“清明節是中國最重要的傳統節日之一。它不僅是人們祭奠祖先、緬懷先人的節日，也是中華民族認祖歸宗的紐帶，更是一個遠足踏青、親近自然、催護新生的春季儀式。”
"Qingming Festival is one of the most important traditional festival China. It is not only the people pay homage to their ancestors, cherish the memory of their ancestors Festival, is also the Chinese nation's link to find one's origin, is a hiking outing, close to nature, protecting the new spring ceremony."
作為清明節重要節日內容的祭祀、踏青等習俗則主要來源於寒食節和上巳節。寒食節與古人對於自然的認識相關。在中國，寒食之後重生新火就是一種辭舊迎新的過渡儀式，透露的是季節交替的信息，象徵著新季節、新希望、新生命、新循環的開始。後來則有了“感恩”意味，更強調對“過去”的懷念和感謝。寒食禁火冷食祭墓，清明取新火踏青出遊。唐代之前，寒食與清明是兩個前後相繼但主題不同的節日，前者懷舊悼亡，後者求新護生;一陰一陽，一息一生，二者有著密切的配合關係。禁火是為了出火，祭亡是為了佑生，這就是寒食與清明的內在文化關聯。唐玄宗時，朝廷曾以政令的形式將民間掃墓的風俗固定在清明節前的寒食節，由於寒食與清明在時間上緊密相連，寒食節俗很早就與清明發生關聯，掃墓也由寒食順延到了清明。
As an important content of the festival Ching Ming Festival sacrifice, outing custom comes from the cold food festival, Shangsi festival. The cold food festival and the understanding of the nature of the. In China, cold food after the rebirth of the new fire is a kind of new transition ceremony, said the seasonal alternation information, a symbol of starting the new season, new hope, new life, new cycle. Then there is the "thanksgiving" means, more emphasis on the "past" Remembrance and gratitude. Cold food observance ban fire cold food festival tomb sweeping outing travel, take new fire. Before the Tang Dynasty, cold and clarity is the two successive but the theme of different festivals, the former Qiu Xin Memorial nostalgia, the nursing students; Yin and Yang, a breath of life, the two have close relationship with the. Fire ban is for fire, sacrifice to the Archilife dead, it is cold and clear the inherent cultural association. Tang Xuanzong, the court had to order in the form of folk customs in the Ching Ming Festival fixed sweep the tombs of the cold food festival, Hanshi and Qingming is closely connected with in time, cold food festival and Qingming associated with early, sweep the tombs from the extended to the Qingming cold food.