Chinese Folk Religion Burial Object: "Joss"
Collection: Spiritual Connections
This paper, called "joss", is burned during funeral ceremonies as part of the practice of Chinese folk religion. Joss paper is considered a physical representation of money and daily household goods. The smoke of the burning paper is believed to send the money and materials to the ancestors in the afterlife.
Chinese folk religion is a polytheistic religion, a mixture of China's three main religions: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Inside a typical temple, for example, may be found a Buddhist bodhisattva and a Taoist god. Worship in Chinese temples usually consists of making offerings to the various gods, spirits and ancestors.
Gods can be associated with natural phenomena, for instance, a god of the sea or fire. Practitioners of Chinese folk religion may worship important historical personages like generals. Chinese people also worship their early ancestors, an important part of Confucianism, by having ancestral shrines. Mythological stories help explain the creation of the universe, the origin of the human race, and important skills like medicine-making. As one of the most important creatures in Chinese mythology, Chinese dragons play a decisive role in these stories.
Source:
https://interfaith.wisc.edu/2022/12/10/the-state-of-religion-in-china-and-chinese-folk-religion-jiaming-xie/
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2023/08/30/confucianism-taoism-and-chinese-folk-religions/#:~:text=It is an essential component,making wishes (xuyuan 许愿).https://www.chineseamericanfamily.com/how-to-buy-and-burn-joss-paper/