Thim Fook trying to locate the graves of our maternal great grandparents. Next time, we might need our youngest Aunt to come along to show us where the graves are so that we can show our respects.
The food, drinks and prayer paraphernalia that I brought along. Did not bring much as both of us could not carry so much stuff up the hill.
The workers helping to clear and clean the grave of our paternal great grandparents and three grandaunts.
See the hole! Below it is the urn without a cover
The exposed urn after the water had been drained
The cleaned grave of the great grandparents and grandaunts
The workers clearing the weeds
Thim Fook inspecting the cracks on the tombstone of our paternal grandfather
The worker scooping out water from the urn of my paternal grandmother
The mini feast laid out for the ancestors. Those from the other grave were invited to my grandpa's grave for the 'makan' session
The coloured flags put on the grave are as territorial markers
My cousin brother admiring the view from where the grave of our ancestor is. There are mountains in front. I'll blog about the Yin Feng Shui of burial grounds tomorrow or the day after. So do make sure you come visit my blog
Me at the gravesite
The Cantonese call the festival Ching Ming while it is referred to as Cheng Beng in the Hokkien dialect. For the Chinese, it is actually a time to reflect, honour and give thanks to the forefathers.
Ching Ming Jiet 清明節 or Clear and Bright Festival when literally translated was meant actually for the descendants to go and clear and clean the graves of their ancestors and to pay respect. From what I see, it has become very commercialized and the living are praying to the ancestors to become rich and prosperous. Yeah! You can see people burning paper replicas of LCD Plasma television sets, IPods, computers and other hi-tech gadgets to use in the netherworld. Little do they know that it is the traders are the ones who will become rich and prosperous. Wonder if the dearly departed will really receive the prezzies burnt by their loved ones?
Do you know that the Ching Ming festival was created by the Tang Emperor Xuanzong in 732. It is said that because the wealthy held too many expensive, elaborate ancestor-worshipping ceremonies, in a needed effort to lower this expense, Emperor Xuanzong declared that respects could be formally paid at ancestor's graves only on Ching Ming?
Here in Malaysia, the Chinese would visit the graves of their departed family members at the nearest weekend of the actual date. According to the ancient custom, grave site veneration is only feasible 10 days before and after Ching Ming festival.
The visiting of the graves is usually done in the morning. Some make it like a family outing whereby all the members of the family would be present. After the ancestor worship at the grave site, the whole family or the whole clan would feast on the food and drinks they brought for the worship at the site or nearby gardens in the memorial park, signifying family reunion with the ancestors.
In my case, my cousin brother Cheah Thim Fook and I were the only ones who went for Ching Ming in our paternal grandparents' graves at Gopeng. My mum did not go this year as she had a fall yesterday and was resting at home. Thim Fook also made it a point to try and put covers on two of the urns that had been exposed and were filled with water. He had help from some of the Indian workers at the cemetery. Oh Yes! Before both of us concluded our annual visit to our ancestors, we asked that we be blessed with good health, safety and job security so that we would both be able to continue paying respects to them yearly. By the way, before we said Bye Bye to Ah Yeh, Tai Yeh, Tai Mah, Ah Ma and the three Ku Pohs, we also asked to be blessed with success and prosperity luck. Very Kiasu Mah!
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