 The Qingming Festival is a traditional Chinese festival. It is a statutory
public holiday in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
The Qingming is commonly called as Ching Ming, Clear Bright Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, Festival
for Tending Graves, Grave Sweeping Day, Spring Remembrance, Chinese Memorial Day, All
Souls Day.
The Tomb Sweeping Day is an opportunity for Chinese to remember and honor their ancestors
at grave sites. Young and old pray before the ancestors, sweep the tombs and offer food,
tea, wine, chopsticks, paper accessories to the ancestors.
Food like roasted suckling pig, steamed chicken, fruit and wine are offered during the
ceremony.
Some superstitious people even carry willow branches with them or hang it on the front
door. It's believed that willows help to get rid of evil spirits, when Ching Ming (Tomb Sweeping Day) is
one of the days that ghosts and spirits wander about.
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