April 5 is Qingming Festival or Tomb Sweeping Day in China where I live. It’s the 5th solar term of the traditional East Asian Lunisolar Calendar, which divides the year into 24 solar terms.
The day has a significance in the Chinese tea culture since it divides fresh green teas by their picking dates. Green teas made from leaves picked before this date are given the prestigious ‘pre-qingming’ (清明前) designation which commands a much higher price tag. These teas are prized for having much lighter and subtler aromas than those picked after the festival.
During Qingming, Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the grave sites, pray to their ancestors, and make ritual offerings.
Drawing of a Chinese family burning paper gifts for the departed. The drawing illustrates the book’s section on the holiday “Ching Ming” (Qing Ming Jie), with the caption, “Comforts rising to the spirit world in the form of smoke.”
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