How people are buried in China: traditions and customs

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

If you come to China for a funeral, you may be shocked. The traditions and rituals of the Celestial Empire are completely different from those of the West. Here, a special place is given to religion and beliefs, and the funeral ceremony takes place according to the customs of the ancestors.

So how are people buried in China? How are funerals in this country different from ours? You will find the answer to all these questions in the article.

Traditions

Unlike Western countries, the Chinese have always buried the dead in white clothes and dressed in this mourning color themselves. Now this tradition is followed only in remote provinces, and in big cities people wear clothes of more restrained colors for funerals.

White clothes should only be worn by relatives of the deceased. In addition, they tie a white bandage on their heads. The invitees must have a white ribbon on their hand. If a woman knew how, then on the right hand, and if a man - on the left.

In ancient times, the deceased was also dressed in white clothes. Now he is dressed in a traditional costume. The number of items of clothing worn is necessarily considered, it is important that the number is odd. A photo of how people are buried in China can be seen in the article.

Red is excluded from funerals as the Chinese color means life. In the Celestial Empire, they believe that if the deceased is dressed in red clothes, his spirit can get stuck between two worlds (the dead and the living). If in our country all mirrors are covered for this, then in China they remove all red objects, including hieroglyphs.

How people are buried in China

The dead are said goodbye in a large hall, which is usually rented. It is very important for the Chinese that as many people as possible come to the ceremony. For this purpose, invitations written on a white sheet of paper are sent to relatives and friends. If the deceased was over 80 years old, the color of the paper should be pink. The fact is that for everyone the ceremony of farewell to people of the older generation is happiness, because a person lived for a very long time.

Invitees bring white flowers (irises, orchids) to the funeral, as well as an envelope with money. In honor of the deceased, a commemoration is arranged, usually magnificent. If there are no funds, they set a modest table only for relatives. There must be an odd number of dishes on the table without fail. There are usually a lot of treats so that all guests properly commemorate the deceased.

Mourning lasts 7 days. During all this time, relatives are forbidden to comb their hair and cut their hair as a sign of grief. Also prohibited at this timehold weddings.

Just like in Russia, in China there is one day a year (Qingming) when relatives come to the graves to clean up the area.

In honor of the dead on Chinese New Year, locals launch bright lanterns that light the way for souls to heaven. The Chinese believe that it is these lights that keep souls from getting lost in the world of shadows.

Rituals and rituals at funerals

Speaking about how people are buried in China, it should be mentioned that everything is carried out in accordance with multiple rites and rituals, each of which has a certain meaning. They are usually associated with beliefs and religion:

• The path of the dead must be lit. To prevent this from happening, a lit candle should be at the feet of the deceased, which will illuminate his path. The candle should not go out from the moment of death until the very burial or cremation.
• So that the deceased could not get lost, since ancient times they put a gold or silver coin in his mouth. The Chinese believe that thanks to the brilliance of precious metals, the soul will be able to find the right path. Sometimes, for this purpose, a pearl necklace was placed at the head or on the forehead.
• When people are buried in China, the relatives of the deceased burn money for a good life in the spirit world. But these are not ordinary yuan, but special funeral money, on which many zeros are written. Also, copies of things made of paper that may be needed in another world are indulged in fire: a house, a car, beautiful clothes, household appliances, favorite things, and so on. Be sure to burn the figurine of the animalfrom paper, which was the symbol of the deceased according to the Chinese horoscope.
• Despite the fact that the Chinese are not very emotional people, at the funeral ceremony they cry and lament very loudly. This must be done so that as many people as possible learn about the grief. New people come up and start crying too. As a result, the whole district gathers at the funeral.
• How are people buried in China? With music. Moreover, it must be loud, albeit not mournful. Music is needed in order to drive away evil spirits from the deceased. Foreign citizens are often unaware that they are at a funeral ceremony.

How do they protect the dead from evil spirits?

Inhabitants of the Celestial Empire believe that in the process of parting, all guests can be influenced by evil spirits. In order to protect themselves from them, special security rituals are carried out. After the deceased has already been buried, red envelopes with a coin inside are distributed to those invited.

She will help you get home safely. Upon arrival home, a red cloth is tied on the door handle, which does not let evil spirits into the home.

Finance expenses

When the Chinese are buried in China, they are given a magnificent funeral, for which huge sums of money are spent. The more people come to say goodbye to the deceased, the better.

But there is a tradition that each guest brings a white envelope with money in it. It can be any amount the person can afford.

In small towns, some relatives write down on a piece of paper the data of the visitor and the amount that he presented. This is not at all connected with the commercialism of the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom. If this person's loved one or himself dies, the family will be obliged to return to him the same amount that he brought to the funeral of their relative.

Where the Chinese are buried in China

Before, the bodies of the dead were interred, and a mound was poured over the grave, which was lined with stones. A monument was always placed at the head of the bed.

But now China is the most populous country in the world. As a result, cemeteries suffer from "overpopulation", so little space has been allocated for graves in recent decades. Now in the Celestial Empire, the tendency to cremate the dead is actively spreading. After the process, the ashes can also be buried in the ground, but more often relatives scatter them over the sea.

In one province in China, the administration banned the burial of the dead in coffins, as there was no available land. The dead can only be cremated there. But often relatives fulfill the last will of the deceased by burying his ashes in the ground.

Dead Man's Things

After 3 days, relatives must throw away all the things of the deceased, as well as his photographs and household items. The Chinese believe that in this way the soul will more easily pass to the afterlife and find a comfortable life in the other world.

Now you know how the dead are buried in China. Do not be afraid of their customs, because they came from a distant past. According to such rites, people were buried in ancient times.and, despite the modern world, the Chinese honor the traditions of their ancestors and believe in them.