As members of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious society, we Malaysians should not look down (pandang hina) on the cultural or religious practices of others, but try to understand them.
I have no idea what is the significance of these offerings. I have so many questions. Can somebody who knows, please enlighten us...
Some responses received so far:
1) According to the Chinese Calendar, on the 14 of the 7th lunar month, ghosts are released from hell to wander the earth. I was told that they wander on the side off the main walking path of humans.
Some Chinese (not all) will offer foods and planted joss sticks to appease the wandering ghosts and those that could not go to heaven or hell.
2) To be in harmony with the unseen especially business man to conduct their business any where peacefully and with any interruption.
3) any food can be offered for prayers, if it is communal prayers - offerings will be a bigger scale with many table loads of food which can be bags of rice, oil, roast pigs etc
4) anything goes but some items are add-on practices propagated by commercialism like selling paper replicas of packed musang kings 😂😂
5) when there are prayers by the roadside other than during the Chinese 7th lunar month, they are conducted as instructed by mediums or priests to ward off some bad happenings or appease some wandering spirits.
typically the food used for such prayers are not consumed & left as it is for the strays to finish it off or left as litter on the streets.
6) Is there a specified period it should be left there? Is it the onus of the people who put it there to remove the offerings? Or can anyone clean it up? Will they get offended/upset if MBPJ cleans it up? I need to understand the sensitivities involved.
I have spoken to an Indon roadsweeper before and he said “takot” to touch, let alone clean up.
If left too long, they represent a public health hazard due to pests and vermin (flies, rats, cats and dogs).
6A) I answer your question No6 food offering after it bad already the meat it safe to throw away even we pray outside our house after a night we throw away and sweep to clean up the place so it fine don't worry!
7) I agree about the public health hazard & unsightly rubbish left behind.
this is a failure of this ritual where the cleaning up is not spelt out & the people who offer the prayers dont clean up after themselves.
I will enquire with some friends who have more in-depth knowledge & let you know.
8 ) It is a cultural practice to comfort the believers' as well as the worshipped s' being.
9) every religion & culture have their own beliefs & practices, to each their own unless it is totally against good universal values
10) This offering make for the hungry ghost this month is like a festival for ghost is a Chinese traditional belief and also a Taoist believe normally we burn money and food offering I am glad that you ask and willing to know !
11) The reason I am asking is not so much that I interested in seeing video or real life burning of paper but to understand the religious and/our cultural sensitivities involved in the cleaning up.
Does the religion/tradition require that the person responsible for putting the offerings remove them?
How long should the offerings be left out? You mentioned earlier if meat goes bad, can already clean up.
Would anyone get offended if I get MBPJ to clean up the offerings? Are there rituals (prayers, and etc.) that have to be contacted during/before in the cleaning up?
Would people get upset if an Indon or Bangla cleans it up without any ritual? We need to respect other people’s practices but to do that, we need to understand what they are.
Anyway, I have already sent to Mr Danny Chan (MBPJ Councillor in charge of Kg Sg Kayu Ara) photos and location. I leave it in his good hands.
11A) As far as I know there is no ritual after the paper have finish burning after the jockstick burn finish like for me I leave it one night after that I clean up sweep the floor and throw away the food it does not need the person burn the items to clean it up coming to your last questions Will people be upset yes if the jockstick not yet burn finish but if burn finish nobody will be offended when MBPJ clean up anyway Chinese graveyard it clean everyday after people put food and burn the paper without any ritual ! The person after praying won't be bothered about it anymore and after the jockstick burn finish can clean up as I say earlier so there is nothing to worry you won't offend any spirit or the person praying anyway if the food don't clear up the stray dog and cats [And rats, cockroaches and other vectors] will eat it up also.
Thanks for being so concern that it will hurt our feelings
Thanks for respecting our culture and religion but It won't offend anyone after the meat rotten already and the jockstick have finish burning after a night it should finish burning it take about 1 hour to burn finish one jockstick by the way thank you again for respecting our Chinese /Taoist culture I was so touch when you say you scared upset the people who do the prayers !
No problem I am so happy that you willing to ask and worry MBPJ throw away hurt our feelings! Thank you again for being so concern about our feelings Goodnight !
Copyright 2003-2018 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice Copyright 2003-2011 Azlan Adnan. This blog post is sponsored by The Green Party of Malaysia
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