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The Qingming Festival
Key Words
1.
清明节
the Qingming Festival
2.
24
节气
the 24 seasonal division points
3.
春耕播种
spring plowing and sowing
4.
祭祖
to offer
sacrifices to one’s ancestors
5.
扫墓
to sweep the tombs (of the deceased)
6.
寒食节
the Hanshi / Cold Food Festival
7.
公墓
public cemeteries
8.
在墓碑前祭拜
to bow
before the memorial tablet
9.
焚香
to burn
incense
10.
烧纸钱
to burn paper money
11.
春游的习俗
the custom
of Spring outings
12.
放风筝
to fly kites
(kite flying)
13.
一串小灯笼
a string of
little lanterns
14.
植树，树苗
to plan
trees, saplings
15.
植树节
the Arbor Day
16.
秋千
a swing
17.
踏青
stepping the
green
18.
孝顺
(to practice) filial piety
19.
健身
body-building
20.
拔河
tug of war
21.
斗鸡
rooster-fighting
The Qingming Festival
The Qingming Festival is
one of the 24 seasonal division points in China,
falling on April 4-6 each
year. After
the festival, the temperature will rise up and
rainfall
increases. It is the high time
for
spring plowing and sowing. But the
Qingming Festival is not only a seasonal point to
guide farm
work; it is more a festival
of commemoration.
The Qingming Festival sees a
combination of sadness and happiness.
This is the most important
day of sacrifice. Both the Han and minority ethnic
groups at this
time
offer
sacrifices to their ancestors and sweep the tombs
of the deceased. Also, they will not cook on
this day and only cold food is served.
The
Hanshi
(Cold
Food)
Festival
was
usually
one
day
before
the
Qingming
Festival.
As
our
ancestors
often extended the day to the Qingming, they were
later combined.
On
each
Qingming
Festival,
all
cemeteries
are crowded
with
people
who
came
to sweep
tombs
and offer sacrifices. Traffic on the
way to the cemeteries becomes extremely jammed.
The customs
have been greatly
simplified today. After slightly sweeping the
tombs, people offer food, flowers
and
favorites of the dead, then burn incense and paper
money and bow before the memorial tablet.