Qing Ming Festival

qingming

        It is a Chinese tradition to respect the elderly and commemorate the ancestors. Qing Ming Festival is the ancient traditional holiday for this. This festival falls on April 4th or 5th of the solar calendar. There are many traditional activities when the day comes.

        The most important activity on Qing Ming Festival is tomb sweeping by cleaning the tombs and offer sacrifices to ancestors. This activity cherish the memory of and show respect to people's ancestors.

Qingming is also a time to welcome the spring. Common outdoor Spring outings and kite flying are two common outdoor activities. People go out to enjoy and appreciate the spring fresh air, blue sky, green grass and pretty flowers. So Qing Ming Festival is also called Ta Qing (踏青) Festoval, “walk on the green grass”. “life is a circle”, people prefer to celebrate new life while visiting deceased loved ones, and enjoy the energy of life.

Some people also fly kites on the Qing Ming Festival. In the past, when the kite flew to the sky, people cut off the thread letting it drift to wherever the wind took it. It is said that this can bring good luck, cure diseases, and prevent disasters.

The most popular Qingming food is Sweet Green Rice Balls (青团 qīngtuán). Qingtuan is made of a mixture of glutinous rice powder and green vegetable juice and stuffed with sweetened bean paste.

Filial piety is the most basic belief of the Chinese people. It is a wish to care for and consolation. The Qing Ming Festival is a Chinese "Thanksgiving Day" and "The Filial Piety Festival".

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