Ching Ming Festival is also known as the 'Remembrance of Ancestors Day' or the 'Grave Sweeping Day'. The festival is one among the 24 segments in Chinese calendar. It is celebrated on 4th or 5th April, which depends on the Cold Food Day, celebrated 105 days after the winter solstice. It is one of the Hong Kong festivals sharing some similarity with the Chung Yeung festival.
In English, the words 'Ching Ming' stands for clear and bright. Therefore, the festival is celebrated in the month of April when spring starts. During this festival, Hong Kong families march to their ancestors' graves and offer prayers to them. They clean the graves and pay respect to their forefathers. The families carry incense sticks, paper offerings like money or paper clothes, joss sticks and chrysanthemum flowers to the graveyards. Chrysanthemum flowers are usually taken as these are believed to clean the graves.
The paper offerings are burnt as it is widely believed
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that ancestors can receive gifts in this way also. Apart from this, food comprising steamed chicken, wine, fruit and roasted suckling pig are brought for distribution among the family members after worshipping.
History of the Festival
Formerly, the festival was celebrated after the Cold Food Day. The Cold Food Day was celebrated for one month which was shortened to three days. In contemporary times, the festival falls on The Cold Food Day. Grave sweeping on the Cold Food Day is a traditional practice and dates back to the days of Tang Dynasty, when people swept the graves on the orders of the then emperor.
The Ching Ming festival of Hong Kong is also known as the Ching Ming Swing festival as in the Ming dynasty men and soldiers participated in the archery competition. The participants were asked to shoot the objects hung on the willow trees. The festival is counted among the major Hong Kong events.
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