Obon Altar: Lanterns, Food Offerings, and Ancestor Photos

BY NICOLE LAU

Creating Sacred Space for Returning Spirits

An Obon altar honors ancestral spirits returning home, creates a focal point for offerings and prayers, welcomes the dead with beauty and reverence, and serves as a portal between worlds. Whether you have a traditional butsudan or create a temporary altar, this sacred space becomes where living and dead meet during Obon.

Altar Basics

Location: Quiet, respectful place in home. East-facing is traditional (direction of enlightenment). Surface: Table, shelf, or dedicated altar space. Timing: Set up before Obon begins (by 13th), maintain through the three days, dismantle after spirits depart. Colors: White, purple, gold cloth as base.

Essential Elements

Lanterns: Guiding Lights

Lanterns are central to Obon, guiding spirits home and back.

Use: Paper lanterns (chochin) - white for recently deceased, colored for others. Electric or candle-powered (candles are traditional but electric is safer). Hanging lanterns or standing ones. Multiple lanterns create beautiful, welcoming glow.

Hang lanterns above or around altar. Light them each evening of Obon. As you light each lantern, speak ancestor's name, welcoming them home.

Ancestor Photos: Faces of the Beloved

Photos create direct connection with specific ancestors.

Use: Framed photos of deceased family members. Multiple generations if possible. Recent photos or old family portraits. Even photos of ancestors you never met. Arrange photos as centerpiece or backdrop. Place in positions of honor. Clean frames before Obon.

Photos remind us that ancestors were real people, not abstract spirits. They personalize the altar and strengthen connection.

Food Offerings: Nourishing the Spirits

Elaborate food offerings welcome and honor ancestors.

Traditional offerings: Rice (white rice in bowl, staple food). Vegetables (seasonal, fresh, beautifully arranged). Fruits (peaches, melons, grapes, oranges). Sweets (mochi, dango, yokan, traditional Japanese sweets). Tea or sake. Favorite foods of specific ancestors. Water (fresh, changed daily).

Arrange food beautifully on special dishes. Place on altar before family meals. After Obon, family eats the offerings, sharing a meal with ancestors.

Colors and Textiles

Obon altar colors: White: Purity, mourning, recently deceased. Purple: Spirituality, Buddhist tradition, reverence. Gold: Enlightenment, honor, sacred space. Black: Depth, mystery, the void between worlds.

Use white or purple cloth as altar base. Add gold accents. Keep aesthetic clean, simple, reverent - Japanese aesthetic values simplicity and space.

Incense and Candles

Incense: Sandalwood, frankincense, or Japanese incense. Burn continuously during Obon. Smoke carries prayers to spirit world. Purifies space and creates sacred atmosphere.

Candles: White candles (purity, light for spirits). Keep lit during prayers and offerings. Never leave unattended. Electric candles are acceptable for safety.

Additional Sacred Objects

Flowers: Chrysanthemums (traditional funeral flower in Japan), lotus (Buddhist symbol of enlightenment), white flowers (purity), seasonal blooms. Arrange in vases. Change water daily.

Cucumber horse and eggplant cow: Spirit vehicles made from vegetables with stick legs. Cucumber = fast horse to bring ancestors home quickly. Eggplant = slow cow for ancestors to depart slowly, laden with offerings.

Buddhist items (if applicable): Buddha statue or image, prayer beads (juzu), sutra texts, bell for prayers.

Personal items: Objects belonging to ancestors (jewelry, tools, books, etc.), family heirlooms, items representing ancestors' interests or professions.

Altar Layouts

The Traditional Butsudan Altar

If you have a Buddhist home altar: Clean butsudan thoroughly. Place Buddha image in center back. Arrange ancestor photos around or below Buddha. Hang lanterns above or on sides. Place food offerings in front. Set incense and candles. Add flowers in vases. Include cucumber horse and eggplant cow. Maintain traditional hierarchy (Buddha highest, then ancestors, then offerings).

The Temporary Obon Altar

For those without butsudan: White or purple cloth on table. Ancestor photos as centerpiece. Lanterns on either side or hanging above. Food offerings in front of photos. Incense holder and candles. Flowers in vases. Cucumber horse and eggplant cow. Simple, beautiful, reverent.

The Minimalist Altar

For small spaces: One photo of ancestor(s). One white candle. One stick of incense. Small bowl of rice. One white flower. Simple but honors the essential elements.

Activating Your Altar

On the first day of Obon (13th), consecrate your altar. Light candles and incense. Speak: "Honored ancestors, I have prepared this altar to welcome you home. Please return to us during Obon. We remember you with love. We honor you with these offerings. Welcome home." Ring bell (if you have one). Bow in respect. Make first food offerings.

Daily Altar Practice

Each day of Obon: Light candles and incense morning and evening. Refresh food offerings (remove old, add fresh). Change water for flowers and drinking water. Spend time in prayer or meditation. Share family stories about ancestors. Speak to ancestors, updating them on family news. Express gratitude.

Maintaining Your Altar

Keep altar clean and beautiful. Replace wilted flowers immediately. Ensure food offerings are fresh. Keep candles and incense stocked. Maintain atmosphere of reverence. A well-tended altar shows respect and love.

Dismantling Your Altar

After sending off ancestors (15th or 16th evening), dismantle mindfully. Thank ancestors for visiting. Extinguish candles and incense. Remove food offerings (eat or compost). Return cucumber horse and eggplant cow to earth. Clean altar space. Store sacred objects respectfully. Speak: "Thank you for visiting, beloved ancestors. Until next Obon, you remain in our hearts."

Year-Round Ancestor Altar

Consider maintaining a small ancestor altar year-round: Keep one photo and candle. Light candle on death anniversaries. Make offerings on special occasions. Maintain ongoing relationship with ancestors. Obon becomes annual intensification of continuous practice.

Conclusion: Portal to the Ancestors

Your Obon altar is more than decoration - it's a portal where ancestors return, a physical expression of love and remembrance, a sacred space where living and dead commune, and a beautiful honoring of those who came before. Whether elaborate or simple, let your altar reflect sincere love, deep respect, and joyful welcome for returning spirits.

In the final article of this series, we'll explore modern Obon spiritual celebrations, integrating Japanese traditions with contemporary life for meaningful ancestor honoring.