The-Qingming-Festival-清明节

TheQingmingFestivalTheQingmingFestival,alsoknownasTombSweepingDayorChingMing,isatraditionalChinesefestivalonthefirstdayofthefifthsolarterm.Thismakesitthe15thdayaftertheSpringEquinox(春分),eitherApril4thor5thinagivenyear.Differentwithothersolarterms,itisnotonlyanimportantsolarterm,butalsoaspecialfestivalforChinesepeople.HistoryOriginatingintheZhouDynasty,QingmingFestivalhasahistoryofover2,500years.avitalsolartermtheCoolFoodFestivalonefestivaltheQingmingFestivalThefestivaloriginatedfromtheColdFoodFestival(“HanshiFestival”),establishedbyChong‘er,DukeWenofJin(晋文公),duringtheSpringandAutumnperiod.ThefestivalwasamemorialforhisretainerJieZitui(介子推).OriginJieZituiOnceChong'erwasenthronedasduke,however,Jieconsideredhisservicesnolongerrequiredandresigned.Origin636BCWhenJieandhismotherwerekilledinstead,thedukewasovercomewithremorseandorderedthreedayswithoutfiretohonorJie'smemory.Origin割肉奉君尽丹心,但愿主公常清明ThepresentimportanceoftheholidayiscreditedtotheEmperorXuanzongoftheTangDynasty.OriginIn732AD,EmperorXuanzongsoughttocurbthispracticebydeclaringthatsuchrespectscouldbeformallypaidonlyonceayear,onQingming.CustomsInChina,thecustomsoftheQingmingfestivalvaryindifferentregions.CustomsTombSweepingTheQingmingFestivalisanopportunityforpeopletorememberandhonourtheirancestors.Youngandoldpraybeforetheancestors,sweepthetombsandofferfood,tea,chopsticks,josspaper(纸钱),andlibations(祭酒)totheancestors.CustomsSomepeoplecarrywillowbrancheswiththemonQingmingorputwillowbranchesontheirgatesandfrontdoors.TheybelievethatwillowbrancheshelpwardofftheevilspiritthatwandersonQingming.WillowbranchesCustomsTreePlantingUponthearrivalofQingming,thetemperaturerisesandrainfallincreases,makingitagoodtimeforspringploughingandspringplanting.HenceChinesepeoplearelikelytoplanttreesuponQingmingFestival’sarrival.“PlantmelonsandbeansbeforeandafterQingmingFestival.”CustomsDuringthisperiod,brilliantsunshineandverdantplantsbegintoembracethewholeland.Peopleoftengoforaspringoutingandholdaseriesofactivities.SpringOutingCustomsSwingingKiteFlyingCuJu(KickingtheBall)CustomsCockfightingDietQingmingFestivalisagrandfestivalcombiningthesolartermofQingmingandtheCoolFoodFestival.Unlikeothertraditionalfestivals,QingmingFestivaldoesnotusethesamefoodstuffforthecelebrationfromregiontoregion.InnorthofChinaInsouthofChinaInliteratureQingmingwasfrequentlymentionedinChineseliterature.Amongthese,themostfamousoneisprobablyDuMu'spoem(simplytitledQingming).ItdrizzlesthickandfastonPureBrightnessDay,Itravelwithmyheartlostindismay.Isthereapublichousesomewhere,cowboy?HepointsatApricotVillagefaraway.Thankyou~