#Spiritmoney Spirit money, also known as "hell money" or "ghost money", is a type of currency that's burned as an offering to deceased loved ones in many Asian rituals. The money is meant to ensure the deceased's comfort in the afterlife and can also symbolize transformation, increased reproduction, and payment of spiritual debts. Spirit money is often used in traditional Chinese ancestor worship rituals during funerals and holidays, such as Tomb Sweeping Day. It can be made from fake or symbolic money, stones and bones, cowrie shells, or regular-shaped bills with faces on them. Different types of spirit money are given to different categories of spirits, and the distinctions between them must be followed precisely to avoid confusing or insulting the spirits. For example, cash money is given to newly deceased spirits and spirits of the unknown, while silver Joss paper is given to ancestral spirits. Archaeological evidence suggests that spirit money has been used for as long as 3,000 years. However, the term "hell money" is largely a Western construct, as the items are simply regarded as another form of joss paper in East Asian cultures.