Qingming is one of the 24 solar terms and the fifth solar term of spring. Dou Zhi B, the sun reaches the yellow longitude of 15 °, it is Qingming. The Qingming solar term is named because during the festival period, "the air is clear and the scenery is bright, and everything is revealed". Qingming is a solar term that reflects the phenological changes in the natural world, this season is sunny, the plants and trees are sprouting, and the flowers are in full bloom, and the natural world presents a vibrant scene.
Qingming Festival is both a solar term and a festival, and the Qingming Festival provides important conditions for the formation of Qingming Festival customs in terms of time and weather phenological characteristics. The Qingming solar term, which is related to the phenology of the year, is often used to guide agricultural affairs, and has the meaning of clear weather and spring ploughing; The Qingming Festival is a day for people to sweep the tombs and worship their ancestors, and to chase after the end of the day; Because of the integration of the two, Qingming has both natural and humanistic connotations.
First, the characteristics of the Qingming solar term.
1. Astronomical calendar.
The determination of the Qingming solar term is related to the Big Dipper, the shadow measurement of the Gui table and the degree method of the yellow longitude.
Originally, people determined the solar terms according to the pointing of the top of the handle of the Big Dipper, and when the handle pointed to the "B position", it was the Qingming solar term. Later, people used the method of Guibiao shadow measurement to divide the winter solstice and the next winter solstice into 24 segments, with the winter solstice as the starting point of the 24 solar terms; The Qingming solar term is calculated from the winter solstice, that is, on the 105th day after the winter solstice.
The current 24 solar terms come from the ecliptic longitude method established more than 300 years ago, which is determined according to the position of the sun on the return ecliptic, and when the ecliptic longitude of the sun reaches 15°, it is the node of the Qingming Festival.
2. Meteorological changes.
During the Qingming season, the temperature warms, the grass and trees sprout, the weather is clear and clear, and everything is thriving. In southern China, the climate is cool and warm, and the earth is full of spring and scenery. In the northern region, the snow also begins to break, and it gradually enters the sunny spring; In the northern region, the temperature rises quickly, precipitation is scarce, dry and windy, and it is the time of year when there are many sand and dust weather.
The weather here is like two days in the south and north, the north is dry and rainy, and the south is humid and rainy. By the time of Qingming, the rainfall in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China had increased significantly, with the average rainfall of more than 100 mm in most areas south of the Yangtze River in April, except for the eastern coast. Due to its southerly geographical location and proximity to the ocean, South China begins to experience heavy rainfall when it is affected by the frontal formed by the convergence of cold and warm air. In the north, except for the northeast and northwest regions, the average daily temperature has risen to more than 12 in most areas.
3. Phenological phenomena.
Qingming is a solar term that characterizes phenology, and it means that the weather is sunny and the vegetation is luxuriant. Some ancient Chinese works divide Qingming into three phases: "One is Tong Shihua; The second waiting vole turned into a cub; Three waiting for the rainbow to see. "Qingming flower letter: one waits for tung flowers, two waits for wheat flowers, and three waits for willow flowers.
Tung flowers bloom around the Qingming Festival every year, the petals are shaped like fairy dance skirts, elegant and light, and the fragrance is overflowing. In ancient literary works, paulownia flowers are often used as a metaphor for beautiful things, such as "paulownia flowers in a cluster of spring breeze, a point of beauty and beauty". When it opens, the wheat blossom takes on a golden color and has a delicate fragrance that helps to reduce stress and fatigue and make people feel happy. The beauty of the willow lies not only in its flowers, but also in its branches and leaves. The branches of the willow tree are soft and elastic, fluttering with the breeze when the breeze rises, and the willow leaves are swaying to welcome the arrival of spring.
Second, the customs of the Qingming Festival.
1. Sacrifice and sweep the tomb.
Qingming Festival is an ancient festival of the Chinese nation, which is not only a solemn festival of sweeping tombs and worshipping ancestors, but also a joyful festival for people to get close to nature, go out to play, and enjoy the fun of spring. Qingming tomb sweeping, that is, "tomb sacrifice", called the ancestors of the "respect of the time", sacrifice to the ancestors is the way to remember the ancestors, its custom has a long history.
The Qingming Festival integrates natural solar terms and humanistic customs, which is the unity of the right time, the right place and the right people, and fully reflects the harmonious unity of the ancestors of the Chinese nation in pursuing the harmony and unity of "heaven, earth and man", and paying attention to the idea of conforming to the time and place and following the laws of nature.
