April 5 this year is China's traditional festival Qingming Festival. Ancestor worship on Qingming Festival is one of the most important traditional customs. Although people worship their ancestors every year on Qingming Festival, do you know how to worship their ancestors on Qingming Festival? This article brings you the origin of ancestor worship on Qingming Festival and the time for ancestor worship after Qingming Festival. Let's have a look.
Origin of ancestor worship on Qingming Festival
Ancestor worship has been a folk custom for thousands of years. It is an ancient festival with profound significance. According to historical records, during the Three Kingdoms period, tomb sacrifice has become an indispensable ritual and customs activity. According to the biography of Yan Yannian in the Han Dynasty, even if Yan was thousands of miles away from Beijing, he had to "return to the East China Sea to sweep the tomb" during the Qingming Festival. With the strengthening of ancestor worship and kinship consciousness, the ancient tombs were not included in the standard, but also included in the 'five rites'. Later, the imperial court's praise also made the tombs more popular.
Why do you sweep the tomb during the Qingming Festival? This is because when winter goes and spring comes, plants sprout. When people go to their ancestors' graves, they will personally check whether the graves collapse due to the rainy season, or are pierced by foxes and rabbits. During the sweeping ceremony, weeds are removed from the tomb, new soil is added, offerings are offered, pigs are burned, incense and wine are burned, paper money is burned and simple sacrificial ceremonies are held to express the memory of our ancestors.
Tomb Sweeping Day is a concrete manifestation of the Chinese nation's morality of Amity and filial piety. Therefore, Tomb Sweeping Day has become one of the important festivals of Chinese all over the world. Many overseas Chinese and ethnic Chinese have the habit of returning home to visit tombs during the Qingming Festival to show their patriotism of not forgetting their ancestors and their hometown.
The history of a country and civilization depends on the succession of individuals and families; Without the continuity of individuals and families, history will be pale, abstract and impersonal; The memorial ceremony of Qingming Festival is the spiritual umbilical cord connecting individuals and history, which makes the identity of modern people clear and sacred. " "Chasing far" not only has the educational significance of "returning to the thick of people's morality", but also allows us to obtain the strength facing the future and determine the historical position of the individual and the times. In today's worship of 'new' and 'future', this is an essential ceremony. We remember our ancestors and offer sacrifices to them, because they are our own source, and their hard work and struggle are the starting point for us to move forward. This is a constant stream of respect for life and awe of history.
What are the time for ancestor worship after Qingming
The fifth day of May: it is the Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional Chinese festival. People also offer sacrifices to their ancestors on this day.
June 19: the day when Guanyin Bodhisattva became a Taoist priest, there is a folk custom of worshipping Guanyin for help.
July 15: Ghost Festival. On this day, the dead can cross and get rid of the sea of suffering. It is a festival for soul liberation.
July 30: Bodhisattva's birthday will help all those who do good.
The first day of October: at this time, the cold has appeared, and there is the custom of sending cold clothes among the people.
November 17: this day's offering has the intention of asking the Buddha to surpass the dead.
December 23: commonly known as Xiaonian, it is the day of offering sacrifices to welcome spring.
At the same time, offerings may be made on the first, eighth, fifteenth, nineteenth, twenty third, twenty ninth and thirtieth days of each month,
In order to eliminate sins and generate blessings, sacrifices can be made according to the date of birth and death of the deceased.