When I looked did some more research on the topic of ancestor worship, I found out that it’s related to Taoism. Taoism first arrived in Singapore with the first Chinese settlers in Singapore. Beside the facts the couple told me, it seems like there are a tons of rituals they practice and follow. This website tells a bit about how it all started:

“Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC). The people at this time worshiped many deities, including natural forces and elements such as rain, clouds, rivers, mountains, the sun, the moon, and the earth. Their greatest deity, Shang Di (上帝, pinyin: Shàngdì), remains an important god in the Chinese pantheon. The history of ancestor veneration has its roots in the Zhou Dynasty (1122- 256 BC). When the Zhou dynasty came to power, significant changes took place in religion. People still worshiped the old gods, but ancestor worship became increasingly important. Confucianism and Taoism appeared near the end of the Zhou dynasty. These two religious traditions had an enormous influence on the development of the most basic and lasting principles of Chinese culture.”

This website also says that there is a more social and non-religious aspect of the offering and ancestor worship is to “cultivate kinship values like filial piety, family loyalty, and continuity of the family lineage.”

As many of you know I’m very irreligious, but this part I really admire. It’s is really a lot of dedication to your ancestors. Very beautiful.

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February 10th, 2015

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Combo: Bali & The Gili Islands

February 10^th, 2015

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