What is the meaning of burning clothes in Guangdong

Burning clothes is a custom of sacrificing to ancestors. China has had the custom of sacrificing to ancestors at the time of the new harvest since ancient times to show filial piety and honor and not forgetting one's roots. Therefore, people also use millet to worship ancestors on the first day of October. The first day of October sacrifices to the ancestors, there are home sacrifices, there are tomb sacrifices, both in the north and south are so. Today, in many areas of Jiangnan, there is still the custom of sacrificing new graves on the first day of October.

The first day of October is also the first day of winter, after which the climate grows colder. People are afraid that the souls of the ancestors in the underworld lack clothes, so, in addition to food, incense, paper money and other general offerings, there is also an indispensable offering during the sacrifice - the clothes of the underworld. At the time of sacrifice, people burn the clothes to the ancestors, called "sending cold clothes". Therefore, the first day of October is also known as the "Burnt Clothes Festival".

Burning ClothesForms

"Burning Wrappings" is the main form of ancestor worship. The so-called "package", also known as "parcel", is a parcel of mail that is sent to the "netherworld" by a filial son from the world of the living. In the past, the so-called "baggage skin" was sold in the southern paper store, i.e., a large pocket made of white paper. There are two forms: one is a woodcut version, printed around the Sanskrit translation of the "mantra", the center of the print a rosette tablets, used to write the name of the deceased to receive money.

such as: "the late Zhang Fu Jun Li Yunshan boss man" words, both the mailbag and the tablets. Another is a plain wrapping skin, do not print any pattern, the center only stick a blue sticker, write the name of the deceased can be. Also do the main card.

Old times, regardless of rich and poor people have burned baggage action. On this day, in the ancestral hall or the main house of the family house set up offerings, will be placed in the middle of the baggage, dumplings, pastries, fruits and other offerings in front, burning incense and candles. After the whole family salutes according to their seniority, the package is incinerated outside the door. When incinerating, make a big circle and leave a gap according to the direction of the grave. Burning three or five sheets of paper outside the circle is called "sending out the evil spirits".