Introduction to the Cold Food Festival: its origin, customs, and cultural connotations. Whom does the Cold Food Festival commemorate?
In 2011, the date of the Cold Food Festival was April 4. The Cold Food Festival falls on the 105th day after the Winter Solstice (one of the twenty-four solar terms), and is one of China's traditional festivals. It usually occurs one or two days before the Qingming Festival, and is also known as the "No Fire Festival," "Cold Festival," or "One Hundred Fifth Festival." Due to the prohibition of fire during the Cold Food Festival, cooking by fire is not allowed, and only prepared cooked food or cold dishes can be consumed, hence its name. In the Gregorian calendar, April 4, 2011, which corresponds to the second day of the third lunar month, and was a Monday, marked the Cold Food Festival in 2011.