The Ching Ming Festival falls during the third lunar month. Hereyou will find the Western calendar date.
On most days of the entire year, cemeteries in Hong Kong are studiously avoided but to the Ching Ming Festival, public transport businesses must put on extra services to them, such may be the exodus from the city’s streets to its hillside graveyards.
Ching Ming literally translates as ‘clean and brilliant ‘, , which might be the day that Chinese individuals sweep the graves of their ancestors.
Traditionally, many people burn paper offerings at gravesites throughout the festival for their ancestors to use within the afterlife. The most popular of these used to get faux cash, but it appears the consumer demands of the earthly world have crossed over in the hereafter, because individuals in Hong Kong now also burn paper imitations of mobile phones, notebooks, fridges, air-conditioners as well as luxury cars.
People honor their ancestor and celebrate the coming of spring. The Ching Ming Festival is also called the “Tomb Sweeping Day”, the “Spring Remembrance Day”, or the “Clear Brightness Festival”
Celebration
Ching Ming Festival is not a happy festival, it is dignified day. As people honor their ancestor. It is a day for family members and relatives come together at the gravesite and clean up the tombs and the surrounding. For the ceremony, burning joss sticks are put in front of the tomb, paper offering, paper clothes and paper money are burnt to allow ancestors to receive the gifts so that it can show people’s respect to their ancestor.
Various food, drinks, and flowers are offered the tombs. The feast for day includes steamed chicken, fruit, pork, rice, roasted pig, and chinese wine.