在中国，通常遇到节日假日，我们都可以用一句"××快(kuài)乐(lè)！"（which means Happy **!）来表达祝福。例如 春节快乐！新年快乐！国庆节快乐！教师节快乐！甚至在周末也可以说"周末快乐！"

        但有一个节日，虽然是中国法定的假日，人们却不会用这个短语来表达祝福。这就是清明节。

        为什么呢？原来清明节的一项重要传统习俗是祭奠逝去的先祖或亲人，又叫"扫墓"（literally means sweep the tomb），通常人们会在这一天前往逝者的墓前，扫去积土和灰尘，献上黄色或白色的鲜花，摆上一些逝者生前喜爱的食物，再点燃香和纸钱，寄托人们的哀思。

        清明节一般是在每年4月5日前后，在中国大地上正是万物生长的春天，也是户外活动的好时节。因此，清明节除了祭祖扫墓之外，还有了许多传统的户外活动，例如踏青（literally means step on the green grass）也就是春游；荡秋千，放风筝、拔河等各项野外健身活动，使这个节日，除了有追思古人的感伤，还融合了欢乐赏春的气氛；既有生离死别的悲酸泪，又到处是一派清新明丽的生动景象。

In China, we say " xx kuàilè!" to express our best wishes for the holidays. For example, "Chūnjié kuàilè", "Guóqìng jié kuàilè", "Jiàoshī jié kuàilè", even for weekends we can also say "Zhōumò kuàilè". But there is a holiday, although it is a Chinese public holiday, people will not use this phrase to express holiday greetings. This is the Qingming Festival. Why is that?  Qingming Festival is also called Tomb Sweeping Festival, on which people visit the gravesites of their ancestors and hold memorial ceremonies. As part of honoring the dead, people sweep and weed the gravesites, offer yellow or white flowers and some food that the deceased used to like, and then burn incense and paper money to express people's grief. Actually Qingming Festival is not just a day of mourning and sadness, it is also a time to celebrate the coming of spring. Since ancient times, people have followed the custom of ta qing (treading the greenery). Qingming Festival falls on April 5 every year.  With the coming of spring, nature wakes up, dressing the world in green. Therefore, Qingming is also a good time for outdoor activities, such as spring picnic, kite flying, tug-of-war, swing, etc.  All in all, the Qingming Festival is an occasion of unique characteristics, integrating sorrowful tears to the dead with the continuouslaughter from the spring outing.

• holiday [´hɔlidi]   n.假日，假期，节日   (初中英语单词)
• phrase [freiz]   n.短语；词组；措词   (初中英语单词)
• actually [´æktʃuəli]   ad.事实上；实际上   (初中英语单词)
• mourning [´mɔ:niŋ]   n.悲伤；治丧；戴孝   (初中英语单词)
• celebrate [´selibreit]   vt.庆祝；表扬；赞美   (初中英语单词)
• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:]   ad.&conj.因此；所以   (初中英语单词)
• continuous [kən´tinjuəs]   a.连续不断的；延长的   (初中英语单词)
• laughter [´lɑ:ftə]   n.笑，笑声   (初中英语单词)
• festival [´festivəl]   n.节日；庆祝；欢庆   (高中英语单词)
• sweeping [´swi:piŋ]   a.掠过的 n.扫除；清除   (高中英语单词)
• memorial [mi´mɔ:riəl]   a.纪念的 n.纪念物   (高中英语单词)
• incense [´insens, in´sens]   n.香(气) vt.激怒   (高中英语单词)
• sadness [´sædnis]   n.悲哀；悲痛；凄惨   (高中英语单词)
• picnic [´piknik]   n.郊游 vi.(去)野餐   (高中英语单词)
• unique [ju:´ni:k]   a.唯一的 n.独一无二   (高中英语单词)
• sorrowful [´sɔrəuful]   a.悲伤的，使人伤心的   (英语四级单词)