Covid-19 vaccine paper offerings for the departed
Many Chinese observing the month-long Hungry Ghost Festival are stocking up on paper offerings to burn and send to those in the afterlife. With the pandemic yet to ease up in our country, a prayer paraphernalia shop in Johor Bahru has taken to making ‘Hell Covid-19 Vaccine’ paper offerings.
These unique paper offerings, comprising a ‘syringe’ and two ‘vaccine vials’, are handmade by the shop’s owner. He started selling them due to tragic tales he had heard of individuals passing on without getting vaccinated, and after receiving requests from customers for the items to be made so they could burn them for their departed loved ones.
An offering for those who couldn’t get vaccinated
Hell bank notes are typical paper offerings that Chinese burn during the Hungry Ghost Festival. They believe that doing so will ‘send’ the items to their dearly departed ones and wandering spirits.
But local shop Yee Hen Trading, located in Taman Ehsan Jaya, JB, sells a set of hell Covid-19 vaccines for around RM30, so customers can burn them for anyone who missed out on getting vaccinated when they had been alive.
Image credit: 毅恒神料手工贸易 Yee Hen Trading
In an interview with The Star, the owner of the shop, Raymond Shieh, shared that he started making the offerings from scratch following stories he read of individuals dying without securing a vaccination appointment. It takes him around two days to put together the syringe and vaccine vials made of various paper materials, including joss paper.
Much like the real deal, there are two vaccine vials included in the set to indicate a double-dose vaccination.
Although unusual in design, the hell Covid-19 vaccine is not all out of the box for the prayer paper offering maker. Shieh often designs paper offerings to match the current trends, which helps him remain competitive. Some of his other designs, such as clothes in various designs, can be found on the store’s Facebook page.
Image credit: 毅恒神料手工贸易 Yee Hen Trading
His customers are said to appreciate his creative efforts too. Some have also requested for the paper vaccines to be made alongside his other paper offering creations. They hope to burn them alongside hell bank notes for their deceased loved ones and restless spirits during the Hungry Ghost Festival, who missed out on getting vaccinated when they had been alive.
After he took up the request to make the unique offerings, hoping to help ease his customers and their loved ones; spirits, he has received great responses for online orders and at his shop too.
He also offers customisation services for the vaccine set, ensuring that his customers will be fully satisfied with their offerings.
JB store sells hell Covid-19 vaccine paper offerings
The seventh month of the Lunar calendar marks a time where religious devotees offer restless spirits and departed loved ones offerings via burnt prayer items. As many lives are affected by the pandemic, it’s unusual, but understandable, to see individuals hoping to burn anything that they think may bring comfort to those who passed on – including vaccines.
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Cover image adapted from: 毅恒神料手工贸易 Yee Hen Trading and 毅恒神料手工贸易 Yee Hen Trading