Why do we sweep tombs during the Qingming Festival? Analysis of the origin of sweeping tombs during the Qingming Festival
Introduction: Another Qingming Festival is coming, with green grass and misty spring rain. People who are away from home also return home one after another and take advantage of the Qingming Festival to visit the graves with their families, pay homage to their ancestors and remember their ancestors. So why do we sweep tombs during Qingming Festival? Where did this custom come from? Let’s follow the editor to find out. Various good days have appeared in the third month of the lunar calendar, and there are options for getting married or having children. People who work hard in March will reap the wonderful fruits of autumn.Why do we sweep tombs on Qingming Festival?Qingming Festival has now become an important festival for people to visit graves and remember their ancestors. When did tomb-sweeping festival begin? Folklorists have explained this. The general view is that the custom of tomb sweeping on Qingming Festival is a continuation of the tradition of Cold Food Festival. "Before the Tang Dynasty, tomb sweeping was done during the Cold Food Festival. The confusion between Qingming Festival and Cold Food Festival probably started in the Tang Dynasty. The confusion between tomb sweeping on Cold Food Festival and tomb sweeping on Qingming Festival probably started only in the Tang Dynasty."The origin of tomb sweeping on Qingming Festival:According to legend, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Chong'er, the son of Duke Xian of Jin, fled abroad accompanied by ministers such as Jie Zitui to avoid persecution by his stepmother Li Ji. When they fled to the State of Wei, they had no food to eat and were poor and sick. In desperation, Jie Zitui reluctantly cut off the meat from his leg and lied that it was wild rabbit meat and cooked it for Chong'er. Later, someone told Chong'er the truth, and he found out. 19 years later, Chong'er returned to his country and became the king of Jin, namely Duke Wen of Jin. He rewarded his officials according to their merits, but he forgot Jie Zitui who was loyal to him.When someone reminded him, Chong'er remembered the old story and sent someone to invite him, but Jie Zitui avoided them. Duke Wen of Jin went to the mountain in person to invite him, only to find out that Jie Zitui had taken his old mother and hid in Mianshan. He then sent people to the mountain to search for him but could not find him. Duke Wen of Jin knew that Jie Zitui was a very filial son, and if the mountain was set on fire, he would definitely run down the mountain carrying his old mother on his back. However, the fire burned for three days and three nights, and Jie Zitui and his mother did not come out. Later, they were found burnt to death beside a dead willow tree. Jie Zitui's spine was blocking the hole of the willow tree. In the hole was a piece of Jie Zitui's clothes, on which was written a poem in blood: "I cut my flesh to serve you with all my heart, I hope my lord will always be clear-minded. It is better to be a ghost under the willow tree and never see you, than to serve you as a minister of advice. If my lord still has me in his heart, he should often reflect on himself when I die. I have no regrets in the nine springs, and I will work hard to make myself clear-minded again." Duke Wen of Jin was very moved after reading it. He burst into tears, and buried Jie Zitui and his mother in Mianshan, changed Mianshan to Jieshan, and built a temple to commemorate them. In order to commemorate Jie Zitui, Duke Wen of Jin ordered that the day when Jie Zitui was burned to death be designated as "Cold Food Festival". On this day every year, fireworks were strictly prohibited and only cold food was eaten. On the Cold Food Festival of the third year, Duke Wen of Jin led his ministers to Jie Mountain to sacrifice to Jie Zitui. He found that the dead willow tree had come back to life, so he named the willow tree "Qingming Willow" and stipulated that people should commemorate Jie Zitui from Cold Food Festival to Qingming Festival. Later, the Cold Food Festival was gradually confused with Qingming Festival, and the tomb-sweeping festival on Cold Food Festival was confused with tomb-sweeping festival on Qingming Festival, and Qingming Festival gradually replaced the Cold Food Festival. Summary: Through the above article, we know the reasons and origins of tomb sweeping on Qingming Festival. I hope you will like the above article and hope that these contents can increase your knowledge! |
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