Tomb Sweeping or Ancestor Worshipping

The major custom in Qingming Festival is tomb sweeping. According to the folk religion, the spirits of deceased ancestors still live under the ground and look after the family; the tombs are said to be their houses, thus it is very important to keep the tombs clean.

The Qingming Festival is spent by honoring the dead, which is one of many ways good Confucians demonstrate filial piety. On this day, people visit their family graves to remove any underbrush that has grown. They would uproot weeds near the gravesites, wipe the tombstones and decorate the tombstones with fresh flowers. And then they will set out offerings of food and paper money.

 Burning Paper Treasures

Part of honoring the dead is to make sure that they are well-provided for -- even after death. Not only are food offered to the dead, but also, as some people figure, material goods are needed in the land of the dead. Until the Sui Dynasty (581-618), genuine articles were burnt as offerings. Eventually, people thought this practice was wasteful. It was also said that there was word from the dead that where they resided, counterfeits were just as good as the real thing. So a paper house offered by fire was just as good as a real one.

Nowadays, paper gifts to the dead may even include paper money, houses, lawn furniture, TVs, VCRs, stereo systems, refrigerators, and even cars.

 Cold Foods

Because Jie Zitui had been killed by a fire, it became a tradition to abstain from lighting fires on the day of Qingming, when people could only eat cold foods that had been prepared the day before. Today, the occasion for eating cold foods translates into a picnic for the family.

  Willow Trees

Because Jie Zitui died embracing a willow tree, the willow is believed to have miraculous powers against evil. During the Qingming Festival, willow branches are hung on door fronts and used to sweep the tombs.

 Kite-Flying

Today in China, Qingming is also known as an occasion for kite-flying. Kite-flying has been an old Chinese pastime. Records about the activity were mentioned as far back as 2,500 years ago. Over the centuries, people have developed kites known for their beauty.

Besides the tradition of honoring the dead, people also often fly kites on Tomb Sweeping Day. Kites can come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors, designing in the shape of swallows, geese, frogs, butterflies, peacocks, frogs, dragonflies, butterflies, crabs, bats and storks. They are even able to fashion kites with whistles.

 Swinging

The common swing has offered sport to many children throughout the world. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), swinging was a designated recreation on the Qingming Festival, also known as the Clear and Bright Festival or the Tomb Sweeping Festival. Because the festival generally occurs in mid-spring, many also use the occasion for family outings.

According to the Annals of the Ming Court, this day was also called Swing Festival, when swings were suspended in the Hall of Earthly Peace of the Forbidden City and in all the residential complexes where palace ladies resided. Ladies of the imperial household wore colorful silks especially made for the occasion, and amused themselves on swings.