Spring Cleaning

Last Tuesday was a holiday here in Hong Kong. D and I were thrilled because we both were off from work that day. (Yes, I work on Tuesdays!)

So the question was, what holiday were we all celebrating? The Qingming Festival of course. Qingming Festival is also known as All Soul's Day or The Grave Sweeping Holiday. On this day Chinese families visit the tombstones of their ancestors. First they pray and the sweep the tombs clean. Then people pick out the weeds that have grown up near the stones. D and I are expert weed pullers. Every year we plant flowers in my mother's garden for Mother's Day. I'm not quite sure however that we would have blended in with the others in the cemetery.

Families then offer the deceased food, tea, wine, chopsticks, and paper accessories. They burn the food and paper accessories (money) so that their loved ones with have everything they need in the afterlife. I must say I've actually witnessed this paper accessory burning first hand at my friends grandmothers wake. I folded lots of gold paper so that J and V's grandmother would be very wealthy in her next life.


Many children bring flowers to the graveside, especially Chrysanthemums. I was told by some of my students that the holiday also symbolizes Spring and nature. Many modern families have picnics, fly kites and enjoy other outdoor activities.

This holiday really gives a new meaning to the phrase "Spring Cleaning!"