What are the taboos when passing a cemetery?
Cemeteries are a place for ghosts to live. Do not laugh, curse, speak obscenely, run around and fight, or urinate anywhere.
When you encounter a tomb on the road, be careful not to step on it with your feet, and do not touch other tombstones and sacrificial objects. If you encounter a tombstone, you should sincerely recite "Sorry to bother you?" and keep it within the cemetery area. Be cautious about compliments and control your emotions and attitudes so as not to disturb and offend other Yin spirits.
Do not go to places that are too remote or inaccessible to offer sacrifices. It is best to make a plan according to the routes you often take. Do not stay in remote places for a long time to ensure your own safety.
When the yang energy is relatively strong, it is better to pass by the cemetery. Before dawn or in the evening, you should try to avoid the cemetery and avoid sweeping the tomb. The best time to sweep the tomb is usually between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. time period.
Pregnant women should try to avoid cemeteries, and that’s not all. Strictly speaking, it is best for women to stay away from cemeteries when they are on their period, especially not to participate in Qingming tomb-sweeping activities after 3 p.m.
Top Ten Taboos in Folk Cemetery Feng Shui
1. Do not use natural stones that have not been trimmed as tombstones. It will cut off the incense of descendants and is unlucky. 2. There should not be too many weeds or moss growing above the tombstone, as this will cause long-term diseases to the descendants of the owner. 3. The dim color of the tombstone will affect the fortune of the owner’s descendants.
4. If the tombstone is inverted, it will lead to disharmony and chaos in the family of the owner’s descendants. 5. There should be no bird droppings on the tombstone, as it will cause headaches to future generations. 6. If there are dents or scars inside the tombstone, the descendants of the owner will be prone to back problems or disability.
7. There should be no big spots or flaws on the tombstone, otherwise the descendants of the owner will be prone to long-term illness. 8. If there is a depression and collapse in front of the tomb, making the cemetery feel crumbling, it will lead to disasters such as bloodshed, car accidents, slipping or falling from the building. 9. If the tomb is surrounded by walls without any entrance or exit, it will lead to lawsuits or jail time for the owner’s descendants. 10. If there is high-voltage electricity passing above the tomb, the owner's money will be slowly depleted, and there is a possibility of leakage.
What are the etiquette requirements for sweeping graves during the Winter Solstice?
1. Dress plainly, women do not need to apply makeup and powder, family members bring incense, candles and offerings, and no killing is allowed in front of the tomb. It is now fashionable to offer flowers, such as chrysanthemums (you can peel off petals and sprinkle them on the tombstone) before, because some vendors will take away the flowers and sell them again after you leave).
2. After visiting the cemetery, first clean up the weeds around the cemetery. Pay special attention to whether there are any miscellaneous trees on the grave. If there are trees, they should be pulled out; Mingtang, and whether the drainage ditch is blocked.
3. Observe whether the tomb frame and tombstones have collapsed or cracked. If any abnormalities are found, please promptly ask a Feng Shui master to guide you and take measures to remedy the situation. 4. Offer the offerings, light incense candles and burn paper money (pay attention to fire prevention). Generally, family members are required to bow three times to their ancestors and then read the memorial text to express the later generations' remembrance of the deceased.
5. Light firecrackers before leaving (firecrackers can also be lit at designated locations in the cemetery area, remember to prevent fire). 6. The whole family can have a dinner together after sweeping the tomb, mainly vegetarian food, and continue to eat wontons, dumplings, glutinous rice balls, red bean porridge and other customs.