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Qingming but not a festival to weep Tmrw Apr. 5 is Qingming Festival for Chinese community. My young brother has ever mentioned that thanks to Qingming gives us a chance to cherish the memory of our ancestors and passed-away loved ones, and to trace back our origins. Yes, I think the prime objective is this. But Qingming falls on spring, so it also provides a nice occasion for the big families to gather and do some hiking around the mountains and hills. Yet, why, why, from ancient time to today, most of the time, rains would hit on a Qingming day, adding sorrow and inconvenience to this ages-old memorial activity. Look at Tang dynasty poet Dumu’s ‘Qingming’: 清明 杜牧 清明时节雨纷纷 路上行人欲断魂 借问酒家何处有 牧童遥指杏花村 It rains and rains on Qingming, People walk on road soul saddening. Where can I have wine large? The cowboy points to a village afar. We, adults and , dig around the tombs, trimming the rampant grasses after a year’s growing. Then put the offerings which we carry a long way on shoulders incl. suckling pigs, cooked poultries, fruits and rice wine in front of each tomb, burn red candles and joss sticks and spread the wine. Then it would be moments of memorial. During all these, it can be both sad and jocular. Some would call out, ‘Big uncle, turn your back!, and some, ‘Laodou (daddy), drink some wine though you only drink tea when you are alive.’ The hilly paths are wet, muddy, with many unknown spring flowers blooming along. Firecrackers keep booming up. Flocks of flocks of family walking around would greet each other. “Hey, how many hills you still need to go?” My deep thought and prayers to my passed grandfathers, to all the known and unknown ancestors. Let’s end with this poem by Wang Tingjian, of Song Dynasty. It renders a different jolly mood for Qingming: 清明 黄庭坚 佳节清明桃李笑， 野田荒冢只生愁。 雷惊天地龙蛇蛰， 雨足郊原草木柔。 Qingming Wang Tingjian Peach and plum blossom cheerfully on Qingming occasion Wild fields and abandoned graves are places of sadness Spring thunder wakes up dragon and snake in hibernation In rain we set feet on countryside feeling grasses’ softness 
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4/7/2007 11:03 pm |
我在家里烧纸拜祖先。 Please don't disturb a chicken before he hatches.
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Friends, Thks for encouragement. tomb sweeping and mind sweeping for a good start in the season when hormones come up...DVC, Most of your assumption sound. So Chinese, a ppl surpressing their hormones for more than 500 hundred years, have Qingming festival in spring. Why you have it in Nov? And the owner of most ancient tomb for our big family now should have 150 years old.
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