Qing Ming Chinese festival. Literally meaning ‘clear and bright’, this festival is observed on the third month of the lunar calendar, 106 days after Dong Zhi (the winter solstice). It is a time to honour the dead and to show respect for deceased family members and ancestors.

During Qing Ming, families tidy the graves of their ancestors, make offerings of food and wine, and burn incense and candles. Some people bring bland food as an offering, as it is believed it will not be plundered by wandering spirits. By contrast, food offered at altars in homes typically comprises a huge feast with roasted poultry, meat, eggs and other food believed to be favoured by the deceased. It is also believed that the burning of incense expedites the transfer of food to the ‘other world’.

Because cremation of the dead is far more prevalent than burial these days, it is common to see families paying their respects at temples and columbaria— where the ashes of the deceased are kept— rather than at cemeteries. Temples such as the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery see devotees arriving at dawn to offer prayers and incense in memory of their deceased forebears.

Qing Ming is believed to have originated in Shanxi province, China, in 600 BCE. A man named Jie Zhitui was said to have saved a starving nobleman’s life when he served him meat taken from his own leg. When the nobleman became the ruler of a principality, he invited Jie to join him, but Jie preferred to remain in the mountains with his mother. The nobleman tried to force Jie out by setting the forest on fire, but killed him instead. To commemorate Jie, the nobleman ordered all fires to be extinguished on the anniversary of Jie’s death. As home fires could not be lit, only cold food would be eaten on this day. This ‘cold food’ ritual is observed on the eve of Qing Ming and is considered part of the festival.

Photo credit: Singapore Press Holdings/ The Straits Times