The American blues singer Blind Lemon Jefferson recorded a song called "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"- and, after his death, his fans tried to do that with his actual grave. I expect that's what Tombsweeping is meant to be.
Thanks for sharing that! Yes. I think in most cultures, at least those that have distinct grave sites, people make an effort to keep the graves tidy and clean - trimming the grass, touching up paintwork on the headstone, and so on. Tombsweeping Festival is just on a bigger scale, so to speak, because everyone’s doing it at the same time.
I had one student chide me for putting "Tomb Sweeping Day" into my syllabus schedule (which is the language my university uses). I think he thought it was disrespectful. He said the holiday was about much more than simply sweeping tombs, and it was like calling American Thanksgiving "Turkey eating day." (I didn't tell him that many Americans DO call it Turkey Day.) I changed my schedule to honor Qingming instead. Thank you for this lovely description.
Interesting! Official government media (e.g. the China Daily) also calls it Tomb-Sweeping Day. But I see your student's point. I guess it's one of those things that's difficult to give a good English translation for. "Qingming Festival" doesn't really communicate anything about it, and "Clear Brightness Festival" doesn't do much better, although it is quite poetic.
We once had a house with bamboo in the garden. It had been long neglected and we spent 6 years getting it under control. I can only admire the graft required to neaten up that grave site. I actually think it's quite lovely that tombsweeping happens at the same time. I think generally here, a lot of families are wracked with guilt at not being able to get out and clean the headstones as much as they probably should.
The American blues singer Blind Lemon Jefferson recorded a song called "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"- and, after his death, his fans tried to do that with his actual grave. I expect that's what Tombsweeping is meant to be.
Thanks for sharing that! Yes. I think in most cultures, at least those that have distinct grave sites, people make an effort to keep the graves tidy and clean - trimming the grass, touching up paintwork on the headstone, and so on. Tombsweeping Festival is just on a bigger scale, so to speak, because everyone’s doing it at the same time.
I had one student chide me for putting "Tomb Sweeping Day" into my syllabus schedule (which is the language my university uses). I think he thought it was disrespectful. He said the holiday was about much more than simply sweeping tombs, and it was like calling American Thanksgiving "Turkey eating day." (I didn't tell him that many Americans DO call it Turkey Day.) I changed my schedule to honor Qingming instead. Thank you for this lovely description.
Interesting! Official government media (e.g. the China Daily) also calls it Tomb-Sweeping Day. But I see your student's point. I guess it's one of those things that's difficult to give a good English translation for. "Qingming Festival" doesn't really communicate anything about it, and "Clear Brightness Festival" doesn't do much better, although it is quite poetic.
We once had a house with bamboo in the garden. It had been long neglected and we spent 6 years getting it under control. I can only admire the graft required to neaten up that grave site. I actually think it's quite lovely that tombsweeping happens at the same time. I think generally here, a lot of families are wracked with guilt at not being able to get out and clean the headstones as much as they probably should.