Ancestor rituals are very easy and useful to do. In modern culture this has been mostly lost, while in ancient cultures it was always a main aspect of the spiritual practices of a community. The best time is on the morning of a new moon, when the gate is wide open and the ancestors are also in the most calm mood. It only needs to take 5 minutes in which we greet the ancestors, wish them well, offer them some gifts and may also ask for support. The gifts should contain the five elements : flowers and fruits for Earth, some fresh water for the Water element, a candle or oil lamp for Fire, incense or essential oil for Air and our voice for Space. Some gifts may be more personal within a family or for a particular departed person. So we put these gifts on a plate, which after say 24 hours is returned to nature, not thrown in a dustbin.