Ching Ming dates back over 2,500 years and is linked to the Chinese tradition of ancestor worship. This event is held on the 106th day after winter solstice and usually occurs on April 4 or April 5, with today’s world of working families typically celebrating the weekend before. The practice of ancestor worship is based on three beliefs:

A person’s good or bad fortune is influenced by the souls of his or her ancestors
All  departed ancestors have the same material needs they had when alive
The departed can assist their living relatives