路上行人欲断魂
借问酒家何处有
牧童摇指杏花村
Cheng Beng (清明) which means some visiting to the graveyard to like pay respect to your ancestors and also gather together with some other relatives and also to make the grave cleaner. However, the world has changed and everything has changed. Even the way they go cheng beng also changed!
Traditional type of Cheng Beng
At first cheng beng is suppose to be like what I said just now. Family members and relatives get together and work together to clear up the grass around the grave of their ancestors (usually grandparents or great grandparents) and pay their respect with some nice nice food. Of course not to forget the best part which is burning some "gold" and "silver" to our ancestors. Well, personally I liked the process of folding the "gold" and "silver". It's kinda challenging.
Cheng beng is actually some big event in the chinese calendar. Not a single person in a chinese family should ever miss the cheng beng festival. So, during the cheng beng season, many people will flock back to their hometown to "celebrate" it together. During the cheng beng day, people will bring lotsa tools and food to the graveyard. Tools as in "cangkul" *i 4gt wat its called in english* broom, and some other stuff. Actually, cheng beng is kinda some time for us to enjoy food! We usually have lotsa food there. Roasted pork, roasted duck, chicken, vegetable and fruits obviously. So it's also kind of like a party or pot luck.
However... Time flies and things changes.
Cheng Beng Today
Now, things have changed as I have said MANY times already. Most of the changes are basically the values of cheng beng is no longer there. People don't come back anymore. Especially Christians that forgot about their ancestors. No offence man, I do feel like that because I just went for the cheng beng thing for my grandfather. None of my cousins came because all of them are christians. According to my dad's brother, they will not eat what we gave our grandfather to eat also. They say they don't eat what the "ghost" has eaten. So he said that there are "gong". Simply because they don't get to enjoy those food. LOL.
Other than that, people now is more advance. So "there" will be also advance already lo. So people now don't just burn "gold" and "silver", they burn HELL NOTES, CREDIT CARDS, CARS, BIKES, HANDPHONES and the most recent news is.... jeng jeng jeng... HELL PETROL STATION!! ROFL!! I mean I am not so sure that whether this kind of things works or not? But the main thing is they can come up with this kind of ideas! Respect man. The whole purpose of cheng beng is now changing and it's kinda like a business now. I am just wondering if my grandfather is wearing those shirts we burnt to him or is he working his ass out to get some money?
For those who has no idea what are the things they are burning now... Check this out.
The "Gold"
"Houses" and "Treasures" anyone?
Hell Notes
Told ya they are so advance now
Some other stuff?
