Under The Angsana Tree: Qingming Jie Festival 清明節 2018

05/04/2018

Qingming Jie Festival 清明節 2018

Chinese families visit the tombs and graves of their relatives, clean them from the weeds and leave some foods and incense in front of the graves, according to the ancient traditions of the Qing Ming Festival celebration. People bring everything from fruit and vegetables to meat, rice and even tea or wine. After ritual performances represented mainly by kneeling and bowing, they, however, take the food back home and consume it themselves, believing that the spirits have already eaten their share.

An interesting custom is embodied in paper gifts. These are various material goods, including mock money, cars, houses, mobile phones, servants and other stuff drawn on signed sheets of paper and then burnt. These paper offerings are supposed to ensure the material well-being of the ancestors in the afterworld.

Qing Ming Festival falls on the 15th day after the spring equinox or the 106th day after winter solstice, namely in early April. However, people start visiting their relatives' tombs 10 days before and continue for 10 days afterwards. The name "Qing Ming Festival" literally means "clear and bright festival" and judging by the festivities it resembles All Souls' Day widely celebrated in the Western world. Qing Ming Festival is also known as Tombsweeping Day since they actually sweep the tombs of their ancestors.

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