Chinese Families Prepare to Pay Respects to Ancestors During the Qingming Festival

In a few weeks, many Chinese families will begin preparations for the upcoming holiday known as the Qingming Festival. Also called Ancestors’ Day or Tomb Sweeping Day, the traditional Chinese festival happens each year on fifteenth day after the Spring Equinox, which this year makes it April 4th. Qingming Jie literally translates to the “pure brightness festival” or “clear and bright festival”, it is a time where people are encouraged to go outside and enjoy the beginning of the spring weather. The holiday is considered one of the Chinese Twenty-Four-Solar Terms, giving it a very close relationship with greenery, spring, and agriculture. 

Not only is this time a seasonal symbol, the Qingming Festival also represents a day for respecting ancestors and loved ones who have passed. In addition to spending time outside among nature and appreciate its beauty, it is also customary to sweep the tombs of ancestors after a long hard winter. Families will clear away weeds and add fresh soil around the gravestones of passed loved ones to show love and caring. They will then present offerings of wine, paper resembling money, and their favorite food to pay their respects and ensure ancestors are not hungry in the afterlife. 

Another custom held dear to those who celebrate the Qingming Festival is flying kites. On this day, people across China-young and old- gather together to fly handmade kites of all different shapes and sizes. The most beautiful part of kite flying comes when the sun sets. Once the evening comes, it is tradition for people to attach tiny colored lanterns to their kites before flying them, making them look like twinkling stars in the night sky. Cutting the strings of the kites and letting them fly freely is a custom that is believed to bring good luck to the kite owner. 

And of course what would a Chinese holiday be without a traditional holiday food? Dating all the way back to the Zhou Dynasty, over 2,000 years ago, it is custom to prepare and eat sweet green rice balls on this day. 

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The Chinese Honor Their Ancestors During the Qingming Festival

On April 5th ancestors all over China will be remembered by their families and loved ones during the holiday known as the Qingming Festival. The festival, also called Ancestors Day or Tomb Sweeping Day, presents an opportunity for the Chinese to visit the grave sites of their deceased loved ones to remember and celebrate them. 

It is traditional for participants to sweep the grave sites clean and then present tea, food, wine, and chopsticks as a sign of love and respect. After the dead have been honored, the celebration continues with fun family outings. Families will fly kites in the shapes of animals, attend festivals with singing and dancing, and enjoy the new spring weather. This is also a day seen as the perfect time for young couples to begin dating. 

The festival is seen as a time to reflect and honor on the accomplishments of those who came before them and, above all, a time to be with family and cherish those close to you. In Southeast Asian nations, including Singapore and Malaysia, the holiday has been taken very seriously and the rituals followed faithfully all the way back since the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In addition to the traditional celebrations, Malaysian communities celebrate the festival with a huge family gathering and a visit to a Buddhist or Taoist temple. 

The creation of the festival can be attributed to the Tang Emperor Xuanzong, dating back to over 2,500 years ago. He observed that wealthy Chinese families were holding dozens of extravagant ceremonies to honor their ancestors, which was costing a lot of money, so he declared that the 15th day after the Spring Equinox would become the new official day for the remembrance and celebration of ancestors. 

The Chinese Respect Their Ancestors During the Qingming Festival

The people of China are all beginning their preparations in anticipation of tomorrow's celebration of the Qingming Festival. Also known as Ancestor's day or Tomb Sweeping Day, the Qingming Festival is a traditional Chinese festival. This very traditional and cultural festival is celebrated 104 days after the winter solstice and 15 days after the Spring Equinox, making it fall on April 4th this year. There are several different purposes of this day and various traditional activities are performed to acknowledge this special day. It is a time dedicated to the spring, encouraging people to stop and enjoy the greenery and beauty that this time of year brings after the long winter. 

The first, and most important, custom of the Qingming festival is the sweeping of ancestors' and loved ones' tombs. Family members reserve this day to visit the tombs of their loved ones who have passed, bringing with them wine and their favorite foods. Weeds are cleared from around the tomb and fresh soil is added in order to pay respects and show care. 

Another custom held dear to those who celebrate the Qingming Festival is flying kites. On this day, people across China-young and old- gather together to fly handmade kites of all different shapes and sizes. The most beautiful part of kite flying comes when the sun sets.

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Once the evening comes, it is tradition for the Chinese people to attach tiny colored lanterns to their kites before flying them, making them look like twinkling stars in the night sky. Cutting the strings of the kites and letting them fly freely is a custom that is believed to bring good luck to the kite owner. 

The traditional food of the Qingming Festival is the delicious sweet green rice ball. The custom of preparing and eating the sweet green rice balls is a ritual that dates back to the Zhou Dynasty, over 2,000 years ago! 

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