Qingming Festival,a Tomb-SweepingDay

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The Qingming(Pure Brightness)Festival is one of the 24 seasonal division points inChina,falling on April 4-6 each year.After the festival,the temperature will rise up and rainfallincreases.It is the high time for spring plowing and sowing.But the Qingming Festival is not only a seasonal point to guidefarm work,it is more a festival of commemoration.

The Qingming Festival sees a combination of sadnessand happiness.

This is the most important day of sacrifice.Both the Hanand minority ethnic groups at this time offer sacrifices to theirancestors and sweep the tombs of the diseased.Also,they willnot cook on this day and only cold food is served.

The Hanshi(Cold Food)Festival was usually one daybefore the Qingming Festival.As our ancestors often extendedthe day to the Qingming,they were later combined.

On each Qingming Festival,all cemeteries are crowded with people who come to swecptombs and offer sacrifices.Traffic on the way to the cemeteries becomes extremely jammedThe customs have been greatly simplified today.After slightly sweeping the tombs,people onictfood,flowers and favorites of the dead,then burn incense and paper money and bow before uic.memorial tablet.

In contrast to the sadness of the tomb sweepers,people also enjoy hope of Spring on li.day.The Qingming Festival is a time when the sun shines brightly,the trees and grass beconr.green and nature is again lively.Since ancient times,people have followed the custom of SPIIEoutings.At this time tourists are everywhere.

People love to fly kites during the Qingming Festival.Kite flving is actually not limiteurthe Qingming Festival.Its uniqueness lies in that people fly kites not only during the day,butalso at night.A string of little lanterns tied onto the kite or the thread look like shining stars,andtherefore,are called”god’s lanterns.”

The Qingming Festival is also a time to plant trees,for the survival rate of saplings is highand trees grow fast later.In the past,the Qingming Festival was called the”Arbor Day”.Butsince 1979,the”Arbor Day”was settled on March 12 according to the Gregorian calendar.