Why is the paper burned by the ghosts in the Midyear Festival?

The paper burned on the Midyear Festival is paper money, and people believe that paper money is the money of the underworld. To show their memorial service to the deceased, people often burn paper money to give to the deceased. Legend has it that on the 15th day of July, when the ghost gate is opened, many deceased ancestors will go out of the ghost domain and go home to see how their homes are doing.

Go collect some money and take it down to use. The custom of money existed as early as the Han Dynasty. After the Wei and Jin dynasties, when the Southern Qi Dynasty was in the south, people generally changed to paper money to worship the spirit.

This custom has been practiced to this day.

It wasn't just paper that was burned, it was the currency they had in circulation at that time, in the eyes of the ghosts.

All that is burned is paper money, and in order to "coax the ghost", the paper will be made into the appearance of money, so that the ghost will be happy, and he will not find trouble with humans.

Paper was very sacred in ancient times, and its appearance promoted the spread of civilization and allowed more people to have access to knowledge. In the eyes of readers, even if it is waste paper, it cannot be recognized, and it must be taken to the font tower to be burned, otherwise it is disrespectful to the sky. Since it is to be sacrificed, it is natural to take out the most precious one.

Different from the paper figures, paper cars, and paper houses that appear in modern tomb sweeping, the ancients were full of awe of money paper.

Burn more paper money, the deceased will be useful over there, this is a kind of mourning for the deceased.

Burning money paper has always been a custom in the Midyear Festival, and in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, you can always see people burning paper on the street at night.

It must be burned paper, and the renminbi is also made of paper.

Because only the renminbi can replace the living people.

Is not burning paper really the money we use today?

The paper burning statement of the midyear festival is as follows:

One: Time. First of all, it is not possible to burn paper during the day, after all, it is necessary to burn paper during the day, after all, burning paper in the midyear festival is to give the ancestors who passed away, but it is not good if it is too late, the later the ghost door is opened at night, the heavier the yin qi, so it is easy to be hit by evil qi when burning paper.

Therefore, the best time to burn paper is after the sun has set at dinner, and it is best to finish it before half past seven.

Two: Location. The position of burning paper should not be too casual, so burning paper in ** is also a problem that needs to be paid attention to, and the customs about this in different places are different:

In some places, a brazier will be placed at the door to burn to the ancestors; Some places will choose to burn paper outside. The specific location is according to the local customs, and if you choose to burn paper outside, it is best to burn a little at the intersection.

Pay attention to one: paper burning time.

The time of burning paper during the Midyear Festival is very particular, and people generally do not choose to burn paper during the day, because the yang energy is too strong during the day, and the ghosts cannot receive paper money; However, it is also inappropriate to burn paper late at night, because the yin qi at night is too strong, especially on Halloween, there are many ghosts, and burning paper too late is easy to be affected by evil qi and bring misfortune.

Pay attention to the two: the position of burning paper.

The location of burning paper is also very particular, the location of burning paper in different places is also different, some areas will put a brazier at the door of their own house, and then burn paper for their ancestors in the brazier; Some areas will choose to burn paper far away from home, and will choose at the crossroads, and the location of the paper burning can be selected according to the customs of each place.

Pay attention to three: draw circles when burning paper.

Friends who have burned paper money will definitely feel that the elders in the family will clean the ground before burning the paper, and then use a small wooden stick to draw a circle on the ground, and then burn the paper in the circle. However, it should be noted that this circle must not be drawn as a solid circle, and an opening should be left for it, and the position of the opening is generally southwest.

Pay attention to four: burn paper inside and outside the circle.

The circle is to burn paper for their deceased relatives, and the outside of the circle is to appease the homeless lonely ghosts, when burning paper, you must remember to burn some inside and outside the circle, so that other ghosts will not cause you unnecessary trouble.

Pay attention to five: the turning amplitude should not be too large when burning paper.

When burning paper money, it is generally necessary to take a wooden stick to pick up the paper money, and it will be fully burned, but it must be noted that the action range should not be too large when picking up the paper money, because it is easy to wash away the paper money, and it is best to let it be burned as a whole.

According to folk legends, the crossroads are the places where ghosts come and go, and at the crossroads they are for the convenience of mailing, because there are also postmen in the underworld. Crossroads, especially the positive crossroads, the southeast, northwest, and northwest, no matter how far away the deceased loved ones are, can receive paper money from the living relatives to give them.

China's thousands of years of cultural history has continued in this way, every New Year, Qingming Festival, October 1 of the lunar calendar, is a festival to commemorate the deceased relatives, close to the hometown, on the grave burned, far away, will choose the crossroads to burn.

The meaning of burning paper in the midyear festival:

Paper burning refers to paper money that is incinerated to worship ghosts and gods, also known as "burning paper money". In some places, it is called Huabao, and the purpose of burning paper money is to worship the ancestral gods and pray for blessings.

The objects of burning paper money are roughly divided into three types: one is dedicated to the Buddha and immortals, and generally chooses a clean outdoor place to burn paper; Second, for ancestors and relatives, you can burn paper at the intersection near your home; The third is to give the Yin Spirit Wandering Spirit, either by the river or before burning paper for the ancestors.

1. When buying burning paper, don't buy stacks of printed matter, one piece is hundreds of millions, the money is not real, it is not as valuable as the old ruble and VND. However, while burning a lot of money, it is not impossible to burn a little like this, there are many debt collectors below, who ask you for money with a dead face, and if you don't give it, you will grind you, so you have to answer them with this kind of small money.

