Qingming Festival: Historical Origins, Legends and Traditional Customs

1. Introduction

- The unique significance and historical background of Qingming Festival

2. History of Qingming Festival

- The origin and early development of Qingming Festival
- Changes in the festival during the Tang Dynasty
- Evolution of traditions during the Qing Dynasty

3. Legends of Qingming Festival

- The origin and significance of Cold Food Festival
- The story of Jie Zitui’s loyalty
- The tragedy of Duke Wen of Jin and Jie Zitui

4. Traditional activities of Qingming Festival

- Tomb sweeping and ancestor worship during Qingming Festival
- Offerings and sacrificial activities
- Traditional Qingming food

5. Conclusion

- The cultural value and modern significance of Qingming Festival

Qingming Festival is considered one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture. Although it is not as lively, full of celebrations and grand gatherings as the Lunar New Year (Spring Festival) or the Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival still holds an important place in the hearts of many Chinese and ethnic Chinese. It is a festival with deep cultural significance, and many families choose this day to remember and worship their deceased relatives to express respect and remembrance for their ancestors.

Unlike many Chinese festivals, Qingming Festival does not focus on praying for wealth and health, but on commemorating and remembering ancestors. Because of this, Qingming Festival is sometimes also called "Tomb Sweeping Festival" or "Ancestor Worship Festival", which is to remind people to return to tradition and remember and admire the contributions and spirit of their ancestors. On this day, many families will go to their ancestors' graves, sweep the graves, burn incense, clean the tombstones, offer flowers or food, and pray for the ancestors to rest in peace.

The date of Qingming Festival is determined according to the Chinese lunar calendar, usually 104 days after the winter solstice. Since this festival is closely linked to the breath of spring, it usually marks the warming of the climate and the recovery of nature. During the Qingming Festival, everything revives, the grass and trees turn green, and the earth presents a vibrant scene. Therefore, Qingming Festival also has a profound symbolic meaning of nature and life.

Before we continue to understand the celebration methods and traditional customs of Qingming Festival, let's explore the history and myths behind it. It is these legends and history that make Qingming Festival full of mystery and solemnity, making this festival still widely inherited and celebrated in modern society even today. Qingming Festival is not just a festival for worship, it is also a cultural and emotional sustenance, and an important link with family history and spiritual connection.

History and Heritage of Qingming Festival

The Qingming Festival has a long history, with the earliest records dating back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046-221 BC), although the word "Qingming" was not used at that time. In ancient times, ancestor worship was an important social activity, especially among the emperor and the aristocracy. Ancestor worship at that time was mainly carried out through grand sacrificial ceremonies, with the purpose of hoping that the ancestors would bless the descendants with happiness, prosperity and good harvests. However, the cost of worshiping ancestors and taking care of graves was very high, so only the rich at the top of society could afford these ceremonies and celebrations.

By the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the situation had changed significantly. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang believed that the sacrificial activities of the nobles were too extravagant and wasteful, so he issued an edict to unify the ancestor worship ceremonies into one festival - Qingming Festival. Through this move, the Tang government not only simplified the sacrificial rituals, but also made Qingming Festival a national holiday, and clearly stipulated that this day was a national holiday, requiring all levels of society, including civilians and the poor, to participate in sacrifices and tomb sweeping. At this time, Qingming Festival was not only a festival exclusive to the upper class, but ordinary people also began to have the opportunity to express their respect for their ancestors.

In the Tang Dynasty, Qingming Festival was associated with the "Cold Food Festival", and the tradition of the Cold Food Festival came from the legend of Wen Gong. On this day, people would not light fires to cook, and instead eat cold food to commemorate Wen Gong. However, this tradition was gradually diluted in the subsequent historical evolution, and the core activities of Qingming Festival turned to ancestor worship and tomb sweeping.

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD), the celebration of Qingming Festival was further simplified, the customs of Cold Food Festival gradually disappeared, and the focus of the festival turned completely to tomb sweeping and ancestor worship. During this period, Qingming Festival became a festival with profound cultural and spiritual connotations, which still continues today. This tradition not only symbolizes the remembrance of ancestors, but also carries the important cultural mission of promoting family and clan values.

Today, Qingming Festival is still one of the most important traditional festivals for Chinese people. Although the way of celebration has changed with the development of the times, the tradition of ancestor worship, tomb sweeping, and remembering ancestors is still deeply rooted in people's lives.

The legend of Qingming Festival

The Qingming Festival has a profound cultural heritage and is closely related to the Cold Food Festival. The origin of the Cold Food Festival is still widely circulated, and there is a touching story behind it. This story took place in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), and the protagonists were Prince Chong'er of Jin and the loyal minister Jie Zitui.

