Special dim sum for some: Choo showing the paper replicas of an array of dim sum among other items at her shop in Rangoon Road, Penang. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
Families honour their ancestors with their favourite ‘food’ for Qing Ming
GEORGE TOWN: Dim sum is popular for breakfast especially among older Chinese folk.
It is a must for them to have these long breakfast sessions with their old friends every weekend.
So for Qing Ming, their loved ones "send over" platters of dim sum to their dearly departed as a form of fond remembrance ... hoping they might enjoy such delights.
They even burn joss paper shaped and coloured like pizza, instant noodles, pastries, boba tea and steamboat sets.
Max Cheong, 54, who purchased a set for his departed parents, said it was their favourite food.
"Our weekly tradition growing up was to have dim sum for breakfast every Sunday.
"It was a must for my parents and even when my sister and I moved away, my parents still went for their dim sum fix every week.
"It became part of their routine as they would meet up with friends to catch up while they had dim sum," he said.
Cheong, a lawyer, said after his mother passed 10 years ago, his father found solace in his weekly dim sum trips.
"He would always talk about heading out for dim sum on the weekends.
"Now that they have both passed on, we burn dim sum joss paper for them.
"We used to bring just the actual ones to offer, but now we bring the paper ones to burn as well.
"The cooked ones we take home and eat while the joss paper ones we burn in hopes that they can enjoy it in the afterlife," he said.
Cheong said it was just their way of showing them that they remember their favourite food.
Angeli Choo, 57, who runs a prayer paraphernalia shop on Rangoon Road showed the various food options now available to burn as offerings during Qing Ming.
She said artificial foods, such as dim sum, are popular among her customers.
Unlike other offerings, the artificial dim sum comes in a 3D set and is priced between RM10 and RM12.
Qing Ming is also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day.
It is a traditional Chinese festival dedicated to honouring and remembering departed ancestors.
It falls on the 15th day of the Spring Equinox, April 4 this year, and Chinese families pick a day to go to cemeteries or columbarium to venerate the dead.
They can choose any one of the 10 days prior or after the actual day to pay their respects.
