Tomb Sweeping

Today is a holiday, Qing Ming Jie (Tomb Sweeping festival). Traditionally it is one where people honor the dead- often by burning paper money/houses/things in hopes it will be given to people in the afterlife and visiting final resting places. There are not too many actual tombs these days.  In such a populated country, there is not really enough space and most people are cremated. However, since it was a holiday we had the day off from work and school. We went to the park across the street from us and were surprised to discover an actual graveyard with tombs. We knew in the past there had been a few tombs before the park was a park (it used to be a big unused patch of land). But it had grown, and the tombs were brightly decorated today.

On the tops of many of them, were stacks of paper with a rock to keep it from blowing away. If you look closely, you see this stack of fake paper money (millions of kuai worth, supposedly). This is supposed to be given to the dead to use in the afterlife.  Such a stark reminder to me of what so many people lack...knowing what comes after death and WHO is the only one who can help them.  

The kids had tons of fun playing in a very dirty hole at the park. Austin was excited for a few minutes to find "a billion kuai!". We had to tell him it was not real and what it was used for. Earlier this week we saw someone burning things by the side of the road. It led to a great and deep conversation with Austin, that included questions such as "what about people who never heard of JC? Do they go to hell?" and "How do we know the B.... is true?" Just some light and easy questions to answer...ha.  I wasn't sure I would be trying to discuss those with a 7 year old.

 Sunday morning picture...spring is here and the neighborhood is bursting with flowers!  Love the new life popping up all over.

 The pond was filled up with water last Thursday and Saturday Austin caught a frog and a bunch of tadpole eggs. Mrs. Froggy is now a resident of the boys' room...as long as they find food for her. I was surprised (and not exactly pleasantly) to find how quickly he caught a fly for it.  Surely he can't keep it up long though, right?