Different regions of the world have different preferences for the type of Joss paper that is used.
It is typically made of white bamboo or rice paper, and may be decorated with seals or stamps. The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, Zhongyuan Jie (中元節), Gui Jie (鬼節) or Yulan Festival is a traditional Buddhist and Taoist festival held in certain East Asian countries. For the sake of clarity, the term Datuk, which is universally used to describe the spirit in Malaysia, will be used. In 2006, in response to the burning of "messy sacrificial items", such as paper cars, houses, and pills, Dou Yupei, China's deputy minister for civil affairs, announced that the ministry intended to ban at least the more extreme forms of joss paper. Joss paper is paper printed with various representations of earthly goods, such as money, which is burned during ceremonies meant to honor ancestors or deities in some parts of Asia. I now have a better understanding . Thanks for your questions, Wanda. And yes, you can burn the joss paper in any appropriate vessel. The burning of spirit money enables the ancestor to purchase luxuries and necessities needed for a comfortable afterlife. I understand that family gather together and burn joss money to the death anniversary. The three main types of spirit money are cash (also known as copper), silver and gold. But the gifts/flowers, incense and food for the neighboring plots is definitely something I had not thought of prior to my visit. I’ve searched through Amazon, but haven’t found anything. I thought the app was an interesting approach to the ceremony because there’s no air pollution! Miao folk religion or Hmong folk religion is the common ethnic religion of Miao peoples, primarily consisting in the practice of kev dab qhuas. 4.9 out of 5 stars 81. It’s great to see other fellow american/canadian chinese carry on the tradition, as well share our cultural values!
Zhizha, or Taoist paper art, is a type of traditional craft, mainly used as offerings in Taoist festive celebrations and funerals. “... it is use, and use alone, which leads one of us, tolerably trained to recognize any criterion of grace or any sense of the fitness of things, to tolerate ... the styles of dress to which we are more or less conforming every day of our lives.
Hi T! I would like to burn for my deceased relatives. Collectively, joss paper offerings are physical representations of money and daily necessities like clothing, personal electronics and household goods. I enjoyed reading your article – very informative.
Many Chinese families keep a supply of joss paper at home to burn during moments in everyday life when a deceased relative is remembered. Incense sticks and red candles are both used as offerings for the dead during the Qingming Festival and Hungry Ghost Festival. ~Wes.
In ancestral religious worship it's jìngzǔ or bàizǔ 拜祖. "lesser silver"): small paper squares with a silver metallic rectangle, burned for close relatives, ancestors, and the earth gods and spirits. It is common enough, however, that this type of paper is often found in Asian markets, and street vendors often sell it near temples. Worship of gods also uses a similar paper. OK, The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. The goal of ancestor worship is to ensure the ancestor's continued well-being and positive disposition towards the living and sometimes to ask for special favours or assistance. I am a Caucasian married to a Chinese man. Beautiful as is, or folded into the shape of gold ingots. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] I will look into this possibility. Chinese Religion. If you’d please email me through the Contact page with a bit more information about the specific items you’re seeking, I’ll try to track them down for you here in the Bay Area. This box of essentials is designed to provide a female family member with everything needed in the afterlife, including a watch, jade bracelet, gold bracelet, lighter, necklace and ring.
It falls on the first day of the fifth solar term of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar.
Seaman, G. (1982 Fall). Joss paper burning is usually the last act performed in a Chinese ancestor worship ceremony. Hi Donia, thanks for writing! Thanks for your question, Philip. Different regions of the world have preferences for the type of joss paper that is used. I have folded joss paper all my life. Hi Laurina, I’d like to help you out. The religion is also called Hmongism by a Hmong American church established in 2012 to organise it among Hmong people in the United States. ~Wes. Thank you! However in Buddhism, particularly in the Pure Land Buddhist sect, the practice of burning joss paper to the deceased is strongly discouraged, as the deceased would have no use for material possessions upon reaching either a heaven or hell realm, and that by not burning joss paper would also help conserve paper used to print joss paper and to save money, time, and the environment.Fact|date=September 2008, * Hell Bank Notes* Ancestor worship* Ghost* Ghost Festival, Joss paper — Gold and silver paper burned by the Chinese, in the form of coins or ingots, in worship and at funerals.
