Whenever I see people burning the paper money for the wandering spirits in the 7th month, it always remind me of a story that happens about 3 years ago to a relative. My family has stopped burning to the wandering spirits since (with consent from our deities). Anyway, this was what happened :
My aunt (relation too complicated, just put aunt easier) was praying to the wandering spirits at night on the 14th in the month. So she bought everything downstairs. However since she was burning a lot of paper (folded into tube shape to look like olden days money and perhaps easier to burn), she has keep them into a few big plastic bags.
She went downstairs and poured everything out and started lighting thr candles and burning... It all when well, except it was about to rain or something, since the wind has been howling crazy. she quickly burn it all and pack up and return upstairs.
Then things started to happen. My cousins starts to see this woman in white and long hair in the mirror. Members of the family heard an additional breathing in the house. And something things even when "bong" in the night when everyone was asleep. Although there was nobody hurt in any incident, the family finally had enough of it and was very certain something was wrong.
They consulted the media at a temple. The media was channeling the power from a underworld deity and it spoke to the family. The deity was very sure that something has followed my aunt back after the burning. He asked if my aunt brought back anything from the burning... My aunt remember the empty plastic bags. The deity just smile and ask her to go back and look. The answer is there.
My aunt when back and quickly took out the plastic bad. Inside there was a unburned piece of the paper money which she must had left out when she was pouring them out. Somehow the thing has got into that as a media and came back home with her...
Well, the rest is pretty straight forward. They burn the unburned piece together with some offfering and asked the spirit to please go on and leave them alone. Everything was fine after that.
Now I guess you understand why some people will not want to take anything back after the burning. Not even the bags or matches even. Its not that these people are not environment friendly, there is a good reason. In additional, people usually prefer to go some distance to burn the paper so that anything, if there, will not find it easy to follow them back or to identify who burned what. I guess this is kinda of a pirvacy protection.
Anwyay, my family has stopped burning to the wandering spirits since. We only burn for our own ancestor whom we invite back home.
Oh, by the way, did I ever talked about the haunted Hello Kitty fan my sister had a few years back (also in the 7th month)? Maybe I would put that in a next post, but for now, I am tired and the wind is howling cold. Sleep is what I need now.
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