The Qingming Festival is popularly associated with Jie Zitui, who lived in Shanxi province in 600 B.C.

谈到清明节 ，有点历史 知识 的人，都会联想到历史人物介子推。

Legend has it that Jie saved his starving lord's life by serving a piece of his own leg. When the lord succeeded in becoming the ruler of a small principality, he invited his faithful follower¹ to join him.

据历史记载，在两千多年以前的春秋时代 ，晋国公子重耳逃亡 在外，生活 艰苦 ，跟随他的介子推不惜从自己的腿上割下一块肉让他充饥。

However, Jie declined his invitation, preferring having a hermit's life with his mother in the mountains.

后来，重耳回到晋国，作了国君（即晋文公，春秋五霸之一），大事封赏所有跟随他流亡在外的随从，惟独介子推拒绝接受封赏，他带了母亲隐居绵山。

Believing that he could force Jie out by burning the mountain, the lord ordered his men to set the forest on fire.

晋文公无计可施，只好放火烧山，他想，介子推孝顺 母亲，一定会带着老母出来。

To his consternation², Jie chose to remain in the mountain and was burnt to death. To commemorate³ Jie, the lord ordered all fires in every home to be put out on the anniversary of Jie's death. Thus began the "cold food feast", a day when no food could be cooked since no fire could be lit.

谁知这场大火却把介子推母子烧死了。为了纪念 介子推，晋文公下令每年的这一天，禁止生火，家家户户只能吃生冷的食物，这就是寒食节的来源。

The "cold food" festival occurs on the eve of the Qingming Festival and is often considered as part of it.

寒食节是在清明节的前一天，古人常把寒食节的活动延续到清明，久而久之，清明取代了寒食节。

As time passes, the Qingming Festival replaced the "cold food" festival.

拜介子推的习俗 也变成了清明扫墓的习俗了。

Whatever practice is observed，the basic observation of Qing Ming is to remember one's elders by making a special effort to visit their graves, ashes or ancestral tablets. To make the visit even more meaningful, some time should be spent to let young generation of family members know ancestors' past struggles and contributions, and the story of Jie Zitui who chose death over capitulation.

无论以何种形式纪念，为了使纪念祖先的仪式更有意义，我们应该让年轻一代的家庭成员了解先人过去的奋斗历史，当然，还要学习介子推宁死不屈的气节。