When is the last day to pray to Ancestors during Qingming Festival in 2013?

May;

I think that what is in your heart is more important than any actual date. The traditional dates for observance are simply too cold here in Canada. This year, right now, gravestones are still buried under snow. So, my family has changed the dates to warmer dates, months after the traditional Chinese date of the first signs of Spring in China. Typically, we don't make the trip to the grave until after May 24, after the muddy mess of early Spring thaw, and after vegetation has had an opportunity to "come back to life".

That is to say, so long as you do set aside a somewhat regular date for annual observance and treat that day with appropriate reverence, then your duty to honour your ancestors`memory would be fulfilled, IMO.

Dearest Hum Zhou Wah, Thank you very much for your reply. I am sincere to know the last day we are supposed to visit the grave.

Singapore is warm all year round so we have no issue when to visit the grave but I thought my mum has overlooked that date, as I checked in google, that the dates should be 10 days before the start of Qingming Festival (5/4/2013) and 10 days after.

I thought it would be for a full month so I wonder if the above-stated date is correct. We thought of going this Sunday but some said the "hell gate" has closed and whatever we burn, our ancestors will not be able to receive them.

May,
so what's the final conclusion? 10 days before and 10 days after? anything beyond that is not within the valid QingMing period?

Thanks

Hi Mr Hum Zhou Wah,

Since you are from Canada, I wish to go to Toronto and bring some foodstuff over for my brother, who just went there to work. Are dried oysters, jujubes allowed entry at Pearson airport please?

The candy (jujubes etc.) are ok but not the dried oysters

Thank you Lucy, for your reply. Can I also bring a slow cooker there? Those porcelain kind that stew soup for 4 hours. That means, if he comes home for lunch and start boiling soup, by the time he finishes work, he can have a hot pot of soup to bring.

The good thing about slow cooker is, it will not overflow, and the electricity consumption is low.