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Ching
Ming
Ching
Ming, Grave-Sweeping Day, was observed on April 4, 2000.
By:
Eddie KC Yeo
The
date is indicated on the Chinese calendar with the two characters:
ching, meaning pure or clean, and ming, meaning brightness.
Combined together, Ching
Ming means clean and just.
This date is also indicated on traditional Japanese calendars,
where their culture has a similar observance. In Korean culture,
the observance is known as Chu
Sook.
 `
The
Ching Ming observance may have had its beginnings as the original
religion in China. Ancestor worship is the only native religion
to China. All others, including, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism,
and Islam, were imported from outside of China. Confucianism
and Taoism originated in China but are philosophies rather than
religions. In the philosophy of Confucianism, a form of ancestor
worship is incorporated with the virtue of filial piety.
Ching
Ming rituals not only include weeding of the area, cleaning
of the headstone, and replacing the wilted flowers with fresh
ones, but also the lighting of incense and burning of imitation
paper money. The burning of the imitation money is for the deceased
to use in the afterlife. One year while visiting in China, one
of my uncles from Canada even purchased a paper facsimile of
a pair of eyeglasses and camera in Hong Kong to burn as part
of the offerings; and an aunt in Hong Kong lit a cigarette at
the end of a twig to make as an offering.
In
addition, food is laid out in front of the headstone as an offering
to the spirits of the deceased. The food may include a steamed
whole chicken (including the head, which is later twisted off),
hard boiled eggs cut in half lengthwise with shell attached,
sliced barbecued pork (cha shiu), cut roast pork with crunchy
skin attached, and dim sum pastries. In addition, three sets
of chopsticks and three Chinese wine cups are arranged above
the food and closest to the headstone.
The
head of the household usually begins by bowing three times with
the wine cup in hand, then pouring the wine on the ground just
in front of the headstone. This procedure is usually repeated
three times. Each member of the family comes in front of the
headstone and bows three times with the right fist held cupped
in the left hand. Some families will then eat the food together
there at the grave site, similar to having a picnic with their
deceased relatives. It is said to bring good luck to eat the
food that was offered to the deceased.
In
addition, some families will begin by setting off firecrackers
to scare off evil spirits and to alert the deceased relatives
that they are there to pay their respects.
Today, the
responsibility to hang san or ¨Ùwalk the mountain¨Ù as visiting
the cemetary is commonly known, still falls to the eldest son.
Today families may be more likely to prefer simplified offerings
of only the incense, paper money and flowers.
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