Qingming Festival - Remembering loved ones

Warm the graves

Night has fallen, but the provincial martyrs' cemetery (Hoa Binh district) these days is still brightly lit by the lights coming from the graves of the martyrs resting here. The convoys of cars with license plates from other provinces are parked in long lines, the surrounding shops are more crowded, and the area in front of the cemetery gate also has militia forces working overtime to ensure the aesthetics, order and safety of the martyrs' cemetery area. All are familiar images during the Qingming festival season here every year. Relatives, despite being busy going back and forth from other provinces, do not mind the long distance to arrange to return, to warm the graves of the deceased.

During this time, all the graves belonging to the family land or the collective resting places such as cemeteries and graveyards are always crowded with people coming to pay their respects. For those who work far from home, the priority schedule to return home other than the traditional Tet holiday of the nation is probably the Thanh Minh holiday. Like the return trip of Mrs. Le Thi Van and her husband (residing in Texas, USA). Half a world away from home, the return trip of the couple is also gradually decreasing as their age increases. This year, both of them are over 70 years old, the only trip back to Vietnam chosen is the Thanh Minh festival of relatives in Lang Tron ward (Gia Rai town). The family grave is packed with people with more than 30 members from all over the place gathering. Each family contributes an offering, wine, meat, flowers, fruits, tea and cakes are displayed for worship, fragrant incense sticks are lit, adults light first, children bow to their grandparents later... moments of family reunion like this are rare.

And Thanh minh has been chosen by many families as a special date every year, for their children and grandchildren to return! First to remember their grandparents and ancestors, then to sit together at the big family dinner table to strengthen their blood ties.

Cemetery of Ward 1 (Bac Lieu City) during Thanh Minh festival. Photo: HT

The beauty of Thanh Minh festival

Qingming Festival originated from the Chinese people, but for a long time, the coexistence of ethnic groups has also blended the beauty and cultural values ​​of each other into a common cultural identity, including the annual Qingming festival custom.

Qingming Festival usually takes place over a long period of time, maybe about a month, from the end of February to the end of March of the lunar calendar, the main day usually falls on April 4 and 5 of the solar calendar. Depending on the actual conditions of each family, it is mainly about choosing the day that gathers the most people.

When worshiping Thanh Minh, people often choose roasted pig with some kinds of cakes and fruits as offerings. However, it is not necessary to have roasted pig or a lavish feast, just simple dishes that their relatives loved when they were alive are enough! Cooking those delicious dishes again is also a way to show respect for the deceased.

“ In the end, everyone lives like orphans. Parents leave, leaving a void that cannot be filled, but children must continue to move forward. Life does not stop, time still passes and we must be strong... There are days when our hearts ache when we remember the old loves, the warm embraces that are no longer there, the advice that now only echoes in our memories. But there are also days when we learn to smile when we think of our parents, of the good things they have given us. We continue because in every step, our parents are still with us in our hearts ”. A touching message about the irreplaceable loss of those left behind when remembering their loved ones, suddenly becomes more meaningful than ever, when we look at the names of our grandparents and parents on that grave!

The hustle and bustle of life sometimes makes people forget the embraces and warmth of family love that have long since disappeared, until sitting in front of the grave of a loved one during a Thanh Minh ceremony. At that time, the deep feelings of longing suddenly return.

"Thanh minh festival in March" always makes people miss their roots and family ties more...

NHAT QUYNH

Source: https://www.baobaclieu.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/tet-thanh-minh-tuong-nho-nguoi-than-99992.html