The English translation of Qing Ming Jie is ‘Pure and Bright Festival’ or ‘Clear and Bright Festival. It’s the same as the western All Soul’s Day. This festival comes once a year around early April. It falls on 106th day after the winter solstice in December. Qing Ming Jie is about worshipping ancestors and Filial Piety. People visit columbaria and cemeteries with foods and other similar things to offer the ancestors.
Origins
In the Zhou Dynasty (1125-225 BC) Qing Ming was marked as a festival. On this day emperors and other high-ranked officials would carry out a religious ceremonial act in ancestral veneration. However, this ritual changed during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 23 AD) and the common people also began to attend this festival. People started to offer their prayers in graveyards and cemeteries rather than ancestral temples.
Many scholars argue about the Qing Ming Jie’s origin. According to them, this festival is a replica of ‘Han Shi Jie’ (寒食节) which means ‘Cold Food Festival’ but other scholars disagreed. There is a popular story behind this concept which took place many centuries back during the Zhou dynasty in China. Once a ruler of Qin named Duke Wen invited Chieh Chih Tui (Jie Zi Tui, 介子推) who was considered as a loyal subject of Duke Win, in celebration of his position as sovereign of a small principality. But, Chieh Chih refused the invitation saying that he is returning to the mountains in order to take care of his parents although many scholars have just mentioned his mother. To stop Chieh Chih, Duke Win ordered his army to burn down the entire forest. This did not scare Chieh Chih and he remained to his decision resulting in his death.
After Chieh Chih’s death, Duke Win ordered to put all fires out to commemorate him and celebrate that day as his death anniversary; hence, marking it as Han Shi Jie. . Following the rituals people eat raw food on Han Shi Jie. Since then this festival takes place every 105th day past the winter solstice in December followed by the Qing Ming. The customs and rituals of Han Shi resemble Qing Ming as people offer their prayers by making a tomb for their ancestors. However, this festival came to end during the Tang period and it was replaced by Qing Ming where people pay homage to their ancestors in graveyards and cemeteries.
Ceremonies and Rites
People perform various traditional practices including visiting the ancestral grave, preparing tablets or niches in 10 days prior to or after the festival.
Descendants buy tablets or niches to offer to the grave of their ancestors. Plus, people offer food items like chicken, pork, duck, and fish. Not only flesh they also offer fruits, vegetables, wine, tea, and rice. If the niche or tablet is set in the temple then the offerings do not include any type of meat. People offer vegetables and fruits instead.
The public departs early on this day to avoid hefty traffic, especially around columbaria and cemeteries. Before paying homage people first undertake sao mau (which means ‘sweeps the grave’). It includes removing all the weeds and grass that grow around the tombstone, dusting the ancestor’s grave, and painting faded parts of it.
People offer their prayers to different deities and spirits. The rituals include offering the first prayer to an important deity Tu Di Gong (土地公, “God of the Soil”) who was worshipped by Taoists. People also offer to these wandering spirits that have nobody to pay offerings. The offerings are paid to the wandering spirit so that they do not touch the family ancestral offerings.
Whether worshipping in the cemetery, temple, or columbaria it does not make any difference.
They all are similar to one another. Foods are offered on the grave, temple altar, or niche accompanied by joss sticks and red candles. They show their respect by bowing, kneeling, kowtowing before the tablets, niche, or grave holding joss sticks. Following the traditional rituals first, male members in the family pray and then female members.
After that, descendants burn paper gifts and false money to make sure that their ancestors are well off in the afterlife. This ritual includes a replica of varieties of material items like television, car, cars, servants, accessories, mobile phones, and houses. Several people write the name of their ancestors and descendants on the paper gifts and then burn it so that it safely arrives at their ancestors.
Then, people wait for their ancestor’s spirit to eat the food. After giving them enough time, people take all the food into their homes and consume it. Therefore, Qing Ming can also be considered a day when each member of the family gathers pays tribute and eats together.
Variation across the dialect groups
Hokkein and Teochew communities follow the tradition of placing ya Zhi (压纸), a colored paper on the tombstone. These colored papers are proof for other people that the people have visited their ancestral graves.
On this day Teochew performs another ritual of eating shells or bivalves. The shells of the bivalve are scattered around the ancestral grave after eating them. In this ritual cockles, shells are considered as gold which indicates prosperity in the family. Plus, it indicates to other people that the descendants have visited the tombstone.
