Pages

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Cheng Beng 2016

It's Cheng Beng or Qing Ming time again and this year we chose 10 April 2016 on Sunday to perform the annual task.  We all met at Midah before 6.30 am amd drove together in one car, the Exora.

After we reached, we had to unload all the things that Emelda had prepared.  I think she has done it for more than 20 years. 
This is the list given to her by Tai Koo.  She has to buy, prepare and cook all the stuff on Saturday and we use it on Sunday.  Do you know that Tai Koo make a list every year?  We decided to take a photo of it for future reference, and suggested to Tai Koo to laminate this and reuse it every year! 2nd Aunt even wants to put it on the excel spreadsheet. 

What goes where, it is all tabulated in the above chart! But I think no one is prepared to cook and pack all the food, as Emel has done for umpteen years.
After unloading we had to carry them to the respective graves.

 Before we reach the graves, we stop by at this temple to pray and offer donations.


 Now we are walking to the cemetery. Each one carries a pack or two so "many hands make light work".
 It is now a breeze to walk, unlike the years before where we had to thread our way among tombstones dodging a headstone here and there, and walking among tall lallang, in the DARK! Now there are steps, the graves are in straight lines, and it is not so dark too. 

We have reached, only a short walk, and we put all the food in the correct graves.  Every year, the list gets more and more simplified!!! There used to be lots of fruit, meat, and joss papers too!
 The sunrise was spectacular, no not really, just serene, tranquil, and placcid.
 They did this when they were kids, and now they have grown. We are the ones not Christians, so we do this every year.


 This is to be burnt as offering. Hell banknotes.
 Praying with joss-sticks and offering food before burning the joss papers.
Praying fervently and paying homage to ancestors.
burning the joss papers..you can also burn LV bags, Rolex watches, even iPhone 6 made of paper!
We had ice cream to cool down in the heat. Some people actually have a picnic here with all the offerings.
So, we have done our part in perpetuating tradition and keeping the filial piety thread unbroken. Next year, we will do it all over again!

No comments: