Why do people go outing on Qingming Festival? Why can't we eat noodles on Qingming Festival?

In the course of history, the Qingming Festival has integrated the customs of banning fire and eating cold food popular in the northern region during the Cold Food Festival. Legend has it that the Cold Food Festival was established in the Spring and Autumn Period to commemorate Jie Zitui, a loyal minister of the State of Jin. Although the Cold Food Festival is related to Jie Zitui in folk legends, the origin of the Cold Food Festival was not to commemorate Jie Zitui, but to follow the ancient custom of changing fire, as stated in the "Book of Rites" that "in mid-spring, a wooden bell was used to ban fire in the country." So, why do we go outing on the Qingming Festival? Why can't we eat noodles on the Qingming Festival? Let's take a look at the introduction of the Encyclopedia Knowledge Network below!

Contents of this article

1. Why do people go outing during the Qingming Festival?

2. Why can’t we eat noodles during Qingming Festival?

3. The Origin of Qingming Festival Jie Zitui

Why do people go outing during the Qingming Festival?

Qingming Festival usually falls around the third month of the lunar calendar. It is also called the Outing Festival, which is the time when spring comes back to the earth. After a long and cold winter, people go outdoors to explore the breath of spring, either outing in the fields or taking a walk in the suburbs. These outings are called "outing".

The time when spring arrives varies across the country, so the outing festivals also come at different times.

The Outing Festival in Fujian is on the second day of the second lunar month, and in Shaanxi it is on the third day of the third lunar month. In Beijing and Northeast China, spring comes very late, so people only start outing on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.

Because outing is a meaningful custom, it has been passed down from generation to generation.

Why can't we eat noodles during Qingming Festival?

Noodles can be eaten during the Qingming Festival. The food custom of the Qingming Festival originated from the Cold Food Festival. During the Cold Food Festival, it was forbidden to light fires and cook food. Only prepared cooked food and cold food could be eaten. With the continuous improvement of people's living standards, people can still eat a lot of delicious food when they go out without lighting fires at home. If you can't eat noodles, it may be related to local customs.

In the course of history, Qingming Festival has integrated the fire ban and cold food customs popular in northern China during the Cold Food Festival. Legend has it that the Cold Food Festival was established in the Spring and Autumn Period to commemorate Jie Zitui, a loyal minister of the State of Jin. Although the Cold Food Festival is related to Jie Zitui in folk legends, the origin of the Cold Food Festival was not to commemorate Jie Zitui, but to follow the ancient custom of changing fire, as stated in the "Book of Zhou": "In the middle of spring, a wooden bell was used to ban fire in the country."

Since the custom of eating cold food during the Cold Food Festival was transplanted to the Qingming Festival, some places in northern my country still retain the habit of eating cold food during the Qingming Festival. For example, some areas in southern my country have the custom of eating Qingtuan during the Qingming Festival.

The Origin of Qingming Festival

There are many origins of Qingming Festival in Chinese allusions. The most well-known one is the legend of Jie Zitui. The origin of Qingming Festival is to commemorate Jie Zitui, a minister of the State of Jin. Because cold food is not good for health, it was gradually cancelled. Qingming Festival and Cold Food Festival gradually merged into one, collectively known as Qingming Festival.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Wen of Jin, Chong'er, was exiled. His retainer Jie Zitui cut a piece of meat from his thigh and cooked soup for Chong'er. Chong'er burst into tears of gratitude when he learned about it. Jie Zitui, however, was not interested in fame and fortune and lived in seclusion in Mianshan. When Mianshan was burned to find him, they found Jie Zitui dead under a withered willow tree with his mother on his back, and left a last word: I cut my meat to serve you with all my heart, and I hope you will always be clear-minded.