清明节是我们中国的传统节日，是每年春暖花开最适合踏青的时节，你可能会有机会和你的外国朋友聊到一些关于清明节的习俗和传统，这也是一个闲聊中可以用的好话题，那么我们怎么用英语聊这个传统节日呢？

J: Hi guys. I’m Joy.
C: And I’m Chris.
J: So Chris, most people in China are having a 3 day holiday right now. Do you know about the festival?
C: Oh yeah that’s right. Isn’t it the Tomb Sweeping Festival?
J: Yep, it is.
C: So what is this festival about?
J: Well, it’s essentially a festival to commemorate the dead, especially our passed family members. Since this is once a year, every time you go there, the tomb will be covered with dust and stuff. People have to sweep the dust off of the tombs. So we also call it sweeping the tomb when we go and visit the dead.
C: Sounds interesting. So is there any rituals or customs that you have to do when you visit the tombs?
J: I think most people will burn some paper money for their passed family members. Because people here believe that the dead will receive the money you burn on the other side and they’ll be able to use it over there, like buying houses, cars, clothes, things like that.
C: Oh. That’s very interesting. I heard that some people bring food to the tomb as well right?
J: Yeah, some people bring some bread, fruits and some snacks. I think my family would bring some of the favorite food and drinks of the passed family members.
C: So do you leave the food there?
J: Well, some do and some don’t. I heard that many believe that the dead will come back as animals like cats and birds and eat the food that we leave them. And some people will ask the children to eat all of the food when they are there.
C: Wait, you mean they will eat the food they bring for the dead? Why?
J: Yeah, I don’t know the specific reason for it. But it’s supposed to bring good luck for the people in the family. So I guess by eating the food, the passed family members can protect them.
C: Oh wow. That’s a lot of things you need to do.
J: Yup. So do people in America do anything when they are visiting the tombs?

C: Well, the tradition is to visit the family member the first year after they have passed on the day of the funeral. After that it is more of an individual thing. So if you want to visit your ancestors on your own you can but most families do not have a tradition to do it as a group. Most people just bring some flowers if they want instead of food. But it’s not mandatory. Often times the one who was closest to the family member will make sure it is cleaned and has new flowers regularly. The culture is different so how people view it is different as well. This can also be different depending on what part of the country you live in too.
J: Oh it makes sense. You know, the Tomb Sweeping Festival is also a good chance for us to get outside and enjoy the warm weather. Because the festival is in Spring, it’s always the perfect time to go hiking and do some outdoor activities. I think it’s a great way to celebrate life!
C: That’s pretty cool. I hope everyone has a good time during this holiday.
J: I hope so too. So If you like our channel, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family! Bye guys!