The legendary Jin Jinggong wanted his son to succeed to the throne due to political struggles, but the son who succeeded to the throne was not the eldest son Shensheng, but the son of his favorite concubine. In order to ensure his succession, Jin Jinggong ordered the eldest son Shensheng to be executed, but when he was about to kill the second son Chong'er, Chong'er learned of his father's conspiracy and fled in a hurry to avoid his father's pursuit.

During Chong'er's exile, he wandered around with the loyal minister Jie Zitui, experiencing hardships that ordinary people could not bear. Once, they were hiding from pursuers in Wei State, and Chong'er was starving and almost dying. In desperation, Jie Zitui cut off the meat from his legs to save Chong'er, and cooked it into soup with the wild vegetables he picked, so that Chong'er could fill his stomach. After eating the soup, Chong'er was surprised to find that what he ate was Jie Zitui's own meat. He was deeply moved and vowed to repay Jie Zitui's kindness in the future.

Nineteen years later, Chong'er finally returned to Jin and became Duke Wen of Jin. After his return, Jie Zitui was different from other entourage members and did not take the initiative to ask for rewards like others. Jie Zitui believed that his loyal behavior was natural and should not ask for any reward. He resolutely refused the reward from Duke Wen of Jin and chose to live in seclusion in Mianshan, isolated from the world.

After learning about this, Duke Wen of Jin felt regretful and decided to find Jie Zitui himself and call him out of the mountain. However, the Mianshan Mountains are steep and the roads are rugged, and Duke Wen of Jin's search has been fruitless. Duke Wen of Jin was eager to ask for help, and he listened to the villain's plan and ordered to set fire to Mianshan from three sides. The fire raged for three days and three nights, but still could not find any trace of Jie Zitui.

When the fire was extinguished, Duke Wen of Jin finally found the bodies of Jie Zitui and his mother under a dead willow tree. Duke Wen of Jin was extremely sad and cried and bowed in front of Jie Zitui's body, and Jie Zitui's body was leaning against a dead willow tree, as if it had merged with the tree. Next to Jie Zitui's body, Duke Wen of Jin found a torn piece of clothing with a blood poem written on it: "I cut my flesh to serve you with all my heart, I hope you will always be clear-minded. It is better to be a ghost under the willow and never see you, than to accompany you as a minister of remonstrance. If you have me in your heart, you should always reflect on yourself when you remember me. I have no regrets in my nine springs, and I will be diligent and clear-minded again and again."

This poem expresses Jie Zitui's loyalty and advice to Duke Wen of Jin. He hopes that Duke Wen of Jin can be "always clear-minded" and reflective in his future governance. After reading this, Duke Wen of Jin felt deeply ashamed and regretful, and decided to personally pay tribute to Jie Zitui to express his apology and respect. So Duke Wen of Jin led the court ministers to Mianshan to pay tribute and held a grand mourning ceremony.

Even more magical is that after Duke Wen of Jin paid tribute to Jie Zitui, the originally dead willow tree actually revived, with branches swaying in the wind, green and dripping, as if resurrected. Duke Wen of Jin was so moved that he personally picked a willow branch and made a circle and wore it on his head, symbolizing his deep respect for Jie Zitui.

Since then, Duke Wen of Jin has engraved this history in his heart, and also used the word "Zuxia" as a respectful title between the monarch and his subjects, which has been passed down to this day. It is said that the title "Zuxia" comes from Duke Wen of Jin's respect for Jie Zitui.

This story deeply reflects Jie Zitui's spirit of loyalty and his willingness to sacrifice for the country and the monarch, and has become the cultural source of the Cold Food Festival and the Tomb-Sweeping Day. Every year on Qingming Festival, the people of Jin State would hold sacrificial activities to commemorate this loyal minister, and Qingming Festival has thus become a festival to commemorate loyalty, reflect on oneself, and remember ancestors.

Qingming Festival Activities and Traditions

As mentioned above, Qingming Festival focuses on worshipping ancestors and family reunions. Here are some of the core traditions and activities of Qingming Festival:

Qingming Festival Tomb Sweeping and Ancestor Worship

The most important activities of Qingming Festival are tomb sweeping and ancestor worship. As the name suggests, Qingming Festival is a tradition for the whole family to visit the graves of parents, grandparents and even distant ancestors. Tomb sweeping is not just about clearing weeds from the graves, but also about repairing the graves to keep them clean and dignified. Children are usually responsible for pulling weeds around the graves and filling them with new soil to ensure that the graves appear fresh and clean.

