What to Do with the Ghost Festival Away from Home
If you cannot return home during the day of the Ghost Festival, there is no need to force yourself to go back for tomb sweeping.On the day of the Ghost Festival, you need to pay respects to your ancestors, but there are more ways than just tomb sweeping. Even if you are away from home, you can still honor your ancestors by burning paper money and bundles.
It is worth noting that burning bundles is different from tomb sweeping; it should be done after sunset. Burning a bundle involves stacking paper money into small packages, writing the name and title of the recipient, the number of packages, the name of the person burning them, and the time, then burning them for deceased relatives and ancestors. Burning bundles should generally be done after 9 p.m., and you can choose a corner in your community or an empty crossroad. It must be done on the festival day itself.
【Format of Burning Bundles】
The format of burning bundles consists of five columns (from left to right):
First column —— During the Mid-Autumn Festival, I sincerely prepare X bundles of spirit money (meaning: during the ghost festival, I earnestly prepare paper money for the spirits and pack them into X bundles)
Second column —— Respectfully offered to XX (meaning: respectfully offered to XX)
Third column —— For the late XX to use (meaning: for the late XX elder to use)
Fourth column —— Offered by the filial XX (meaning: offered by the filial XX person)
Fifth column —— On the lunar date of XX year, XX month, XX day, I kneel and burn (meaning: the lunar date when I kneel and burn)
Can You Pay Respects to Ancestors in Advance?
You cannot pay respects to your ancestors in advance or delay it during the Ghost Festival.Paying respects to ancestors on the Ghost Festival must be done on the same day. The date varies by region; some places celebrate it on the 14th day of the seventh lunar month, while others celebrate it on the 15th day.
Regardless of the date, you must go on the festival day itself. Even if you are away from home, you should offer incense at home to the ancestral tablet or portrait, or burn paper money at a crossroads on the night of the festival. If you have already visited the grave before the Ghost Festival, you should also pay respects again on the festival day.
Because paying respects to ancestors is a very solemn and important matter. This tradition of the Ghost Festival has many rules and customs. If you are going to do it, you should follow them; otherwise, it would be disrespectful to your ancestors and departed relatives. Therefore, when paying respects to ancestors on the Ghost Festival, you should not do it in advance or delay it. Try to set aside time on the same day to pay your respects.
