清明，是二十四节气中的第五个节气，在今年的4月5日至19日。因这一时期的天气十分“清净”和“明亮”，故曰清明。气温升高，降雨增加，也使清明时节成为春季耕作和播种的关键时期。此外，人们通常还在清明时分祭奠逝者，表达对故人的尊敬和思念。
Qingming, or Pure Brightness, which is the 5th solar term, starts from Apr 4th to 19th. The meaning of Qingming in Chinese is to describe the weather is "clear/pure" and "bright" during this period. Temperatures begin to rise and rainfall increases, making it a crucial time for plowing and sowing in the spring. Qingming is not only a solar term but also a festival marked as tomb-sweeping day when people pay respect to the lost ones.
★ 传统习俗 Important tradition of Qingming
扫墓祭祖 Tomb sweeping and ancestor worship
清明节是中国人扫墓祭祖的重要节日。这个传统可以追溯到古代，对现代社会仍有重要影响。在这个时节，人们通常要祭拜祖先，清扫墓地，向祖先祈祷，并进行祭祀。而祭品通常包括传统的食物、香烛和冥纸。
Qingming is an important festival for Chinese to show respect to ancestors and beloved relatives passed away by tomb-sweeping. The tradition can be traced back to ancient times and still matters a lot in modern society. For this purpose, Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites, pray to their ancestors, and make ritual offerings. Offerings would typically include traditional food dishes, and the burning of joss sticks and joss paper.
★ 清明三候 Three phenomena of Qingming
中国古人总结了不同节气变化的主要物候，来判断节气的变化，清明也有三种典型的物候可以观察。
The Qingming is divided into three pentads with three phenomena to observe.
第一候“桐始华”，春来万物复苏，到清明时节，阳气更盛，各种各样的花竞相开放。或许，在古人心中，白桐花开的日子稍微迟一些，恰好又在清明之时，所以才以此作为清明节到来的标志。
The first pentad, white parasol trees bloom.（一候桐始华）When spring comes, all things revive. When Qingming comes, the Yang qi is more prosperous and all kinds of flowers bloom. Perhaps, in the minds of the ancients, the day when white tung flowers a little later, just in the Qingming Festival, so as to mark the arrival of qingming Festival.
第二候“田鼠化为鹌”，田鼠因烈阳之气渐盛而躲回洞穴，喜爱阳气的鸟儿则开始出来活动了。田鼠为至阴之物，鸟为至阳之物。此语意指阴气潜藏而阳气渐盛。可见，春日里的草长莺飞景象，是顺应了大自然的变化。
The second pentad, Voles disappear, quail birds appear.（二候田鼠化为鹌）Voles retreat to their burrows as the sun rises, and yang-loving birds begin to come out. The field-mouse is a thing to the shade, the bird to the sun. This means that Yin qi is hidden and Yang qi is increasing. Visible, spring in the landscape of grass and warbler flying, is to comply with the changes in nature.
The third pentad, rainbows appear.（三候虹始见）It is rainy during Tomb-sweeping Day, so rainbows appear.
第三候“虹始见”，清明时节多雨，故而彩虹出现。
★ 饮食养生 What to eat
清明之际，天气变幻莫测，忽而天晴，忽而下起绵绵细雨。因此，多食补阳食物来驱赶寒邪湿邪是再好不过的了，而银耳、竹荪、百合、山药、荠菜、艾叶、菠菜等都是不错的选择。
The weather in Qingming is unpredictable, which rains in one minute and shines in another. Therefore, it is suggested to eat foods with function of tonifying Yang to avoid getting cold and eliminating dampness while too much rain. The food such as tremella, dictyophora, lily, Chinese yam, shepherd's purse, mugwort leaves and spinach, are all good choices.
☆ 青团 Qing Ming Dumplings (Qingtuan)
[功效 Function]
补阳、祛湿。
Tonify Yang and dispell dampness.
[食谱 Recipe]
红豆 Red beans 70g
植物油 2汤匙 Vegetable oil 2 Tbs
白糖 Sugar 70g
艾叶 Mugwort leaves 50g
糯米粉 Glutinous rice flour 100g
小麦淀粉 Wheat starch 30g
步骤Instructions:
1.先将红豆泡在冷水里一晚，然后煮软，把它们沥干，磨成细面糊。如果面糊太湿，加少许植物油翻炒，与糖混合后放在一边待用。Soak the red beans in cold water overnight, boil them until soft. Drain and grind them to make fine dry paste. If the paste is too moist,stir-fry with a little vegetable oil. Mix with sugar and set aside.
2.把艾叶洗净，切成小块，磨碎。Wash the mugwort leaves and cut them into small pieces; grind the leaves.
3. 将糯米粉和小麦淀粉倒入叶片中。用温水将混合物充分揉搓，直到面团失去黏性，然后在面团中加入一匙油，方便上色。
Add glutinous rice flour and wheat starch to the ground leaves. Knead the mixture thoroughly together with warm water until the dough loses its stickiness; add a spoonful of oil into the dough for color.
4. 把面团分成相同大小的块。
Divide the dough into blocks of the same size.
