Doris Guo

Within traditional Chinese practices surrounding death rituals, there is no coherent theology on burning Joss paper. I only know what is true for what my family prac- tices. Passed down to me from my parents, we burn Joss paper on the anniver- saries of deaths of immediate family.

Joss paper are sheets of paper and paper objects that are burned to commemorate a family member that has passed away. They are offerings or gifts. What you burn is what the ancestor receives in the afterlife: paper money, a paper house, a paper air conditioner... etc.

In addition to burning Joss paper, we light three sticks of incense per person at fu- nerals and on the following anniversaries of death. Burning incense opens a com- munication "portal" where, for the duration of the incense's burn, whatever you say can be addressed directly to the deceased. You put out their favorite foods, some- times a drink next to the incense.

After the incense has burned through, the communication portal closes. Until next year...