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.

　　唐朝著名詩人杜牧有一首著名的詩，描述了四月初令人傷感的一幕場景：“清明時節(jié)雨紛紛，路上行人欲斷魂。”每年4月4-6日左右的清明節(jié)是傳統(tǒng)的掃墓的日子。在這一天，人們祭吊去世的親人，到先人的墳頭上掃墓。

　　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.

　　清明節(jié)可以追溯到春秋時代。晉國公子重耳因受到迫害，率其支持者出逃。19年間，他們居無定所，漂泊四方。一次，他們的處境相當窘迫，重耳餓得快不行了。這時，忠心耿耿的介子推從自己的腿上割下一塊肉獻給了重耳，公子重耳得救了。公元前636年，他奪回了王位。

　　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，重耳對支持者大加封賞，卻忘記了介子推。等到想起這位忠臣時，傷心的介子推早已遁入山林深處。重耳想逼他回來，所以就大火焚山。后來，在一棵大樹旁邊發(fā)現了背著老母的介子推。兩人都被燒死了。

　　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.

　　重耳悲痛欲絕。他下令，在介子推的忌日不準生火。寒食節(jié)即來源于此。寒食節(jié)的次日，人們到介子推的墳頭上致敬。隨著時間的推移，寒食節(jié)就被清明節(jié)所取代。

　　Tomb-sweeping Day 清明節(jié)英文介紹

　　Tomb-sweeping Day是最常用的

　　Pure Bright Festival 清明節(jié)另外的說法：

　　Qingming Festival(清明節(jié)英語介紹)

　　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.

　　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."

　　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.

　　清明節(jié)

　　清明是我國的二十四節(jié)氣之一。由于二十四節(jié)氣比較客觀地反映了一年四季氣溫、降雨、物候等方面的變化，所以古代勞動人民用它安排農事活動。但是，清明作為節(jié)日，與純粹的節(jié)氣又有所不同。節(jié)氣是我國物候變化、時令順序的標志，而節(jié)日則包含著一定的風俗活動和某種紀念意義。因此，這個節(jié)日中既有祭掃新墳生別死離的悲酸淚，又有踏青游玩的歡笑聲，是一個富有特色的節(jié)日。

　　清明節(jié)是我國傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日，也是最重要的祭祀節(jié)日，是祭祖和掃墓的日子。掃墓俗稱上墳，祭祀死者的一種活動。漢族和一些少數民族大多都是在清明節(jié)掃墓。由于清明與寒食的日子接近，而寒食是民間禁火掃墓的日子，漸漸的，寒食與清明就合二為一了，而寒食既成為清明的別稱，也變成為清明時節(jié)的一個習俗，清明之日不動煙火，只吃涼的食品。

　　按照舊的習俗，掃墓時，人們要攜帶酒食果品、紙錢等物品到墓地，將食物供祭在親人墓前，再將紙錢焚化，為墳墓培上新土，折幾枝嫩綠的新枝插在墳上，然后叩頭行禮祭拜，最后吃掉酒食回家。

　　與清明節(jié)掃墓的悲哀相反，人們在這個春光明媚的日子里，也一樣是可以享受生活的。

　　放風箏也是清明時節(jié)人們所喜愛的活動。每逢清明時節(jié)，人們不僅白天放，夜間也放。夜里在風箏下或風穩(wěn)拉線上掛上一串串彩色的小燈籠，象閃爍的明星，被稱為“神燈”。

　　清明前后，春陽照臨，春陽照臨，春雨飛灑，種植樹苗成活率高，成長快。因此，自古以來，我國就有清明植樹的習慣。有人還把清明節(jié)叫作“植樹節(jié)”。植樹風俗一直流傳至今。1979年，人大常委會規(guī)定，每年三月十二日為我國植樹節(jié)。這對動員全國各族人民積極開展綠化祖國活動，有著十分重要的意

　　義。

　　清明既是二十四節(jié)氣之一，又是中華民族傳統(tǒng)的祭祖日，現如今也是春光踏青的“小長假”。

　　清明一到，春回大地，精神氣爽，一年的勞作從此開始。

　　清明這天，祭拜祖先，緬懷故人，放飛思念，心存感恩。

　　清明小假，踏青插柳，出游賞花，陶冶身心，積蓄能量。