Qing Ming festival was on Thursday 4 April. It is almost two days since then but there probably would be people still going to the graves of the departed to pay their respect. Afterall, this is permissible ten days before and after the actual Qingming Festival. Qing Ming is also called tomb-sweeping day for the simple reason that besides making offerings and burning joss paper, family members will clean the gravesite when they go there to pay their respect. These days however, a family may employ someone else to do the cleaning. Days before 4 April, an Indian man kept phoning me, requesting me to allow him to clear the weeds of the tombs of my parents. I remember many Indians would be at the cemetery during Qing Ming day itself; and anyone could get them to clean the graves at a fee. Indians themselves don't celebrate Qing Ming festival; but this, I thought is a case of people of different races and religions being able to live together in harmony when they complement each other.
Getting Ready for Qing Ming...
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