Qingming translates to 'clear' and 'bright', and so the festival marks the arrival of spring when the weather is clear and bright. The significant cultural affair falls on the 15th day after the spring equinox, and besides welcoming the new season, it also brings families together to remember their deceased loved ones. This includes the important custom saomu, or tomb-sweeping, where families tidy up graves or the columbarium niches where ashes of ancestors are kept.
To mark the Qingming Festival, the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre is launching online programmes that spotlight the customs and traditions practised during the festival. Discover its lesser-known origins in the animated video Kaki Says: Qingming Festival, and learn about the importance of passing down cultural values to the next generation with Shin Liat and Jack from the Genealogy Society Singapore in Keeping Traditions Alive: We Are Family.