Ching Ming festival usually falls around the beginning of April. It means "clear and bright" and the name denotes a time for people to go outside and enjoy the greenery of springtime, and also to tend to the graves of departed ones.
It is a day to remember and honor one's ancestors. Young and old pray before the ancestors, sweep the tombs and clean them. The Chinese also offer food, tea, wine, chopsticks, (joss) paper accessories, and/or libation to the ancestors.
..................................................................................................................
The Dragon Boat Festival (also known as Tuen Ng Festival or as the 'Double Fifth' in some countries across East Asia) is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. The festival usually falls around May or June and commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a Chinese patriotic poet who committed suicide by drowning himself in the river, because he was disgusted by the corruption of the Chu government. The local people, knowing him to be a good man, decided to throw food into the river and to feed the fish so they would not eat Qu's body. They also sat on long, narrow paddle boats called dragon boats, and tried to scare the fish away by the thundering sound of drums aboard the boat and the fierce looking carved dragon head on the boat's prow.
Today, people eat bamboo-wrapped steamed dumplings called Zongzi (the food originally intended to feed the fish) and race dragon boats in memory of Qu's dramatic death.
The fierce dragon boats racing is the real highlight of the festival. Teams from different countries race the elaborately decorated dragon boats to the beat of heavy drums. The special boats, which measure more than 10 meters, have ornately carved and painted "dragon" heads and tails, and each carries a crew of 20-22 paddlers.
In Singapore, the race is usually held at the Bedok Reservoir (for the exact details, contact the tourism board or check the website of Singapore Dragon Boat Association).
|
A short note from 'Metropolasia-Man':
Although Dragon Boat Racing is a purely Chinese tradition, it became popular with people from different cultures worldwide.
|
..................................................................................................................
Next in line:
The Summertime festivals - Buddha's Birthday and the Hungry ghosts
