The 24 solar terms are divided into the terms and the mid-terms, starting from Start of Spring and ending with Great Cold. Huayi Network has prepared content about the Qingming solar term. Let's take a look together.
Can someone outside call someone else to burn paper money on their behalf during Qingming Festival?
Yes, during Qingming Festival, if someone is away from home, they can ask a relative who shares the same bloodline as the deceased to burn paper money on their behalf to express their grief. However, it is important not to ask outsiders. If it's just cleaning or tidying the tomb, it is acceptable to ask an outsider for help. But activities such as worshiping, visiting the tomb, and burning paper money must be done by family members themselves, so that they can receive the blessings of their ancestors and fulfill their duty as descendants.
What is "Bai Shan" (Worshiping the Mountain)?
Bai Shan generally refers to tomb sweeping. In the north, it is called "visiting the grave," while in some areas, tomb sweeping is referred to as "sweeping the mountain" or "worshiping the mountain." In some southern regions, it is called "hanging the mountain" or "hanging paper." The term "mountain" in Bai Shan has two meanings. One refers to ancestors within three generations above one's parents, known as "family mountain," and worshipping this is called "family worship." The other refers to worshipping the ancestors of the clan, known as "ancestral mountain" or "public mountain," and worshipping this is called "sweeping the public mountain."
What are the traditional days for ancestral worship?
1. Qingming Festival: Originally one of the 24 solar terms, it became a day for tomb sweeping and honoring ancestors due to its proximity to the Cold Food Festival. Qingming is one of the major traditional spring festivals in China, and people across the country, from the emperor and ministers to common citizens, all pay respects to their ancestors on this day.
2. Dragon Boat Festival: On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, it is a traditional Chinese festival, and the main activity is to drive away pests.
3. Zhongyuan Festival: The 14th or 15th of the seventh lunar month, known as Zhongyuan in folk tradition, also called the "Ghost Festival."
4. Cold Clothes Festival: On the first day of the tenth lunar month. It is said to originate from the story of Meng Jiangnu traveling a long distance to deliver warm clothes to her husband. The saying goes, "On the first day of the tenth month, send warm clothes; weep until the Great Wall collapses for thousands of miles, and carry the bones back home."
5. Sixteenth day of the eleventh lunar month: This day involves offerings intended to redeem the souls of the deceased.
In addition, the first, eighth, fifteenth, nineteenth, twenty-third, twenty-ninth, and thirtieth days of each month are also days for offering sacrifices to eliminate sins and gain blessings. Also, one can perform rituals according to the date of the deceased's passing.
2. Dragon Boat Festival: On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, it is a traditional Chinese festival, and the main activity is to drive away pests.
3. Zhongyuan Festival: The 14th or 15th of the seventh lunar month, known as Zhongyuan in folk tradition, also called the "Ghost Festival."
4. Cold Clothes Festival: On the first day of the tenth lunar month. It is said to originate from the story of Meng Jiangnu traveling a long distance to deliver warm clothes to her husband. The saying goes, "On the first day of the tenth month, send warm clothes; weep until the Great Wall collapses for thousands of miles, and carry the bones back home."
5. Sixteenth day of the eleventh lunar month: This day involves offerings intended to redeem the souls of the deceased.
In addition, the first, eighth, fifteenth, nineteenth, twenty-third, twenty-ninth, and thirtieth days of each month are also days for offering sacrifices to eliminate sins and gain blessings. Also, one can perform rituals according to the date of the deceased's passing.
