As one of the important festivals in China, Qingming Festival, also called Tomb Sweeping Day, is one of the 24 seasonal division points in China, falling on either April 4th or 5th of the gregorian calendar each year. It started from the Zhou Dynasty, with a history of over 2500 years. Now Qingming Festival is the most important day for people to offer sacrifice to ancestors, also the day for spring outing and other activities.
Tomb sweeping is regarded as the most important custom in the Qingming Festival from which the name of Tomb-sweeping day is got. On each Qingming Festival, all cemeteries are crowded with people. After slightly sweeping the tombs, people offer food, flowers and favorites of the dead, then burn incense and spiritual money before the memorial tablet.
- (A lot of people come to their ancestors’ tombs to tidy up.)
A lot of people come to their ancestors’ tombs to tidy up
Qingming Festival is it also a festival for people to enjoy themselves. At this time, the sun shines brightly, the trees and grass become green. Since ancient times, people have followed the custom of Spring outings. The Qingming Festival is also a time to plant trees, for the survival rate of saplings is high and trees grow fast later.
Spring outings are very pleasant things for people when the trees turn green and flowers come out.
People love to fly kites during the Qingming Festival. People may wonder what makes flying kites during this festival special. It is that people cut the string while the kite is in the sky to let it fly free. It is said this brings good luck and that diseases can be eliminated by doing this.
- The father and his son are flying the kite on the grass. How happy the small boy is
Cuju is an activity on Qingming Festival in the ancient times. With a history of about 2300 years, the form of Cuju is similar to that of modern football, but it has many kinds of playing modes and skills.
- Playing Cuju not only can strength our bodies, but also kick away the bad lucks
Besides, there are also other activities on Qingming Festival, including rooster-fighting, swing, polo, etc. To sum up, Qingming Festival is an occasion of unique characteristics, integrating sorrowful tears to the dead with the continuous laughter from the spring outing.