Correct steps on ritual burning
 

During Hungry Ghost festival, accessories used in ritual burning can be purchased from ‘paper shops’, paper replica constructions of ‘necessary’ goods and items are offered to the dead for their use in the after world.  The variety and diversity of items is amazing.  Gifts of paper jewellery, clothing, toothpaste and even servants are accompanied by desirable modern consumer durables – VCRs, hand phones, credit cards for example, whilst resplendent paper and bamboo constructed cars, airplanes and even magnificent multi-story mansions can be purchased for an important love one lost.  Bank notes from the ‘Bank of Hell’ can be inexpensively purchased for the deceased’s’ expenses in the next world.  Such paper money is thrown into the air to distract the attention of wandering spirits and is burnt with all other paper items.  Gold coins, watches, bank notes and paper clothing wrapped in vividly colored and patterned wrappers as a pre-selected packages can be purchased easily too.,

Among so many striking colors and vibrant forms of paper goods, for Hungry Ghost, there are a traditional kind of offering that people seldom know.

SPI has visited a number paper shops and consulted the shop owners for the right information.  There are many variety of offerings differently used by different people in different regions or countries.  However, one of the most basic kinds, as for solely the purpose of donating to Hungry Ghosts at the street ritual in the July Month is as follow:

The following items have to be burnt in order, and each of them has its own meaning.
 

	(1) Joss-sticks and red-candle They serve as a start signal or an appetizer for the hungry ghosts.  There is no restriction on the kinds of Joss-sticks or candles.  But the candles must be plain and not to have any patterns on.  Usually patterned candles carry special purposes: e.g. those that have a dragon and a phoenix are used in Chinese wedding, those with a word 'longitivity' are used for celebrating 80 years old birthday, and of course those with the word 'death' are for funeral.  So plain candles are universal, ideal for anonymous Hungry Ghosts.
	(2) Kuan Yin Yi A charm that calls the arrival of Kuan Yin.  It serves as an offering to Kuan Yin in return of her power as well.  It has the divine of Kuan Yin written on one side of the paper.  The divine is believed is be powerful over all the spirits, demons and ghosts.  The purpose of burning a Kuan Yin Yi is like requesting to borrow her power so the following ritual will be done in orderly manner.  No ghost dares to jump queue or engage in violence in collecting the offering.  At the same time, it serves as a thanksgiving to Kuan Yin.
	(3) Consoling money Not precisely they are of monetary value.  These tokens that have Tibetan spells written on help to release the rage of the Hungry Ghost.  They make sure the ghosts who come and receive the offering would become peaceful.  Their circular shapes symbolize rounding up the hatred, smoothing to the emotions of the souls.
	(4) Travel visa and five-colored paper Travel visa as in this material world is a permit that allows us to travel from one place to another.  Same for the under world.  Ghosts are believed to require them when they want to travel from one region to another region.  So within one month of their holidays, with this travel pass, they can go around the world with no restriction.  The five-colored paper is usually placed on the top of a tombstone when the descendants come to sweep the tomb.  Here, they are used to imply similar ceremony for the dead where people are giving offering to the souls and paying respect.
	(5) Cloths Of different color, the ghosts after receiving the cloths can go to the underworld tailor shop and make their suits.  Since the Hungry Ghosts are anonymous, we do not know their sizes, and do not want to restrict the sizes by S, M, L or XL.  It is more general to give raw material so they can make anything they like, shirts, jackets, pants, etc.
	(6) Hell Bank Notes Each note carries monetary value of 50,000,000 dollars.  However, the currency is not specified and we don't know about the exchange rate down there.  If we assume the money rates are same, with a single Hell Bank Note, we can make a ghost a billionaire.  The Hell bank note has two side, one side for English, and the other side for Chinese.  The authority figure on the bank note is Yin Lo who is the emperor of hell in charge of all the ghosts.  The money is issued by his bank called Hell Bank.
	(7) White paper money These are loose changes, just like we use coins for small expenses.  Ghosts do carry big value notes as well as small changes for small amount transactions.
	(8) Raw material and gold The brown color are universal material similar to cloth.  Ghost can make use of them to tailor-make any substance they like - cups, cutlery, shoes, hats, etc.  The smaller orange color with a small area of gold foil in the middle is gold.  They have monetary values similar to Hell Bank Notes.  The paper are printed orange and have only a small section gold foiled because the printer wants to save cost.  It cost less than making a piece of paper shiny gold.  There is also a larger version that is very common.
	(9) 999 gold bars These are of later paper made invention.  They look as real as they get.  Realistic looking 999 gold bars, a favorite to anyone, ghost or human.

In addition to the above basic items, it is up to you in throwing in other supplementary offerings.  Of course, to make a feast for the Hungry Ghost complete.  One would prepare other foods like bean-curd, bean sprouts, fruits and cakes.