Ching Ming Festival 2023, 2024 and 2025 - PublicHolidays.cn

Ching Ming Festival is one of China's largest events based off of the lunar calendar. Ching Ming officially starts 104 days after the winter solstice. OtherpopularnationalpagesPublicHolidays2022PublicHolidays2023PublicHolidays2024PublicHolidays2025PublicHolidays2026SchoolHolidays2022 Home ChingMingFestivalisoneofChina’slargesteventsbasedoffofthelunarcalendar. ChingMing officiallystarts104daysafterthewintersolstice.ThefestivalusuallybeginsonApril4thor5th,butactivitiesmaystartasearlyas10daysprior. YearDateDayHoliday20233Aprto5AprMontoWedChingMingFestival20244Aprto5AprThutoFriChingMingFestival20254AprFriChingMingFestival20265Aprto6AprSuntoMonChingMingFestivalPleasescrolldowntoendofpageforpreviousyears'dates. InEnglish,ChingMing isoftenreferredtoasTombSweepingDayorPureBrightnessbecauseoftheholiday’sevents.TheprimaryroleoftheChingMing Festivalistopayrespecttoancestors.WhilemanyChineseholidaysareorientedaroundancestorworship,ChingMing isthelargest.FilialpietyisacentralaspectoftraditionalChineseculture,soitshouldcomeasnosurprisethatthisisoneofthemostwidelycelebratedholidaysintheMiddleKingdom.NearlyeveryethnicgroupinChinacelebratesChingMing inonewayoranother.ChingMing isalsoacelebrationofspringbecauseoftheincomingplantingseasoninmostofChina. Legend AccordingtoChinesestoriesandfolklore,theChingMingFestivalgotitsstartsometimebetween700and500BCE.LegendstatesthatamannamedJieZitui,aloyalservantofaChineselord,helpedhislordsurvivethroughexile.Inordertopreventhislordfromstarvingtodeath,Jiecutmeatfromhisownlegandfedittohislord.Survivingthisordeal,thelordreturnedtopower19yearslater. Bythistime,thelordhadforgottenaboutJie’sservice.Sometimelater,thelordrememberedJieandfeltregretfulaboutforgetting.ThelordintendedtorewardJie,butbythetimehefoundhim,Jiehadpassedaway.TohonorthelifeanddeathofJie,thelordestablishedChingMingasaholidaytocommemoratethedead. Traditions DuringtheChingMing Festival,therearevariouscustomsandtraditionsthatpeopletakepartin.Oneofthemostenjoyedfestivalactivitiesiskiteflying.Duringtheday,peopleflykitesofvariouscolorstocelebratespring.Peoplealsocelebratetheholidaywithkitesintheevening,butsmalllanternsareattached.Whenhundredsofkitesareintheair,theChineseskylookslikeitisfilledwithmanystars.Thekitesaresymbolicofgoodfortune,butaccordingtolegend,theyarealsosaidtobeabletocureandpreventdiseases. InaccordancewiththeChingMingFestival’straditionofancestorworship,anactivityknownastombsweepingisanimportantpartofthefestivaldayorthe10daysleadinguptoit.Thepurposeofthisactivityistocleanandbeautifythegravesorurnsofancestors.Weedswillremovedfromgraveplotsandfreshdirtwillbebroughttothesurface.Inmanycases,peoplewillalsooffertheirancestorstheirfavoritefoodandwineastribute. Incenseandflowersmayalsobebroughtasashowofrespect.Therearemanyvarietiesofflowersthatcanbeusedduringthisholiday,butpeachblossomandchrysanthemumflowersareamongthemostpopular.Incities,theprocessofhonoringthedeadisnotaselaborateduetothepracticeofcremationinplaceoftraditionalburials.Inallcases,goodprayersaresaidforancestorsanddeceasedrelatives. Afterpayingrespectstoancestors,manyChinesetakepartinaspringouting,ortaqing(踏青),toenjoythewarmweatherandcompanyoffriends.ThefirstspringoutingoccurredduringtheTangDynastyandithasbecomeatimeofcelebrationeversince. Inordertogetexerciseandexperiencenature,manyChinesepeoplewillgoonatriptoacitycenterornaturalarea.Popularactivitiesincludeseeinggardens,walkingthroughparkswithfamilymembers,hikingthroughnaturalareas,andparticipatinginsports.Thespringoutingismeanttopromotehappinessandgoodhealthhabitsaftercommemoratingancestors. Food Aswithmostgreatfestivals,ChingMingoffersawideselectionofspecialcuisinetocelebratehappiness.OneofthefavoritedishesofChingMingissazi(撒子).Saziisfriedwheatorriceflourthathasbeenboundwitheggs,onion,sesame,orotheringredients.Theexactrecipeforsazidependsonregionandthechef.ThisisasaltyorsavoryfoodthatisenjoyedthroughoutChina. SnailsthathavebeenseasonedwithonionandsaltarealsoafavoritedishduringtheChingMingFestival.Tospecificallycelebratethespringoutingandwarmmonths,Chinesepeoplealsoenjoyqingtuan(青团),orgreendumplings.Thesedumplingsresemblegreenapplesandaremadeofricepowder,greenvegetablejuice,andsweetenedbeanpaste.Qingtuanhaveasweettasteandaregreen.SomeChinesechefsalsocreatetheirownuniquevariationsofthisdish. PreviousYearsYearDateDayHoliday20223Aprto5AprSuntoTueChingMingFestival20213Aprto5AprSattoMonChingMingFestival20204Aprto6AprSattoMonChingMingFestival20195AprFriChingMingFestival20185Aprto7AprThutoSatChingMingFestival20172Aprto4AprSuntoTueChingMingFestival OtherpopularnationalpagesPublicHolidays2022PublicHolidays2023PublicHolidays2024PublicHolidays2025PublicHolidays2026SchoolHolidays2022