The Qingming (Pure Brightness) Festival is one of the 24 seasonal division points in China, falling on April 4-6 each year. After the festival, the temperature will rise up and rainfall increases. It is the high time for spring plowing and sowing. But the Qingming Festival is not only a seasonal point to guide farm work, it is more a festival of commemoration.
　　The Qingming Festival sees a combination of sadness and happiness. www.58en.com
　　This is the most important day of sacrifice. Both the Han and minority ethnic groups at this time offer sacrifices to their ancestors and sweep the tombs of the diseased. Also, they will not cook on this day and only cold food is served.
　　The Hanshi (Cold Food) Festival was usually one day before the Qingming Festival. As our ancestors often extended the day to the Qingming, they were later combined.
　　On each Qingming Festival, all cemeteries are crowded with people who came to sweep tombs and offer sacrifices. Traffic on the way to the cemeteries becomes extremely jammed. The customs have been greatly simplified today. After slightly sweeping the tombs, people offer food, flowers and favorites of the dead, then burn incense and paper money and bow before the memorial tablet.
　　In contrast to the sadness of the tomb sweepers, people also enjoy hope of Spring on this day. The Qingming Festival is a time when the sun shines brightly, the trees and grass become green and nature is again lively. Since ancient times, people have followed the custom of Spring outings. At this time tourists are everywhere.
　　People love to fly kites during the Qingming Festival. Kite flying is actually not limited to the Qingming Festival. Its uniqueness lies in that people fly kites not during the day, but also at night. A string of little lanterns tied onto the kite or the thread look like shining stars, and therefore, are called "god's lanterns." 58英语学习
　　The Qingming Festival is also a time to plant trees, for the survival rate of saplings is high and trees grow fast later. In the past, the Qingming Festival was called "Arbor Day". But since 1979, "Arbor Day" was settled as March 12 according to the Gregorian calendar.
　　清明节
　　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。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。因此，这个节日中既有祭扫新坟生别死离的悲酸泪，又有踏青游玩的欢笑声，是一个富有特色的节日。
　　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。由于清明与寒食的日子接近，而寒食是民间禁火扫墓的日子，渐渐的，寒食与清明就合二为一了，而寒食既成为清明的别称，也变成为清明时节的一个习俗，清明之日不动烟火，只吃凉的食品。
　　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。 58en.com
　　与清明节扫墓的悲哀相反，人们在这个春光明媚的日子里，也一样是可以享受生活的。
　　放风筝也是清明时节人们所喜爱的活动。每逢清明时节，人们不仅白天放，夜间也放。夜里在风筝下或风稳拉线上挂上一串串彩色的小灯笼，象闪烁的明星，被称为“神灯”。
　　清明前后，春阳照临，春阳照临，春雨飞洒，种植树苗成活率高，成长快。因此，自古以来，我国就有清明植树的习惯。有人还把清明节叫作“植树节”。植树风俗一直流传至今。1979年，人大常委会规定，每年三月十二日为我国植树节。这对动员全国各族人民积极开展绿化祖国活动，有着十分重要的意义。

    A well-known poem by Tang Dynasty writer Du Mu tells of a sad scene in early April: "rains fall heavily as Qingming comes, and passers-by with lowered spirits go." Qingming Day, the traditional tomb-sweeping day, falls on April 4-6 each year. It is a time for remembering loved ones who have departed. People visit their ancestors' graves to sweep away the dirt.
　　唐朝著名诗人杜牧有一首著名的诗，描述了四月初令人伤感的一幕场景：“清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。”每年4月4-6日左右的清明节是传统的扫墓的日子。在这一天，人们祭吊去世的亲人，到先人的坟头上扫墓。
　　Its origin dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period. Jin prince Chong'er ran away from the country with his supporters due to persecution. They were homeless for 19 years and things got so bad that Chong'er began to starve to death. One of the prince's faithful followers, Jie Zitui, cut a piece of muscle from his own leg and served it to his master. Chong'er was saved and, in 636 BC, he took back the throne.
　　清明节可以追溯到春秋时代。晋国公子重耳因受到迫害，率其支持者出逃。19年间，他们居无定所，漂泊四方。一次，他们的处境相当窘迫，重耳饿得快不行了。这时，忠心耿耿的介子推从自己的腿上割下一块肉献给了重耳，公子重耳得救了。公元前636年，他夺回了王位。
　　He rewarded the officials who had stayed loyal to him but he forgot about Jie Zitui. By the time Chong'er remembered him, a heartbroken Jie Zitui had traveled deep into the mountains. Chong'er wanted to persuade Jie to come home, so he had the hills set on fire. But Jie was later found beside a large tree, with his old mother on his back. Both were dead.
　　即位之后，重耳对支持者大加封赏，却忘记了介子退。等到想起这位忠臣时，伤心的介子推早已遁入山林深处。重耳想逼他回来，所以就大火焚山。后来，在一棵大树旁边发现了背着老母的介子推。两人都被烧死了。
　　Saddened by the tragedy, Chong'er ordered that fires could not be lit on the day of Jie Zitui's death. From this comes Hanshi Day, or Cold Food Day. People visited Jie Zitui's tomb the next day to pay their respects. Over time, Hanshi Day was replaced with tomb-sweeping day. 重耳悲痛欲绝。他下令，在介子推的忌日不准生火。寒食节即来源于此。寒食节的次日，人们到介子推的坟头上致敬。

追终慎远，寄托哀思，清明节来临之际，我们都在用自己的方式表达对已故亲人的思念之情。古人过清明节要祭扫先祖、踏青游玩、植柳驱鬼，而如今的清明节人们又发明出了网上悼念等既经济又环保的新形式。让我们来看看和清明节有关的英文表达吧。‎
　　Ching Ming Festival/Grave-Sweeping Day 清明节
　　Cold Food Festival 寒食节
　　day of sacrifice 祭祀节日
　　offer sacrifices to ancestors 祭祖/上供
　　memorial essay 悼文
　　清明节“绿色祭扫”
　　online tomb-sweeping 网上祭扫
　　Internet memorial 网络纪念馆
　　condolence 哀悼之情
　　hell note/joss paper 纸钱
　　funeral supplies/products 殡葬用品
　　funeral services 殡葬服务业
　　commercial cemetery 经营性公墓
　　mortician 殡仪业者
　　burn incense 焚香
　　tomb-sweeping 扫墓
　　tomb sweeper 扫墓的人
　　kite flying 放风筝
　　spring outing 踏青
　　god’s lantern 神灯
　　memorial tablet 纪念碑
　　willow branches inserted on each gate 门旁插柳
　　online funeral网上葬礼
　　online tribute网上悼念
　　renewal fees 公墓“续租费”
　　affordable grave 经济适用墓
　　cremation urn 骨灰盒
　　mourning ceremony 哀悼仪式
　　inhumation 土葬
　　cremation 火葬
　　sea-burial 海葬
　　boat-coffin burial 船棺葬
　　tree burial 树葬
　　celestial burial 天葬
　　flower burials 花葬
　　national mourning 全国哀悼
　　national mourning day 全国哀悼日
　　filial piety 孝顺 孝心
　　Day of the Dead（亡灵节，墨西哥传统节日，人们通过守灵、上供等方式祭奠逝去的亲人