is on the 4th of April

在4月4日

and it is a holiday

這是一個節日

we actually take a day off

我們是有放一天假的

aka long weekend

長假

um

呃

and what do we do on Tomb Sweeping Day?

所以我們在掃墓清明節做什麼呢？

because it sounds pretty unfamiliar

因為聽起來很陌生

but it is actually a day I grew up with

但這其實是一個我小時候

since I have memory

就記得的節日

and we literally just sweep the tomb

我們也是真的“掃墓”

Tomb sweeping is actually a very traditional Taiwanese culture

掃墓其實是一個很傳統的台灣文化

that we have this custom

我們有這個傳統

We visit our ancestor's tomb

我們會去看祖先的墳墓

about once a year

一年一次

and

我知道

I know

這聽起來不是很興奮

It sounds pretty depressing

去拜訪一個墳墓

visiting a tomb

但

but

在台灣，至少在我的家庭

In Taiwan, well at least in my family

我們有點把這個當成戶外活動

we kind of treat it as a field trip day

所有的家庭和遠親

for all the families and extended families

親戚我們不常看到的

the family we don't see very often

聚在一起帶食物來

to get together and bring foods

我猜這有點像野餐

I guess it's kind of like a potluck

在墳墓這裡

but at a tomb

然後我們也做很多勞動活動

and we do labour works

這個人的媽媽生病

This man's mother caught an illness

我忘記他的名字

I forgot his name

他媽媽生病

Anyway his mother was ill

中藥說他要用鹿的奶

The doctor had given him a prescription to get deer milk

哦哦才可依喝才會治好

Ohh so she could drink it to heal the illness

所以他要收集鹿的奶要怎麼辦？

Yes but how is he going to collect deer milk?

然後他就披鹿皮

He then wore a sheet of deer skin

他就批這個鹿皮去收集鹿的奶

He wore this so he could blend in and collect deer milk

結果這裡有個獵人

then there came a hunter

可是獵人把他當鹿差點要把他射死

The hunter almost accidentally shot him mistakenly thinking him for a deer

所以他就趕快說哎等一下我是人

Then the man quickly stood up and the hunter realized he was a person

然後這個獵人就好奇問他為什麼

The hunter was curious and inquired why he did such a thing

這也是24孝故事裡其中的鹿奉親

And this is one of the "24 Filial Piety Stories" in Confucian philosophy

高級

fancy

現在新版的

I think this is the newer edition

太酷了有印花

Cool! There're prints now

印花

floral print

印花哈哈

FLORAL PRINT

所以我的堂妹

So my cousin is actually

要告訴我們為什麼

going to tell us why

我們有這些墳墓的紙

we have these tomb papers

他們會被用石頭壓在墳墓上

that are nailed down on the tomb with a rock

所以以前有個將軍

So there was a general

他的墳墓被摧毀

whose tomb was destroyed

再一次的大戰裡

during the war

他用這些紙

and he used the paper

找到他的墓

to locate his tomb

和有神民的幫忙

with the help of the Gods

所以今天

and it becomes today that

我們用這些紙來裝飾我們的墓

we use these papers to decorate our tombs

我們在掃墓清明節常吃的

The speciality food we eat on Tomb Sweeping Day

是草阿粿

is called the caozaiguo

他們已很多不同種

and it comes in a variation

甜的會用紅色來表示

from sweet which would be represented as red

綠色的是素食的

and the green is vegetarian

在裡面的餡料

and usually wrapped in

甜的會是紅豆

the sweet would be red bean

綠的會是醃蘿蔔

and the green would be pickled raddish

我們撥白煮蛋的原因

The origin of why we crack a hard boiled egg

在墳墓上

onto the tomb is that

是表示生命週期

it symbolizes the cycle of life

然後新的一個生命

and the becoming of a new life

另外一個台灣的宗教信仰

another religious belief in Taoism

當你燒這些金紙

is that when you burn all these ghost money

灰燼和煙會飄到空氣裡

the ashes and the smoke would go up in the air

然後我們祖先在天上

and our ancestors in heaven

會收到他們

would receive them

要去過一片海去參加某個宴會

These Gods were crossing this ocean to get to a party

他們就想要大家各自顯神通

They each wanted to show off their powers

來看看各自有什麼本事過海

to see who was more capable of crossing this vast ocean

哦哦是哦

Ohhhh realllyyyy?

所以他們就各自想辦法

So they each came up with the coolest thing

有些的騎海龜

There was God who rode on a sea turtle

有些騎鹿啊，有些坐鳥

Some on deers; some on flying animals

有些還會吹笛子有沒有

There was also a God who crossed the ocean via Chinese flute playing

現在墳墓已經被清掃了

Now the tomb's cleaned

那是我的堂妹

and that's my cousin

我想我們任務完成

I think mission accomplished

可以回家了

we're ready to head home