Hi everyone, I have a question about what to do with an Omamori. Earlier this year I bought a good health Omamori for a beloved relative, who later passed away due to an illness. In this case, what is appropriate to do? Would it be bad luck or disrespectful to keep it myself? Should I dispose of it?
Thanks!
https://www.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/17fr2os/what_do_i_do_with_an_omamori_after_the_death_of/
6 comments
Your local temple or shrine will have a fire to dispose of these kinds of articles at new year.
It won’t do any harm to keep it as a memory, either.
The shrine near where I grew up has an enormous bonfire every year to burn old omamori and other shrine-goods. Must have been one of the bigger ones because it would burn for a few days. They would dig a pit, and people would drop stuff off for a month or two, and the pile would eventually get ~12 feet tall
Just get rid of it, it obviously didn’t work ^so ^sorry ^for ^your ^loss
Nothing wrong with keeping it.
But, if you do decide to dispose of it, and are not in Japan, some temples and shrines will accept them by mail to burn.
Traditionally omamori are 1 year things. You’re suppose to burn them at the temple usually around New Year to prevent bad luck or so the superstition states. Equally, you’re never suppose to open them.
It’s really up to you though what you do superstitions aside. It might make a nice trip to pay respects to your deceased relative while burning the omamori at the shrine or keep it as a book mark or tree ornament.
You can keep it or take it to a shrine or temple where they will burn it. There is a tradition of returning them to be burned after a year but that is not necessary. You can keep it for as long as it has spiritual or sentimental value for you.