The Cantonese worship their ancestors by placing three Chinese wine cups, cooked rice in three bowls, pork, chicken, lotus root, lettuce, sugar cane, and three pair of chopsticks around the grave.
Local adoption
The land scarcity in Singapore has compelled the government to exhume cemeteries which is why people are inclining more towards columbaria than cremations.
The traditional practice of visiting tombstones was popular till the 2000s. During Qing Ming, Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (the Hokkein Can Association of Singapore) would organize a trip to the Choa Chu Kang Cemetery for the people to pay tribute to the unclaimed tombstone.
However, this practice was halted by the exhumation program at the Choa Chu Kang Cemetery run by the Singapore government. The remembrance practice of those gravestones was shifted towards the temple.
Qing Ming is stilled practiced by the Chinese people in Singapore regardless the religion or ethnicity. Chinese people who are not Taoist or Buddhist also pay homage to their ancestors. However, rather than practicing various traditional rituals, they offer their respect by remaining silent. They often offer a bouquet.
We have covered various traditional rituals performed by the different Chinese communities during Qing Ming. Furthermore, we mentioned how modern Chinese in Singapore celebrate this festival.
Need Immediate Service? 24/7 +65 9135 4444 Dismiss
He knew how precious this kind of mustard ring that could be turned into energy was.With the experience of being escaped by him last time, it would be much more difficult for him to easily escape from the hands of several Nascent Soul Ancestors.
It s a deal Ancestor Jin Kai said solemnly. Both parties made an agreement and were both satisfied.In addition, what Li Shiming lacks now is the refining experience of second grade elixirs, which requires a lot of refining to make up for it.
He connected with the phantom dragon and observed the situation outside through the eyes of the phantom dragon.This is a faint consciousness left in the spiritual mark by the master of the spiritual mark.
Jiang Shu s mission had been completed, so he would die.Fellow Daoist Li, I was thinking of asking you to come over Kim Kardashian Weight Loss: Tips and Insights for Success
and tell me about the combat power of the Great Elder of Yongle Island.
For CBD Gummies vs Tincture: A Comprehensive Comparison for Optimal Wellness (OQbVK)
him, the spiritual power of Ancestor Jin Kai is like water from the ocean flowing into a river.The second is to use huge force to forcefully open the bow, and with the help of the rune array on the bow, the energy of the bow is gathered and stored on the arrow, and a super powerful arrow is fired.
But even if the influence is so great, no monk in Shushan Sect and Beishu Trading Company, including Elder Su and Elder Ma, two of Li Shiming s masters, will do anything to disturb Li Shiming s cultivation.Li Shiming smiled faintly. He liked this kind of enemy who didn t have much intelligence.
What Li Shiming valued was the fourth grade quality.It s a monk from the Senluo Sect Li Shiming saw both sides of the battle.
At that time, Brother Hu and Yan Gao met in Zhongzhou Continent and fought against the enemy together, so they had some friendship.They have become his spiritual pets, and he will not be stingy.
Yes Tianshi Yin nodded solemnly Although the attack two nights ago was a bit unexpected at the beginning.Luo Chen worshiped an innate powerhouse as his teacher, and he himself was a gifted evil person.
This is only the first round Two of the strongest are facing each other This has not happened in two rounds, right Haha What luck One family will definitely be eliminated this time.The two bodyguards were accidentally knocked back several steps before they stopped.
Brother I wonder what method you are talking about Xiaopang asked impatiently as soon as he sat down.Since practicing martial arts, Luo Chen has encountered many masters, but he rarely feels like this.
Victory in the battle for Huangquan Cave. Haha Seeing Nu Qi rushing in front of the young man, he was about to raise his sword and swing it down.There are still many things waiting for me to do in the house When Luo Chen heard this, he knew that Zhang Junjie had misunderstood him, so he shook his head and smiled Uncle Zhang, you misunderstood.
And it was precisely because of this weapon that everyone called this tattooed man Iron Hammer.Besides, can you beat us That s right Do you think you are invincible after defeating Lao Diao Several people nearby laughed at him.
By the water pool, after watching the water pool return to calm, Luo Chen was not idle either.Although he said these words to Chu Yang s disciples, Luo Chen was speaking to the unconscious Chu Yang.
