When is the best time to worship ancestors on New Year's Eve? Is it in the morning or afternoon?

Ancestor worship on New Year’s Eve is a traditional Chinese custom. In many places, different sacrificial ceremonies are performed on New Year’s Eve to express remembrance and remembrance of ancestors. So, when is the best time to worship ancestors on New Year’s Eve?

When is the best time to worship ancestors on New Year's Eve?

It is actually possible to worship ancestors all day on New Year’s Eve, but the specific time varies from place to place. In some places, people worship their ancestors before the New Year’s Eve dinner; in some places, people worship their ancestors around midnight on New Year’s Eve; in some places, people worship their ancestors before opening their doors on the morning of the first day of the New Year; and in some places, people worship their ancestors for the last time of the year in the afternoon of New Year’s Eve. In some places, after worshipping at home on the first day of the New Year, people also go to the ancestral temple to worship their ancestors. There are also people who go to the graves to worship their ancestors, commonly known as tomb worship, which mainly involves burning incense, offering sacrifices, and kowtowing at the grave.

What are the rules and taboos for worshipping ancestors on New Year's Eve?

1. Pay attention to the worship procedures

When offering sacrifices at the ancestral tomb, pay attention to the worship procedures. First, you should place offerings, wine, and light incense; after the incense has died down, you can burn paper money. After the paper money has burned, set off firecrackers around the tomb. Do not set off firecrackers where offerings are placed or on top of the tomb. Some people like to offer offerings, burn paper, and set off firecrackers at the same time. This is not allowed, and the offerings will be in vain. The ancestors had no time to collect money while enjoying the offerings. When they tried to collect the money, the food was snatched away. Some were blown away by firecrackers as soon as they reached out to take the money. As a result, they neither enjoyed the food nor got the money. We do not approve of setting off firecrackers, just as we do not like to be suddenly disturbed by the sound of firecrackers when we are taking a rest, and the same is true for the ancestors. On New Year's Eve, when worshiping ancestors at the cemetery, placing offerings, burning incense, worshiping, and lighting firecrackers must follow a set order and cannot be done simultaneously after a clear division of labor just because there are many descendants.

2. The importance of cemetery sacrifices

After their loved ones pass away, many city dwellers will buy a plot of land for them in the cemetery, so that they can place the urn and come to lay the foundation stone from time to time. When family members go to the cemetery to pay homage to their ancestors, they can make some preparations in advance, such as buying a bouquet of flowers and preparing offerings. It is worth reminding that some cemeteries prohibit the burning of incense and yellow paper, so before family members worship their ancestors on New Year's Eve, they must first understand the cemetery's memorial instructions and make preparations before worshiping their ancestors according to the requirements.

3. About inviting and sending off gods

Since China is a vast country, the etiquette of welcoming and seeing off ancestors varies greatly from region to region. In some places, after the dumplings are cooked on New Year's Eve, the first portion is offered in front of the ancestral tablets, and then wine is poured, incense is burned, and firecrackers are set off. This is what people call inviting the ancestors home to celebrate the New Year. In some places, people offer sacrifices to their ancestors before eating the New Year's Eve dinner, and then send them back home on the fifth day of the first lunar month, that is, send them to the graves. In some places, they send their ancestors off on the third day of the first lunar month or on the Lantern Festival. It is forbidden to beat or scold children when the ancestors are at home during the New Year, because beating or scolding the children will also affect the ancestors.

The significance of ancestor worship on New Year's Eve

Chinese people have a tradition of respecting the dead and remembering their ancestors. They never forget to worship their dead ancestors during festivals, and the Spring Festival is no exception. Offering food or flowers to express one's feelings is a common ritual in China. The form of ancestor worship may vary depending on religious beliefs, but the meaning of commemorating ancestors is the same. One of the most important contents of family sacrificial activities. According to folk beliefs, one's ancestors should be worshipped just like the heaven, the earth, the gods and the Buddha. Because the "spirits of our ancestors in heaven" are always caring about and watching over their descendants, people on earth must pray for and repay their protection and blessings through sacrifices. During the Spring Festival, we must worship our ancestors to remember them and inspire future generations.