So, i've decided to do some research, and this is what I found on wikipedia:
The Qingming Festival, or Ching Ming Festival as called in Hong Kong, Clear and Bright Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival on the 104th day after the winter solstice (or the 15th day from the Spring Equinox), usually occurring around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar. Every leap year, Qing Ming is on April 4. Astronomically, it is also a solar term. In solar terms, the Qingming festival is on the 1st day of the 5th solar term, which is also named Qingming. Its name denotes a time for people to go outside and enjoy the greenery of springtime, and also to tend to the graves of departed ones.
For the Chinese, it is a day to remember and honour one's ancestors. Young and old pray before the ancestors, sweep the tombs and offer food, tea, wine, chopsticks, (joss) paper acessories, and/or libation to the ancestors. The rites are very important to most Chinese and especially farmers. Some people carry willow branches with them on Qingming, or put willow branches on their gates and/or front doors. They think that willow branches help ward off the evil ghosts that wander on Qingming. Also on Qingming, people go on family outings, start the spring plowing, sing, dance, and Qingming is a time where young couples start courting. Another popular thing to do is fly kites (in shapes of animals, or characters from Chinese opera).
The April Fifth Movement and the Tiananmen Incident were major events on Qingming that took place in the history of the People's Republic of China. When Premier Zhou Enlai died in 1976, thousands visited him during the festival to pay respect. In the Republic of China, April 4th coincides with the passing of Chiang Kai-shek and the date is designated as a national holiday.
Hanshi, the day before Qingming, was created by Chong'er, the Duke Wen of the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period when he accidentally killed his personal friend and servant Jie Zhitui (介之推) (or Jie Zitui) and his mother in a fireblaze in the hope of making him return to him (Chong'er). On Hanshi, people were not allowed to use fires to heat up food, thus nicknaming it the Cold Food Festival. Eventually, 300 years ago, the Hanshi "celebration" was combined with the Qingming festival, but later abandoned by most people.
Qingming itself was created by the Tang Emperor Xuanzong in 732. It is said that because the wealthy held too many expensive, elaborate ancestor-worshipping ceremonies, in a needed effort to lower this expense, Emperor Xuanzong declared that respects could be formally paid at ancestor's graves only on Qingming.
Well, i do not realise that Ching Ming is such an important day. I always wonder why my dad would insist that the day is more important than the Chinese New Year.
Mr Sunshine appeared from the cloud, breaking the morning mist.
This year the interior designer himself decided to go down the field and perform his art. Should do that every year, ah kor...
Young and old, preparing for the prayers...
Chicken, duck, pork, fruits, kuih, kopi-o, Guinness Stout, vegetarian food, etc... I remembered we used to have ice cream also when my granduncle from Kepala Batas joined us...
After presenting the food to my 'ah kong' and 'ah poh', we started to feel hungry too... Drooling... Tossing coins is the way to ask whether we can also start eating...
'Chin Tui' - some kuih make from glutinous rice powder... That's what my dad told me... Ng's family favourite... Only my 阿姆 know how to make it...
"Let me teach you how to 'kopek' the sugar cane with your teeth"
After a sumptuos meal, time to burn the offerings to my 'ah kong' and 'ah poh'... Maybe I would buy a car and a driver for them next year... Hmmm...
Burn to ashes. Hopefully, the postal delivery system is good enough, making sure that my 'ah kong' and 'ah poh' will receive our offerings
From no sunlight to too much sunlight, people start to put on huge pasar malam umbrella. It's a busy busy day with a lot of peaple this year...
1 comment:
hmm, i never take pic b4 during pai shan..
must take next year since i couldn't make it this year and miss out on the big feast!!
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