Times have changed with more trends emerging on social media. Does that mean some traditions are bound to experience some changes too?
Ching Ming Festival falls on April 4th and with the festival nearing, many Chinese communities have started to visit graveyards of their ancestors for prayers. To those who are not aware, Ching Ming is a day devoted to remembering and honoring the deceased, where family members will clean the gravesites of their deceased family members and burn incense for prayers.
In a video that has been widely circulated on Facebook, 3 Malaysians were seen “going the extra mile” for the festival.
They were seen dancing in front of the grave by jumping a little and turning their bodies around. The man and 2 women, all dressed in shorts and T-shirts happily danced at the gravesite while being watched by others at the back.
“Times have changed. This is how the youth visit the gravesite now,” the caption stated.
The video, however, did not disclose the location of the cemetery.
“Times have changed but not traditions”
Malaysian netizens, however, were not happy to see the traditions and respect at the gravesite being abandoned. To them, regardless of time and trends, there are still certain boundaries that people should respect, especially in someplace like this.
“Youth today don’t even respect their ancestors. This is too much.”
“Yes, times have changed but not traditions. Do they even know what it means to visit the ancestors’ graves? Don’t call me an old school.”
“I’m curious. Who are they dancing for?”
“That was a bad dance, so you might as well skip it. If you don’t know the meaning behind Ching Ming, don’t go to the cemetery. Also, have you ever thought that your ancestors were probably being laughed at by their neighbors?”
“This video has no standards at all.”
“You don’t even know what’s respect. Ching Ming is meant to remember the dead, not for you to perform a show. Respect the place.”
“Times may have changed but respect is still important. If you’re visiting the gravesite for Ching Ming festival, then act like it. Don’t do anything extra.”
“The youth today really have to be on medication.”
There’s nothing wrong in keeping up with the trends, but there’s always a place and time for it. When you’re at the gravesites for prayer purposes, it’s no place and no time for trendy dances.
Also read: Students in KL Visit Their Teacher at Her Grave After The End of SPM Papers To Thank Her