Looking at Zong Qian barely. The Jin family behind them also looked at the Zong family angrily.It is a three story pavilion that occupies a large area.
If a warrior below the first class takes it, he can definitely break through the first level 6 Reliable Healthy Shake Recipes to Lose Weight
of cultivation.Akihito This one turns out to be Akihito of the Ming family There are talents from generation to generation.
Yes, Master Yun Mo knows. Well That s it I have to leave beforehand.
The three strong men who were struggling were stunned.If the rampage of a large number of monsters was the cause of Yunyi City s demise, then the prisoners in Trapped Dragon Hall were the straw that broke the camel s back.
It is already thirty or fifty meters away. and spiritual crystals can still be seen.Two skeletons were entangled at the moment. There were countless ravines on the ground around them, huge boulders stood upright, and the ground collapsed.
Su Ye took a deep breath and said, The tiger monster is also a story.Chen Xian has the power because his father is the minister of Dali Temple, one of the nine ministers, a proper official position with real power.
It says the private room A, first class and second class.Su Ye s eyes One light, three thousand years of Yin Ginseng That thing is worth a lot of money in the world of the Undead Prison.
And the people at the foot of the hillside, their strength explains what it means to have spring for cannon fodder, and they are waiting for a price.The whale rider has proved this. Therefore, in Su Ye s opinion, the monks who were beyond Sun Sijun s knowledge probably met the Golden Core monks from other sea areas.
Therefore, the three of them just gathered power, fame, and wealth.Are you telling me there is a big piece of it If Su Ye was thinking about whether to go to the bone pit to see if he could find anything missing before, now he had to go.
What about the talismans that can be used in the PureKana CBD Gummies Reviews Consumer Reports | CBD Oil Review and Analysis
foundation building stage There are not many talismans that can be used in the foundation building stage.I bought this place. Wait, wait. The old bustard quickly grabbed Su Ye. Sir, wait a minute.
Su Ye said Did you read these things from books Otherwise Bai Shitong spread his hands and asked Can I still go to the secret realm of Taiyin Su Ye said What about the city lord who can t have children Something Of course this cannot be what we read in the book.Without the status of a scribe, it is impossible to purchase elixirs and materials.
Rolling back and forth is equivalent to answering Su Ye s question.
They always felt that Su Ye was not reliable. But this is already the case, what else can Andy Ruiz Weight Loss: 7 Secrets Behind His Transformation Before Christmas Week
be done Dig it The three drowned ghosts raised their shovels and began to dig.But just as Su Ye was leaving, two black shadows quietly touched the door of the guest room.
And Su Ye didn t flinch in front of the Ghost King.I thought Yang Naiwen came out. Luo Qingqing was silent, then picked up the wine glass and took a sip and said It doesn t mean anything.
They were all beheaded in public and killed on the spot
Su Ye asked curiously Aren t they all killed Why are we still sending people to Black Mountain The jailer said Those bandits have families, and the general did not kill them all, so we still have to send some people over.If you look like a ball, no matter what you put on it, you won t be able to get it back.
The horror of those monsters is not only that they are like plague, they can also turn the people they hurt into monsters.Su Ye shook his head and said goodbye Uncovering the Truth About Evaxatropin Male Enhancement Gummies: A Comprehensive Review (AZcFO)
to Mr. Chen. He really had something to do. The Flowing Spirit Stone has been taken out, why can t I take the benefits When Su Ye arrived at Rong Baozhai, shopkeeper Rong had been waiting for a long time.
Many people dissatisfied with it. Therefore, the Demon Worship Pavilion was also angered.After putting away the wooden sign, Su Ye walked along Suzaku Street to the Four Saints Bridge.
These two academies are famous rivals of Yanjing. After all, Chuhe Academy is full of women and they don t like to Finding Restful Nights with CBN Gummies for Sleep: A Comprehensive Guide (bPrVe)
argue for fear of losing their grace.The black ink snake drawn by the students of Chishui Academy was obviously no match for the golden sword.
Earn a vote. Moreover, Su Ye is more cautious about acquisitions and sales.When the gathering of Yin Qi reaches its peak, the secret realm of Taiyin will appear in the center of the Yin Qi.
