Traditional funeral customs in ancient Shanxi

After the funeral time is determined, you should inform your relatives and friends. Wuzhai area is called "sending filial piety". Take a piece of filial piety cloth with you when you go to see the relationship. The older one wears mourning clothes, and the younger one wears mourning towels. Jinzhong Qixian and other places, on the day of the funeral, banners cut into patterns with white hemp paper should be hung in front of the door; The connection between paper and paper does not need paste bonding, but the paper is folded with iron or stone tools and rammed together, which is called "ramming paper"

The locals will tear one for their children to wear, which is said to prolong life. Tear it home and stick it on the urn, so there are no bugs. In the old days, some places set up "taboo signs" outside the gate, with men left and women right, indicating not only the date of birth and death, the date of funeral, but also the taboo items.

In addition to the custom of cliff burial in Ningwu area, "earth burial" is very common in all parts of Shanxi. That is, "tombs", some tombs were built in advance, and some were temporarily opened after death. In the old days, teachers of Yin and Yang should be invited to sit and watch Feng Shui and set points. Then sprinkle five pills and use a silver needle to open a "ten" on the set acupuncture point, which is called "breaking ground" or "breaking ground". After "digging", you can dig the grave. Those who are buried together only need to open another hole next to the old burial place. If the deceased entered the ancestral grave, his grave was at the foot of the previous generation.

Before the funeral in the old days, there were ceremonies of "ordering the Lord" in all parts of Shanxi, such as Qin County and Qi County. That is, ask someone to add a little to the original word "Wang" written on the tablet with a cinnabar pen, so that the word "Wang" becomes the word "Lord". Commonly known as "master", that is, becoming a god. The person who points to the Lord is called the "point-in-charge official", and it is necessary to invite local respected celebrities, scholars or local governors to serve. This kind of ceremony is generally limited to middle-aged and elderly people who die normally, and no young dead are held.

After the mourners offered public drinks, the eldest son of the deceased bowed down to pay tribute, that is, carrying the big head of the coffin on his back and moving it out of the coffin shed with the help of everyone, commonly known as the "coffin." Before waking up, the sons of the deceased will hold a ceremony of "pressing the bowl with food" in Qixian County, Jinzhong.

They put all kinds of vegetables and food in a porcelain jar, and then press them in turn until they are full. Cover it with a steamed bread, erect a hole with a pair of chopsticks and put some red vermicelli on it. This can of food, together with "steamed bread" and "ever-burning lamp", will be buried with the coffin at the funeral.