5. 把红豆沙塞进面团里，做成球状或饺子状。
Stuff each block of dough with the red bean paste, make them into small balls or jiaozi-shaped dumplings as you like.
6. 蒸15分钟后上桌。
Steam the dumplings for 15 minutes before serving.
☆ 艾叶鸡汤 Mugwort leaves and chicken soup
[功效 Function]
温经散寒，滋补气血，适用于气血不足。
Warm meridians and disperse cold, nourish qi and blood. It is good for people with qi and blood deficiency.
[食谱 Recipe]
新鲜艾蒿叶100克（或艾蒿叶50克）
Fresh mugwort leaves 100g（or mugwort leaves 50g）
鸡肉 Chicken 500g
姜5片 Ginger 5 slices
枣3个 Chinese dates 3
蜜枣2个 Candied dates 2
盐适量 Salt in moderation
步骤 Instructions:
1. 将老鸡炖熟，备用；
Simmers the old chicken for future use;
2. 将艾蒿叶煮沸；
Boil the mugwort leaves;
3. 30分钟后将艾蒿叶去除，留汤备用；
Remove the mugwort leaves after 30 minutes, and keep the soup for later use;
4. 将艾叶汤、陈鸡、姜、枣、蜜枣放入汤锅内煮1.5小时，即可。
Put the mugwort leave soup, old chicken and ginger, Chinese dates and candied dates in the soup pot, cook for 1.5 hours.
☆桃胶银耳汤 Peach gum and tremella soup
[功效 Function]
补脾益气，健胃消食。
supplement spleen and tonify qi, strengthen stomach and promote digestion.
[食谱 Recipe]
桃胶 Peach gum 15g
银耳若干 Tremella half
枸杞1把 Wolfberry 1 handlebar
冰糖 Rock sugar 5g
水 Water 1200ml
步骤 Instructions:
1. 把桃胶泡在水里一个晚上；
Soak peach gum in water for one night;
2. 提前浸泡银耳1小时，炖1小时；
Soak the tremella for 1 hour in advance, stew for 1 hour;
3. 加入桃胶，继续炖30分钟；
Add peach gum and continue to stew for 30 minutes;
4. 再加入枸杞和冰糖，再炖5分钟，即可。
Add some wolfberry and rock sugar, simmer for another five minutes.
★ 健体养生 What to do
☆ 清明前后仍要注重保暖
Proper wear to keep warm before and after Qingming
清明前后的天气多风雨且常骤然变化，所以当人们扫墓，或进行其他户外活动时，易受到寒邪等邪气的攻击。建议准备一件外套，随天气变化而选择穿脱。尤其是孕妇和老年人，更应多加注意，注重保暖。
The weather in Qingming is windy and rainy, and can be changed suddenly. People who visit tombs or have other outdoor activities are vulnerable to be attacked by cold and pathogen. Therefore, a jacket is suggested to be prepared that can be worn and taken off with the weather changed. Pregnant women and elders should pay more attention to it.
☆ 疏通肝胆
Regulate liver and gallbladder meridians
春，对应肝经，主情绪；相对应的胆经，主决断。如果你很容易优柔寡断，过度思考，失眠，不耐烦，易怒，或者口苦，那么都提示你胆气虚，有肝火了。这里介绍两种方法可以帮助你调节，使胆气得充，肝脏得以抚慰，拥有一个“清明”之体。
As we introduced, spring relates to liver which governs emotion, and pair with gallbladder which governs decision. If you are easy to be indecisive, over thinking, insomnia, impatient, irritable, or getting up with bitter mouth, these are indicators of gallbladder deficiency and liver fire. Here we have two ways of nourishing gallbladder and smoothing liver as below, in order to have a “pure” and ”bright” condition in your body.
1.晨起敲/拍胆经
Knocking/clapping the gallbladder meridian in the morning
胆经的位置在双腿外侧，外裤线的位置。每天早上起来，可以用空心拳头沿着裤线位置来回敲打，尤其是感觉疼痛的地方。每次敲约5-10分钟，敲到发热即可。也可以使用按摩油用刮痧板刮拭。
The position of the gallbladder meridians is on outside of legs, the position of the pants line. Get up every morning and knock or clap back and forth along the pants line with hollow fists or palms. The more painful the area is, the more Qi stagnation is. Knock or clap for about 5-10 minutes each time until this area is warm. You can also apply some massage oil to scrape the gallbladder meridian with a scraper.
2.睡前推肝经
Pushing the liver meridians at night
肝经的位置在双腿内侧中部，基本与胆经相对，每天晚上临睡前最好做做拉伸，然后敲打或者刮或推肝经都可以。反复推上50遍可以达到畅通肝经、疏调肝气的作用，使肝胆在睡眠中能充分发挥作用，梦里梦外都会一身轻松。尤其是太冲穴、期门和三阴交穴，可以多按揉，尤其对女性很有好处。
The position of the liver meridians is on the inner side of the legs, just opposite to the gallbladder meridians. It is good pushing it up and down with palm before going to bed, knock or scrape is also works as well. You can do acupressure on Taichong (LR3), Qimen (LR14) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) points, especially good for female.
来源：中国青年报客户端