— SACRED TIME —

Qingming — Tomb Sweeping Day

April 4 · Taoism and Chinese tradition · Eastern traditions

Fixed date

Esoteric and historical meaning

Pure Brightness: ancestors are honored by tidying up their graves while the world turns green. Cult of the ancestors and spring in the same gesture.

Operative mechanics — ritual acts

·Cleaning of the tombs and repairing of the inscriptions
·Burning of ancestor money and paper models
·Spring walk and kites released into the sky

Traditional foods

·Qingtuan, green mugwort dumplings
·Cold food

Offerings

·Spirit money burned
·Three small glasses of alcohol poured on the ground

Taboos to respect

·Do not light cooking fires (legacy of the Cold Food Festival)
·Do not speak loudly at the cemetery

Associated symbols

Burned paper · Kite · Willow