1. Understand the origin of the Ghost Festival

The Ghost Festival, also known as the Ghost Festival and the Bon Festival, is an important traditional festival in our country. It originated from the Buddhist Obon Festival and was later combined with the Taoist Hungry Ghost Festival to form the current Hungry Ghost Festival. The Hungry Ghost Festival is to offer sacrifices to ancestors and the spirits of the dead, in order to pass on ancestral culture and purify the soul and home.

2. Prepare sacrificial supplies

When offering sacrifices on the Hungry Ghost Festival, we need to prepare some sacrificial supplies, including incense candles, flowers, fruits, drinks, rice noodles, etc. These items represent respect and blessings to ancestors. In addition, you can also prepare some sacrifices, such as paper money, paper clothes, paper cars, etc., for worship and burning.

3. Clean and purify the home

Before worshiping during the Hungry Ghost Festival, we should clean and purify the home first. You can clean, clear away garbage, wipe furniture, etc. to make your home look brand new. At the same time, you can use some fresh aromatherapy or incense to add a peaceful atmosphere to your home.

4. Arrange the sacrificial place

When offering sacrifices during the Hungry Ghost Festival, we need to prepare a special place for the sacrifice. You can choose to perform sacrifices at your home shrine or in front of your ancestors’ tablets. Some red lanterns can be hung above the sacrificial place to symbolize good luck and blessings.

5. Sacrificial rituals

When offering sacrifices during the Hungry Ghost Festival, we need to perform some specific sacrificial rituals. First, light incense candles to show respect to the ancestors. Then, offerings such as fruits and wine are placed to express offerings to the ancestors. Then, you can recite sacrificial verses to express your thoughts and blessings to your ancestors. Finally, offerings such as paper money and paper clothes can be burned to show support for the ancestors.

6. Disposal after the sacrifice

After the Hungry Ghost Festival sacrifice, we need to properly handle the sacrificial supplies and sacrifices. Incense candles can be extinguished, and fruits and drinks can be eaten or distributed among family and friends. As for the sacrifices such as paper money and paper clothes, you can choose to burn them in a safe place or send them to a special paper burning place.

7. Purification and reflection of the soul

Hungry Ghost Festival sacrifice is not only a way to inherit the culture of the ancestors, but also an opportunity to purify the soul and reflect on oneself. During the sacrifice process, we can reflect on our actions and words, as well as our care and love for our family, relatives and friends. At the same time, you can also feel the care and blessings of your ancestors, thereby cherishing the happiness and happiness in front of you even more.

End

The correct way to start the Hungry Ghost Festival sacrifice is not only a way to inherit the culture of the ancestors, but also a way to purify the soul and the home. By understanding the origin of the Ghost Festival, preparing sacrificial supplies, cleaning and purifying our homes, arranging sacrificial places, performing sacrificial rituals, handling sacrificial items, and purifying and reflecting on our souls, we can better inherit our ancestral culture and purify our souls and homes. . On this special day of the Ghost Festival, let us worship our ancestors together and feel the warmth and blessings of our family.