die, and it was alive. Since the winter solstice, the sun has been the spirit, and the old fire is about to go out, and a new fire will be born. After 105 days, the fire was banned for several days. According to the Book of Rites, the fire officer shook Muduo in the countryside to repair the fire and drilled wood for Ji Chun to make a fire. This is the anthropological origin of the Cold Food Festival, and many primitive peoples have grand ceremonies to offer sacrifices to the fire.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, "No Fire Festival" became "Cold Food Festival" to commemorate Jiexiu, the famous prime minister of Jin Wengong. It is said that Zhong Er, the son of the State of Jin, went into exile in other countries to avoid disasters 19, and the minister Jiezitui always followed around and never left; Even "stock trading." Zhong Er tried to become a famous gentleman "Jin Wengong". But meson tui didn't want to make a fortune, so he lived in seclusion with his mother in Mianshan. Jin Wengong ordered the release of Yamakaji to force him to leave the mountain. Meson Tui was determined not to come out of the mountain and was eventually burned to death.
Jin Wengong remembered his loyalty, buried him in Mianshan, built a shrine and a temple, and ordered the prohibition of cold food on the day of Jiexiu to express his grief. This is the origin of the "Cold Food Festival".
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