In a couple of my letters I read about a day celebrated in China called the Qingming Festival,
or Tomb Sweeping Day. To me this sounds like another name for Halloween. When I hear tombs, I automatically think of mummies and scary things, usually associated with Halloween here in the US. To my surprise, it has nothing to do with Halloween. It has everything to do with the Chinese Memorial Day.
The Qingming Festival is a time set aside to tend to the graves of ancestors. It is also used as a time to get outside, enjoy the greenery of springtime, and to spend time with family and friends.
Flying kites is also a fun past time for the Chinese. They do not only fly kites during the day, they attach little lanterns the their kites at night and fill the night sky with glowing light.
"China Qingming Festival, 2014 Tomb-Sweeping Day, Pure Brightness."
China Qingming Festival,
2014 Tomb-Sweeping Day, Pure Brightness. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
"Int'l Kite Festival Held in E China (2)."
- People's Daily Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
"Tomb Sweeping Day in China."
PocketCultures RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
That's funny that it's not about Halloween! But this sounds like a really great way to remember their ancestors. Flying kites and enjoying the outdoors would be a much happier way than just looking at their graves. I wish we did something similar.
ReplyDeleteYou gave me even more information about this event that sounds really unique there. It was full of good facts about it!
ReplyDelete