For this festival, people working away from their hometown will return home to pray for their ancestors. Families place rice and food before their ancestor’s memorial tablet, burn incense, candles, and joss paper, set off firecrackers and kneel down to kowtow. It is also a day for a clan to get together and discuss important things.
Food: Runbing Roll
The dishes for the festival must have carrots, rice noodles, oyster omelets, pork, bean sprouts, peas, and dried tofu, which, after the worship ceremony are mixed and heated and wrapped in a thin pancake with spicy or sweet jam and chopped peanuts.
Tomb sweeping
After lunch, family members, except for the aged and weak, set out for their ancestor’s tomb. They clean the area around the tomb and the names on tombstone with a brush and offer sacrifices, burn joss paper and incense and candles, and kneel down to kowtow and pray, then set off firecrackers. The tomb sweeping can be done anytime from 10 days before or 8 days after the specific date, which is public holiday. When the festival time comes near, government units, schools, and social organizations will join a sweeping ceremony for the tombs of martyrs in their memory and to educate the young with revolutionary stories.
