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The festival of Ching Ming is celebrated in China every year on the 5th of April. On the Chinese calendar, the date is indicated by two characters namely ‘ching’, which stands for something pure and clean and ‘ming’ symbolizing brightness. Hence, the term Ching Ming stands for something pure and bright. On this day, the Japanese people also have a celebration of their own. Moreover, in Korea, the festival of Ching Ming is known by the name of Hansik.
During the festival of Ching Ming in China many rituals are observed by the Chinese people. Cleaning of the headstone, replacing of the wilted flowers with the fresh ones,weeding of the area, burning of imitation paper money and burning incense sticks are some examples of such rituals.Very interestingly, the burning of the paper money has quite a lot of significance amongst the Chinese people as it symbolizes giving money to the dead to use it in their eternal life.
On Ching Ming, many people also offer food to the headstone of their near and dear ones as a mark of affection and love. It is believed that by doing so they would be able to feed the spirits of their deceased ones. This food offering usually includes sliced barbecued pork (cha shiu), a steamed whole chicken, hard boiled eggs, dim sum pastries and cut roast pork with crunchy skin attached Along with these, three sets of chopsticks and three Chinese wine cups are placed above the food offerings and the headstone’s closet.
Usually the head of a family begins the solemn ceremony by bowing three times in front of the headstone and pouring wine on the ground. Repeated three times, this procedure is followed by the other members of the family as well. Paying respect in the traditional Chinese way by holding the right fist cupped in the left hand, it is believed that contacts are established with the world of the spirits to bring good luck to the members of the family. At the end of the ceremony, the families of the dead have a feast before the headstone in the graveyard itself considered to be very auspicious and bring good luck to the family.
Moreover, at night, firecrackers are blasted to scare away the evil spirits and announce the victory of the good over evil.
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