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JacksonFive's
Free Weekly "Learning English" Newsletter
Issue: 07        "Grave Sweeping"       April 3, 2000
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Dear Readers,

    There has been another "first" for our newsletter this week.  We
    have the first father and daughter family subscribers for our
    newsletter ("welcome to our group").  It was actually quite moving
    when I saw their registrations.  It shows that our JacksonFive
    newsletter can benefit every member of the family, no matter what
    age.  It also demonstrates that learning together can be a positive
    family experience.  What do you think?  Do you agree or disagree
    and why?  I would like to hear your thoughts on this question.  Please
    email me.

    Last week, I mentioned I was going to write about "breakfast items".
    Given that it is "grave sweeping week", I have moved this topic to
    next week.  Stay tuned.

                                                              JacksonFive

THIS WEEK's FEATURED QUESTION:

    What is "grave sweeping"?

ANSWER:

    "Grave Sweeping" is the time of the year when everyone pays their
    respect to their ancestors.  They visit the family cemetery and
    ancestral grave sites (or burial sites).

    True to its name, they "clean and sweep" the graves.  They remove
    any vegetation and debris on the grave sites.  They also "fix homes"
    by stacking "paper money" in even rows on top of the graves (for
    the non-Christians).

    They pay homage (def: respect) to our family lineage (def: family
    line) through this tradition.  They also observe and remind
    themselves of where they come from and from whom they come from.
    On every headstone is carved the place name of their family's
    "ancestral home" (usually in Mainland China).

    It is also a good time to meet all the other members of the
    extended family (family outside your immediate family, cousins,
    uncles, etc).  Uncles and aunts, cousins and nephews, young and old,
    all gather together in one location.  It is the perfect time to
    renew family ties and exchange family news.

 Related Keywords:

  Headstone: AKA tombstone, grave stone.  The stone that sits at the
    top of any grave and written on it is the name of the person in
    the grave.

  Cemetery: a place where many graves are located.

  Coffin: AKA casket.  The box where you place the body when it is
    buried, usually made out of wood.

  Ancestral Home: the place (city, town, or village) where the family
    originated.

  Pay Respect: showing respect to people.

  Paper Money: the sheets of ceremonial money burnt as offerings to
    people or gods in the "other world".

  Immediate Family: father, mother, brothers, and sisters.

  Extended Family: uncle, aunt, cousin, nephew, grandparents, etc.


NEXT WEEK's FEATURED TOPIC:

    "Yummy (def: taste good) breakfast foods you can order."

(If you benefited from this newsletter, please share it with a friend.)
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