to Sanctuarium and saw these....
Took these pictures a while ago. These are placed just outside the chapel..
The Chinese believe that it’s unlucky to arrive in the afterlife empty-handed or
indebted. Consequently, burning joss paper is an essential part of Chinese
funeral customs. Funeral offerings can be elaborate and typically include joss
paper squares, lots of currency and household necessities like clothing,
electronics and jewelry.
the earliest joss paper rituals date back more than a thousand years to when
paper coins were burned to please the spirits. Burning joss paper at funerals
became standard practice by the 12th century
because they are intended to appease wandering spirits without families to
care for them. Setting a up makeshift altar at the curb outside your home with
joss paper offerings and food for the ghosts is common.
burn for the deceased to ensure their dead a happy afterlife. Burning joss paper
is a traditional Chinese-Taoist practice that sends money and materials goods to
deceased relatives in the afterlife. It’s common to burn joss paper at funerals,
on ancestor birthdays and during important holidays like the Qingming Festival
and the Hungry Ghost Festival.
Joss paper customs are rich with symbolism and family history, the type of
tradition you can imagine being shared in Chinese from grandmothers to
their grandchildren.
joss paper offerings are physical representations of money and daily necessities
like clothing, personal electronics and household goods. The basic notion behind
burning joss paper is that an offering is conveyed into the spirit world through the
fire’s smoke.
The most traditional type of “everyday” joss paper is made from sheets of coarse
bamboo paper, each decorated with a square of gold or silver foil to represent money.
They come in all different sizes and can be burned “as is” or after being folded into
the shape of the traditional gold ingots used as currency in ancient China.
the earliest joss paper rituals date back more than a thousand years to when paper
coins were burned to please the spirits. Burning joss paper at funerals became
standard practice by the 12th century with the first Chinese immigrants who arrived
during the 19th century.
As you shop for joss paper, note that variations abound. Joss paper may be
decorated with different seals, stamps, pieces of contrasting paper, engraved designs
or other motifs. Different regions of the world have preferences for the type of joss
paper that is used. or instance, Hell Bank Notes are commonly found in regions where
Cantonese populations dominate, but are rarely seen or used in places such as Taiwan
or Macau, which predominantly use bamboo paper sheets.
the most common kind of traditional joss paper, 5.5″ x 6″ sheets of bamboo paper
decorated with a small gold or silver square in the center. Beautiful as is, or folded
into the shape of gold ingots.
These sheets are identical in size to the squares above, but feature a larger
rectangle of gold or silver foil in the center. There’s no meaningful difference
between the two styles, choosing one over the other is just a matter of personal
preference. The Chinese joss paper “spirit money” known as Hell Bank Notes are
commonly used in all manner of contemporary ancestor ceremonies. The most
traditional notes bear the seal of the afterlife’s “Bank of Heaven and Earth,” while
others are printed to resemble legal tender currency from various countries. Bills
feature an image of the Jade Emperor, the Taoist monarch of heaven, and come in
outrageous denominations from 10,000 to 1,000,000,000 dollars to help an ancestor
purchase services, pay off the God of Death or escape punishment.
There are also what they call joss paper dollar bank notes. These Hell Bank Notes
resemble the U.S Dollar. Each bill comes in a 1,000,000 dollar denomination with
an image of the Jade Emperor.
This 300 piece collection is appropriate for funerals, ancestor birthdays and
holidays like the Qingming Festival and the Hungry Ghost Festival. The set
includes bills resembling he U.S. Dollar, the Chinese Yuan and the Bank of
Heaven and Earth.
Finally, joss paper crafts are burned to send ancestors the luxuries they lacked
while living. Crafts are most commonly burned for specific relatives at funerals,
on birthdays and death anniversaries and during the Qingming Festival. You’ll
see joss paper houses, cars, servants, airplane tickets and flat-screen TVs. No
extravagance is too large.
Taking time to care for ancestors in the afterlife ultimately reflects the value
the Chinese place on filial piety and respect for one’s elders and ancestors.
Put in more contemporary terms, burning joss paper provides the opportunity to
make space and take time to remember the loved ones in your life.
According to tradition, the Chinese believe that the deceased have needs similar
to those in the natural world. Joss paper is burned at funerals and during
important dates thereafter to help the deceased pay off debts, trade for goods and
exist comfortably in the spirit world.
With this context, joss paper ingots and currency with denominations reaching
into the billions serve an obvious purpose. More contemporary additions like joss
paper clothing, shoes and lengths of fabric also seem practical. I’ll leave you to
form your own opinions about joss paper iPads, sports cars and mansions
complete with servants.
The Chinese believe that it’s unlucky to arrive in the afterlife empty-handed or
indebted. Consequently, burning joss paper is an essential part of Chinese funeral
customs. Funeral offerings can be elaborate and typically include joss paper squares,
lots of currency and household necessities like clothing, electronics and jewelry.
so that explain why even funerals are so extravagant. in life and in death.
they wanted everything to be as smooth and luxurious as when they were
living.
till here, this is your LOVERBOY Dennis signing off
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