Is Qingming a festival or a solar term?

Qingming is one of the twenty-four solar terms and the fifth solar term in spring. It will clear up when the sun reaches 15. Tomb-Sweeping Day Qi, named after "the air is clear and everything is alive" during the festival, is a solar term reflecting the phenological changes in nature. At this time, the sun is shining, plants are sprouting, flowers are in full bloom, and nature presents a vibrant scene. At this time, the south of our country has shown the image of fresh air and beautiful scenery, and the north has also begun to break the snow, the temperature has risen, and the spring is harmonious.

Qingming usually changes from April 4 to 6 in the Gregorian calendar, and it is not fixed on a certain day, but April 5 is the most common. Tomb-Sweeping Day is both a solar term and a festival, and Tomb-Sweeping Day atmosphere provides important conditions for the formation of Tomb-Sweeping Day customs in terms of time and weather phenology. Tomb-Sweeping Day Qi is related to the 20-year-old phenology, which is often used to guide farming, implying that the weather is fine and spring ploughing is timely.

Historical origin

The age of early observation of images and timing was determined according to the changes of stars. The Big Dipper appears in different directions in the sky in different seasons and at different times at night, so the ancients determined its age according to the direction pointed by bucket handle when he fainted for the first time. Beidou became the maker of the order of heaven and earth. Spring, summer, autumn harvest and winter storage all seem to follow the direction of Beidou.

The twenty-four solar terms were originally determined by the direction of the top of the bucket handle of the Big Dipper. The bucket handle starts from the "female" position and then rotates clockwise. When bucket handle points to the "second position", it is the spirit of Qingming. Qingming is a vibrant season, and it is also the decline season of Yin Qi. The earth presents the image of spring and tranquility, which is a good opportunity to go for a spring outing in the suburbs and offer sacrifices to graves.

Reference to the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Qingming