Tomb-sweeping Festival, which falls on the 105th day from last winter solstice in the Lunar Year, is one of the most important festivals in China. It is also known as Clearness and Brightness festival (清明節). As the name shows, it is the day for cleaning up ancestral tombs. Graveyards are located on hillsides away from the city, and grass is often allowed to grow luxuriantly for most of the year. It's therefore necessary to cut it all down at yearly intervals. In addition, offering of sacrifices to ancestors are placed in front of tombs - typically fruit, meat, wine, along with the rice cakes, flour cakes, different types of the grave paper money, candles and so on. Then the family gather to pray while paper 'ghost money' is being burned.

Another important Tomb-sweeping Day tradition is the placing of paper on the tombs. The people believe the tomb to be the residing place of the deceased's spirit, and placing the ‘Yamu Paper 壓墓紙’ on the tombs is equivalent to putting new tiles on the roof of a house. The paper is held down with small stones or pasted on the up-front of the tomb so that the paper will not be swept away by the wind.

After the offering ceremony, some boiled shells are then eaten and the shells are left on the graves to symbolize that though the ancestors had passed away, the family life is still lasting from generation to generation.

Traditionally, when building a grave, a stone stele craved with two Chinese characters ‘后土’(Hou Tu). would be set up besides or in front of the grave to represent the Earth God. Hou Tu is the Earth God. The Earth God is also commonly called ‘Tu Sen’ . Hou Tu was the God of She (社,the Earth) in ancient times. Since dead people are buried in the earth, Hou Tu, the Earth God, has become the patron god of the tombs. When visiting graves on the Tomb Sweeping Festival, families would prepare another set of offerings including animal sacrifices, candles and paper money for Hou Tu to give thanks for His protecting and guarding the graves.

Thanks for your perusal.

Mary

11.4.2012