Many families offer food and burn money at the tomb- the money is for the dead to use in the afterlife.
Scott and I walked up a mountain to watch the festival and we saw many families setting off fire-works and decorating the tomb with flowers and pin-wheels.
The tombs are mounds of dirt with an ornamental stone placed at the head. In the picture below you can see the city stretched out at the bottom of the mountain.
Here is a family at the tombs...
It is a foreign idea to go to a tomb and give food or money- but here in Asia it is a large part of their culture. My friend shared a story with me that was both fascinating and heart breaking.
My friend, Reanna, lost her father when she was still living at home. Her mother kept a small shrine for him that they would burn money on, or set presents on. Reanna told me she thought it was ridiculous- she didn't believe in life after death. She thought her mom was very weak for doing this, but of course kept this to herself.
One night, her Aunt came over to tell them about a dream she'd had. In her dream, she saw the father's face- he was crying and he was very thin. In the dream, the father said to her "I'm so hungry! Why aren't you feeding me?" The Aunt accused them of not giving him food every day at the shrine- of course the mother (his wife) was racked with guilt and obsessively offered food after that. Shame is a predominant theme in Asia- it is their biggest discipline tool for children.
This friend of mine was married to an American. He didn't like Asia, and she doesn't like America so they never lived together in the same country. She had to fly to America if she ever wanted to see him... . The last time she went to visit him, her mother passed away- she couldn't even get back home in time for the burial. Reanna began to cry as she told me this- it was apparent that her family has so shamed her for being away at the time of her mothers death that it burdens her every day. Although she hated her Aunt for telling her mother of the dream (where her father was crying) Reanna had no way to escape the deep shame- so now, even she prepares a plate and leaves two empty seats for her dead mother and father when she cooks.
Scott snapped my picture in front of the sheep- can you see them in the dried up river bed? (we're in a drought now) There was also a tiny lamb- maybe only a few days old. I thought it was appropriate to think of the Lamb after witnessing this festival!
These are just a few more pictures we snapped on our way to the tombs....
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