The Qingming Festival (by Wiki)
- simplified Chinese: 清明节;
- traditional Chinese: 清明節;
- pinyin: Qīngmíngjié,
- Ching Ming Festival in Hong Kong,
- Vietnamese language: Tết Thanh Minh,
- Pure Brightness Festival or Clear Bright Festival,
- Ancestors Day or Tomb Sweeping Day
is a traditional Chinese festival
on the 104th day after the winter solstice
(or the 15th day from the Spring Equinox),
usually occurring around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar.
Astronomically it is also a solar term .
falls on the first day of the fifth solar term, named Qingming.
Its name denotes a time for people to go outside
and enjoy the greenery of springtime
(踏青 Tàqīng, "treading on the greenery")
and tend to the graves of departed ones.
i didn’t go to the graveyard today
staying home with grandpa
watching The Smurfs
while waiting for him to wake up
to serve him breakfast
it’s a bit depressing
then a uncle and aunty who came back
from the graveyard dropped by
and grandpa has got this coughing fit
and signs of discomfort
more uncles came
and he was sent to the hospital again
thank goodness
it wasn’t anything serious
instant discharge
i want him to be
in a pink of health all the time
but it seems difficult
he is already 90+
and everyone is thinking
that day will definitely come
it just the matter of time
goodness
and my brain can’t help wondering
where will he be, the next Ching Ming
with us or with grandma??
not that i wanna curse my own grandpa or what..
just hope that no matter what it is
peace is always be with and in him
rested him back on the bed
temporary relief of the mind
therefore
we went on with the ancestral praying session
today it is a little unique
since it’s 1st of March on Lunar calendar
and Chinese will usually adhere to going vegetarian
on 1st and 15th of the month
so the dishes served were not so usual
what do we usually serve for ancestral praying
it’s always good to be green
my mom was saying
it always has to be 8
so you may easily circle out
the duplication of the same dishes
at the two corners
although slightly different from the usual
“carnivore” delights
it is never bland in taste
lunch time!!!