Walking towards the Hekou District Police Station with emotion, I thought that the little girl's hand had become translucent, and I thought of what he said - why do you draw a circle when burning paper money? It seems like a lot of people do!

So I took out my mobile phone and Baidu for a while.

First of all, I found a post about the origin of paper money:

Legend has it that after Cai Lun invented paper, the difficulty of writing was solved, and papermaking became a profitable business. Cai Lun's sister-in-law was itchy and forced her husband Cai to go back to learn papermaking from Cai Lun to make money.

Cai Lun couldn't bear his wife's urging, so he rushed back to the township before learning the technology and opened a paper mill.

Without good technology, you can't make good paper, and it's hard to sell. The two of them looked at the piles of unsalable papers, very anxious. After going back and forth, Cai Hui and his wife came up with a clever plan.

In the dead of night, the neighbors suddenly heard Cai replay crying, and everyone rushed to ask what was going on. Cai Hui said sadly: My wife quarreled with me about paper-making for a few words, and she hanged herself.

Cai Hui knelt in front of his wife's coffin, crying to death. Neighbors also came to help. "It's all these broken papers!"

At this time, Cai Hui, who was crying to death, was crying in front of everyone, burning paper, burning and burning, and there was a noise in the coffin, he pretended not to hear, just burned and cried.

I only heard my wife shouting in the coffin: Open the door, I'm back! This time it scared people, everyone look at me, I look at you, and finally had the courage to open the coffin lid.

Cai Hui's wife sat up and sang in a smooth tone: How can money in the yang world make ghosts grind? Fortunately, paper turned into money and was traded in the underworld; If it weren't for my husband who burned the paper, who would let me go home?

Then he said, "I was a ghost just now, but now I am a human, and I gave the money that my husband gave me to Hades, and he released me." Cai Hui deliberately said: But I didn't send you any money? She pointed to the pile of paper that was burning and said, "That's the money you sent, the world uses copper as money, and the underworld uses paper as money." Everyone learned that burning paper was still so useful, and they all rushed to buy it.

searched again, and found a reason that explained that you must be at an intersection when burning paper money:

The crossroads are the junction of yin and yang, and it is said that the crossroads are not only the places where the yang people pass, but also the places that lead to the underworld at night......

And you have to draw a circle, burn paper in the circle, and at the same time dial some paper outside the circle, and give a little paper money to the lonely ghosts who pass by and have no one to sacrifice.

In the Buddhist book, there is such a song to explain the choice of burning paper at the crossroads: the crossroads are connected in all directions, and the southeast, northwest and northwest roads are connected. All kinds of dead people have lived here, and it is easy to receive paper money. Don't offend people, and everyone from all directions must be respected. Nuancai Literature Network

The south, south, and northwest are all respected, and there is no catastrophe in life.

In the traditional rural concept, people often believe that people have an afterlife. After death, he will go to another world, and if there is still nostalgia in this world, his soul will not leave willingly and wander in the world.

The purpose of burning paper on the grave is to let the ancestors consume it in that world, but at the same time as burning paper, we often see drawing a circle on the ground, and then burning the paper in it, leaving a hole in the western position of this circle, the purpose of this is to prevent those "lonely souls" who are unwilling to leave from snatching.

In addition to drawing a circle when burning paper mentioned above, a few pieces of burning paper should be placed outside the circle, the purpose of which is not to let other lonely spirits disturb the rest of the ancestors and compete for the "money" of the ancestors.

Of course, this form of custom will vary from place to place, but it will be followed. In addition, the phenomenon of burning paper on the roadside is often seen in the city, and it is usually drawn in circles, and its meaning is the same as above.

Burn paper on the side of the road, draw a circle to represent the grave of your deceased relative, and leave a gap to represent the tomb door, facing the location of the grave, or the location of the ashes.

There has always been a circle of tomb painting in rural areas, especially in some rural areas in the north.

Many people may ask why the "dead man" has so much attention, it is because you have not really encountered the kind of "thing" that makes you afraid, so when we go to the grave of our ancestors, we must pay attention to these aspects and do not make mistakes.

It turns out that this circle still has such a magical ability!

"Hey! Xiao Liu, don't always stare at your phone when you walk, be careful-"

Familiar sounds.

When I looked up, I saw the doorman Lao Wang looking at me with a smile.

When I looked up, I realized that I had already walked to the gate of the police station.

"I'm distracted!" I laughed embarrassedly, "Director Hao is here, right?" ”

"Yes! I don't know what to discuss with the leaders from Jinan! ”