Cold Food Festival facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cold Food Festival
Mount Mian in Shanxi
Also called	寒食节 Hanshi Festival (China) Hansik (South Korea) Tết Hàn Thực (Vietnam)
Observed by	Chinese, South Koreans, Vietnamese
Type	Cultural
Begins	105th day after December solstice (April 4 or April 5)
Ends	107th day after December solstice (April 6 or April 7)
Date	106th day after December solstice (April 5 or April 6)
Frequency	Annual
Related to	Tomb Sweeping Festival

The Cold Food Festival (also called Hanshi Festival) is a traditional holiday from China. It is celebrated in parts of East Asia, including South Korea and Vietnam. The festival's name comes from a special rule: people avoid lighting any fires. This means they eat only cold food during the festival.

This holiday started long ago, around the 7th century BC. It began as a way to remember a loyal nobleman named Jie Zitui. Over time, it became a day to honor ancestors. Today, the Cold Food Festival is closely linked to the Tomb-Sweeping Festival.

Why Do People Celebrate the Cold Food Festival?

The Story of Jie Zitui

The most famous story about the Cold Food Festival is about a man named Jie Zhitui. He lived in China around 600 BC. Jie was known for his great loyalty and willingness to sacrifice for others.

During a time when China's main kingdom was breaking apart, a prince named Chong'er had to flee for his life. Only 15 loyal men, including Jie Zhitui, followed him into exile. They faced many hardships. Once, when they ran out of food, Jie cut a piece of meat from his own leg to make soup for the hungry prince.

Years later, Prince Chong'er returned and became the new duke of Jin. He was very kind to those who had helped him. But he forgot about Jie Zhitui. Jie was not interested in power. He quietly went to live in the forests near Mount Mian with his mother.

The duke later remembered Jie and sent people to bring him back. But Jie refused to return to court. He felt the new government was not fair. The duke then ordered a forest fire to try and smoke Jie and his mother out. Sadly, they were burned alive. Jie's body was found holding onto a tree.

The duke felt terrible about what happened. He renamed the mountain "Mount Jie." He also started the Cold Food Festival. This was a way to remember Jie and his loyalty. During this festival, people would avoid lighting fires. This was to honor Jie, who died in a fire.

A Chinese Proverb

Jie's story also led to a famous Chinese saying. It means that some people can cause big problems, like burning a whole mountain. But others are stopped from doing even small things, like lighting a fire to cook their food. This proverb reminds people of fairness and justice.

How the Festival Changed Over Time

The Cold Food Festival has a long history. It changed quite a bit over hundreds of years.

Early Days of the Festival

The first mentions of the Cold Food Festival are from around the 1st century AD. People in a place called Taiyuan would avoid using fire for five days. They did this to honor Jie Zhitui. Many people, especially the old and young, suffered because of the cold and lack of hot food.

Some leaders tried to stop the festival because it caused so much hardship. They even made rules against it. But people kept celebrating it. They believed it was important to honor Jie's spirit.

Moving to Springtime

At first, the festival was held in the middle of winter. But over time, it moved to late spring. It became celebrated about 105 days after the winter solstice. This is around April 5th or 6th on our calendar.

By the 6th century, the festival was celebrated across most of China. It was usually held the day before the Qingming solar term.

Connecting with Tomb-Sweeping Day

During the Tang dynasty, the Cold Food Festival grew to last three days. It also started to include visiting family tombs. This was a way to honor ancestors.

Eventually, the Tomb-Sweeping Festival (Qingming Festival) became more important. It took over many of the traditions of the Cold Food Festival. By the end of the Qing dynasty, the Cold Food Festival had mostly disappeared as a separate holiday.

How People Celebrate Today

Today, the Cold Food Festival is not widely celebrated in China as a separate holiday. However, its traditions have influenced the Tomb-Sweeping Festival.

China

In modern China, most people do not observe the Cold Food Festival. The tradition of eating only cold food is rarely practiced. However, in Jiexiu city in Shanxi Province, people still remember the festival. This is the area where Jie Zitui died.

South Korea

In South Korea, the festival is called Hansik (한식). It falls on April 5th (or April 4th in leap years). On this day, families perform special ceremonies to honor their ancestors. They also visit their ancestors' tombs to clean and tidy them.

Hansik often happens around Arbor Day. So, many people plant trees around the tombs of their ancestors. The custom of eating only cold food has mostly disappeared in Korea too.

Vietnam

In Vietnam, the festival is called Tết Hàn Thực. It is celebrated on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month. People often make special glutinous rice balls called bánh trôi. However, many people have forgotten the holiday's original meaning. The rule about not lighting fires is also mostly ignored.

See also

• Tết Hàn Thực
• List of festivals in Asia
• Traditional and Public holidays in China, Hong Kong, and Macao and on Taiwan
• Festivals and Public holidays in South Korea and North Korea
• List of Korean traditional festivals

Images for kids

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  Li Tang's The Civilized Duke of Jin Recovering His State (1140)