清明是二十四节气的第五个节气，是仲春和暮春之交，也是冬至后的第108天。今年的清明始于4月5日。
清明是中国最重要的祭祀节日之一，是祭祖和扫墓的日子。中华民族传统清明节大约始于周代，距今已有2500多年历史。
清明最早只是一种节气的名称，其变成纪念祖先的节日与寒食节有关。寒食节是中国古代较早的节日，其习俗主要有禁火冷食和后来成为清明节重要传统的祭扫坟墓。
荡秋千是自古以来的清明习俗，也是一直受人们尤其是孩子们喜爱的一项体育活动。孩子们通过荡秋千既可以玩耍，又可以培育勇敢的精神。
鞠是一种皮球，蹴鞠，指用足去踢球，是古代清明节人们喜爱的一种游戏。相传蹴鞠是黄帝发明的，最初的目的用于训练武士。
民间有插柳的习俗。俗称清明节正是百鬼出没频频、索讨多多的时节。受佛教的影响，观世音手持柳枝蘸水普度众生，许多人便认为柳条有驱鬼辟邪的作用，把柳枝称为“鬼怖木”。
The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Clear and bright, which begins on the day of Qingming Festival, starts on April 5 this year.
Qingming is the most important day of sacrifice in China; it is a day to pay respects to the ancestors. Traditional Qingming Festival in China began more than 2,500 years ago in Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-256BC).
Cold food festival is an ancient Chinese festival. On this day, only cold dishes are served (making fire is prohibited) and tombs are visited. This coincides with customs of Qingming Festival, and sometimes the terms are used interchangeably.
Playing on swings is an old custom of Qingming. It is also a favored leisure activity for children. The young can have fun on swings and nurture a courageous mind at the same time.
Ju refers to a type of ball, and cuju, which means to kick the ball, was a popular game to play on Qingming in ancient China. Legend has it that cuju was invented by Huangdi, a deity, to train his soldiers.
It is said that many dead spirits visit the world of men on Qingming. Willow branches are believed to be auspicious by Buddhist beliefs, so it is custom to wear or decorate the house with willow branches to scare away the spirits.
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