Funerals and Memorial Services
An article written by Jane Yee
In southern China, the death of an adult person is mourned for three days in the living reception area of the house. The old ladies cleanse the body of the deceased and dress him (or her) in his best clothes. There is no embalming.
Mourners wear white coarse cotton or white linen. The women let down their hair in a loose fashion. Women of the immediate family wear blue cord in their hair. The cousins and other relatives wear green instead of the usual red cord in their hair. They wear these colors as a sign of mourning for a whole month and may not participate in frivolous activities and fun things such as theater, parties, amusements, etc.
Relatives and friends come and offer a piece of cloth representing the traditional bed cover. They are stacked one on top of another to cover the person. Incense, candles, and paper money are offered and burnt for the deceased.
The burial ceremony is officiated by a priest or monk from the temple who calls upon the family spirits to receive the new candidate for the after life. There are numerous incantations and bell ringing. The ritual is precise and lengthy, but totally incomprehensible to this spectator. After services, the deceased is put into a sturdy wooden coffin and carried to the place of burial followed by the procession consisting of celebrant, family and relatives, replicas of clothes, houses, furniture, flowers, vehicles, boats, planes, etc., all made of papier mache.
The burial ground must be favored by good “wind” and “water” (feng shui). The view should not be obstructed by tall buildings and is usually located on the side of a mountain. These papier mache replicas are then burned, which means that in the next reincarnation this beloved person will not be lacking in life’s necessities and luxuries. Before the coffin is lowered into the ground, family members each drop a few coins and tokens which are buried with the dead, supposedly to pay the toll on the river which leads to the “hereafter”.
Candies and a coin or two wrapped in white paper are given to each person attending the funeral as a token of
appreciation. The coins should be spent specifically for sweets and eaten, thus assuring a pleasant future.
On the third day after burial, family members visit the grave, bow respectfully and implore the spirit of the deceased to intercede with the gods and promote the best interests of the family.
Every year in early spring, the “book of Omens” is consulted to determine an auspicious day for “Tein Men”.
Announcements are sent to everyone in the Chinese community. On this particular day, everyone comes to the cemetery to clean the grave sites of loved ones, plant new flowers and spend some time remembering the departed in a memorial service.
Copyright 2006 - Yee Fung Toy Association of Detroit, MI
Mourners wear white coarse cotton or white linen. The women let down their hair in a loose fashion. Women of the immediate family wear blue cord in their hair. The cousins and other relatives wear green instead of the usual red cord in their hair. They wear these colors as a sign of mourning for a whole month and may not participate in frivolous activities and fun things such as theater, parties, amusements, etc.
Relatives and friends come and offer a piece of cloth representing the traditional bed cover. They are stacked one on top of another to cover the person. Incense, candles, and paper money are offered and burnt for the deceased.
The burial ceremony is officiated by a priest or monk from the temple who calls upon the family spirits to receive the new candidate for the after life. There are numerous incantations and bell ringing. The ritual is precise and lengthy, but totally incomprehensible to this spectator. After services, the deceased is put into a sturdy wooden coffin and carried to the place of burial followed by the procession consisting of celebrant, family and relatives, replicas of clothes, houses, furniture, flowers, vehicles, boats, planes, etc., all made of papier mache.
The burial ground must be favored by good “wind” and “water” (feng shui). The view should not be obstructed by tall buildings and is usually located on the side of a mountain. These papier mache replicas are then burned, which means that in the next reincarnation this beloved person will not be lacking in life’s necessities and luxuries. Before the coffin is lowered into the ground, family members each drop a few coins and tokens which are buried with the dead, supposedly to pay the toll on the river which leads to the “hereafter”.
Candies and a coin or two wrapped in white paper are given to each person attending the funeral as a token of
appreciation. The coins should be spent specifically for sweets and eaten, thus assuring a pleasant future.
On the third day after burial, family members visit the grave, bow respectfully and implore the spirit of the deceased to intercede with the gods and promote the best interests of the family.
Every year in early spring, the “book of Omens” is consulted to determine an auspicious day for “Tein Men”.
Announcements are sent to everyone in the Chinese community. On this particular day, everyone comes to the cemetery to clean the grave sites of loved ones, plant new flowers and spend some time remembering the departed in a memorial service.
Copyright 2006 - Yee Fung Toy Association of Detroit, MI