Tomb-Sweeping Day

1. Qing Ming Jie (All Souls' Day)

Qing Ming is a time to remember the dead and the dearly departed. More important, it is a period to honor and to pay respect to one's deceased ancestors and family members. Because it reinforces the ethic of filial piety, Qing Ming is a major Chinese festival.

Literally meaning "clear" (Qing) and "bright" (Ming), this Chinese festival falls in early spring, on the 106th day after the winter solstice. It is a "spring" festival, and it is an occasion for the whole family to leave the home and to sweep the graves of their forebears. Chinese being practical people this sweeping of the graves is given an extended period, that is, 10 days before and after Qing Ming day. Among some dialect groups a whole month is allocated. < /p>

Qingming Festival is a festival to commemorate ancestors. The main commemorative ceremony is tomb-sweeping, which is a concrete manifestation of being careful about the past, being good to neighbors and practicing filial piety. Based on the above significance, Tomb-Sweeping Day has become an important festival for the Chinese. Tomb-sweeping Festival falls at the turn of mid-spring and late spring, which is 106 days after the winter solstice. Tomb-sweeping activities usually take place ten days before or ten days after Qingming Festival. In some areas, people's tomb-sweeping activities last for a month.