The mark of a Teochew grave
YEE XIANG YUN 2 April 2016 Nation
JOHOR BARU: Qing Ming or Chinese All Souls’ Day is usually associated with the burning of paper items and hell notes but for the Teochews, cockles take centre stage as the main offering for the departed.
Johor Baru Teochew Eight Districts Association secretary Lee Poo Sin said it was a common practice for them to have blanched cockles as an offering to their ancestors, which the kin consume after the prayer session.
The ritual started from their forefathers who had no vehicles and had to walk about one or two hours to the cemetery to clean the graves and pay their respects once a year during the festival, he said.
Any cooked food or other perishables that they brought along with them would turn bad after only a few hours, he said.
“So the families carried live cockles and these were blanched and seasoned at the graves, and used as offerings. They would feast on them after the prayers were done,” he said yesterday.
Lee said Teochews typically lived by the sea back then so they had an abundant supply of seafood.
“After eating the cockles, the shells were scattered around the grave to indicate that the deceased’s family had come to pay their respects,” he said.
“If many shells are seen at the grave, it also showed that the deceased has a long family line; the better his or her legacy, so to speak.”
Lee, who also chairs the cemetery affairs committee of Johor Baru Tiong Hua Association, said the shells could not be eaten by strays, so would they remain there for a long time.
“The practice continues today so it is easy to spot a grave belonging to a Teochew,” he said.
This year, Qing Ming takes place on April 4 but the rituals are observed for 10 days before and 10 days after.