Qingming Festival, China

Qingming Festival, China

The Qingming Festival, China, celebrated in early April every year, is one of the 24 seasonal division points in China. The temperature is believed to rise along with rainfall after this festival. The festival is a combination of happiness and sadness.

This day is observed as a day for sacrifice by Han and several other minority groups. They sweep the tomb of the diseased, and offer sacrifices to their ancestors. They would only eat cold food as they are not supposed to cook on this day. On the festive day, the cemeteries are flooded by people who come to offer sacrifices to their ancestors by offering food, flowers, and other likings of the dead, then they burn incense and paper money and bow before the tomb.

Besides sadness and the pain of losing their ancestors, people also celebrate the hope of spring. It is the time of the year when nature looks greener and sun shines brighter on the fields. The Qingming Festival is the time to plant trees, as spring has the most favorable conditions for the growth of plants.

Flying Kite is an important ritual of the Qingming Festival. During the night small lanterns are tied to the kite, which makes it looks like a shining star. Locals call it "god's lanterns."

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