"The 24 Solar Terms" is a system of knowledge formed by the ancient people to follow the agricultural seasons, through observing the movement of celestial bodies, and recognizing the changes in time, climate, and weather throughout the year. Click on Huayi Network to learn more about Qingming Festival.

During Qingming Festival, if you are away from home and want to pay respects to your deceased relatives, you can tidy up a clean table or platform at home, facing your hometown or the west, and place a photo of the deceased ancestor. You can also write a tablet, which means writing "The Seat of the Ancestors of the X Family" on red paper with a black pen. Then place flowers, fruits, candles, incense burners, cigarettes, alcohol, tea, and meals as offerings. If you don't have an incense burner, you can put rice in a bowl to insert incense and light it.
After lighting the incense, bow three times, then tell the ancestors the reason why you cannot return home, so you are paying respects to them today in a distant place. If possible, you can burn paper money for the ancestors, so that they can live comfortably and protect the living family members. If you can light a candle, it's best to wait until the candle burns out before ending the ceremony. After the ceremony, don't forget to send off the ancestors, allowing them to rest peacefully before removing the incense table and offerings.

1. Incense and candles. Incense and candles are essential and the most important items for rituals. Not only should incense and candles be lit in front of the ancestors, but incense should also be offered to the mountain gods and land deities who guard the cemetery, praying that they will protect the cemetery and ensure the peace of the ancestors' souls.
2. Paper money. Paper money is to be burned for the deceased, so that they can use it in the afterlife; it must be burned completely.
3. Vegetarian wine. The ritual process is like bringing food to celebrate the festival for the ancestors, so it is necessary to pour wine for the ancestors; wine is essential for tomb sweeping.
4. Fruits and snacks. Fruits should be seasonal fruits from the local area, with no special requirements; snacks can be decided based on specific circumstances.
5. Meals. It is best to choose the dishes that the deceased person liked in life. Many people, while paying respects to their ancestors, also tell their children stories about the deceased, reminding the younger generation not to forget their ancestors.
6. Flowers. Chrysanthemums symbolize longing and remembrance, and they are suitable for visiting tombs during Qingming Festival; white chrysanthemums are especially appropriate for the occasion.