Chinese funeral rituals
Chinese funeral rituals are much more complicated than Western funeral traditions in terms of the rites and the symbolic meaning behind each procedure. This is, in part, due to cremation being uncommon in China which makes funeral rituals more significant for the families of the dead.
Flowers, quiet and solemnity are common in Western funerals, whereas Chinese funeral rituals are way more perplexing and compounded.
Preparations
The funeral is usually prepared by family members of the deceased as an act of filial piety (孝 xiào). [1] The corpse is normally stored in a mortuary to avoid decomposition.
Fixing the Day
Chinese people believe that the date and time of events are related to the fortune of the family. Therefore, the funeral should be conducted on an auspicious day at a specific time, which can be selected from the Chinese fortune calendar (通勝 tong sheng). The calendar advises the readers what to do and what not to do on a certain date and at a certain time.
Obituary (訃聞)
Before the funeral, an obituary notice is commonly sent to relatives and friends announcing the date and time of the funeral procession.[1] People usually conduct the ritual ceremony on the day of funeral procession.
Auditorium Layout
The ritual ceremony is usually conducted in a mortuary. The auditorium is decorated for the ceremony a day before the funeral procession. A plaque is hung at the centre of the wall, and wreaths are placed around the periphery of the auditorium. Four character idioms (成语 cheng yu) are carved on the plaque. Different idioms are used on the plaque to bless the deceased.
Clothes of the deceased (小殮)
"Xiao lian" is the process of putting clean Funerary Garb on the deceased. Apart from hygiene, this clean Funerary Garb symbolizes that the deceased is about to leave this world (人世 rén shì) cleansed and well-dressed, in order to continue his/her journey to the afterlife (來世 lei shì). [2]
Coffin (大殮)
"Dà liàn" is the ritual of transferring the body of deceased into the coffin (入木 rù mù). This especially designed coffin has an inner blanket lining. After placing the body of deceased into the coffin people attending the funeral are allowed to move closer to the coffin to see the face of deceased for last time before the burial. Coffin is then sealed and ready to be carried to cemetery.[3]
Young Bachelor
According to Chinese custom, an elder should never show respect to someone younger. So, if the deceased is a young bachelor, for example, his body cannot be brought home and must remain at the funeral parlor. His parents cannot offer prayers to their son, either: Since he was unmarried, he did not have any children to whom he could perform these same rites. (This is why the body cannot come into the family home.) If an infant or child dies, no funeral rites are performed either since respect cannot be shown to a younger person. The child is thus buried in silence.
Mourning
The funeral ceremony starts after the preparation. According to custom, family members and relatives are required to dress in white, unless they have particular religious beliefs with which the traditional white color is not compatible. The white color represents simplicity, and is also the symbolic color of death in China. Bright colors are generally forbidden since they are usually linked with happiness and joy. [1]
Family members usually also wear burlap strips and white cotton cloths over white shirts and pants. Female relatives usually put on a white cotton cone-shaped hat. On top of the white shirt, two long burlap strips which are usually placed on the shoulders are tied together with white strips around the waist. Male relatives usually wear a white bandanna around the head.
Accompaniment (守靈)
The main purpose of "sou ling" is to let the deceased be accompanied till the very last moment before entering the afterlife. It is the way for their beloved ones to show their filial piety (孝 xiào) and reluctance to let go of the deceased. Before the funeral, the deceased’s family members guard the corpse on shifts. [2]
Respects (奠)
Before the funeral procession, the jiā jì (家祭) is held. According to the closeness and status of the family members, they will come up in front of the plaque to pay respects to the deceased.
The Last Prayer
Taoists chant a prayer to guide the deceased’s soul to the right track, which is the path for the souls. It is believed that the prayer is made to lead the deceased’s soul to the afterlife and a final resting place. Buddhists typically chant “Tabitha” as to pray that the soul would find peace as it follows Buddhism.
To open the Path for the Soul: Family members usually invite a Taoist monk to produce a “soul-summoning flag” to chant prayers for the dead to create a pathway for the dead’s soul to find his way to afterlife.
A worshiping table for relatives and families’ worship is set to allow them to pay their respects. As part of the tradition, relatives would offer fruit baskets and flowers, so the host should not purchase any of those for the funeral. On the table, there are things like: a picture of the deceased in black and white, a pair of white long candles, an incense furnace and offerings (usually wine and food) for the deceased.
The table also allows relatives to offer incense to the deceased. Under the table, family members of the deceased puts a set of clean clothes, shoes and sanitary tools of the deceased for the soul to “use” in the after world, as if the deceased is still alive. The table cannot be removed until the body has been taken to burial, as it is called “chú líng” （除靈） which means the removal of the soul.
Ceremonies of Merit
In the traditional funeral practice, it is common that the family invite a monk to chant the merits of the deceased and pray to relieve the sins of the deceased. It is believed that this can help the deceased’s soul to find peace and escape the fate as a restless ghost.
Cremation (發引)
"Fā yǐn" refers to sending the hearse to the burial site or carried out cremation. After the funeral procession, the bereaved family would say thank you to the relatives who have attended the funeral.
Anniversary of the Deceased (慎終追遠)
Every year at the Qing Ming Festival (清明節), which is the anniversary of the loved one's death, people would pay respect to their ancestors and the deceased by removing the weeds, tidying up and cleaning the tombstone.The later generation can understand their roots by this event, which is known as "shèn zhōng zhuī yuǎn" (慎終追遠).
See Also
References
- 1 2 3 Lauren Mack. "Chinese Funeral". About.com News & Issues.
- 1 2 "小殓". baidu.com.
- ↑ "FUNERAL RUNDOWN AND PROSESS - 喪禮流程". sentosacasket.com.
http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_chinaway/2004-03/03/content_46092.htm