清明節英文介紹簡單
清明節英文介紹簡單
清明，農曆二十四節氣之一。中國傳統的清明節大約始於周代，距今已有二千五百多年的歷史。清明作為節日，與純粹的'節氣又有所不同。節氣是我國物候變化、時令順序的標誌，而節日則包含著一定的風俗活動和某種紀念意義。
清明節也是最重要的祭祀節日，是祭祖和掃墓的日子。掃墓俗稱上墳，祭祀死者的一種活動。漢族和一些少數民族大多都是在清明節掃墓。按照舊的習俗，掃墓時，人們要攜帶酒食果品、紙錢等物品到墓地，將食物供祭在親人墓前，再將紙錢焚化，為墳墓培上新土，折幾枝嫩綠的新枝插在墳上，然後叩頭行禮祭拜，最後吃掉酒食回家。唐代詩人杜牧的詩《清明》曰：“清明時節雨紛紛，路上行人慾斷魂。借問酒家何處有?牧童遙指杏花村。”寫出了清明節的特殊氣氛。
清明節還叫踏青節，按陽曆來說，它是在每年的4月4日至6日之間，正是春光明媚草木吐綠的時節，也正是人們春遊(古代叫踏青)的好時候，所以古人有清明踏青，並開展一系列體育活動的的習俗。在古時，還有一種說法，就是“三月節”。
Qingming, meaning clear and bright, is one of the 24 solar terms in China.
The 24 solar terms represent the weather changes in a year. Peasants plan
their farming work according to this schedule. Qingming usually occurs in
early
April of each year.This year, the Qingming Festival falls on April 5, according
to the solar calendar.To Chinese people, the Qingming Festival is an
opportunity to remembered honor their ancestors at grave sites.
In thetraditional way, young and oldpray before the ancestors, sweep the
tombs and present food, tea, wine, joss paper and other offerings. Usually,
the cemeteries are located at the outskirts of the city or town and the whole
family will travel to the site and burn paper offerings there.
People believe their ancestors will see the smoke from the burning paper
from heaven then they'll hear their prayers.
Tradition is one thing, but on the other hand, the smoke does pollute the air;
people pouring out to the cemeteries causes traffic jams; and the paper burning can cause fires.
Therefore, in recent years, the idea of greening tomb sweeping day has
emerged.
One of the most popular ideas is online cemeteries. Many big cemeteries
have opened a virtual version online. Visitors log onto the Web site and follow the 3D map to find the tombs of their late relatives. Then they can clean the tomb, put flowers in front of it or even burn joss paper and light firecrackers all by a
click of different buttons. They can also write a biography or some articles on
the Internet to express their memories of family members who've passed
away.
Ms. Qian is from Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province in Central China. Because of a busy work schedule, she has given up going to the cemetery with her
family but has chosen to remember her late elders on the Internet.
"I don't have the time to really go to the tomb site. But still, I need to express
my feelings. So the online cemetery is a convenient way for me. And on the
other hand, the government also encourages us to practice a green tomb
sweeping way."
Many young people like Ms. Qian have accepted this avant-garde idea. They think it is a good way to avoid the crowds, and believe true feelings of love
and respect toward late family members are more important than how you
commemorate them. However, the elder generation still thinks that going to
the site in person and cleaning the tomb by hand is the best way to show your
respect and love to the ancestors. In this case, other green tomb sweeping traditions are easier to accept.
This year, many cemeteries have set up stands at the gate. They've prepared
free flowers for visitors to exchange for the joss paper and firecrackers
they've brought.
"We prepared joss paper before we came. But when I saw these beautiful flowers, I decided to change the paper for flowers. Flowers may be a better way to express our grief and how much we miss them. And on the other hand, society calls for greener ways of tomb sweeping, to decrease pollution."
"Lighting firecrackers and burning joss paper damages the environment and
can also cause fires easily. Flowers are much better."
Besides flowers, planting a tree instead of building a tomb is another offering
that is being accepted by a growing number of people. It saves land and at
the same time improves the environment.
How will you choose to honor your ancestors on Tomb Sweeping Day?
清明節Customs 風俗
Tomb Sweeping or Ancestor Worshipping 掃墓
The major custom in Qingming Festival is tomb sweeping. According to folk religion, the spirits of deceased ancestors still live underground and look after the family; the tombs are said to be their houses; thus it is very important to keep the tombs clean.
Spring Outing 春遊、踏青
Not only is it a day for commemorating the dead, is it also a festival for people to enjoy themselves. During March, everything in nature takes on a new look, as trees turn green, flowers blossom, and the sun shines brightly. It is a fine time to go out and to appreciate the beautiful scenes of nature during the festival. This custom can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty and followed by each dynasty later till today. So visitors can be seen everywhere during the month of the festival.
Flying Kites 放風箏
Flying kites is an activity favored by many people during the Qingming Festival. Kites are not only flown at day time but also in the evening. Little lanterns are tied to the kite or to the string that holds the kite. And when the kite is flying in the sky, the lanterns look like twinkling stars that add unique scenery to the sky during the night. What makes flying kites during this festival special is that people cut the string while the kite is in the sky to let it fly free. It is said this brings good luck and that diseases can be eliminated by doing this.
Planting Willow Trees 插柳
Because Jie Zitui died embracing a willow tree, the willow is believed to have miraculous powers against evil. During the Qingming Festival, willow branches are hung on door fronts and used to sweep the tombs.
Swinging 盪鞦韆
The common swing has offered sport to many children throughout the world. During the Ming Dynasty, swinging was a designated recreation on the Qingming Festival, also known as the Clear and Bright Festival or the Tomb Sweeping Festival. Because the festival generally occurs in mid-spring, many also use the occasion for family outings.
According to the Annals of the Ming Court, this day was also called Swing Festival, when swings were suspended in the Hall of Earthly Peace of the Forbidden City and in all the residential complexes where palace ladies resided. Ladies of the imperial household wore colorful silks especially made for the occasion, and amused themselves on swings.