How to fill in Ancestral Worship Seal for Qing Ming?

Qingming Festival is a time to honor and remember our ancestors. Many people prepare offering boxes filled with joss paper to burn for their ancestors as a sign of respect and remembrance. However, to ensure these offerings reach the intended recipients, it is crucial to properly fill out the ancestral worship seal—which functions like a "shipping label," specifying the recipient (ancestor) and sender (descendant) to prevent the offering from being "misdelivered" or "lost."

How to Correctly Fill Out an Ancestral Worship Seal

An ancestral worship seal consists of three key sections: Recipient (阴府), Sender (阳居), and the date of the offering.

How to Fill in the Recipient (阴府)

Recipient refers to the ancestor receiving the offerings. It is essential to write their full name and appropriate honorific title based on their age at the time of passing.

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• For ancestors who passed away at age 50 or older:

For males, use the title "显考 (Xian Kao)", and for females, use "显妣 (Xian Bi)"。

• For ancestors who passed away before age 50:

For males, use the title "先考 (Xian Kao)", and for females, use "先妣 (Xian Bi)."

Example Titles for Different Relatives:

• Father (50+ years old) should be written as 显考 followed by the father's name.

• Father (under 50 years old) should be written as 先考 followed by the father's name.

• Mother (50+ years old) should be written as 显妣 followed by the mother's name.

• Mother (under 50 years old) should be written as 先妣 followed by the mother's name.

• Grandfather should be written as 显祖考 followed by the grandfather’s name.

• Grandmother should be written as 显祖妣 followed by the grandmother’s name.

• Great-grandfather should be written as 显曾祖考 followed by the great-grandfather’s name.

• Great-grandmother should be written as 显曾祖妣 followed by the great-grandmother’s name.

• Older brother should be written as 显兄 followed by the brother’s name; younger brother should be written as 显弟 followed by the brother’s name.

• Older sister should be written as 显姊 followed by the sister’s name; younger sister should be written as 显妹 followed by the sister’s name.

• Husband should be written as 显考 followed by the husband's name; wife should be written as 显妣 followed by the wife's name.

• Deceased son should be written as 显男 followed by the son’s name; deceased daughter should be written as 显女 followed by the daughter’s name.

How to Fill in the Sender (阳居)

The sender refers to the living descendant making the offering. Instead of writing full names, only their title or familial role should be included.

Common Sender Titles:

• For children: "孝子 (Filial Son)", "孝女 (Filial Daughter)"

• For a daughter-in-law: "孝媳 (Filial Daughter-in-law)"

• For grandchildren: "孝孙 (Filial Grandson)", "孝孙女 (Filial Granddaughter)"

• For husband and wife together: "孝子孝媳敬奉 (Filial Son & Daughter-in-law)"

• For siblings together: "孝男孝女敬奉 (Filial Brothers & Sisters)"

• For the entire family: "合家敬奉 (With Respect, The Whole Family)"

• For a nephew honoring an uncle: "孝侄 (Filial Nephew)"

• For an apprentice honoring a master: "敬徒 (Respectful Disciple)"

• For a friend honoring a deceased friend: "敬友 (Respectful Friend)"

How to Fill in the Date of the Offering

The date written on an ancestral worship seal must be based on the Chinese lunar calendar, as offerings in the underworld do not recognize Gregorian (Western) dates.

Example Dates for Qingming Festival Offerings:

• Qingming Festival 2025 (April 4, 2025) should be written as 乙巳年三月初七日 (Yi Si Year, Second Month, Sixteenth Day)

• Qingming Festival 2026 (April 4, 2026) should be written as 丙午年 二月十七日 (Bing Wu Year, Second Month, Seventeenth Day)

Proper Placement of the Ancestral Worship Seal

After filling out the seal, follow the "Male Left, Female Right" rule when placing it on the offering box:

• For male ancestors (father, grandfather, great-grandfather, etc.):

Attach the seal from left to right (start from the left side and move toward the right).

• For female ancestors (mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, etc.):

Attach the seal from right to left (start from the right side and move toward the left).

Frequently Asked Questions About Ancestral Worship Seals

Is an ancestral worship seal necessary?

Yes! Just like sending a package requires a shipping label, an ancestral worship seal ensures the offering reaches the correct recipient.

What if I don’t know my ancestor’s full name?

You can use a general title, such as "显祖考 (Family Name) 公" for grandfather or "显祖妣 (Family Name) 氏" for grandmother.

Can I worship multiple ancestors at once?

Yes, but each offering box should have a separate seal for each ancestor to avoid confusion.

Can the ancestral worship seal be printed?

It’s recommended to handwrite the seal, as this adds sincerity, and ancestors may recognize their descendants' handwriting.

Can I use red ink to write the seal?

No! The seal must be written in black ink. Red is traditionally not used for ancestral worship.

Does every offering need an ancestral worship seal?

Yes, any item intended to be burned as an offering to ancestors, such as paper-made massage chairs, televisions, or cars, should have a label clearly indicating the recipient to ensure proper delivery.

Is there a specific writing direction for ancestral worship seals?

Traditionally, the labels should be written in vertical format, from top to bottom.

Qingming Festival is a sacred time to honor our ancestors. By correctly filling out an ancestral worship seal, you ensure that your offerings reach them, expressing your respect and remembrance while seeking their blessings for the family.

As Qingming approaches, prepare your ancestral worship seal in advance and consider selecting an ideal urn compartment or landed plot for your loved ones. A well-planned resting place brings comfort to the departed and peace of mind to the living.

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