[TSAW] Commemorating the Tomb-Sweeping Festival

[Lin, Lorelei]

Hello friends of TSAW,

We’re writing to share about the Tomb-Sweeping Festival (清明节 qīng míng
jié), which takes place today. If you haven’t heard about this holiday
before, it’s an occasion for people in Taiwan, China, and the Chinese
diaspora to pay respects to our ancestors through visiting and cleaning
gravesites, burning incense and paper offerings, and offering food.
Observed on the fifteenth day after the spring equinox, the Tomb-Sweeping
Festival has roots in Confucianism and has been celebrated for over 2,500
years.

Another tradition is eating qingtuan (青團 qīng tuán, or 草仔粿 tsháu-á-ké).
This mochi’s green color comes from Chinese mugwort (艾草 ài cǎo), also known
as silvery wormwood, a weedy herb that often sprouts in cemeteries during
the spring. TSAW member Darren made qingtuan over the weekend with some
mugwort he spotted on campus.
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“While we might be far from our ancestors’ tombs, tasting the bitter yet
refreshing mugwort flavor is one way to commemorate this holiday at
Williams.” — from the TSAW Instagram

To make your own qingtuan, try this recipe from the Woks of Life. Learn
more about the Tomb-Sweeping Festival’s history in Taiwan with these Taipei
Times and New York Times articles.

清明平安 (qīng míng píng ān). We're wishing everyone a peaceful Tomb-sweeping
Festival.
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