Many places in the south sweep tombs in Chongyang, Qingming or the winter solstice, such as Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Kunming, Yunnan and other places. Worship ancestors and sweep tombs"Mountain Festival"In addition, there are ancestral hall sacrifices in later generations, called"Temple festivals", the temple festival and the ancient spring festival have a close relationship, although the two are far apart in time, the blood is indeed connected. The temple festival is a common gathering of clans.
The custom of sweeping tombs and worshiping ancestors existed before the pre-Qin period, and due to the different customs in the north and south in ancient times, tomb sweeping in some places was not necessarily on the occasion of the Qingming Festival. Before the Tang Dynasty, tomb sweeping in some northern areas was mainly in the cold food festival and winter clothes festival, and after the Tang and Song dynasties, tomb sweeping began to prevail throughout the country, and the Tang Dynasty was a period of integration of tomb sacrifice customs in various places, following the tomb sacrifice customs of Qingming Dynasty, and expanding to all parts of the country. The Qingming Festival mainly worships the ancestors, expresses the filial piety of the sacrificers and the feelings of missing the ancestors, and is a cultural tradition of respecting the ancestors and chasing the distance carefully.
2. Go out to play.
The Qingming Festival is not only a festival for sacrificing and sweeping tombs, but also an opportunity for people to get close to nature and go out to play. In the Qingming season, the spring is bright and bright, and the vegetation is luxuriant, which is a good season to enjoy the flowers and scenery. People will take this opportunity to go for a walk in the countryside to enjoy the beautiful scenery of nature and feel the breath of spring.
There are many ways to go out and play, some people will go mountaineering, picnics, kite flying, swinging, etc., some people will go to enjoy flowers, birds, insects, etc., and some people will write poems, paint, take pictures, etc. Going out can not only improve physical and mental health, but also cultivate a love and protection of nature.
3. Eat Qingming food.
There are also some traditional customs related to agricultural production. For example, some regions will hold spring festivals around the Qingming Festival to pray for a good harvest and good weather; In some areas, traditional festivals such as the Land Kung Temple Fair are held to express respect and prayers for land and agricultural production.
In addition to paying homage to ancestors and remembering deceased relatives, people will also eat Qingming flower cakes, Qingtuan, etc., which are all traditional foods related to the Qingming solar term.
Qingming flower cake: also known as artemisia cake, mugwort cake, Qingming cake, etc., is a kind of cake made of wild vegetables such as wormwood and artemisia grass, which has a clear fragrance and has the effects of insect repellent, anti-inflammatory, and hemostasis. There are many ways to make Qingming flower cakes, some use wheat noodles, some use rice noodles, some use fried, some use steaming, some add filling, some do not add filling, but they all have to be dyed green with wormwood or artemisia grass juice. Qingming flower cake is a special food of the Qingming solar term, and it is also one of the offerings to the ancestors.
Qingtuan: also known as Qingming Tuan, Mugwort Tuan, green pie, etc., is a kind of pastry made of glutinous rice flour, mugwort juice, bean paste, etc., with sweet fragrance, has the effect of clearing heat, detoxifying, and stopping bleeding. There are also many ways to make Qingtuan, some use glutinous rice flour and wormwood juice to knead into a green dough, wrap it with bean paste or other fillings, and then steam it in a steamer, and some use glutinous rice flour and water to knead it into a white dough, wrap it with bean paste or other fillings, and then smear it on the surface with wormwood juice, and then steam it in a steamer. Qingtuan is a special food of the Qingming Festival, and it is also one of the offerings to worship ancestors.
3. Literary creation.
The meteorological characteristics and cultural connotations of the Qingming solar term also provide rich materials and inspiration for literary creation. During the Qingming Festival, many literati and writers wrote a lot of beautiful poems, prose, etc., expressing their praise for nature, nostalgia for their ancestors, and their perception of life. The most famous of these is the Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu's "Qingming".
During the Qingming Festival, it rains a lot, and pedestrians on the road want to break their souls.
By asking where the restaurant is, the shepherd boy pointed to Xinghua Village.
This poem depicts a journey scene in the Qingming solar term against the background of the meteorological characteristics of the Qingming solar term, expressing the poet's longing for his hometown and his condolences for the deceased. This poem has a concise language and far-reaching artistic conception, and is known as "the swan song of the ages".
In addition to "Qingming", there are many literary works related to the Qingming solar term, such as Su Shi's "Yu Beauty: Deep Courtyard Qingming Pass" in the Song Dynasty, Li Mengyang's "Qingming Diary" in the Ming Dynasty, and Cao Xueqin's "Dream of Red Mansions" in the Qing Dynasty.
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