The ancestor worship offering "Ding Zi Kui" looks like a male penis.

(Photo by reporter Wang Shuxiu)

[Reporter Wang Shuxiu/Tainan Report] In addition to three animals, vegetable bowls, and fruits, red tortoise cakes and grass cakes are also must-have offerings for ancestor worship during the Qingming Festival.

However, with different customs or personal beliefs in different places, there will also be special offerings.

Folklore expert Liao Dayi pointed out that "Dingzi Kueh" is rare in southern Taiwan. It is shaped like a "male genitalia" to tell the good news of "children" in the family of the ancestors, and some people hope to pray for children or get rich.

Nowadays, many people go to the Nagu Pagoda to pay respects to their ancestors. The offerings are lined up in the sacrificial area, and people will always find surprises or doubts.

"Dingzi Kueh", which is rare in southern Taiwan, is one of them. It also caused netizens to ask: "The shape of this ancestor worship offering is very "special". I haven't paid my respects."

Liao Dayi answered that it is "Ding Zi Kueh", which is rare in southern Taiwan, and is shaped like a "male genital".

He said that it is common to prepare red tortoise cakes and grass cakes for worship during tomb sweeping, and there is a custom that children will "guess" the cakes after the worship, and guess whether it is salty or sweet. The game mode is to share the kueh as a prize.

"Dingzikueh" is different from the common red turtle cakes and grass cakes.

"Dingzi Kueh" is made of pure glutinous rice into long strips, most of which are arranged in green and red, resembling male genitalia. In the early Taiwanese agricultural society, adding a baby was a family event. When there was an addition in the family, it was necessary to follow The ancestors and gods reported and begged for the safety of the child, and only then did "Dingzi Kueh" appear. Some people also use this to pray for children or wealth. Because of its special shape, it is one of the offerings that many young people don't know.

In addition, there are all kinds of paper bundles, such as clothes, shoes, luxury cars, cigarettes, designer bags, watches, jewelry, and even whole mahjong packages.

Liao Dayi said that these are the ways of later generations to express filial piety, and there is no taboo, but he once encountered the etiquette that women should not go home to go to the grave after they get married, entrusting the offerings to their mothers to express their filial piety to their fathers. Liao Dayi said that etiquette should be Changing with the times, emphasizing the equality of men and women; calling on modern people to break the patriarchal concept, worshiping ancestors and chasing after the end, the most important thing is sincerity!

All kinds of paper offerings can also be seen when worshiping ancestors, and even a whole set of mahjong is served on the table, which is one of the ways for modern people to express their filial piety.

(Photo by reporter Wang Shuxiu)

Folklore expert Liao Dayi (pictured) pointed out that the ancestor worship offering "Dingzai Kueh" (held in the left hand) has different meanings from the common Anggui Kueh or Caozi Kueh.

(Photo by reporter Wang Shuxiu)