最佳答案清明节：Honoring Ancestors and Nostalgia Clear and bright skies mark the start of spring and the Chinese tradition of Qingming Festival. The festival, also known...
清明节：Honoring Ancestors and Nostalgia
Clear and bright skies mark the start of spring and the Chinese tradition of Qingming Festival. The festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day or Pure Brightness, has been celebrated for over 2,500 years on April 4th or 5th, depending on the lunar calendar. In this day, Chinese people honor their ancestors and pay respects to the departed while enjoying the new season and renewing bonds with family and friends.
History and Customs
The customs of Qingming Festival date back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC), where royal members would cleanse the tombs of their ancestors with offerings of food, wine, and incense. The popular custom of tomb sweeping involves cleaning the site and offering food, drinks, flowers, and other gifts in front of the tombstone. Some also burn incense, candles, or joss paper, which represents money to ensure a comfortable afterlife. Other practices include flying kites, wearing willow branches on the head, and playing tug-of-war, fashion shows, and other leisure activities.
Food and Drink
The festival also offers a variety of special treats for the palate. One of the most famous Qingming foods is Qingming cake, also known as green rice cake or wǎn tǒu cài, a traditional snack made with glutinous rice and Chinese mugwort. The cake symbolizes spring and vitality and is said to clear toxins and improve digestion. Another Qingming food is sweet green rice porridge, a snack made from glutinous rice boiled with sweet fermented rice and topped with nuts, dried fruit, and sweet osmanthus flowers. Sweet green rice porridge represents unity and happiness and is also believed to ward off evil spirits. During Qingming, some household also prepare other dishes, such as qingtuan, zòngzi, and you tiao. As for drinks, Qingming is the time to enjoy fresh tea and wine, preferably white wine or chrysanthemum wine, to balance the cold and warm energies of the body.
Modernization and Preservation
In recent years, Qingming has shifted from a traditional domestic family gathering to a more commercialized, public event. The holiday has become a high season for tourism, shopping, and public celebrations in parks, temples, museums, and various cultural attractions. However, the commercialization and external innovations have brought some negative symptoms, such as overcrowding, pollution, and disrespectful behavior that often occur in crowded cemeteries. Thus, many efforts have been made by the government and social groups to preserve the traditional customs, respect the environment, promote awareness and etiquette, and enhance the cultural significance of the festival. One example is the practice of eco-burial, which advocates for more sustainable and respectful ways to dispose of human remains, such as cremation, scattering ashes at sea, or planting trees.
Overall, Qingming Festival embodies the Chinese values of filial piety, family harmony, cultural heritage, and nature appreciation, which all reflect the rich and complex cultural identity of the Chinese people. Whether you celebrate Qingming traditionally or modernly or even virtually, let us cherish the past, embrace the present, and look forward to the future.
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