Customs of Qingming Festival 清明節(jié)習(xí)俗

The various customs of Qingming Festival are very interesting. In addition to fire prohibition and tomb sweeping， there are also lots of customs and sports activities， including spring outing， playing on a swing， cuju， polo， and plant willows. As the legend tells， fire is prohibited during the Qingming Festival， so people come to join some sports activities to keep warm and avoid harms caused by cold dishes. As a result， this festival includes not only sorrows from sweeping new tombs， but also laughter from spring outings. This is a festival of diverse emotions.

Swing

This is a custom of Qingming Festival in ancient China. The swing means swinging with hide ropes in hands. It has a long history and was called “qianqiu” in the earliest period， then renamed as “qiuqian” to avoid taboo. In ancient times， tree branches were often used as the frame of a swing， which were tied to colored ribbons. Day of China. This makes significant senses in mobilizing people of all nationalities to participate in activities to afforest China.

Flying Kites

This is also a popular activity of Qingming among people. When Qingming draws near， people fly kites during day and night. When flying kites in nights， people hang bunches of small lanterns below kites or on bracing wires， and these lanterns look like twinkling stars， which are called “magic lights”. In the past， someone cut strings after sending kites into the sky， allowing them to go to the end of the world with refreshing breeze， which was said to remove diseases and disasters while bringing in fortune.

清明節(jié)的習(xí)俗是豐富而有趣的，除了講究禁火、掃墓外，還有踏青、蕩秋千、蹴鞠、打馬球、插柳等一系列民俗及體育活動(dòng)。相傳這是因?yàn)榍迕鞴?jié)要寒食禁火，為了防止寒食冷餐傷身，所以大家都來(lái)參加一些體育活動(dòng)，以保暖和避免傷身。因此，在這個(gè)節(jié)日中既有祭掃新墳的悲痛，又有踏青游玩的歡笑聲。它是一個(gè)有著不同情感色彩的節(jié)日。

蕩秋千

這是我國(guó)古代清明節(jié)的習(xí)俗。秋千，即揪著皮繩而遷移。它的歷史很古老，最早叫作千秋，后來(lái)為了回避忌諱，改為秋千。古時(shí)的秋千多用樹(shù)枝為架，再拴上彩帶做成。后來(lái)秋千逐步發(fā)展為用兩根繩化祖國(guó)的活動(dòng)，有著十分重要的意義。

放風(fēng)箏

這也是清明時(shí)節(jié)人們所喜愛(ài)的活動(dòng)。每逢清明時(shí)節(jié)，人們不僅白天放風(fēng)箏，夜間也放。夜里人們?cè)陲L(fēng)箏下或拉線上掛上一串串小燈籠，看起來(lái)就像閃爍的星星，它們被稱為“神燈”。過(guò)去，有的人把風(fēng)箏放上藍(lán)天后，便剪斷牽線，任憑清風(fēng)把它們送往天涯海角，據(jù)說(shuō)這樣能除病消災(zāi)，給自己帶來(lái)好運(yùn)。

Later， it was developed into a swing with two ropes and one seat. Playing on a swing not only is a healthy exercise but also can raise ones courage； therefore， it is a beloved activity among Chinese， especially children， to these days.

Cuju

Ju is a kind of ball made of leather， which is plugged with hairs. Cuju means to kick the ball with feet. In ancient China， it was one kind of game loved by people during Qingming Festival. According to legend， it was invented by Yellow Emperor with the initial purpose of training warriors.

Spring Outing

Spring outing is also called spring excursion， which was also called spring exploration， spring seeking and so on in ancient times. Qingming arrives in the third month in the lunar calendar， when spring rolls up the ground and the nature world is filled with vigor. This is the perfect time to go for an outing. The tradition of spring outing in Qingming has been maintained among people in China for a long period.

Planting Trees

Around Qingming， the sun of spring shines brightly， and the rain of spring drops sufficiently， which help saplings to survive and grow. Therefore， the custom of planting trees in Qingming can be dated back to ancient times in China. Someone even regards Qingming as the “Arbor Day”. And this custom is still popular nowadays. In 1979， the Standing Committee of National Peoples Congress provided March 12th of every year as the Arbor

索加上踏板制成。蕩秋千不僅可以增進(jìn)健康，而且可以培養(yǎng)勇敢精神，所以至今為人們特別是兒童所喜愛(ài)。

蹴鞠

鞠是一種皮球，球皮用皮革做成，球內(nèi)用毛塞緊。蹴鞠，就是用腳去踢球。這是古代清明節(jié)時(shí)人們喜愛(ài)的一種游戲。相傳它是由黃帝發(fā)明的，最初目的是用來(lái)訓(xùn)練武士。

踏青

踏青又叫春游，古時(shí)還稱作探春、尋春等。清明節(jié)是在農(nóng)歷的三月，春回大地，自然界中到處呈現(xiàn)一派生機(jī)勃勃的景象，正是郊游的大好時(shí)機(jī)。我國(guó)民間長(zhǎng)期保留著清明踏青的習(xí)慣。

植樹(shù)

清明前后，春光燦爛，春雨紛飛，種植樹(shù)苗成活率高，生長(zhǎng)快。因此，自古以來(lái)，我國(guó)就有清明植樹(shù)的習(xí)俗。有人還把清明節(jié)叫做“植樹(shù)節(jié)”。植樹(shù)的風(fēng)俗一直流傳至今。1979年，全國(guó)人大常委會(huì)規(guī)定，每年的3月12日為我國(guó)的“植樹(shù)節(jié)”。這對(duì)動(dòng)員全國(guó)各族人民積極開(kāi)展綠