What is the Chinese funeral?

Funeral:

Sons, daughters and grandchildren in the front, the original is to hold the spiritual seat, usually holding a photo, walking in front, behind the coffin carriers, filial sons, daughters, filial grandchildren forward for a while to turn around, to the coffin to kowtow to the elders of a head, to show respect for the elders.

The main colors of traditional Chinese funerals are white and yellow, which is why they are also known as white affairs, as opposed to red affairs.

With the faith and financial situation of the deceased, the whole process is often accompanied by relevant Buddhist, Taoist or Feng Shui rituals.

The main processes are:

Small coffin: for the body purification and grooming, put on a life jacket.

Announcement of Mourning: Formal notification of friends and relatives near and far of the time of death, circumstances and funeral arrangements.

Running Mourning: friends and relatives bring gifts, money, couplets, wreaths, etc. from abroad to attend the funeral.

Spirit stopping: also known as temporary house, the body will be parked in the spirit of a number of days, waiting for friends and relatives to come to the funeral.

Wake: During the period of the wake, relatives and friends who have been present, especially the deceased's juniors, take turns guarding the deceased at the funeral hall and accepting condolences from those who are in mourning.

The coffin: in the presence of the family, the deceased will be moved into a mattress-lined coffin, covered with a quilt and nailed to seal the coffin.

Funeral and burial: the coffin is taken to the cemetery for burial. The start of the funeral is marked by the breaking of a tile basin by the mourning son, which is called "shaban-er".

Burning seven: after burial, friends and relatives visit the cemetery every seven days and burn paper money, one *** to go seven times *** forty-nine days.

Five seven: northern regions in the thirty-fifth day, traditionally called five seven, by the daughter to make a paper gourd, and under a bowl of noodles, commonly known as the five seven unlocked.

Observing filial piety: according to Confucian tradition, filial son should guard around the grave of his parents for three years (everyone before the age of three, basically do not leave the arms of their parents, this three years of remembrance of parental grace, many villages are also created), during which time to avoid entertainment, drinking and eating meat, couples in the same room, etc..

Plaque: Family members use incense and candle offerings to dedicate a plaque with the name of the deceased.

Sweeping of graves: Friends and relatives repair and clean the graves during the Ching Ming Festival (the day when Kai Zhitui died).

Expanded:

The concept of the soul has been around since the Paleolithic era of primitive society.

Primitive people believe that the soul does not die when a person dies, and it can still intervene in the living's personnel, misfortune and happiness.

Subject to this concept of the soul and the constraints of cultural traditions and religious beliefs of various ethnic groups in different countries, resulting in a variety of funeral customs: some funerals are grand and grand, some simple and plain, some are full of religious colors, and some are scientific and hygienic.

Geography, religion, and social structure all influence the form of funerals, with class identity being a decisive factor.

Taking Tibet as an example, there are four kinds of funerals according to status: water burials for the untouchables, earth burials or sky burials for the middle status, and cremation for the nobles.

In terms of burials, there are various forms of earth burial, sea burial, cremation, water burial, thick burial, sky burial, cave burial, tree burial, hanging casket burial, closet burial, and food burial among the peoples of the world.

Source:Baidu Encyclopedia-Funeral