【成长旅程】与世界，共节气——清明|spring|二十四节气|成长旅程|探春

一年一追思

一岁一清明

清明，是二十四节气中的第五个节气，通常在每年的4月4日至6日之间，当太阳到达黄经15°时到来。今年的清明节在4月4日。“清”指清洁明净，“明”是明朗通透，顾名思义，清明时节天气清爽、万物洁净，天地间一片明朗，正是春意最浓、最适合踏青出游的时候。

Qingming, pronounced "qīng míng" in Chinese, is the fifth of the 24 solar terms. It usually falls between April 4th and 6th each year. This year, Qingming is on April 4th. "Qing" means clean and bright, and "Ming" means clear. So, during Qingming, the weather is fresh, everything is clean, and the world feels bright. It's the perfect time to enjoy spring and go on outings.

清明有三个明显的物候特征，称为“清明三候”：一候桐始华，白色的桐花渐次绽放，点缀在枝头如云似雪；二候田鼠化为鴽，喜阴的田鼠躲回洞穴，喜阳的鹌鹑类小鸟开始活跃田间；三候虹始见，春雨过后，空气湿润，阳光穿行，彩虹常常横跨天际，为春日增添一抹绚丽的色彩。

There are three special signs during Qingming, called the "Three Phenomena of Qingming." First, the tung trees begin to bloom with white flowers, looking like clouds or snow on the branches. Second, field mice hide back in their holes, and birds like quails become active in the fields. Third, after the spring rains, rainbows often appear in the sky, adding a splash of color to the spring days.

在清明这天，民间流传着许多悠久的习俗。最重要的当数扫墓祭祖，人们会前往祖先坟前清理杂草、供奉祭品、焚烧纸钱，表达对逝去亲人的思念与敬意。同时，清明也是踏青郊游的好时节，古人称之为“探春”或“寻春”。此外，放风筝也是清明的传统活动，人们相信将风筝放上蓝天后再剪断丝线，能带走晦气与病痛，祈求全年平安顺遂。这个节气有插柳戴柳的习俗，家家门前插上柳枝，寓意驱邪避灾、迎接新生。还有吃青团、荡秋千等习俗。

On Qingming, people follow many traditional customs. The most important one is visiting the graves of ancestors. People clean the graves, offer food, and burn paper money to show their love and respect for those who have passed away. Qingming is also a great time for spring outings. Ancient people called this "exploring spring" or "searching for spring." Flying kites is another tradition. People believe that letting go of the kite string can carry away bad luck and illness, bringing a year of peace and health. There's also the custom of wearing willow branches or placing them at doors to ward off evil and welcome new life. Eating green rice balls and swinging on swings are also popular activities.