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2013年3月23日，第三届新英格兰地区“汉语桥”大学生中文演讲比赛成功在麻州大学孔子学院在麻州大学波士顿校区举办。来自哈佛大学、波士顿学院、克拉克大学、塔夫茨大学、麻州大学、罗德岛大学等新英格兰地区13所大学的18名学生，分初级和高级两个组进行了比赛。

Do you know why people all out in Qingming Festival? And why people planting in this day? As the saying goes: melon seeds before and after the tomb-sweeping day, the kind of beans.一听清明节就想到扫墓，很严肃吧，其实完全相反，清明节是一年当中除了春节最热闹的节气，踏青、荡秋千、蹴鞠、植树等等。你今年的清明节小长假要怎么过呢？

Known as the Grave-sweeping（扫墓sǎo mù） or Spring Remembrance, Ching Ming ("clear and bright"), is when Chinese families show their respect by visiting the graves of their ancestors to clear away weeds, touch up gravestone inscriptions and make offerings of wine and fruit.

To sweep tomb扫墓 To sweep tomb扫墓
This is the most important day of sacrifice. Both the Han and minority ethnic groups at this time offer sacrifices to their ancestors and sweep the tombs of the diseased. On each Qingming Festival, all cemeteries are crowded with people who came to sweep tombs and offer sacrifices. Traffic on the way to the cemeteries becomes extremely jammed. The customs have been greatly simplified today. After slightly sweeping the tombs, people offer food, flowers and favorites of the dead, then burn incense and paper money and bow before the memorial tablet.清明节是我国传统节日，也是最重要的祭祀节日，是祭祖和扫墓的日子。扫墓俗称上坟，祭祀死者的一种活动。汉族和一些少数民族大多都是在清明节扫墓。按照旧的习俗，扫墓时，人们要携带酒食果品、纸钱等物品到墓地，将食物供祭在亲人墓前，再将纸钱焚化，为坟墓培上新土，折几枝嫩绿的新枝插在坟上，然后叩头行礼祭拜，最后吃掉酒食回家。 

Flying kites is a traditional activity on on Qingming Festival or Tomb-Sweeping Day. People like flying kites on Qingming Festival or Tomb-Sweeping Day, no matter in the daytime or at night. In the evening, they attach strings of little colorful lanterns to the kite or the thread, which look like twinkling stars in the sky, giving them the name "sacred lantern". In the past, some people would cut off the thread when the kite flew to the sky, letting it drift to wherever the wind took it. It is said that this can cure diseases, prevent disasters and bring good luck.放风筝是清明时节人们喜爱的活动。人们不仅白天放，夜间也放，夜里在风筝上或风筝拉线上挂上一串串彩色的小灯笼，像闪烁的明星，被称为"神灯"。过去，有的人把风筝放上蓝天后，便剪断牵线，任凭清风把它们送往天涯海角，据说这样能除病消灾，给自己带来好运。

Qingming is one of 24 solar terms. Traditional East Asian lunisolar calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms. Qīngmíng is the 5th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 15°and ends when it reaches the longitude of 30°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 15°. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around 4 April (5 April East Asia time) and ends around 20 April.清明，农历二十四节气之一。每年4月5日前后太阳到达黄经15°时开始；《月令七十二候集解》：“三月节，物至此时，皆以洁齐而清明矣。”故清明节总是在公历4月4日、4月5日、4月6日三天中的一天。
Each solar term can be divided into 3 pentads. They are: first pentad, second pentad and last pentad. Pentads in Chingming include:First pentad, The paulownia begins to bloom; Second pentad, Voles transform into quails; Last pentad, Rainbows begin to appear.清明分为三候：初候，桐始华；次候，田鼠化為鴽；末候，虹始见。
Qingming has been regularly observed as a statutory public holiday in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Its observance was reinstated as a nation wide public holiday in mainland China in 2008.由于清明节是根据节气而定的，故清明是少数与西历大致吻合的中国传统节日。清明为台湾、中国大陆、香港等地唯一根据节气而定的休假日，在澳门则还有冬至。
Literally meaning "clear" (Qing) and "bright" (Ming), this Chinese festival falls in early spring, on the 106th day after the winter solstice. It is a "spring" festival, and it is an occasion for the whole family to leave the home and to sweep the graves of their forebears. Chinese being practical people this sweeping of the graves is given an extended period, that is, 10 days before and after Qing Ming day. Among some dialect groups a whole month is allocated. 清明节是一个纪念祖先的节日。主要的纪念仪式是扫墓，扫墓是慎终追远、郭亲睦邻及行孝的具体表现；基于上述意义，清明节因此成为华人的重要节日。 清明节是在仲春和暮春之交，也就是冬至后的106天。扫墓活动通常是在清明节的前十天或后十天。有些地域的人士的扫墓活动长达一个月。
Also known as the Grave-sweeping or Spring Remembrance, Ching Ming ("clear and bright"), is when Chinese families show their respect by visiting the graves of their ancestors to clear away weeds, touch up gravestone inscriptions and make offerings of wine and fruit.清明时，中国阖家前往祭拜祖先，同时把祖坟修饰一下，把杂草清除。然后准备一些牺牲、酒和水果作为对祖先的祭品。
The Qingming (Pure Brightness) Festival is one of the 24 seasonal division points in China, falling on April 4-6 each year. After the festival, the temperature will rise up and rainfall increases. It is the high time for spring plowing and sowing. But the Qingming Festival is not only a seasonal point to guide farm work, it is more a festival of commemoration.The Qingming Festival sees a combination of sadness and happiness.清明是我国的二十四节气之一。由于二十四节气比较客观地反映了一年四季气温、降雨、物候等方面的变化，所以古代劳动人民用它安排农事活动。但是，清明作为节日，与纯粹的节气又有所不同。节气是我国物候变化、时令顺序的标志，而节日则包含着一定的风俗活动和某种纪念意义。因此，这个节日中既有祭扫新坟生别死离的悲酸泪，又有踏青游玩的欢笑声，是一个富有特色的节日。

竖蛋To Balance Eggs Custom 01:To Balance Eggs
People choose fresh eggs laid only a few days ago and gently placethem on the table. The one who can balance an egg on its point steal the glamour.
春分习俗一：竖蛋
在每年的春分那一天，世界各地都会有数以千万计的人在做"竖蛋"试验。这一被称之为“中国习俗”的玩艺儿，何以成为"世界游戏"，目前尚难考证。不过其玩法确简单易行且富有趣味：选择一个光滑匀称、刚生下四五天的新鲜鸡蛋，轻手轻脚地在桌子上把它竖起来。虽然失败者颇多，但成功者也不少。春分成了竖蛋游戏的最佳时光，故有“春分到，蛋儿俏”的说法。竖立起来的蛋儿好不风光。