Living abroad and far from a family grave? Three ways to make joss paper offerings: burn them yourself, join a temple ceremony, or book an offering.
TL;DR: If you live abroad, there are three common ways to make joss paper offerings for your ancestors: burn them yourself where local rules allow, join a ceremony at a nearby Chinese temple, or have the offering made on your behalf. Which one suits you depends on local fire regulations, whether there is a Chinese temple near you, and whether you want to see proof that the offering was made.
Why is it hard to burn joss paper abroad?
- Fire regulations: many cities restrict or ban open burning. Apartments, parks and roadsides are usually off limits, and fines can apply.
- Supplies: joss paper, ingots and paper clothes are hard to find outside a Chinatown.
- No suitable place: without a family grave or ancestral hall, it is unclear where to make the offering.
- Timing: Qingming, the Ghost Festival and Hanyi Festival are not public holidays in most countries.
Option 1: Burn offerings yourself
This works best if you live in a house and local rules allow small-scale burning.
- Check your city's rules first. Some places require a covered metal burn bin.
- Choose an open spot away from anything flammable, and keep water or an extinguisher to hand.
- Write the ancestor's name and your own on the package before burning. See how to address a joss paper package.
- Make sure the ashes are fully out before you leave.
Pros: you do it yourself. Cons: the most constrained by rules and housing.
Option 2: Join a temple ceremony
Cities with large Chinese communities in North America, Australia and Southeast Asia usually have Chinese temples that hold ceremonies at Qingming, the Ghost Festival and Hanyi Festival. Some let you register a memorial tablet or contribute offerings to be burned.
Pros: a proper setting led by monks or temple staff. Cons: you need to live nearby and follow the temple's schedule.
Option 3: Have the offering made for you
You can ask relatives back home, or use a service that writes, burns and records the offering for you. When choosing a service, check:
- Names: will they write the names exactly as you give them, including traditional or variant Chinese characters?
- Place: is the offering made at a temple or a designated site, rather than anywhere convenient?
- Proof: will you receive photos or video in which the names are clearly visible?
- Date: can you choose the festival day itself?
How Merit Messenger's ancestral offering works
Our ancestral offering service in Bangkok costs ฿600 per unit. Each unit is one sealed package of gold and silver paper ingots and spirit money, burned unopened.
- At checkout you enter the ancestor's name, your name, your relationship and an optional message.
- Our team writes both names on the outside of the package exactly as entered, without correction.
- The package is brought before the Buddha at Wat Mangkon Kamalawat (the Dragon Lotus Temple) in Bangkok for recitation.
- As burning is not permitted inside the temple, it is burned at a designated site nearby.
- You receive video of the recitation and of the burning by email, with the names clearly visible.
You can have it done as soon as possible, or book it for Hanyi Festival (November 9, 2026) or the Winter Solstice (December 22, 2026). Festival bookings close the day before, Bangkok time. Other orders are usually delivered within 2 days, though this may take longer around holidays. One unit covers one ancestor; for several ancestors, increase the quantity.
FAQ
Q: Is it legal to burn joss paper in my country?
A: It depends on local rules. Many cities restrict open burning, so check before you do it.
Q: Does an offering made on my behalf still count?
A: In popular belief the intention matters most. Your name is written on the package, so it is offered from you.
Q: Can I make offerings for several ancestors?
A: Yes. Each ancestor is one unit, written, burned and documented separately.
Q: Will you get rare Chinese characters right?
A: We write exactly what you enter and never correct it. If a name uses rare or variant characters, please mention it in your message.
Last updated: September 2026 | Written by the Merit Messenger team, based in Bangkok
See the ancestral offering service, or read Hanyi Festival 2026: date, meaning and customs.
