KEY POINTS:
- The Qingming festival was officially marked on 5 April though celebrations can take place before or after that date.
- Families show respect to their ancestors by visiting their graves, offering food and burning symbolic money.
- A special event will be held for Chinese families in Western Sydney.
It's the onset of spring in the northern hemisphere, a time when families in China and in Chinese communities around the word clean the graves and tombs of loved ones and burn paper money.
The Qingming festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, marks the start of warm weather and is one of the most important events in the Chinese calendar.
Just like Chinese people have done since ancient times, families commemorate and show respect to their ancestors by visiting their graves and offering their spirits food, tea or wine, and burning incense.
They sweep, maintain and decorate tombs, and to graves they may remove weeds, add fresh soil or plant flowers, while asking their departed loved ones to bless their families.
They also burn or offer symbolic money, a tradition that derives from a folk belief in China that if you burn paper money and make offerings at the graves of your ancestors, the deceased will receive the gifts and enjoy a prosperous afterlife.
The paper money burned during Chinese ceremonies is known as joss paper and is traditionally made from coarse bamboo paper and depending on the region, decorated with seals, stamps, pieces of contrasting paper, engraved designs or other motifs.
Many observing Qingming Festival will burn incense and pray for their loved ones. Source: Supplied / Pinegrove Memorial Park
This year the official day fell on 5 April, typically a public holiday in China, though with different times observed regionally and ethnically, the custom occurs some time during the 10 days before or after the official date.
How do those living far from home celebrate?
With young people busy with work and study commitments and often living far from their family homes, more and more tomb sweeping ceremonies around China are taking place online.
For Chinese people living overseas, visiting a temple to worship has also become a popular way to pay respects to their ancestors.
People who live far from their ancestor's graves may choose to pray at a temple. Source: SBS News / Mandarin
Ms Chen told SBS Mandarin that the Qingming festival was a way to connect to her roots.
"People who are overseas may pay more attention to the traditional festivals of Westerners," she said.
"But now that the overseas Chinese community is growing, we can't forget our roots. We need to give the next generation an understanding of traditional Chinese culture."
Celebrating the Qingming festival in Sydney
In Western Sydney, Pinegrove Memorial Park has been holding events for the Qingming festival for the past 15 years.
Hundreds are expected to gather at Pinegrove on Saturday for the special event.
Sammi Yeung from Pinegrove’s multicultural unit said it was great to have an opportunity to gather and celebrate such a significant tradition in Chinese culture.
“It’s a very big event for our community,” she said.
“In Hong Kong and China, we have a few days off and we go to the Qingming festival. For us, it’s a big event like Christmas, a chance for the entire family to get together.”
The paper money burned during Chinese ceremonies is known as joss paper. Source: SBS News / Mandarin
“Some of those attending will bring along their loved one’s favourite food in memory of them,” Ms Yeung said.
“They will spread out the food and they might burn paper money. After the event, many families will go and have a meal in honour of their loved ones at home or in restaurants.”
