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Events
& Festivals 2000 |
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April
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April
4
Ching Ming
This Chinese tradition goes back thousand of years where on this day,
families will visit the cemeteries to pay their respect and to sweep the
graves of their ancestors. They will also burn joss sticks and paper objects,
believing that the dead will receive these items "on the other side."
Families will also present roast piglets, fruit and other food to the
deceased but the food is not wasted for at the end of the day, there will
be a family feast.
April
21 -22
Easter Holidays
April
25
Anniversary of 1974 Portuguese Revolution
This day celebrates Portugal's left-wing military coup.
April
27
A-Ma Festival
A-Ma is a Taoist goddess and is particularly revered in Macau. Also known
as Tin Hau, she is the deity of fisher folk and other seafarers. Legend
told of the story where a junk, while sailing across the South China Sea,
was caught in a tremendous storm and was about to sink. All aboard were
terrified but at the last minute, a beautiful young woman stood up and
ordered the elements to calm down. It did and the junk reached land safely.
This mysterious woman is none other than the Goddess A-Ma. A temple was
built on the spot where she landed and it is still there to this day,
on the Inner Harbor. The name Macau came to be when many centuries later,
when Portuguese soldiers asked for the name of the place, the locals replied
"A-Ma-Gao" (Bay of A-Ma). It was eventually shortened to Macau. In recent
times, a statue of A-Ma was erected on the highest point of Coloane Island.
During the A-Ma Festival, offerings are made. There are also performances
of Chinese opera.
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