This year, traditional Chinese holidays like Tomb-Sweeping Day have been designated as public holidays. As Tomb-Sweeping Day draws near, many Chinese people are discussing how to spend the holiday.
In an article carried by the Shanghai-based Wen Hui Daily, a well-known newspaper in Shanghai, the author argues that Tomb-Sweeping Day should not become a day just for visiting ancestor's graves and burning paper money in their honor. Instead, according to tradition, the Tomb-Sweeping Day should be primarily a festival for returning to nature. The holiday is also known as Clear and Bright Day, which signals the coming of spring.
The article says that Tomb-Sweeping Day should become a day for people to engage with nature and express their love of life, not just to cry over the deceased. However, some retailers have taken the festival as an opportunity to selling goods related to tomb-sweeping, perverting the original meaning of the festival.
The article concludes that since Tomb-Sweeping Day has become a public holiday, people should take the opportunity to explore the traditional holiday from cultural and historical aspects. Scholars and the mass media should also encourage the public to get rid of old, backward habits and customs.