2. To buy yellow straw paper, take a piece of 100 yuan of real money and press it on the paper after spreading it, and feel that this 100 yuan is a poke, from right to left, from top to bottom, row by row, until the whole paper is covered. Such burnt paper is hard currency underneath.

3. Fold the burning paper, divide the burning paper into seven or eight parts, and fold them twice in a diagonal line, otherwise it is very troublesome to burn a stack of paper. It will be convenient to stack it and burn it.

4. Before preparing to burn paper, you'd better prepare a lighter (preferably windproof, July 15 is heavy and windy) and a small stick. This is convenient for you to pull up the burning paper pressed together when you burn the paper, so that the air circulates and is convenient for burning.

5. It is necessary to burn it when it is dark, and no one dares to come out to withdraw money at dawn. On the way back and forth to burn paper, try to bypass the burning paper, do not step on, sometimes an intersection is full of paper ash piles, you can't get around it, then you have to carefully intersperse the past, sometimes you may need to take a big stride, before you have to say, sorry, borrowed.

It doesn't matter how much money you burn on paper money on the Midyear Festival. The main thing is the amount of money on the banknotes, which is very particular. There is just one "money" word, which is composed of three "Jin Gege" characters.

Therefore, the amount of money on the banknotes should also be calculated in terms of "gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin". One is gold, one is silver, three is copper, four is iron, five is tin, six is gold, and seven is tin. "Seven gods and eight ghosts".

Generally speaking, it is best to use six eyes (six dollars) and eleven eyes (eleven dollars) to pray for the gods, make wishes, eliminate disasters, and burn old blessing paper for the deceased during the New Year's holidays. It is best to use the Seven Eyes (a row of seven dollars) to worship God, open spirits, and fast. Send a ghost flower plate, half burned in July, it is best to use a row of eight eyes (eight yuan).

When burning paper, if you encounter a situation where it does not burn, do not mess up the money and paper, so that it will be difficult for the ghosts and gods to maintain order, and the ghosts and gods will have to ask for it, so that it will be difficult for the owner of the paper money to settle down.

The correct way to burn incense on the Midyear Festival is the same.

Every time you burn incense, you should first think about what color of incense you want to burn, so that you can get good blessings and not burn the wrong incense. Either way, the more the merrier. There is also a limit to the amount of incense burning.

Generally, one pillar of incense is good (three pillars), and one pillar is Kaitai incense. The main family is complete, the father is filial, and the blessing comes together, and he lives a long and healthy life. The three (nine) pillars are enterprising incense, six affinities are harmonious, the neighborhood is stable, fame and fortune are gained, and health and longevity are achieved.

The nine pillars (also known as the nine pins of incense insertion into three columns, square) are used for returning incense, which can be reached in all directions, moving to a higher position, and all things do not exist, and all four are empty. In general, this incense cannot be burned. It is used to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new on the first day of the first month of the year.

Distinguish the color of incense.

The color of incense is generally only red, yellow and green in society now. Not all three types of incense can be burned.

The red color, which represents happiness, is generally used in wedding venues. This is the most reasonable way to celebrate an outdated holiday.

Yellow, on behalf of respect, is generally used in birthday celebrations, praying to God and Buddha, and eliminating disasters, which is the most reasonable.

Cyan, which means darkness, is generally used to collect ghosts, send flower plates, open spirits, and fast.

The taboo of burning paper on the Midyear Festival.

1.Fold the paper, burn it with a knife, divide it into seven or eight parts, and fold it diagonally twice. Otherwise, it will be troublesome for a pile of paper to burn. It would be convenient to fold it up.

2.Before burning the paper, draw a circle on the ground to be burned. Be careful not to enclose yourself inside. Leave a gap in the northwest corner so that the relatives below can come in and get the money.

3.When burning paper, you should have a serious expression and don't laugh and play. Since you have come, be respectful.

4.Before burning paper for a loved one, light two pieces and throw them out of the circle. Correct, there are no ghosts whose relatives send money.

5.Be sure to keep watching the paper burn before you can leave. This can not only prevent fire, but also prevent the wind from blowing the paper out and being picked up by other passers-by, making the elderly unhappy.

6.Don't burn it before dark. When it was dawn, no one dared to come out and withdraw money.

On the way back and forth to burn paper, try to avoid burning paper and do not step on it. Sometimes an intersection is full of piles of paper ashes, and you can't get around, so you have to cross carefully. Sometimes you may need to take a big step.

Before you go, you have to say, I'm sorry, borrowed.

Paper can be burned during the mid-year festival.

Zhongyuan Festival is the name of Taoism, and the folk secular name is July and a half, and the seventh month.

Ten. Fourth, the ancestor festival, Buddhism is called the Bon Festival. The festival customs mainly include worshipping ancestors, releasing river lanterns, worshipping the souls of the dead, burning paper ingots, sacrificing land, etc.

The birth of the midyear festival can be traced back to the ancestral spirit worship and related time sacrifices in ancient times. July is the auspicious month, filial piety month, July and a half is the folk early autumn celebration of the harvest, reward the earth of the festival, there are a number of crops ripe, the folk according to the routine to worship the ancestors, with new rice and other sacrifices, to the ancestors to report the autumn success. The festival is a kind of cultural traditional festival to remember the ancestors, and its cultural core is to respect the ancestors and fulfill filial piety.