Introduction: The first day of October is the Hanyi Festival, a traditional Chinese festival. It is also called the Ghost Festival. The Ghost Festival is a festival with many taboos, so there are many things to pay attention to on the first day of October. So, where can I find the complete list of taboos on the Ghost Festival on the first day of October? What is the significance of the Ghost Festival on the first day of October? If you want to know, come and take a look at my introduction.
A complete list of taboos on the Ghost Festival on the first day of October
1. Send cold clothes to protect ancestors from the cold
The first day of October is the winter month On the first day of the new year, the weather turned cold, and people prepared cotton-padded clothes for the winter. Thinking that the ancestors underground also needed protection from the cold, they folded paper into clothes, burned them and let them wear them, which is called "giving cold clothes".
There are some things to pay attention to when giving cold clothes:
1. It is best to fold the cold clothes with your own hands.
2. When burning, be sure to tell the ancestors to avoid getting it into the hands of the ancestors.
3. All incinerated clothing, banknotes and other items must be burned thoroughly to turn them into paper ashes. According to legend, these banknotes and clothing can only be used in the underworld if they are fully burned and turned into paper ash. If it is not burned, it will be useless for the deceased to hold it.
4. If you cannot go home to visit the grave, you can burn paper money at the crossroads in the direction of your hometown
5. Lonely ghosts also need relief. While sending cold clothes to relatives, in addition Then burn some five-color paper to send away the lonely souls of those paying homage to others, so as not to compete with others.
2. Visit the grave to express condolences.
1. Necessary offerings
Incense, fruits, snacks, vegetables, wine, banknotes, yellow paper, five-color paper, and baggage.
2. The best time to visit the graves
The best time to visit the graves to worship ancestors and sweep the tombs is between 9 a.m. and 13 noon, when Yang energy is sufficient.
3. Taboos
On this day, do not go to the cemetery after dark; do not laugh and play in the cemetery; do not use disrespectful words in the cemetery.
3. Burial together to reunite the deceased ancestors
Living in the same quilt and dying in the same hole were once the ancient people's vows for love and marriage. This shows that the ancients regarded the same acupuncture point as a symbol of life and death. Folk customs have always attached great importance to joint burial. Even if a person was alone and widowed during his lifetime, his relatives should try their best to find a "ghost relative" for him so that he will no longer be alone after his death. After the couple dies one after another, if they cannot be buried together because the mountain direction of the cemetery is not open at that time, they need to wait until October 1st after the mountain direction is opened before the joint burial can be carried out.
4. Move the graves to find a better resting place for the ancestors
1. For some reasons, if the graves need to be moved, they can only be moved on October 1 and The Qingming Festival is held. For example, if the feng shui of the cemetery is not good and needs to be improved, or if the grave is forced to be moved because the cemetery is occupied, the move cannot be done on ordinary days, but must be done on the first day of October.
2. The weak should wear amulets. People with weak numerology horoscopes should not go to the cemetery alone. It is best to ask someone with a strong body to accompany them. Especially if joint burial or grave relocation is required, protective measures should be taken in advance.
3. Bow respectfully and tell the ancestors. Kneel down, burn incense, burn paper money, and worship. Telling the ancestors does not mean that the descendants are unfilial, but that for some reason, they have to alert the ancestors. I sincerely ask my ancestors for their understanding and may they bless future generations. That is to say, first tell the ancestors what they did in the cemetery and why they did it, hoping that the ancestors will bless them safely and go smoothly.
4. Precautions when breaking the ground:
(1) When digging the ground, dig from the front of the ancestral grave, do not dig from the back. When breaking the soil and opening the grave, the order of the oldest and the youngest should be respected. Remember to dig from the front first, and it is taboo to dig from the back to avoid the risk of "no successor".
(2) Place the tombstone first and then break the ground.
(3) Do not kill auspicious creatures. If you dig up turtles, snakes, rats, toads and other auspicious creatures, do not kill them at will.
(4) Avoid getting soil when opening the coffin. After breaking through the soil and revealing the coffin, continue to excavate around the coffin to a depth that will prevent soil from falling into the coffin from above when the coffin is opened.
(5) Cover the entire tomb with a sunshade before opening the coffin.
(6) Wait for a while after opening the coffin. After shading, do not open the coffin lid completely first, but open a gap in the coffin lid to let out the corpse's air, wait for a while and then open it.
5. Repair the tomb
The summer rainy season, spring and summer irrigation, animals digging holes, etc. can easily cause water in the tomb and collapse, disturbing the peace of the ancestors underneath. In this case, the tomb needs to be repaired. However, tomb repairs cannot be carried out on ordinary days. They can only be carried out on the two days of Qingming Festival and October 1st of the year. Therefore, on October 1, many people will pull weeds, clear trees, and repair the cemetery to ensure that the ancestors are protected from wind and rain underground.
6. It is best to wear some red
Before going to the cemetery, it is best to be prepared in terms of clothing. Wear a red underwear, red socks, red hat, etc. The yin energy in cemeteries is heavy, especially on days like October 1st. The yin energy is even heavier. It is important to respect the color red to ward off evil spirits. Wearing red on your body will help your health.
Warm reminder: On a day like October 1st, let us also send cold clothes to our deceased ancestors, and pass on our customs in the ceremony to commemorate the deceased.
7. Avoid bringing red ropes, bells, wind chimes, etc., and try to avoid going out. If you encounter strange events such as ghosts, don't panic, focus all your attention and open your eyes.
What are the specialties of the Ghost Festival on the first day of October?
1. You cannot worship people who died suddenly.
2. There are not many other procedures when worshiping in the ancestral hall or in front of the tablet. You only need to light three sticks of incense and burn paper to call your ancestors and make a wish to bless your family.
3. Create a boundary on the ground and draw an unenclosed circle with a small opening so that the ancestors can obtain the blessings of worship.
4. First burn some paper outside the circle to reward the five lands and the void passing by.
5. Burn paper in the circle and ask the land and void to bring these blessings to the ancestors.
6. When burning paper, you can make a wish to your ancestors.
7. Infants and young children under the age of 3 have unstable souls and cannot participate in any worship activities.
8. Pregnant women, no matter how long you are pregnant (just pregnant/the three-month dangerous period has passed/the fetus is stable and waiting for delivery), you cannot participate in any worship activities, as it will harm the fetus (at this time the fetus is The soul is also unstable).
9. Female friends who are menstruating cannot participate in any form of worship.
10. People with weak health and weak horoscopes should not participate in any form of worship.
Introduction to the first day of October
The first day of October is called the "October Dynasty", also known as the "Ancestor Worship Festival". It is the festival for sending cold clothes, also known as the Hades Festival. On this day, special emphasis is placed on paying homage to the deceased. In order to prevent the ancestors from being cold and freezing in the underworld, people burn the ghost paper, send them clothes to keep out the cold, and also send warmth to the lonely ghosts. In the eyes of Taoists, worshiping ancestors during the Cold Clothes Festival is not only about sending money and gifts to ancestors, but also has the effect of increasing one's fortune and improving one's luck.