Ancient China
Death and funerary customs
Funeral Rites
The burial of the dead is a matter taken very seriously by the Chinese society are often determined by the age of the person and how high they were viewed in society. According to Chinese custom, an elder should never show respect to someone younger than themselves, Therefore children are buried in silence. There are many restrictions for a child’s funeral in China such as: His/her parents cannot offer prayers to their child, neither can the body be brought home and must remain at the funeral. When a Chinese elder passes away, their prescribed funeral rites must be performed, even if this means the family of the elder will go into debt.
The Coffin
Once a family is aware of a relatives death, they will of ordered a coffin in preparation for the funeral. A traditional Ancient Chinese coffin is rectangular with three 'humps'. When a death occurs in a family all statues of deities in the house are covered up with red paper and all mirrors are removed as it is believed that one who sees the reflection of a coffin in a mirror will shortly have a death in his/her family. A white cloth is hung over the doorway to the house and a gong is placed to the left of the entrance if the deceased is a male, and to the right if female to show respect and recognize the death of the body. Before the person is placed in the coffin, she/he is cleaned with a damp towel, dusted with talcum powder, and dressed in their best clothes (never dressed in red clothing), Before being placed on a mat. The body is completely dressed, including the footwear, and cosmetics (if female).Before being placed in the coffin the persons face is covered with a yellow cloth and the body with a light blue one.
The Wake
The length of the wake is usually around one day long, depending on the financial resources of the family. It is the most peaceful time of mourning as white candles are lit and placed at the foot of the coffin, wreaths, gifts and a photograph of the deceased are placed at the head of the coffin and the family members of the person are gathered around the coffin positioned according to their rank in the family. Whilst the wake is in place the coffin remains situated is in the house of the family. Prayers are performed at nighttime by a monk as it is believed that the souls of the dead face many obstacles and torture for the sins they have committed in life before they enter the afterlife.
Traditional rituals are performed at the wake by the relatives such as: wailing or crying during mourning as a sign of respect to the deceased, special clothing is worn depending on the persons rank in the family, and no red clothing is worn as it is a colour of happiness.
Funeral guests are required to bow as well as donate money as a sign of respect to the family of the deceased. The money helps the family pay for the costs of the funeral. Relatives arriving later to the wake must crawl on their knees towards the coffin. Relatives that arrive late to the wake must crawl on their knees towards the coffin.
The Burial
The burial ceremony is a matter of great importance to the Chinese. If they were able to ease its passage into the next world, they reasoned, the dead person would not turn into an evil spirit that would return to make trouble for the living. Containers filled with food and drink provided support on the journey to the spirit world. The soul of a person was believed to leave the body at death, in order to take its place in the spirit world. Other objects found in graves show that life in afterlife was thought to be much the same as on earth. Containers filled with food and drink provided sustenance on the journey to the spirit world.
Chinese dieties