Festivals of Spirits and Ancestors

What is the main purpose of the Qingming Festival?

• To participate in traditional dragon boat races.

• To celebrate the arrival of spring.

• To exchange gifts among friends and family.

• To honor and remember ancestors by visiting their graves.

Name one traditional activity people do during Qingming Festival.

• Planting trees

• Making dumplings

• Flying kites

• Tomb sweeping and ancestor worship

What is the significance of cleaning graves during Qingming?

• To celebrate the arrival of spring.

• The significance of cleaning graves during Qingming is to honor and pay respect to ancestors.

• To prepare for the harvest season.

• To decorate homes with flowers.

During the Hungry Ghost Festival, what do people believe happens to spirits?

• People believe that spirits return to the earthly realm and are honored with offerings.

• Spirits are said to bring bad luck to the living.

• People think spirits become animals during the festival.

• Spirits are believed to be trapped in the underworld.

What type of offerings are commonly made during the Hungry Ghost Festival?

• Water, salt, and stones.

• Food, incense, and joss paper.

• Toys, clothes, and jewelry.

• Flowers, candles, and fruits.

How do families honor their ancestors during the Qingming Festival?

• Families honor their ancestors by sending gifts through the mail.

• Families honor their ancestors by visiting graves, cleaning tombstones, making offerings, and performing rituals.

• Families honor their ancestors by hosting a feast at home.

• Families honor their ancestors by lighting fireworks in their honor.

What is the historical origin of the Qingming Festival?

• The Qingming Festival is celebrated to mark the beginning of the lunar new year.

• The Qingming Festival originated from a Western holiday celebrating spring.

• The Qingming Festival is a modern festival created in the 20th century.

• The Qingming Festival originated from ancient Chinese agricultural practices and ancestor worship.

How does the Hungry Ghost Festival reflect beliefs about the afterlife?

• The festival emphasizes honoring deceased ancestors and reflects beliefs in a continued existence after death.

• The festival celebrates the birth of new spirits.

• The festival is solely about food offerings for the living.

• It focuses on the material possessions of the deceased.

What is one way people celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival?

• Hosting a dance party for the living.

• Dressing in costumes to entertain the dead.

• Lighting fireworks to scare away spirits.

• Offering food and incense to ancestors.

How do ghost offerings differ between the two festivals?

• Both festivals focus on honoring living relatives rather than spirits.

• Ghost offerings during Qingming focus on honoring ancestors, while those during the Ghost Festival aim to appease wandering spirits.

• Ghost offerings during Qingming are primarily for celebrating the harvest.

• Ghost offerings during the Ghost Festival are meant to celebrate the deceased's achievements.