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PAPER BIKINIS SUPPLANTING HELL MONEY?We've all read about "hell money", offerings burned in Asian societies to honor ancestors. How about "bikini money"? -Editor
Burning joss paper during festive occasions is an age-old tradition in Vietnam, where religious residents believe that whatever they burn will reach deceased relatives in the afterlife, providing them with wealth and comfort. The most common items are usually fake money or even house models made of paper. However, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently issued a directive to provincial and municipal culture departments across Vietnam urging local officials to curb the practice. According to the ministry, a worrying trend has gained popularity over the past years where joss paper vendors start selling items that are inappropriate and not suitable for Vietnamese culture. These include paper bikinis, men and women's underwear, and other types of swimwear. I reached out to our resident Vietnam expert, Howard A. Daniel. Thanks. -Editor Howard adds: I have never seen or heard about them. The article does mention it does not fit into Vietnamese culture. I am thinking that they have to be Chinese-made and something they can make more money on instead of the funeral paper money. I do not know anyone in Viet Nam who would use them. To read the complete article, see: 
Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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