In addition, ancestor worship is another core activity. Family members will prepare offerings for the ancestors, which usually include the deceased relatives' favorite foods, tea, wine, fruits and other foods. Some families will also burn incense and pray to show their reverence for their ancestors, and then hope that the ancestors will bless their descendants with peace and happiness. For those who stick to tradition, it is a common custom to burn paper money, which is believed to bring more wealth to the deceased in the other world.

Flying a Kite

Another traditional activity of Qingming Festival is kite flying. Kites symbolize good luck, and people believe that flying kites can bring good luck and dispel misfortune and illness. When the kite flies high enough, many people will cut the string and fly the kite, which means releasing bad luck and driving away negative energy. During the Qingming Festival, kites become decorations and toys for every household, and kites of various designs have become a highlight of this festival. If you visit China during the Qingming Festival, you will see kites of various shapes and colors flying in the sky.

Outing

Outing is a seasonal folk activity with a long history. It originated from the ancient custom of farming and offering sacrifices to welcome the spring. This custom was particularly popular during the Tang and Song dynasties. Qingming Festival is not only a node of the solar term, but also an important festival in the four seasons of the year. At this time, spring is in the air, the earth is back to spring, and all things are revived. It is the best time for outings. While sweeping tombs, people take their families out of the city to play in the mountains and enjoy the fresh air of nature.

Tree Planting

Around the Qingming Festival, spring sunshine and spring rain appear alternately, which is a good time to plant seedlings. Therefore, tree planting has become one of the traditional activities of the Qingming Festival. In some places, the Qingming Festival is called the "Tree Planting Festival". The custom of planting trees during the Qingming Festival is related to the ancient custom of wearing willows and inserting willows. There are three legends about this custom. One theory is that inserting willows during the Qingming Festival is to commemorate Shennong, the ancestor of agriculture; another theory is related to Jie Zitui. Legend has it that when Duke Wen of Jin paid tribute to Jie Zitui, he found that the willow tree he had relied on before his death was resurrected, so he called the tree "Qingming Willow"; there is also a theory that planting willows is the custom of Emperor Taizong of Tang to give his ministers willow rings to drive away diseases. Regardless of which legend it is, planting trees and inserting willows have become a unique custom of the Qingming Festival, symbolizing vitality and hope.

Inserting willows

Inserting willows is another traditional activity of the Qingming Festival. Willows have strong vitality. People in many places will insert willow branches under the eaves to foreshadow a good harvest next year. The ancients once said, "When the willow branches are green, it will rain; when the willow branches are dry, it will be sunny", which shows that the growth of willow trees is closely related to weather changes. There is also a saying that willow branches can ward off evil spirits, especially during the "Ghost Festival" of Qingming Festival, willow branches have the magical power to drive away ghosts and evil spirits. Therefore, people in many places will plant willows or wear willow branches during the Qingming Festival, which means to drive away evil spirits and protect the safety of their families.

Eat traditional Qingming food

The traditional food of Qingming Festival is also an important part of the festival culture. The following are several typical Qingming Festival foods:

1. Qingtuan
Qingtuan is one of the traditional foods of Qingming Festival. The production materials are mainly glutinous rice flour and mugwort or barley grass. It is made into a round green ball, usually with sweet fillings inside. Qingtuan has a unique taste, is soft and delicious, and is a must-have food for many people during Qingming Festival.

2. Cold Food Swallow
Cold Food Swallow, also known as Zitui Swallow, is a seasonal food during Qingming Festival in Shanxi. It is made by mixing jujube paste with flour and kneading it into the shape of a swallow. This food originated from the story of Jie Zitui and is used to commemorate this loyal minister.

3. Shuqu Cake
Shuqu Cake is a green glutinous rice cake named after the fact that its raw materials contain suzukii. Suzukii is a common herb in southern China. The suzukii made from it has a special flavor and has become one of the traditional foods of Qingming Festival in many places.

These traditional foods not only have local characteristics, but also reflect the commemoration of ancestors and the reverence for nature during Qingming Festival. They are an indispensable part of this festival and also give Qingming Festival more cultural connotations.

Last words

As an important festival in Chinese traditional culture, Qingming Festival not only carries people's remembrance and gratitude for their ancestors, but also embodies the wisdom of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. From tomb sweeping and ancestor worship to outings and tree planting, to tasting unique traditional food, each custom contains profound cultural connotations. This is not only a day to express filial piety and reunion, but also an important moment to inherit historical memory and continue the national spirit. The various customs of Qingming Festival not only let us feel the vitality of spring, but also guide us to remember traditions, cherish life, and be grateful to nature in modern life.

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