关于清明节，这些事儿你可能不知道
三天清明节假期过去了，不知道大家玩的怎么样，这里有一些关于清明节的事儿，你可能不知道。
1）清明节的中文名为“Qingming Jie”，意味着“清晰和明亮”。这个名字起源于清明节气——中国阳历的24个节气之一。该节气在春分后，持续15天，期间天气越来越好，越来越暖。
2)During this period,people hang willow branches in memory of an official named Jie Zitui,who rather graphically cut his own flesh to feed a starving prince named Chong’er.After Chong’er became King Jinwen Gong,he remembered that he forgot to reward Jiezi Tui.When he went to Jie Zitui’s house,he found it empty;Jie had gone to Mian Mountain(绵山)to hide with his mother.Jinwen Gong set a fire around the mountain to smoke Jie Zitui out,but the official never appeared.After the fire burned out,Jinwen Gong found Jie and his mother’s corpses near a willow tree.In the tree hole,Jinwen Gong found a letter from Jie urging him to be a good king.
2）在这期间，人们悬挂柳枝，纪念一位名为介子推的官员，他割下了自己的肉喂一位名为重耳的王子。重耳成为晋文公后，他想起自己忘记奖赏介子推了。当他来到了介子推家中时，里面空无一人。为了与母亲隐居，介子推去了绵山。晋文公在绵山周边放火，企图用烟把介子推熏出来，但是他并未现身。火被熄灭后，晋文公发现，介子推和他母亲的尸体在一棵柳树旁。在树洞里，晋文公发现了介子推写给他的一封信，信件敦促他成为一位好君主。
3)The custom of tomb sweeping varies according to different areas in China.In Hebei(or northern China),tomb sweeping starts a week before actual Tomb Sweeping Day.In the south,people sweep tombs the day before Tomb Sweeping Day;the eve is also known as Cold Food Day.No matter where you are,nobody actually sweeps tombs on Tomb Sweeping Day.
3）扫墓的习俗各地不一。在河北（或北方），扫墓开始于清明节前一周。在南方，人们在清明节前一天扫墓。清明节前夕为寒食节。无论你在哪，事实上没有人会在清明节当天扫墓。
4)Qingming is also a time to welcome the spring and enjoy the changing of the seasons.Common outdoor activities include hiking,kite flying,and tree planting.
4）清明也是迎接春天，享受季节变化的时候。一般的户外活动包括徒步旅行、放风筝和植树。
5)Not all Chinese ethnic minorities celebrate Tomb Sweeping Day,but there are 24 that do(thanks to the Hans’influence)with sweeping tombs and their own customs.For example,the Tujia ethnic group eat pig heads and the Miao minority makes a type of pastry called Qingming Ba(清明耙)with mugwort and sticky rice.
5）不是所有的民族都过清明节，但是由于汉族的影响，有24个民族扫墓，他们各有传统。例如，土家族吃猪头，苗族做用艾蒿和糯米制成的清明粑。
6)People in the South of China eat qingtuan,a dumpling made out of glutinous rice and barley grass,but people in the North don’t have the same tradition.
6）南方人吃青团——一种由糯米和大麦草制成的面团，但是北方人没这传统。
7）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.
7）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。
8）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.
8）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。
9）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.
9）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。
10）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”。
10）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."
11）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。
11）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.
