Qingming (清明), or “Tomb-Sweeping Day,” is the fifth of the 24 Solar Terms in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar and falls on April 5, 2026. This year, it coincides with the U.S. Easter Sunday, the Christian holiday commemorating Jesus’ resurrection.

Qingming, which literally means “clear and bright,” is a day for honoring ancestors by sweeping their tombs. Families visit ancestral graves, offer food and flowers, and burn incense or paper money. The festival also marks the arrival of spring and a time when the weather becomes bright and clear.

As children, we all learned to recite Du Mu’s (杜牧) famous Qingming poem:

清明时节雨纷纷，

During the Qingming season, the rain falls in endless drizzles.

路上行人欲断魂。

Travelers on the road seem heartbroken and lost in thought.

借问酒家何处有？

I ask where a tavern might be found.

牧童遥指杏花村。

A shepherd boy points from afar toward Apricot Blossom Village.