What is joss paper?

Joss paper is a type of paper used for Chinese funerals and for ceremonies held on certain holidays. During these ceremonies, it is usually burned as an offering to ancestors, deities or departed loved ones.

Joss paper is typically made from either bamboo or rice and is cut into small squares or rectangles. The base color of the paper is white, which represents mourning the departed. Each paper is also decorated with a design, a foil or a seal that represents money. Burning the paper as part of a ceremony is a symbolic offering of money or wealth to a deity or ancestor.