掃そう苔たい

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

visit to a family grave; grave visit during Bon

Refers to the custom of visiting and cleaning family graves, especially during the Bon festival in summer. The focus is on the visit and paying respects, not just cleaning.

• お盆ぼんには家か族ぞくで掃そう苔たいに行いく。

  During the Bon festival, the family goes to visit the grave.

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

removal of moss from a tombstone

Literally the act of cleaning moss off a gravestone. This sense is more literal and less common than the broader grave-visit meaning.

• 古ふるい墓ぼ石せきの掃そう苔たいは手て間まがかかる。

  Removing moss from old tombstones takes a lot of effort.