Qingming, One of the 24 Solar Terms 二十四节气之清明

清明是我国的二十四节气之一。由于二十四节气比较客观地反映了一年四季气温、降雨、物候等方面的变化，所以古代劳动人民用它安排农事活动。《淮南子·天文训》云：“春分后十五日，斗指乙，则清明风至。”按《岁时百问》的说法：“万物生长此时，皆清洁而明净。故谓之清明。”清明一到，气温升高，雨量增多，正是春耕春种的大好时节。故有“清明前后，点瓜种豆”、“植树造林，莫过清明”的农谚。可见这个节气与农业生产有着密切的关系。
Qingming is one of the 24 solar terms of China. Since the 24 solar terms objectively reflect the variations in temperature, rainfall and phenology of a year, the working people in ancient times arranged their farming activities in accordance with them. It says in Huai Nan Zi • Astronomy that after fifteen days from chunfen (vernal equinox) when the Big Dipper points to yi (a heavenly stem in the east), clear and bright breezes will arise. In Sui Shi Bai Wen (One Hundred Questions about Seasons), it says that all living things growing at this moment appear clear and bright, so it is called Qingming (literally “clear and bright”). Upon the arrival of Qingming, the temperature rises and the rainfall increases, and it is the best time for spring ploughing and sowing. Therefore, there are sayings as “sow crops around Qingming” and “trees shall be planted no later than Qingming”. It can be seen from these sayings that this solar term is closely connected to agricultural production activities.
但是，清明作为节日，与纯粹的节气又有所不同。节气是我国物候变化、时令顺序的标志，而节日则包含着一定的风俗活动和某种纪念意义。
However, as a festival, Qingming is different with other solar terms. Festivals always involve customs and rites of commemoration, while solar terms signify phenological changes and the order of seasons in China.
清明节是我国传统节日，也是最重要的祭祀节日，是祭祖和扫墓的日子。扫墓俗称上坟，祭祀死者的一种活动。汉族和一些少数民族大多都是在清明节扫墓。
Qingming Festival is one of China’s traditional festivals and also the most important worship festival for offering sacrifices to ancestors and sweeping tombs. Tomb sweeping, commonly called Shangfen (literally “tend to graves”), is an activity for paying respect to the deceased. The Han nationality and some minority nationalities sweep tombs on Qingming Festival.
按照旧的习俗，扫墓时，人们要携带酒食果品、纸钱等物品到墓地，将食物供祭在亲人墓前，再将纸钱焚化，为坟墓培上新土，折几枝嫩绿的新枝插在坟上，然后叩头行礼祭拜，最后吃掉酒食回家。唐代诗人杜牧的诗《清明》：“清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。借问酒家何处有？牧童遥指杏花村。”写出了清明节的特殊气氛。
Pursuant to ancient customs, when sweeping a tomb, celebrants should bring food, fruit, wine, spirit money, etc. to the tomb site, and place the food, fruit and wine before the tomb, and burn spirit money. They should build up the tomb with new soil, break off a couple of twigs and stick them into the soil on the tomb, kneel down, kowtou, bow, pray, have the food, fruit and wine, and go home. Du Mu, a poet in Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem titled Qingming which portrays the special atmosphere on Qingming Festival — “A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day; the mourner's heart is breaking on his way. wher can a wine house be found to drown his sadness? A cowherd points to Xinghua (Almond Flower) Village in the distance.”
清明节，又叫踏青节，按阳历来说，它是在每年的4月4日至6日之间，正是春光明媚草木吐绿的时节，也正是人们春游（古代叫踏青）的好时候，所以古人有清明踏青，并开展一系列体育活动的的习俗。
Qingming Festival, also called Taqing (literally “treading on the greenery”) Festival, falls on April 4, 5 or 6 of the solar calendar, a time when plants turn green in bright and warm sunshine and a time for people to go outside and enjoy the greenery of springtime (it was called taqing in ancient times). Therefore, ancient Chinese people had customs related to taqing and doing sports.
直到今天，清明节祭拜祖先，悼念已逝的亲人的习俗仍很盛行。
Customs of offering sacrifices to ancestors and commemorating deceased relatives are still popular today.