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What Paper Votives to Burn for the Hungry Ghost Festival and How to Burn Them?

The practice of burning offerings for the hungry ghosts is a well-known tradition in folk culture. But what exactly is included in the gold paper offerings for the seventh lunar month, and how should one burn them properly?

Administrator

27 July, 2024

The 15th day of the 7th lunar month is known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for ancestral worship in East Asian cultures. Vietnamese people often prepare offerings on this day to honor the dead, especially those who died tragically or without proper funeral rites.

This day is also known as the Vu Lan Festival, a time for family members to gather and pay respects to their ancestors. They pray for their ancestors’ blessings of peace and happiness upon the family.

1 What Kinds of Joss Paper Are Offered on the 15th of the 7th Lunar Month?

Joss Paper for Ancestral Worship

The joss paper offered during ancestral worship on the 15th of the 7th lunar month typically includes: Joss paper, vehicles, houses, clothing, spirit money, and other items the deceased enjoyed in life.

According to folk beliefs, the deceased will receive these offerings after they are burned. Therefore, it is customary to burn a generous amount of spirit money so that the deceased can use it to purchase whatever they desire.

Burning abundant spirit money for the deceased

Joss Paper for Hungry Ghosts

Similar to the offerings for ancestral worship and deities, the joss paper for hungry ghosts should be prepared meticulously. The joss paper for this ritual will include:

Spirit Money: At least 15 sets
Clothing for Hungry Ghosts: Prepare between 20 and 50 sets
Hungry Ghost Money: The more, the better

For reference:

Preparing joss paper for hungry ghosts

For further reference: Comprehensive guide to ancestral and deity worship offerings

2 Chant for Burning Joss Paper on the 15th of the 7th Lunar Month

The chant to be recited while burning joss paper on this day is as follows:

“In the unity of Yin and Yang,

Offerings to the Buddha are complete,

Transforming gold and silver,

Rituals and offerings concluded.”

Alternatively:

“As above, so below,

Offerings to the Buddha are done,

Transforming gold and silver,

Rituals and offerings are complete.”

Chant for burning joss paper on the 15th of the 7th lunar month

3 Guide to Burning Joss Paper on the 15th of the 7th Lunar Month

Instructions for Sending Clothing to the Deceased

When sending clothing to the deceased, be sure to include the following information:

Full name of the deceased
Gender
Date and time of passing

Instructions for sending clothing to the deceased

When to Burn Joss Paper on the 15th of the 7th Lunar Month?

According to folk beliefs, the King of Hell opens the Gates of Hell on the 2nd of July each year, allowing wandering spirits to return to the mortal realm, and closes them again on the 14th of July. Therefore, it is customary to burn joss paper during this period.

The ideal times for burning joss paper are as follows:

Joss Paper for Ancestral Worship: According to spiritualists, it is best to perform the Vu Lan ritual for ancestral worship and to offer respect to one’s ancestors during the daytime.
Joss Paper for Hungry Ghosts: It is preferable to perform this ritual in the evening. This is considered the best time to pray for wandering spirits without a place of refuge, as they cannot appear during the daytime due to the presence of light.

Timing for burning joss paper on the 15th of the 7th lunar month

How to Burn Joss Paper on the 15th of the 7th Lunar Month

When burning joss paper, the host should burn the offerings slowly and completely, without poking the burning spirit money with a stick, and while calling out the name of the deceased to show respect.

The host should choose a clean outdoor space for burning the joss paper and wait for the incense to burn out almost completely before proceeding with the ritual. The offerings should be burned in the following order: first the deities, then the ancestors. Before putting down each offering, bow three times and chant: “We respectfully offer this gold and silver, along with other offerings, to our ancestors. We invite their spirits to receive these gifts. We respectfully inform the deities and invite the spirits of our ancestors to return to the spirit realm.”

Burning joss paper on the 15th of the 7th lunar month

4 Notes on Burning Joss Paper on the 15th of the 7th Lunar Month

Do not poke the burning joss paper with the “chanting stick.” It is believed that doing so will cause the ashes to scatter, which is considered disrespectful to the spirits.
Burn the joss paper slowly and allow the fire to go out on its own. Do not pour water on the burning offerings to extinguish the fire before it has burned out completely.

Notes on burning joss paper on the 15th of the 7th lunar month

For further reading: How to cook sticky rice and sweet soup for offerings on the 15th of the 7th lunar month

The above guide provides insights into purchasing and burning joss paper on the 15th of the 7th lunar month, along with important notes to keep in mind. We hope you find this information useful.