Why is Qingming Festival so important in some Asian countries?

What is Thanh Minh Festival?

Qingming Festival (or Qingming Festival) is a concept in the calendar systems of Eastern countries influenced by ancient Chinese culture. It is one of the twenty-four solar terms in a year, according to the calendars of China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Because the Chinese calendar, as well as that of ancient Vietnam, is often mistakenly considered a purely lunar calendar, many believe it is based on the cycle of the Moon revolving around the Earth.

In fact, the ancient Chinese calendar was a lunisolar calendar, so if explained in terms of the modern calendar (the Gregorian calendar), it was calculated based on the Earth's position in its orbit around the sun. If we consider the vernal equinox as the starting point (solar longitude equal to 0°), then the point at which the Qingming Festival occurs or begins is at a solar longitude of 15°.

Therefore, the Qingming Festival is actually calculated according to the modern Gregorian calendar, conventionally 60 days after the beginning of spring and 105 days after the winter solstice. That is, the Qingming Festival begins around April 4th or 5th (when the spring equinox ends) and ends around April 20th or 21st in the Gregorian calendar.

The term "Qingming" is also derived from this period of time; "Qing" means clear, and "Ming" means bright. Therefore, Qingming Festival means a time when the weather is clear and pure. The first day of this festival is called Qingming Festival. So, what are the differences and special customs associated with Qingming Festival in various Asian countries?

Vietnam

For Vietnamese people, Thanh Minh Festival is an occasion for descendants to remember their ancestors and origins. No matter where they are, people try to return home for Thanh Minh Festival to visit the graves of their ancestors and to sit together around the family dinner table. The graves are cleaned and tidied up by family members, adding new soil; this is a gesture of respect and devotion from the living to the deceased.

The main task of tomb sweeping is to tidy up the graves of ancestors. On Qingming Festival, people bring shovels and hoes to fill in the mounds, remove weeds and wild plants growing over the graves, and prevent wild animals such as snakes and rats from digging burrows or nesting, which, according to belief, could disturb the souls of the deceased. Afterwards, those sweeping the graves light incense, burn paper offerings, place a bouquet of flowers on the graves, and then return home to prepare offerings for their ancestors.

During the ceremony, the sons of the family usually offer prayers at the graves. Meanwhile, children often follow along to show respect for their ancestors. On this day, those who live far away also often return to their hometowns to visit the graves and reunite with their families, a beautiful cultural tradition of the Vietnamese people that reflects the principle of remembering one's roots.

China

The Chinese also call Qingming Festival the Three Months Festival, with a history of over 2,500 years. After the traditional Chinese New Year, temperatures usually gradually rise, there is more rain, making spring plowing and rice planting very suitable and convenient. Therefore, the Chinese consider this an important spring ritual, seen as connecting sorrow and hope.

Therefore, on this day, the Chinese often organize cultural activities to strengthen family bonds, especially traditional folk games such as football, kite flying, boating, and lantern lighting. Qingming Festival is also an occasion for the Chinese to celebrate spring, for men and women to meet, and to admire flowers. Regardless of day or night, people fly kites in the sky together, hoping for peace and harmony in the new year.

In terms of cuisine, the Chinese traditionally eat Qing Tuanzi (rice dumplings) during this time. These are rice dumplings with a filling made from mung bean flour mixed with sugar and small pieces of pork fat. The whole family will gather around the table and enjoy steaming hot Qing Tuanzi.

Japan

According to historical records, the Qingming Festival has been widely celebrated in Japan since the 8th century and officially became a national holiday in 1868. In Japanese, the Qingming Festival is called Shunbun-No-Hi (Higan), and it usually takes place over a week, from around March 18th to March 24th.

According to Japanese belief, "hi" in higan means "the other side," and "Gan" means "shore," referring to the other side, the Western Pure Land. Higan is Nirvana, also known as the "Pure Land of Bliss"—a pure land, a place that Buddhists always aspire to reach after this life. On the middle day of the Qingming Festival—when the sun rises in the east and sets in the west—right before the eastern gate of the Pure Land, this is the best time of year for people to face west and pray for the souls of their ancestors on their way to rebirth, hoping that the Buddhas will help them escape the cycle of reincarnation.

According to custom, Japanese people will tidy up graves, offer flowers, incense, cakes, and sake. The characteristic cake for this day is botamochi (called ohagi on the summer solstice), a soft, slightly sweet, sticky rice cake that is shaped into a ball and then covered with a sweet, mashed red bean paste.

Besides visiting ancestral graves, Japanese people often go to temples and shrines on these days to pray for happiness and peace in their lives. Amidst the bustling scene, there are families dressed in traditional clothing, and young women in kimonos carrying pretty wooden boxes...

Korea

Unlike Vietnam or China, South Korea also celebrates the Qingming Festival to visit ancestral graves, but this practice coincides with the Choseuk Festival (Mid-Autumn Festival). Koreans highly value Choseuk as it's an occasion to express gratitude and filial piety towards their ancestors. Therefore, the most important thing Korean families do on this day is visit ancestral graves and offer small offerings, including fruits, grains, and harvested produce.

After the memorial ceremonies are completed, all family members will gather together to enjoy the main meal of the festival, such as taro soup, songpyeon rice cakes, and baijiu (Chinese liquor).

My Tong