Qing Ming Festival

Also known as grave tending day. This year, for the first time in 2500 years, the 5th of April will be a national holiday in China.

Once a year, the Chinese visit columbariums and cemeteries to burn hell money and goods, check that the graves and area around it is neat and clean, plant joss sticks, offer food and wine and send a prayer or thought to their deceased relative. If you'd like to read more about it, Google is your best friend.

As my family is primarily Catholic, I didn't get exposed to this part of the Chinese culture until I got married. It is an interesting festival observed by my in-laws. For me, every year proves to be a little different from the last. I'm always intrigued with the paper goods that people purchase and burn. Other than hell money, there are some pretty interesting paper goods that people send over. Among them a mansion, luxury car with driver, mobile phone, massage chair, branded handbag and laptop. I guess anything you can have on earth, can be created with paper and burned.

I'm always looking out for something new, and couldn't find any new paper goods this year but was surprised when some firecrackers were used at both the columbarium and cemetery. It's a new occurrence this year and I'm sure it won't happen next year as there's a ban on firecrackers... the ban is currently enforced only during the Lunar New Year. As to why anyone would pop some firecrackers at a columbarium or cemetery, my guess is that the deceased relative really loved the sound of firecrackers while they were alive. You can't pop some firecrackers at a columbarium or cemetery hoping to scare evil spirits away, it's their resting place, they might decide to follow you home.

Just an observation, the Chinese believe that when you die, you go to hell. Otherwise you won't be burning hell money, right?