Qingming, China’s traditional Tomb-sweeping Day
Qingming, China’s traditional Tomb-sweeping Day
Qingming, or China’s traditional Tomb-sweeping Day is a day to celebrate life and commemorate the dead. It usually falls on 4 or 5 April in a given year. During Qingming, Chinese families visit and sweep the tombs of their ancestors. That’s why it’s called “Tomb-sweeping Day”. Family members clean the gravesites, pray to their ancestors, and make ritual offerings. Offerings would typically include traditional food dishes, and the burning of joss sticks and joss paper. The holiday recognizes the traditional reverence of one's ancestors in Chinese culture.
In mainland China, the holiday is associated with eating qingtuan, green dumplings made of glutinous rice and Chinese mugwort or barley grass.
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