IS IT APPROPRIATE TO CELEBRATE TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS WITHIN ONE YEAR OF FAMILY MEMBERS’ PASSING?
Question: May I know whether it is advisable for my mother to make rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival, within the first year of the passing of my grandmother?
The reason I ask is because there is a folk belief that goes: Within the first year of the passing of an elder in a family, the descendants should avoid taking part in traditions such as making rice dumplings, glutinous rice balls or celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Is this something that we should observe as Buddhist practitioners of Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door?
Answer: These are some of the customs observed in the past, but we are in a new era. Now that you are practising Buddhism and cultivating your mind, you should not fret about it. You will be fine as long as you observe these traditions within the first month of the passing of an elder in the family. Ideally, for the first three months.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse (Question 109), 8 June 2016