Qingming’s festival and the arrival of Spring

In Chinese tradition, the year officially begins with spring, specifically with the Spring Festival. Chinese culture believes that the spring period, during which nature is reborn and flourishes again, is closely related to the period of rebirth and awakening of the Earth and its inhabitants.

The festival of QingMing (清明), literally “clear and bright,” falls on the fifth of the 24 solar terms: the very name of the festival reflects the warm and bright spring weather. This festival celebrates all life beginning to bloom and grow after the long winter hibernation; our bodies and minds are also reborn as the season changes and the harsh winter weather gives way to the mild spring weather.

Qingming also has significance in Chinese tea culture in that green tea leaves are categorized according to whether they were harvested before or after the date of the festival. Green tea made from leaves harvested before Qingming is classified with the prestigious nomenclature of “pre-Qingming” (清明前, Qingming qian), a designation that reflects the refinement of the tea. According to experts, “pre-Qingming” tea has a lighter and more delicate aroma than tea harvested after the festival.

New year, new energy

From the fifth chapter of the Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen(Inner or Esoteric Book of the Yellow Emperor), spring is associated with the element of Wood, which in turn influences the liver, gallbladder, spleen, tendons, nails, eyes, sour taste, green color, the emotion of anger and animated arguments.

So what does spring have to do with our health?

Pay attention to internal heat surges or excessive Yang in the liver, which presents with red eyes, frequent anger, irritability, fierce headaches, heavy premenstrual symptoms, hypertension, and gastrointestinal problems. Carefully care for the liver and gallbladder-eat purifying foods, focus on natural and preservative-free foods, moderate or eliminate intoxicants, and moderate fatty and oil-rich foods-get into the habit of caring for your body’s health, avoid negative emotions, and favor green foods.

Often, when the element of Wood is negatively affected, we do not feel in full control of our emotions. We get carried away in fits of furious anger and bouts of depression. When we feel angry or stressed, it means that our Wood element is not perfectly in harmony with the other elements. The Water element naturally opposes Wood, which is capable of restoring balance and strength to the harmony in our body.

How to harmonize the element of Wood

Drinking:

The weather is mild, everything is beginning to awaken and bud: as in nature, we need lots of energy to help our growing vitality. In this season, we recommend drinking apartment teas to the Water element, combining them with Metal herbs (such as Schisandra or Gynostemma), to rebalance our Wood organs.

Perfect examples of Water teas are the Moonlight Imperial white tea from Jinggu and Autumn Silver Needle White Tea.

To eat:

Eat easily digestible foods so as not to strain the spleen. Spring season is the season for green and fresh foods: this description includes all green or leafy vegetables and fresh sprouts. Embrace this Chinese holiday with your favorite foods: spring rolls, omelet with scallions, steamed rice with green vegetables, or tea-flavored foods. Check out our recipes in our dedicated section of tea in the kitchen.

If you have too much Yang in your liver, counteract it with sweet and mild foods, such as sweet potatoes, mulberry, chrysanthemum, goji, tremella or almonds. Look for sour foods to stimulate the liver, avoid them if you have too much Yang or heat in the liver.

Activities:

Spring weather allows us to enjoy the blossoming of nature: take advantage of the clement weather to walk among the newly blooming flowers and marvel at the colorful spectacle that this season of rebirth offers us. Many Chinese families celebrate during the Qingming Festival their deceased loved ones by visiting and caring for their graves.