How to burn joss paper – Chinese Ancestor Money

A Tie Across Life and Death

In traditional Chinese cultural funerals, there is a unique ritual –the burning of joss paper. It may be a relatively unfamiliar and mysterious custom to Americans, but it has deep significance and a long history in Chinese culture.

The origin of burning joss paper can be traced back to ancient times. It is influenced by Buddhist and Taoist ideas. In Buddhism, there is the idea of the six paths of reincarnation, where people believe that their departed loved ones will continue their journey in another world. Taoism, on the other hand, emphasizes the balance between yin and yang, believing that there is still some connection between the living and the dead. As a result, people began to burn joss paper in the hope that this joss paper would provide the deceased with wealth and necessities in the other world.

Joss paper is more than just a simple piece of paper. They are made into various shapes to represent different items. There are joss paper that looks like a golden dollar, symbolizing wealth and good luck; there are also paper houses, paper clothes, and even cars and furniture made of paper. All of these items are meant to enable the deceased to live a comfortable life in the other world. In the Chinese concept, death is not the end of life, but rather a transformation; the deceased simply goes to the other world to continue living.

At a funeral, burning joss paper is a very solemn ceremony. The relatives will place the joss paper in a designated place, usually next to a fire pit or incinerator. When the ceremony begins, they will throw the joss paper into the fire one by one. As the joss paper burns in the flames, the relatives will pray silently that the deceased will receive these gifts from the earth. The flames jumped as if they were a bridge connecting the two worlds, transmitting the thoughts and care of the relatives to the deceased.

This ceremony is not only a way of caring for the deceased, but also a way of comforting the living. When facing the death of a loved one, people often feel sad and helpless. The ritual of burning joss paper makes the relatives feel that they can still do something for the deceased, and this behavior relieves their grief to a certain extent. It makes the relatives feel that the deceased is not really gone, they have just gone to a place we cannot see, and we can still keep in touch with them in this way.

The custom of burning joss paper also reflects the importance of family and kinship in Chinese culture. In Chinese society, the family is the most important unit and the bonds of kinship are very strong. This bond is not broken even when a loved one passes away. Burning joss paper is a way of expressing care and remembrance for departed loved ones, and it makes the relatives feel that they are one and the same, whether they are alive or dead.

With the development of time, although some customs have changed, the tradition of burning joss paper still remains in many places. It is not only a cultural practice, but also an emotional support. For the Chinese, burning joss paper is a way to cross over life and death, so that relatives can feel the love and care from the earth even in the other world. Through this ceremony, the connection between the living and the dead is continued, and it also gives people a deeper understanding of life and death.