Ching Ming 清明记

陈年旧事翻出来聊一聊...

Ching Ming is a Chinese traditional festival where Chinese people will visit and clean their ancestor's and elderly's graves.

Ever since I've been away from hometown after SPM to further study and working, it's hard to meet the right timing to go back home for this ritual procedures (AND, unlike China, it is not a public holiday in Malaysia, and they have public holiday on 端午节 too!!)

So, since I could squeeze out some time during the weekend and everybody went back too!, so after so many years, I've come back! Sorry granpa and granma, I have been unfilial all these years.

The first stop was at Tanah Merah and Kusial, where my paternal grandfather and great-grandparents were buried.

The day was really hot, I could feel my skin burning. However, duty was still duty.


^putting 'in' new 'wallpaper' - it's like repaint the house

As in the tradition, female is not allowed to stand on top of the grave, so...


^dad was responsible to 'paint' the top of the 'house' - as usual

On the other hand, mom was responsible on the tombstone's duty. As in tradition, if there is two names on the same tombstone (husband and wife, obviously), the living one's name must be covered with red paper or cloth to 'notify' the Chinese Grim Reaper that person is still alive. In this case, granma's name was covered.


^mom doing the job

After the 'repainting' and food preparation were done, 拜拜 began, followed by the burning of the 'money' and pouring the tea around the grave.


^This year, confetti was the IN thing.

Not sure what's the purpose, but everyone was doing it.

The next grave visit was my great-grandparents'. The same procedures were repeated again here.


^Look at how high the grave is!!

The next day, we went to Temple of Double Dragon 双龙寺 to my maternal grandmother's grave. As she was cremated, the procedures minus out the 'repainting' part.


^Honestly, I think this was my first time coming to her grave during Ching Ming :(




That's all. I hope I'll be back next year again.

Comments

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