I’ve seen pictures of joss paper crafts online, like clothing, shoes, purses, snacks. [ [http://www2.nysun.com/article/50963 A New Chinese Trend: Viagra For the Dead - March 22, 2007 - The New York Sun ] ]. Other religious groups, however, consider veneration of the dead to be idolatry and a sin. It is observed by a devotee holding joss incense with both hands in front of an altar while praying or meditating. I don’t think any particular group of Chinese burn more joss paper than another. I was always told to never fold after sunset. Paper designed to represent money is the most common form, although it can also represent houses, cars, credit cards, and an assortment of other things. Thank you for sharing your experience, Janice!
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London: Laurence King Publishing, Ltd. Asian Joss Paper: Rubber Trouble. The basic notion behind burning joss paper is that an offering is conveyed into the spirit world through the fire’s smoke. Recognizing the anniversary of a relative’s birth or passing is something like a family party for the deceased. Thompson, L. (1989).
In looking around for info, I also found an app for the ceremony. Thanks!
Required fields are marked *. I run my own online joss paper store based in Singapore (gotkimzua.com). This is how I access your for informative info on joss papers. These papers are often quite elaborate, and they typically feature a portrait of the Jade Emperor, who rules the afterlife. File:Joss Paper Made of Gold in Jin Dynasty 2012-05.JPG, A New Chinese Trend: Viagra For the Dead - March 22, 2007 - The New York Sun, http://app.nea.gov.sg/cms/htdocs/article.asp?pid=720, http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/joss_paper.htm, https://yourstudent-gemini.fandom.com/wiki/Joss_paper?oldid=7730. Many temples in Hong Kong or Taiwan sell "worship" packages, which contain:*Incense sticks ("Joss sticks")*Candles*Joss Paper (either Hell Bank Notes or "gold paper")*A small food item, In Taoist rituals, the practice of burning joss paper to deities or ancestors is acceptable. Those who burn joss paper often do so in small, quiet ceremonies within their immediate families, resulting in less understanding of the practice across the broader community. My question is, is it appropriate to use joss paper in other ways? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! These are only reserved for ghost and spirits or lower ranking deities. Every fifteen days business owners in Taiwan burn spirit money in red braziers and set out offering tables on the sidewalk for both gods and ghosts. These XL size Hell Bank Notes are printed to resemble currency from the traditional “Bank of Heaven and Earth.” Each of the included designs is decorated with an image of the Jade Emperor and auspicious symbols like gold ingots, dragons and peonies.
For added respect the devotee or descendant is expected to kneel during and after placing the incense in the urn or at the altar. Feuchtwang, S. (2001).
With origins in traditional Chinese culture, the spirit tablet is a common sight in many East Asian countries where any form of ancestor veneration is practiced. [1][2][3][4] The three main types of spirit money are cash (also known as copper), silver and gold.
Template:Commons category These distinctions between the three categories of spirit money must be followed precisely to prevent confusion or insult of the spirits. Retrieved October 23, 2008 from, Burning of Joss Paper. The practice dates to the Shang dynasty when cowrie shells were used, in the belief that the money would be used in the afterlife as a bribe to Yan Wang for a more favourable spiritual destination. Is there a specific way you begin and end your ceremony when burning joss paper? Joss paper, as well as other papier-mâché items, are also burned in traditional Chinese funerals, to ensure that spirit of the deceased has lots of good things in their afterlife. Can joss paper be made at home? Arguably the most famous place to buy joss paper is in Hong Kong, where there’s an entire district in Sheung Wan dedicated to these types of goods. Another common feature is the signatures of both the Jade Emperor and the lord of the Underworld, both of whom apparently also serve as the Hell bank's governor and deputy governor (as featured on the back). Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Money for the Gods.