How did Qingming Festival come about?
Qingming Festival is one of the traditional Chinese festivals and one of the most important sacrificial festivals. It is not only a day for people to pay homage to their ancestors and remember their ancestors, but it is also a time for outings and getting close to nature. So, how did Qingming Festival come about? What are its historical origins and cultural connotations? This article will give you detailed answers.
1. The origin of Qingming Festival

The origin of Qingming Festival can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and is closely related to the Cold Food Festival. According to legend, during the Spring and Autumn Period, when Prince Chong'er of the Jin Kingdom was in exile, the minister Jie Zitui cut the flesh of the Savior. Later, Chong'er became Duke Wen of Jin, while Jie Zitui lived in seclusion in the mountains. In order to force Jie Zitu to push out of the mountain, Duke Wen of Jin set fire to the mountain. As a result, Jie Zitu was burned to death. In order to commemorate Jie Zitui, Duke Wen of Jin ordered that fire and cold food be prohibited on the anniversary of his death. This is the origin of the Cold Food Festival. Later, the Cold Food Festival and the Qingming Festival gradually merged to form today's Qingming Festival.
2. The cultural connotation of Qingming Festival
Qingming Festival is not only a festival for worshiping ancestors, but also contains rich cultural connotations:
1.filial piety culture: Tomb-Sweeping Day embodies the traditional Chinese concept of "being careful about the end and pursuing the future", emphasizing respect and memory for ancestors.
2.natural harmony: The Qingming Festival coincides with spring flowers blooming, and people go outing for outings, which embodies the concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
3.life education: Through memorial and sweeping activities, future generations can understand family history and inherit family culture.
3. Customs of Qingming Festival
The traditional customs of Qingming Festival are rich and colorful, mainly including:
| custom | content |
|---|---|
| Sweeping graves and worshiping ancestors | Clean graves, place offerings, and burn paper money |
| Outing | Spring outing to enjoy flowers and get close to nature |
| insert willow and wear willow | Put willow branches in front of the door and wear a willow ring on your head |
| fly a kite | Write disasters on kites and fly them |
| Eat Youth League | Seasonal food made with mugwort juice and glutinous rice flour |
4. Time of Qingming Festival
Qingming Festival is one of the twenty-four solar terms, usually on April 4 or 5 in the Gregorian calendar. The following are the specific dates of Qingming Festival in recent years:
| Year | Qingming Festival Date |
|---|---|
| 2020 | April 4 |
| 2021 | April 4 |
| 2022 | April 5 |
| 2023 | April 5 |
| 2024 | April 4 |
5. The significance of Qingming Festival
As a traditional Chinese festival, Qingming Festival has multiple meanings:
1.cultural inheritance: It continues the traditional virtue of the Chinese nation of being prudent and pursuing the future.
2.family cohesion: Enhance family identity and cohesion through ancestor worship activities.
3.ecological protection: Promote civilized sacrifices and sweeps, and protect the ecological environment.
4.mental health: Provide people with opportunities to remember their ancestors and express their emotions.
6. Changes in Modern Qingming Festival
With the development of society, the way of celebrating Qingming Festival is also changing:
| traditional way | modern way |
|---|---|
| Burn paper money | Flower memorial service, online memorial service |
| Family grave sweeping | Distributed sacrificial sweeps, valet sacrificial sweeps |
| Single ancestor worship | Comprehensive activities combined with tourism |
7. Poems about Qingming Festival
As a traditional festival, Qingming Festival is reflected in many ancient poems:
1. Du Mu's "Qingming": "It rains heavily during the Qingming Festival, and pedestrians on the road feel like losing their souls."
2. Bai Juyi's "Han Shi Ye Wang Yin": "The crows and magpies make noise in the dark trees. Who will cry during the cold food during the Qingming Festival?"
3. Han Hong's "Cold Food": "There are flowers flying everywhere in the Spring City, and the east wind of Cold Food keeps the willows from slanting."
8. Things to note during Qingming Festival
During the Qingming Festival, you need to pay attention to the following matters:
1. Clean in a civilized manner and pay attention to fire safety
2. Travel during off-peak hours to avoid traffic jams
3. Protect the environment and reduce pollution
4. Take precautions during the epidemic
Conclusion
Tomb-Sweeping Day carries the long cultural tradition of the Chinese nation. It is not only an important moment to remember our ancestors, but also a beautiful time to feel spring and get close to nature. While inheriting traditional customs, we must also keep pace with the times and express our longing for our ancestors in a more civilized and environmentally friendly way.
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