This fortnight is the period of Qing Ming (Hokkien, Cheng Beng) or All Souls Day (not to be confused with the Catholic event) which is an elaborate family function for Chinese families to commemorate and honour ancestors.
The Qing Ming festival is very much a family heritage and at the same, a family obligation.
The Chinese see this festival as a time to reflect, honour and give thanks to their forefathers by visiting the graves of their ancestors at the nearest weekend of the actual date.
According to custom, grave site veneration is only feasible 10 days before and after Qing Ming festival which falls on April 4 this year.
This date is a statutory public holiday for China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau.
The Qing Ming festival is very much a family heritage and at the same, a family obligation.
The Chinese see this festival as a time to reflect, honour and give thanks to their forefathers by visiting the graves of their ancestors at the nearest weekend of the actual date.
According to custom, grave site veneration is only feasible 10 days before and after Qing Ming festival which falls on April 4 this year.
This date is a statutory public holiday for China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau.
3 comments:
The japanese boss had left his land many decades ago to try and make it out here. Some said he had left his homeland in a cloud because he was a malcontent. However, in the many things he had dabbled here, nothing seemed to have struck. In fact he was quite stuck. So one day he was about to go back to tokyo to try and get some more money from his brother. The young (then) local looked him in the eye and nonchalantly made one short remark. 'Why don't you go pay respect at the tomb of your dad?' So, one month later, the boss came back. He was beaming. He told the young local, 'i took your advice and went to the tomb; after that, things suddenly looked up. I went to the malaysian consulate in tokyo and they introduced some of my countrymen to me who were wanting to come over in view of the look-east policy and they needed my help.' To the surprise of everyone else, the recalcitrant boss invited the young local to have lunch in front of him in his office. No katana was unsheathed.
Humanity comes from life, yet transcends it to leave echoes of concern that reflect the Unseen Force above.
The care of the parent for his or her children remains as an invisible residue long after the parent is gone. It is as though the Unseen Force above exalts that action from the human heart until it is manifested in ways which defy human explanation, even for the most unbelieving.
Life is short; the young chase time which in turn chases them back when they are old. In the merry and mocking way that events unfold to build hopes but crash dreams, there are sure lessons to be learned by each.
To paraphrase someone, the most incomprehensible thing about life is that it is comprehensible.
Thanks for this very timely post that few would even dream of posting. It is particularly sad for me this year because I lost both my parents within a year recently.
God bless you and yours.
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