From the lively Día de los Muertos Festival of Mexico to the introspective Obon Festival of Japan, many countries around the world engage in rich traditions to honor their departed loved ones, and China is no exception. On Qingming Day (清qīng 明míng 节jié), the Chinese people pay tribute to their ancestors by visiting their graves and participating in a variety of traditional customs. As today is Qingming Day in China, this post will discuss the holiday’s meaning, customs, historical background, traditional food, and associated art.
Qingming Day Meaning
To begin, we will delve into the meaning of Qingming Day. The name originates from the lunar calendar, which divides the year into twenty four solar terms. Each solar term represents a period characterized by detailed weather attributes. “Qingming” is one such solar term, describing the transition from the end of winter to the emergence of spring. Specifically, it details the period which initially consists of frequent rainfall, but as the plants begin to bud and bloom, the weather slowly becomes clearer and brighter. Hence, Qingming Day can be translated to “Clear and Bright Day,” with “qing” (清qīng) meaning “clear” and “ming” (明míng) meaning “bright.” With the clearing skies and the resurgence of nature, the revitalizing spirit of spring offers the Chinese people an opportunity to pay homage to their ancestors, who are no longer able to witness the renewal of life.
Traditional Practices
To honor their departed family members with the utmost respect, the Chinese follow specific traditional practices at their ancestors’ graves. First, they clean the tombstone, which involves clearing any encroaching weeds, adding new soil, and adding fresh flowers to be displayed. Second, they perform a deeply respectful bow known as “kowtow” (磕kē 头tóu). Kowtow is a bow where one touches their knees and forehead to the ground as a gesture of the deepest regard and deference. Third, they burn paper money in front of the grave with the intent of sending money to the deceased, so they may feed and clothe themselves in the other world. Finally, they present offerings of “hánshí” (寒食). Hánshí refers to food that is typically served hot, such as cooked rice, but is prepared in advance and served at room temperature. Interestingly,
hánshí translates to “cold food,” which reveals an intriguing aspect of Chinese culture. To the Chinese people, any food or drink that is not hot is immediately classified as cold; they do not acknowledge the intermediary stages. It is also curious why the Chinese people choose to offer cold food to their ancestors instead of hot food. One may presume the latter is the more desirable option. To answer this, we must delve into the historical background of Qingming Day.
Historical Origins
Qingming Day can trace its origins all the way back to the Zhou Dynasty, which lasted from 1050-221 BCE. During this time, there was a one month period near the end of the lunar year called the Hánshí Period, or Cold Food Period. At the beginning of the month, the Chinese people extinguished all fires that had been burning throughout the year, and then refrained from using fire during the month. As a result, they had to prepare their hot food in advance, store it, and then eat it “cold” throughout the month. While it may be assumed that the Chinese people did this simply to get a fresh start for the new year, there is actually a very practical reason for the tradition. The Hánshí Period came into existence because the weather at this time is very dry and prone to accidental fires. Thus, to prevent a fire disaster, the common people were banned from using fires. However, over time, the common people began to complain that the Hánshí Period was too long. This led to the Hánshí Period getting shortened during the Tang Dynasty, which lasted from 619-907 CE. It was made to last one day, and this day would be merged with a pre-existing holiday known as “jìzǔ” (祭祖) or Chinese Ancestors Memorial Day. On Chinese Ancestors Memorial Day, the Chinese people went to the graves of their ancestors and performed the aforementioned traditional customs, excluding the offering of cold food. Hence, when the two days became merged, Qingming Day as we know it was born.
Special Food
Now that we understand why cold food is offered to ancestors on Qingming Day, we can begin to explore the special food eaten by the living Chinese people. On this day, a number of traditional desserts are consumed, varying by region. In Southern China, they eat a glutinous rice dessert made with mugwort, which is a medical plant known for its health benefits of
improving digestion, relieving pain, and promoting blood circulation. Mugwort is also aromatic, giving the dessert a distinctive flavor and unique green color. In the North, they eat “bobo” (饽饽) which is a sweet bun that can be made into various creative shapes. While the Chinese people gather to share traditional desserts on Qingming Day, they also take part in other forms of expression to commemorate their ancestors.
Heartfelt Art
One prominent form is through art. Art is a means for the Chinese people to connect with the intricate emotions stirred by Qingming Day, with numerous poignant and heartfelt works of art produced in an effort to capture the essence of the occasion. To convey this essence, we would like to share and explain the nuances of one such work here. Below is a poem titled “Qingming” written by Du Mu, a poet who lived from 712 CE to 770 CE.
清 qīng 明míng
清qīng 明míng 时shí 节jié 雨yǔ 纷fēn 纷fēn，路lù 上shàng 行xíng 人rén 欲yù断duàn 魂hún。
借jiè 问wèn 酒jiǔ 家jiā 何hé 处chù 有yǒu，牧mù 童tóng 遥yáo 指zhǐ 杏xìng 花huā 村cūn。
The translated version by Xu Yuanchong is below.
Qingming
A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day
The mourner's heart is going to break on his way
Where can a wine shop be found to drown his sad hours?
A cowherd points to a cot 'mid apricot flowers
A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day
In the first line, the poet compares the gentle, drizzling rain to tears, setting a somber and mournful tone. The rain symbolizes intense sorrow, reflecting the solemn mood of Qingming Day.
The mourner's heart is going to break on his way
In the second line, the poet expresses the intense emotional pain felt by the mourner as they journey to pay their respects to their ancestors. The mention of the mourner's heart "going to break" suggests profound grief, emphasizing the emotional weight of the occasion.
Where can a wine shop be found to drown his sad hours?
The third line conveys the mourner's desire to soften their pain through drinking wine. However, it is important to note that the translation conveys more intensity than the original poem. The word “jiǔjiā” (酒家) which was translated to “wine shop” is more nuanced than the translation indicates. It is not analogous to a liquor store, which could make the reader presume that the poem’s subject wants to abuse alcohol to dissolve their worries. Contrastingly, jiǔjiā are restaurants where people go to casually drink wine, share appetizers, and uplift their spirits. A more accurate translation might be “winery,” but with the added connotation that it is a place meant to boost one’s mood.
A cowherd points to a cot 'mid apricot flowers
In the final line, the poet introduces a pastoral scene where a cowherd gestures towards a cot surrounded by apricot flowers. This imagery contrasts with the mourner's sorrow, offering a glimpse of beauty and tranquility amidst the grief. The apricot flowers symbolize renewal and the cyclical nature of life, suggesting hope and comfort amid mourning.
All in all, the poem’s first two lines illustrate a somber and sorrowful scene, while the last two lines paint a more optimistic scene. The poem skillfully captures the multifaceted tone of Qingming Day, which encompasses both sadness and hopefulness as nature blooms anew and life continues its cyclical journey.
Conclusion
To wrap up, Qingming Day holds significant cultural importance in China, occurring during the transition from winter to spring. As the weather clears and nature undergoes a rejuvenating transformation, the Chinese people pause to pay tribute to their ancestors and loved ones who have passed on. It is a day of juxtaposition—solemn remembrance amidst the vibrant renewal of life—that reminds us of the complexity, and resultant beauty, of the human experience.
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