Observed a late Qingming, Tomb Sweeping Day, with Dad yesterday at the plaque sites for my maternal Grandpa and Great Grandma, Grandpa's mother. They opted to be cremated instead of buried.
清明 Qingming is on the 5th of April every year, which fell on a Wednesday this year. We unfortunately were all busy then.
In years past, in my opinion, it was a needlessly elaborate affair. My Grandma would bring several baskets and boxes filled with food offerings for Grandpa and Great Grandma as well as the cemetery communal shrine. She would insist on specifically offering up a whole crayfish and a kilo of roast pork as well as rice wine to Grandpa. Ghost Grandpa ate and drank well on Qingming. She would lay down a whole bunch of incense and before the present-day cemetery-wide fire ban, she would bring a stove to burn all sorts of joss paper, hell and heaven bank notes (to cover both bases) as well as paper clothes.
Dad and I kept it quite minimal this time. We just did quick sweep and clean of the site and put down some incense for Grandma, Great Grandma, their immediate neighbours and the communal shrine. Also 土地公 Tudigong "Lord of the Land" of the cemetery received some incense.
On the way, I noticed some families are adapting with the times and offering some of the good ol' Colonel to their ancestors. I mean, had I known that was an acceptable thing to do, I would have brought some for Grandpa. He was very fond of the Hot and Spicy. 😝❤️
#清明 #qingming #tombsweepingday
Qing Ming Festival falls on April 5 this year.
Once again I find myself far from home and unable to sweep my loved ones’ tombs; so instead, sharing a small and most familiar poem.
#清明 #遙祭 #everynightapoem #translation #chinese #poetry
今天要祭祖拜拜
因為公婆是虔誠佛教徒
所以拜拜都要準備素食
公婆對我真的很好
讓我在家完全可以做自己
也謝謝他們容忍我
的直脾氣
大家都說我對公婆很好
尤其婆婆中風15年了
她總是非常感謝我的
不離不棄
人都是互相
溝通非常重要
才不會有誤會
我一開始就不隱藏
我會跟公婆說
我太笨了,沒有直接跟我說清楚
我會聽不懂
也是太年輕
感謝他們對我像女兒一樣
驕傲的是
在外面別人都以為我是女兒
這個愛讓我遇到困難
總能勇敢的走過
素食都是婆婆教我煮的
我結婚時連蛋炒飯都煮不熟!🤣
I visited Mary Jane before I conducted my Qingming duties today. I kinda feel guilty but it was easier to deal with Mum and Grandma bickering in the car and the rituals at Grandpa's gravesite.
The roasted meats we brought for the offering also tasted a lot sweeter too. Funny that. 😂